Washington, D.C. – Today marks four years since the tragic and xenophobic attack that killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas in 2019. The attacker, fueled by anti-immigrant hate and driven by dangerous right-wing conspiracies like the Great Replacement Theory, deliberately targeted our Black and Brown immigrant communities. Despite the tragedy, MAGA Republicans continue to spew the same anti-immigrant rhetoric that inspired the senseless attack 4 years ago.
Juanita Monsalve, Senior Marketing and Creative Director of United We Dream Action said:
“Four years after 22 people were killed, our hearts remain heavy with a stark reminder that hate and anti-immigrant rhetoric have real and devastating consequences for Black and Brown communities. We have seen that the same rhetoric which inspired someone to drive to El Paso has led to tragedies like those in Allen, Texas, and Buffalo, New York.
We cannot dismiss these attacks as mere coincidence or random acts of violence; instead, they expose the insidious impact of years of right-wing propaganda, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and white nationalist conspiracy theories spread by the anti-immigrant right, and parroted by MAGA Republicans for their political gain. Even after seeing the violence they have inspired, many MAGA Republicans across the country continue to go all in on dangerous anti-immigrant rhetoric and lies to scare people and win votes. Pitting communities against each other. In reality, the majority of Americans are welcoming immigrants into their communities and seeing the humanity in one another. We need our elected leaders to follow suit and ditch this dehumanizing and dangerous rhetoric and destructive policies.”