'You are not alone' immigrant rights advocates get ready for Trump Administration

On Wednesday morning, in the wake of Donald Trump's reelection, several local and national immigrant rights organizations announced immediate priorities to fight back against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda. 

United We Dream Action, CHIRLA, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), the Fair Immigration Reform Movementand the Advancing Universal Representation Initiative, Vera Institute of Justice, hosted “We Will Not Back Down,” a virtual press call to talk about the current immigration terrain and the immigration movement priorities in the upcoming weeks and months. 

The virtual call was held at the same time that Trump made his return to Washington for the first time since he won the election last week. On Wednesday morning, Trump and the current president Joe Biden met at the White House, where Biden congratulated Trump and said he looked forward to a “smooth transition” and a peaceful transfer of power. 

The president-elect has repeatedly vowed to carry out the "largest deportation effort in American history" since the beginning of his latest campaign. 

On Thursday, in an NBC News interview, he also said one of his first priorities upon taking office in January would be to make the border “strong and powerful,” regardless of how much his anti-immigration plan would cost. 

On Sunday, Trump announced that his deportation agenda will be overseen by Tom Homan, his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, who will serve as “border czar” in his incoming administration.  In addition to overseeing the border, Trump also said Homan "will be in charge of all deportation of illegal aliens back to their country of origin.” 

A new way of politics

Greisa Martinez Rosas, executive director of United We Dream Action, said that although the terrain in these next four years is far from the outcomes immigrant rights advocates wanted and that there are already sensed challenges that many undocumented people will be facing now and in the future, this is also a time for a fundamental pivot and a new way of politics, a new political future that, as she mentioned Wednesday, “speaks to working-class people, that delivers on the good to the communities on the ground and that is clear about our commitment to a pro-immigrant future that we all deserve.” 

Martinez Rosas, a DACA recipient, said she will “not be driven back into the shadows” as an undocumented person and called on local and statewide elected leaders to fight back against Trump's immigration agenda and protect the immigrant communities residing throughout the U.S 

“We call on electeds nationwide to use every tool at their disposal to reject Trump’s mass deportation agenda. We also urge the public to get organized now. Together, there is a lot we can do to ensure Trump and his cabinet are not successful in their plans,” she said. “Our movement is at the vanguard of our fight for change and creating a new politics that centers the working class, Black, brown, and immigrant communities nationwide. We will not retreat into fear and despair. We are home and we are here to stay.”

Arizona’s Proposition 314

Karime Rodriguez, empowerment servicios manager at LUCHA, said Trump's return to power represents a serious threat, but that the organization remains committed to mobilizing, working with allies in the state legislature and defending immigrant families against laws that are harmful to undocumented people. Rodriguez talked about Arizona’s Proposition 314, also known as the Secure the Border Act, which passed with more than 6% of voters in favor. 

With the passage of 314, crossing the border illegally in between ports of entry will make it a state crime, granting state police the ability to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering Arizona through Mexico anywhere other than a port of entry. In addition, illegal entry will become a class one misdemeanor for a first offense and a felony for further offenses; it also gives state judges the power to order deportations.

“Our Servicios department will be at the forefront, providing crucial resources, education, and support for our immigrant community. Servicios will help families understand their rights, prepare for potential challenges, and access the information they need to stay safe,” she said. “Trump’s administration has made it clear that they seek not only to persecute immigrant communities but to dismantle civil society itself. These attacks aim to strip away the very foundations of our democracy, our rights, freedoms and capacity to organize.”

Community Empowerment and Solidarity

The power of community was also one of the biggest topics in Wednesday's call. Areli Hernandez, director of executive affairs of CHIRLA, said although the days ahead present challenges, immigrants are not alone. 

“To immigrants, we here stand today to tell you that you are not alone. There is a whole movement to stand with you and take action. In this moment we call on the faith community, on businesses, labor, people of color, LGBTQ communities, women's groups, and environmental protection [groups] to stand with us. Immigrants will be the first who will be targeted by Trump but we fear they will not be the last,” Hernandez said. “We call on immigrants to be connected and find a community. We call on Americans to stand in solidarity with immigrants; solidarity with immigrants is solidarity with democracy. This is our home, and we will fight to stay.”

Election Data and Commitments from local officials

Mireya Reith, co-board president of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, also talked about the data from the election and publicly rejected the narrative that Latino voters elected Trump. “We think that narrative is oversimplified,” she said. “Because one thing is clear: white voters supported Trump and the working-class voter,  that includes the immigrant [community], are still looking for their political home. The reality is that immigrants and Hispanics and all of our diverse voters are expecting delivery and outcome and we did not see that with enough candidates.”  

Reith also talked about the economic disruption that mass deportation can cause. “We are proud of the family and political advocacy infrastructure that we have collectively built but there is not enough infrastructure anywhere in the U.S. to address the economic instability and social disruption that would be the outcome of mass deportations,” she said. “We stand ready to lead defensive action but more importantly, we join in a call to action on proactive commitments from elected officials and allies. As we make meaning of the elections by talking with directly impacted members, we already have an eye to 2028 to protect and fulfill the true potential of our democracy.“

It’s serious 

The last speaker of the virtual call was Shayna Kessler, director of the Advancing Universal Representation Initiative at Vera Institute of Justice, who talked about how serious Trump's mass deportation plans are and that they should not be taken lightly, as, according to Kesskler, “the ripple effect will be felt across neighborhoods, the economy, schools, and the entire nation, but we have prepared for this.” 

Kessler said deportation defense networks are at the forefront of any mass deportation plans.

“We take president-elect Trump at his word that efforts to actualize mass deportations are coming—and that they will be sweeping and indiscriminate. Our immigrant neighbors, including parents, essential workers and students will be targeted. We have built and will continue to build a strong deportation defense network that will work tirelessly to ensure that people can legally defend their right to remain in their communities and with their families.”

You can find more about United We Dream Action online at www.unitedwedreamaction.org.