Miranda Warns Against Trump’s EO Criminalizing Homeless Americans

PHOENIX – Recently, the White House released a new Executive Order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” which directs federal agencies to make it easier to involuntarily treat and institutionalize people with serious mental illnesses as part of a bid to address homelessness across the United States. While addressing the nationwide homelessness crisis is urgent and necessary, this executive order promoting institutionalization of people with mental illness raises serious concerns for the safety of those experiencing mental illness and housing instability. Senate Democratic Assistant Leader Catherine Miranda (LD11) released the following statement:

“It is deeply concerning that the Trump Administration is choosing to label mental illness as a crime.

Individuals with mental illness deserve to be treated as human beings, with dignity and respect. As a deeply sympathetic legislator to the difficulties our healthcare system places on those seeking help, I very much agree that homelessness is an urgent crisis in our country and one that deserves our complete attention. However, to truly address the systemic causes of this crisis, it is our moral obligation to invest in programs that would improve early access to care, supportive housing, and other wrap-around services.

Donald Trump’s order seemingly focuses on broad institutionalization and not on real solutions that we know work in helping people lead better lives. Rather than providing access to critical mental health services and housing options, this executive order seeks to, likely requiring deeply disturbing tactics, remove people who are homeless from the public eye.

We have seen this move by other authoritarian figures, and I fear what this will mean for Arizonans suffering from mental illness and housing insecurity. We know this executive order runs a high risk of exacerbating the homelessness crisis and is not the way to address our nation’s mental health needs. Our country deserves better."