Sierra Club Statement: Appropriations Bill Harms Border Communities

Contact

Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org

Washington, DC-- Today, Congress released language for an appropriations package that includes $1.375 billion for border barrier construction with no restrictions on the President’s ability to transfer money from the military for border wall construction. The full language can be found here.

In response, representatives of the Sierra Club released the following statements:

"While it is important we avoid a government shutdown, it is deeply disappointing that the cost of keeping our government open and functioning is funding for a divisive, destructive, and unpopular border wall,” said Lena Moffitt, Director of the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign. “Undoubtedly, communities along the border will suffer more damage because of the Trump administration’s agenda. More public lands will be devastated, families and communities will be torn apart and natural destruction will be irreversible with new miles of border wall.” 

“We’ve already seen the damage caused by physical barriers and walls-- flooding, cutting off wildlife migration routes, and tearing apart of communities who have already been decimated by this administration’s cruel and racist immigration policies and practices,” said Dan Millis, Borderlands Program Manager at the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “The damage of border walls and militarization has left irreversible damage to wildlife and our communities. Congress must not give this administration one more dollar for this unpopular, cruel agenda. The Sierra Club will always rise with border communities against these grave injustices.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.