Rage Against The Machine have directed strongly-worded criticism at US politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties over the recent surge in ICE raids authorised by Donald Trump's administration.
On January 20 this year, the White House declared new measures for 'Protecting The American People Against Invasion', claiming that "millions of illegal aliens" had entered the United States across the four years of Joe Biden's presidency, and alleging that "many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans."
Since then, there has been an upsurge in activities aimed at identifying and detaining illegal immigrants in the US, and a policy of mass deportations, in line with promises Trump made to the electorate during his successful campaign to return to the White House for a second term. In recent weeks there has been a backlash among immigrant communities in the US, with Trump ordering the National Guard into Los Angeles to quell protests, against the wishes of the state's Democratic governor Gavin Newsom.
In a message posted on their Instagram page, Rage Against The Machine have stated that both major political parties in the country bear responsibility for the widespread climate of fear and intimidation which has resulted from the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in homes, colleges and workplaces.
Their message reads:
"In the U.S., both major parties are responsible for the militarized border policies that target and criminalize migrants and refugees.
"Both wage wars and impose destructive economic policies that directly result in the migration of people seeking safety and asylum.
"After 9/11, the budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) rose by almost 300%
"This has intensified the racist terror for communities already suffering through family separation, detention, deportation, and the use of 'digital prisons' via electronic monitoring."
The statement concludes: “No government on stolen land should have the power to decide who is 'legal' and who is 'illegal', or who lives and who dies."
Earlier this month RATM guitarist Tom Morello organised a concert in LA to raiser funds for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), at which he was joined by B-Real of Cypress Hill, Pussy Riot, K.Flay and rap-metal group Neighborhood Kids.
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