#TrumpCheck - The Truth about Racist Immigration Policy

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

Nearly 5 months into the second Trump presidency, we seem to have found a rhythm under which he operates. Sometimes, a week goes by without Earth-shattering, precedent-breaking news. 

Unfortunately, this is not one of those weeks. 

On Monday, forty-nine white Afrikaner refugees flew on a chartered jet, paid for by the US government, from South Africa to the United States on newly granted refugee status. This is in striking contradiction to the announcement, on the same day, that Afghan refugees will lose their immigration status and begin being deported this summer. Many of whom are in danger in Afghanistan specifically for helping the U.S. armed forces as interpreters during wartime. 

The blatantly racist and seemingly contradictory policy is just one example of such during the Trump years. Today, we are here to illuminate Trump's history and current efforts in racist immigration policy. 

• The 49 white Afrikaner refugees were not only greeted by government officials, a highly unusual step in refugee operations, but will be supported financially as they settle into the United States. An internal government memo obtained by the New York Times cites that the Trump administration will be helping to provide “temporary or longer-term housing” and “basic home furnishings, essential household items and cleaning supplies ... groceries, weather-appropriate clothing, diapers, formula, hygiene products and prepaid phones that support the day-to-day well-being of households.” 

FACT: On the first day of his presidency in 2025, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to stop the acceptance of refugees into the United States. A February 7th Executive Order announced that the US would be supporting “Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.” Afrikaners are "South Africa’s largest white group" in a country that is over 80% Black. 

• The "Remain in Mexico" policy was created in January of 2019 during the first Trump term. It demands that Mexican asylum seekers return to Mexico until the date of their asylum court hearing. The American Immigration Council states that asylum cases can take "years" to go through the legal process. 

FACT: The day after his 2025 inauguration, Trump reinstated the "Remain in Mexico" policy, a universally condemned policy by human rights organizations due to the life-threatening danger it puts so many asylum seekers in. This policy is still in place today, as white refugees from Africa are flown into the United States on expedited visas. 

And finally...

• Donald Trump's administration has rushed to reinstate family separation practices. 

FACT: The lifelong, detrimental effects on children being kept in ICE detention are well-documented. This hasn't stopped the expansion of family detention centers at the US border with Mexico. Reports from inside the detention facility indicate a lack of diapers, soap, food, phone access, or water, freezing temperatures, and overcrowded cells. 

We really wish that the Trump administration would treat ALL refugees equally and provide them with the essentials for the well-being of their households, including prepaid phones, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula, weather-appropriate clothing, and housing assistance. But they don't.

Donald Trump thinks he can get away with policies like this because Americans don't notice. Guess what, Trump? 

We do. 

And we will not stand by and let it happen. It takes all of us to fight blatantly racist policy that hurts our country, our immigrant neighbors, and our loved ones. The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned to our social media channels, linked below, for updates on the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP 

#TrumpCheck - The Lies About Babies (and $$$)

Happy Mother's-Day-week, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

With the world distracted by the conclave happening in Rome (or the film 'Conclave'), Donald Trump is taking the time to meet (unsuccessfully) with our foreign partners, both from Canada and China. 

More under the radar is what the Trump administration is doing in regards to funding for maternal health, and children in the United States. For a man with five children by three different mothers (and at least 8 documented mistresses), Donald spends a lot of his time talking about 'family values.'

For a 'pro-life' politician, Trump's policies only seem to be hurting children and families. Today, we decided to unload some of the lies regarding parenting and funding for children that the Trump administration is spreading. 

• Vance has stated that it is "the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids".

FACT: The GOP's Congressional budget plan decimates social services that millions of parents rely on. Cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) will leave millions of children hungry, without food assistance that parents rely on. Budget slashes against the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs will eliminate or disrupt childcare services for millions of children. Medicaid, the largest single source of health coverage in the U.S., covering nearly half of all children, is expected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars of funding with the new Republican-backed budget plan. 

• The White House floated the idea of providing $5,000 to mothers after giving birth in order to increase the country's birth rate. The White House press secretary applauded Trump, saying that he is 'restoring hope in the American Dream.'

FACT: The 'baby bonus' is unlikely to make a sustainable difference in the life of any new mother, especially considering the cuts listed above. The average cost of giving birth in the United States is a whopping $18,865, more than three times the amount of the potential 'baby bonus.' 

• Trump has continuously highlighted his commitment to expanding access and reducing costs for IVF. He even, disgustingly enough, referred to himself as the "fertilization president".

FACT: In April, the Trump administration gutted funding for research into fertility treatments happening under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Historically low birth-rates in the United States can't be 'solved' by one-time payouts to new mothers. The Trump administration's contradictory praise of people having babies, and simultaneous disinvestment in IVF, healthcare, food, and childcare for those children shows how little the MAGA movement actually cares about Americans. 

The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP   

#TrumpCheck - The Lies About Ukraine

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

A week from today marks Donald Trump's 100th day in office of his second term as president. Since January 20th, life has looked different for the whole world, especially for the people of Ukraine. 

The United States has had long-standing diplomatic relations with Ukraine, establishing a relationship nearly 40 years ago, in 1991, as soon as Ukraine seceded from the Soviet Union. On February 24th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in what has since been referred to as a "brutal act of war."

Under President Biden, the United States was a strong ally to Ukraine, sending over $175 billion in military and budget aid to help protect hundreds of thousands of civilians. Even then, over 62% of Americans thought that the United States should be doing more to to stop Russian military actions in Ukraine. President Biden has a well-documented, long-standing, terse relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which added to the tension of the United States supporting Ukraine as it was under siege. 

However, Trump, an outspoken fan of Putin, pulled the rug out from under Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as soon as he came into office, halting military aid. After a notoriously disastrous meeting at the end of February, it is speculated that Trump and Zelenskyy may meet again while they are both in Italy for the funeral of Pope Francis. 

Ahead of any new talks about to go down between the two leaders, today, we are here to break down the lies that Trump and his friends have been spreading about President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. 

• Trump and Vance have been outspokenly critical about President Zelenskyy not being ‘grateful enough,’ including an outright confrontation at the February 28th meeting at the White House in which Vance asked, “Have you said 'thank you' once this entire meeting?"

FACT: Zelenskyy has shown appreciation for the US during Biden and Trump's administrations, dating back to 2022, on an X post thanking Biden for the diplomatic and military assistance. He thanked Biden, Congress, and everyday Americans during a meeting with the President.  He has also publicly thanked Trump over the last few months. 

• Trump has accused President Zelensky of “prolonging the ‘killing field,’“ by damaging peace negotiations, claiming in a recent Truth Social that "nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory."

FACT: JD Vance has called on Ukraine to agree to peace deal conditions that include "the annexation of Crimea by Russia." Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and is recognized as Ukrainian territory by international law. 

• Trump has referred to Zelenskyy as a 'dictator without elections'

FACT: Zelenskyy won his election in 2019 decisively with 73% of the vote, and Ukrainians are still rallying behind Zelenskyy even after Trump's attack. Ukraine is currently under martial law, and under Ukraine's constitution, it is not legal to hold national elections during this time. Zelenskyy has also said multiple times that elections will be held following the end of martial law -- he has never opposed an election or fought to stay in power.  

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have already been killed or forced to leave their homes. The suffering has gone on long enough, but the Trump administration wants to stand with Russia. Americans aren't having it. The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.