Immigrant advocates criticize Pillen’s pledge to follow Trump on deportations 

Gov. Jim Pillen on a visit earlier this year to the Texas-Mexico border. He visits with members of the Nebraska National Guard, whom he deployed to help Texas patrol its border. (Courtesy of the Nebraska Governor's Office)

LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen has announced that he will follow President-elect Donald Trump’s lead in deporting “dangerous criminals, gang members and terrorists who are in the country illegally.”

In a mid-week statement, Pillen said he stands with 25 other Republican governors who have said they are prepared to use every tool within their reach to follow Trump’s lead on immigration enforcement.

Gov. Jim Pillen. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

“We stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal – whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard – to support President Trump in this vital mission,” Pillen and the other governors said in a joint statement.

Pillen’s multiple visits to border

The GOP governors said they “took action” to secure borders during the Biden administration: “We mobilized state resources, including law enforcement and National Guard units, to protect Americans from disastrous open border policies and prevent illegal immigration from overwhelming our country.”

Pillen, within the past two years, has deployed Nebraska National Guard troops and state troopers to the southern border at a cost of nearly $2.27 million. As governor, he’s visited the border three times and said Nebraska’s efforts there contribute to reducing the number of people and illegal drugs trafficked across. 

In response to the governors’ letter, the Center for Immigration and Refugee Advancement said it remains committed to educating Nebraska’s leaders on the harm caused by “dangerous and inaccurate rhetoric about those seeking refuge in our state.”

CIRA officials said that supporting Trump’s immigration policies would result in the loss of millions of dollars in state tax revenue from Nebraska’s immigrant community — making Pillen’s current challenge of addressing Nebraska’s revenue shortfall “significantly more challenging.”

Dylan Severino of ACLU Nebraska said the governor’s pledge to assist Trump’s mass deportation efforts “makes us all less safe.”

“When local authorities take on immigration enforcement, fewer victims and witnesses of crimes report those crimes, because they fear what it could mean for themselves, neighbors or loved ones who are without current immigration status,” he said. “Unreported crimes hurt public safety for entire communities.”

Severino said it was concerning to see governors trying to associate immigration and crime.

“Gov. Pillen should be pushing for solutions like more lawful pathways, universal representation in immigration court and better processing,” he said.

Immigrant advocates gather in September on the steps of the State Capitol. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)

Las Voces of Nebraska officials said they agreed that dangerous criminals and terrorists should be deported, but noted that Trump promised something else.

“The administration has said citizen children and those with possible status should be deported if they want to keep their families together. Las Voces condemns this inhumane process and the use of the military against children, citizens and civilians,” the group said in a statement. 

Bishops speak out

Meanwhile on Thursday, during the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Catholic bishops of Nebraska shared a letter in both English and Spanish with migrants across the state. They expressed compassion, solidarity and support for immigrants in Nebraska, including those concerned about the possibility of mass deportations. 

“As pastors we know that Jesus wants to draw close to you during this challenging and perhaps fearful time,” the bishops said. “We are with you, too, to support and accompany you in the name of Jesus.”

The bishops pledged continued support as advocates in both Nebraska and Washington D.C., and called all Nebraskans to meet the needs of our “migrant brothers and sisters.”

“[W]e want you to know that we will advocate in Nebraska and in Washington for the respect for human dignity and for family relationships, as well for the special care owed to children that should characterize a just and lawful community,” said the bishops. “We invite our neighbors to join in advocating for respectful treatment of all within the law.”

Pillen and the other governors said the “time for action is now.”

“We understand the direct threat these criminal illegal immigrants pose to public safety and our national security, and we will do everything in our power to assist in removing them from our communities,” the joint statement said.

Besides Pillen, the governors who signed onto a joint letter were: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, North Dakota Gov. Doug Bergum, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon.

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