Sierra Club Joins Organizations Opposing Ronald Mortensen’s Nomination

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, dozens of organizations, including Sierra Club, sent a letter to Senators urging them to oppose Ronald Mortenson’s nomination for Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (RPM). Mortensen’s extremist, anti-immigrant views and his lack of any relevant experience should disqualify him from overseeing U.S. refugee and migration policies.

• Mortensen has repeatedly spread falsehoods and misinformation seeking to vilify immigrants as criminals, despite ample evidence to the contrary

• He has published his extremist views through the Center for Immigration studies, an anti-immigrant organization that has been designated a hate group

• He accused Senator John McCain of “rolling out the welcome mat for ISIS,”

• He blamed Dreamers for “destroying the futures of innocent American children”

• He attacked religious communities, including evangelical, Catholic, and Mormon leaders, for their charity and humanitarian aid programs

• Mortenson implied that “compassionate conservatives” are racially biased against Africans

The text of the letter can be viewed here.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Michael Brune released the following statement:

"Anyone holding extremist anti immigrant, anti refugee views has no place overseeing our nation’s refugee and migration policies, but that is exactly what Donald Trump is proposing with this nomination. Like so many of Trump's nominees and appointees, Ronald Mortenson is not fit to serve in any capacity., Not only does he hold views that run contrary to the bureau’s mission, he’s also lacks any relevant experience, making him completely unqualified for the position.

“This administration is separating children from their parents, criminalizing parents seeking a better life for their children, jailing entire families, placing children and women in dangerous and inhumane environments like detention centers and building up destructive border wall and militarization in an attempt to bring hate and fear into our country. People arriving in our country seeking a better life deserve to be treated with dignity and fairness, but Mortenson's extremist views would ensure Trump’s inhumane immigration agenda becomes the status quo. We urge Senators to vote no on Mortenson’s nomination.”