139 Immigrant, Civil and Human Rights Organizations Urge President Biden To Take Swift Action to Protect Immigrant Communities Before Trump Takes Office

Washington, D.C. –  With less than 70 days until President-elect Trump takes office, a coalition of 139 immigrant, civil and human rights organizations issued a statement directed at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, urging their administration to take decisive and immediate action to protect Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, and other long-time residents from mass deportation and family separation as well as safeguard protections for people fleeing persecution. A large portion of those under threat are currently living and working with employment authorization, and their removal would be tragic for families, communities, and businesses.

“Our immigrant communities are at a crossroads as President-elect Trump threatens to make his campaign promises to return to a cruel and chaotic immigration system a reality. The lives of  American families – our neighbors, small business owners, farmworkers – hang in the balance so we urge the Biden-Harris administration to meet the urgency of the moment with immediate actions to protect vulnerable immigrant families, TPS holders, Dreamers and others who are at risk of mass deportation and family separation. There’s no doubt Donald Trump will impose far-reaching changes on our immigration system, dismantle legal pathways and reshape immigration enforcement as we know it.  There’s no time to waste.”

Protect Vulnerable Individuals from Deportation Risk: Ensure vulnerable individuals and those eligible for existing temporary programs are not caught in the detention system and protect children from deportation.

Issue TPS Protections for All Eligible: Worsening crises in countries across the world underscore the need for TPS and DED protections. The administration should ensure those who currently have TPS have an opportunity to extend their status and offer vital protections via DED or TPS for those who qualify, including relief from deportation, while allowing these individuals to continue building their lives here.

Ensure that DACA Holders and Other Long-time Residents are Able to Benefit from Current Policies:  The administration should work swiftly to process all DACA renewal applications and advance parole requests, as well as preserve avenues for DACA holders to have access to legal status through their employers.

Protect Farmworkers and Seasonal Workers by securing fair treatment and improved protections for vulnerable workers.

Safeguard Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Process work permits to prevent immigrants from falling out of the authorized workforce, continue to rebuild the US Refugee Assistance Program and rescind harmful legacy asylum provisions.

 

Signees

32BJ SEIU

AAPI Equity Alliance

AAPI New Jersey

Acacia Center for Justice

ACLU People Power Fairfax

Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO)

Afghans For A Better Tomorrow

African Communities Together (ACT)

AILA Board of Governors

AILA Chapter Chair for Iowa/Nebraska

Alianza Nacional de Campesinas

Americans for Immigrant Justice

Amnesty International

ANAR

Anethum Global

Arab American Institute (AAI)

Arkansas United

Asian American Federation

Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)

Asian Law Caucus

Association of Africans Living in Vermont, Inc.

Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP)

Ayuda

AZ Immigration Alliance

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action

Bet Tzedek Legal Services

CAPAVA

CASA

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies

Center for Victims of Torture

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Central American Resource Center of Northern CA (CARECEN SF)

Chinese for Affirmative Action

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE)

Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP)

Community Change Action

Defending Rights & Dissent

Detention Watch Network

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

Envision Freedom Fund

Esperanza United (formerly Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network)

Estrella del Paso (formerly Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services Inc)

Faith In Action

Faith in Action International

Franciscan Action Network

Friends Committee on National Legislation

HANA Center

HIAS

Hindus for Human Rights

Hope Border Institute

Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative

Human Rights First (HRF)

Immigrant Children Advocates’ Relief Effort (ICARE)

Immigrant Defenders Law Center

Immigrant Justice Network

Immigrant Legal Resource Center

Immigration Equality

Immigration Hub

Indivisible

Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI)

International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)

Jewish Activists for Immigration Justice of Western MA

Just Futures Law

Justice for Migrant Families

Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center

Latino Victory Project

Law Offices of Zahedi

Lawyers for Good Government

Lideres Campesinas

Long Island Immigration Clinic/Sisters of St. Joseph

Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants

Make the Road Nevada

Make The Road Pennsylvania

Mariposa Legal

Miami Valley Immigration Coalition (Dayton, Ohio)

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center

Midwest Immigration Bond Fund

MomsRising

MPower Change Action Fund

Muslim Organization

Muslims for Just Futures

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA)

National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

National Immigrant Justice Center

National Immigration Law Center

National Immigration Litigation Alliance

National Immigration Project

National Immigration Project

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice

National Partnership for New Americans

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

National Survivor Network

National Women’s Law Center

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

New York Immigration Coalition

New York Law School Asylum Clinic

Nigerian Center

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project

Oasis Legal Services

OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership

Organized Power in Numbers

Popular Democracy Action

Prevention Institute

Project Lifeline

Pronto of Long Island, Inc.

Public Counsel

ReEstablish Richmond

Refugee Council USA

Refugee Support Network

Refugees International

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network

Rural Coalition

Safe Harbor Clinic, Brooklyn Law School

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Service Employees International Union – United Service Workers West

South Asian Legal Defense Fund

South Asian Public Health Association

Southern Border Communities Coalition

Stop AAPI Hate

Sueños Sin Fronteras de Tejas (SSFTX)

SURJ NYC

T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

Team Brownsville

The Advocates for Human Rights

Thrive International Programs

VECINA

Vera Institute of Justice

Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

Virginia Latino Leaders Council (VLLC)

Voces de la Frontera

Voces Unidas RGV

Volunteers of Legal Service

Voto Latino

West Virginia University Immigration Law Clinic

Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center

Witness at the Border