By Maria Pia Matos
WASHINGTON, DC – The Director of the Vera Institute of Justice, Nicholas Turner, responded to President Biden’s second State of the Union speech Tuesday, and praised Biden for acknowledging the need for reform to the existing system of public safety and policing, especially in light of the murder of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers.
But Turner encouraged President Biden and his administration to handle immigration with the same seriousness and urgency that he addressed public safety and law enforcement.
“President Biden must commit to restoring access to a safe and humane immigration system that ensures due process, including a universal right to legal representation for anyone who faces detention or deportation,” Turner said.
Turner commended President Biden’s compelling vision for equitable, long-term, sustainable safety and justice. However, Turner argued the U.S. cannot turn our backs on those seeking safety and freedom in this nation by limiting their ability to seek refuge.
Turner concluded, “There is still more work to do and we must work across the aisle and with urgency to turn words into the policies that our communities deserve.”
