Washington, D.C. – Today, over 200 immigrants and allies came together in DC for a press conference, rally, and day of office visits with key Members of Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Whip Durbin, Senators Murphy, Cornyn, and Crapo, and House Minority Leader Jeffries, Representatives Jayapal, Tlaib, and Meng. With only weeks left before Trump takes office, the delegation of working-class communities from across the country –led by the Home is Here campaign– demanded Congress take urgent action to shore up protections for immigrants during this critical lame duck session. This includes passing a clear Continuous Resolution (CR) and rejecting all anti-immigrant provisions –as well as funding for Trump’s mass deportation plans– during the reconciliation process and beyond.
Together, the delegation also called on President Biden to use every tool at his disposal to protect immigrants before leaving office, including immediately designating, redesignating, and expanding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for all countries that merit protection and ensuring all affirmative relief and renewal applications are processed as quickly as possible.
For photos from today’s Day of Action, please visit this link. All Credit to United We Dream.
Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director for United We Dream said:
“Make no mistake, while immigrant communities will bear the brunt of Trump’s mass deportation agenda, we all lose when our country is willing to turn its back on working-class families and line the pockets of billionaires who get richer with each immigrant detained. No matter what Trump threatens us with, our home is here and we refuse to retreat into fear or despair. Our courage and our resilience is everything they hate, and we’re not going anywhere. This moment demands electeds on all levels –President Biden, Congress, and state and local officials– to take decisive action now to reject Trump’s anti-immigrant assaults and shore up protections for immigrants on all fronts, from the border, to our schools and workplaces, to the very places we call home. We’re not backing down and we demand they don’t either.”
Leo Murrieta, Executive Director of Make the Road Nevada said:
“Mass deportations threaten to tear apart the fabric of our communities, destabilize families, and devastate our economy. Today, we joined forces with allies nationwide to demand President Biden, Congress, and state and local representatives stand up for our immigrant communities by rejecting any funding for Trump’s inhumane deportation agenda. Our message is clear: We are here, we contribute, and we will not back down. Now it’s time for our leaders to do the same: choose humanity over cruelty and invest in the well-being of all families.”
Linda López Stone, Senior Director of MomsRising said:
“Immigrants are essential to this country, and we’re here to stay. Mass deportation plans are not only inhumane, but they will also harm our families, economy, and communities. We demand that Congress reject funding for Trump’s deportation agenda, as every dollar spent targets the very people who strengthen this nation—our children’s teachers, caregivers, coworkers, neighbors, and loved ones. We also call on the Biden Administration to take immediate action to safeguard DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status holders, and other communities at risk, including passing TPS for Ecuador, before it’s too late. The time to act is now.”
Margaret Cargioli, Directing Attorney of Policy and Advocacy said:
“President Biden and Congress must take every lawful step necessary to alleviate the orchestrated pain that the Trump administration plans to unleash on immigrants. The Biden administration can protect vulnerable people and redesignate TPS for countries like Venezuela and issue new TPS designations for all other countries that merit protected status, such as Sudan and Syria. We implore Biden to pardon the 27 previously deported veterans who are hoping to remain in the United States with their families. We urge Congress to end contracts for detention facilities with notorious records of abuse. Mass deportation will have a chilling effect on households, neighborhoods, communities, and the humanity of the United States. We stand ready to protect our neighbors, teachers, brothers, and sisters from Trump’s callous plans.”
Maya Wiley, President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said:
“Immigrants are and have been our neighbors, our coworkers, and our friends. We know we are stronger for it. The president-elect has promised mass deportations, which threaten families, including people who have worked, paid taxes, and set down roots. Immigrants helped build this country with their contributions to our communities and our economy. The extreme, dangerous, and unconstitutional plan to deport immigrants who are lawfully residing in the United States along with undocumented people is not only legally wrong, it would create a humanitarian crisis of massive proportions by failing to consider the need to keep families together, the plight of children, the real possibility of making immigrant women and girls more vulnerable to sex trafficking, and the value of immigrants to our economy and workforce. We can and should solve the challenges we face today, including by passing comprehensive immigration reform and pathways to citizenship.”
Kica Matos, President of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) said:
“Donald Trump’s promises of mass deportations, ending birthright citizenship, coming after immigrants in schools, hospitals, and places of worship will cause unforeseen strife and hardship across America. At this dark moment in our country’s history, we can’t be bystanders. Congress, President Biden, and other elected officials must do everything in their power to protect immigrant communities now before Trump takes office. Our communities are courageous and resilient and we will fight the Trump administration with everything we have.”
Clara Cortes, member of Make the Road New York said:
“I lived through the first Trump administration and witnessed all the anti-immigrant executive orders and policies that came out of it. As someone undocumented at that time, I was terrified that my family would be torn apart. Currently, my husband is sick and needs constant support. If we were to be separated, it would devastate my family, and impact his health significantly. With Trump’s inauguration fast approaching, President Biden and Congress must use their power to protect our people, pass a clean funding bill immediately, and stand firm to not add anti-immigrant policies nor fund Trump’s deportation machine during the reconciliation process.”
Amos, Member of CASA said:
“As I await approval for Temporary Protected Status, I stand before you, asking you to call on President Biden to act and protect immigrants like myself. Immigrants are not just contributors to the workforce; we are the backbone of many sectors—from healthcare to construction to education and food services. This is why we also call on Congress and demand that not a single dollar is spent on mass deportations. Millions of people—like me—are living with uncertainty, but we also know that the future of our families, communities, and the economy depend on Biden’s actions to protect and extend measures like TPS..”
Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director, said:
“We are standing up today, organizing, speaking up on the eve of what may be four trying years for our nation and families everywhere, especially immigrant families. But let there be no mistake about our disposition and intent. As immigrants, we have been integral to the progress and resilience of our nation because we are hardworking, loving, resilient communities. And we will continue to be a positive force for our nation. We are not going anywhere and we will continue to make the case for the millions of aspiring Americans who need protection from Congress and mass legalization, not mass deportation plans which would cause harm and chaos to every community in every city, county, and state in the nation.”
Jung Woo Kim, NAKASEC Co-Director, said:
“As Congress works to pass a budget by December 20, they must act to protect immigrant families, including Asian American communities, from the harmful mass deportation and detention policies pushed by the Trump administration. With a new administration and Congress on the horizon, now is the time to ensure that the budget reflects our values and prioritizes keeping families together. Our communities are watching and will continue to demand a government that defends and uplifts immigrant families across the country.”
Iliana Perez, Executive Director of Immigrants Rising, said:
“It should be no mystery to Members of Congress that immigrants are integral to all aspects of our nation’s identity. We are siblings, parents, spouses, and other beloved family members. We are academics, business owners, entrepreneurs, and essential workers. We are people that take matters into our own hands to build safe, stable, and successful lives for ourselves and those around us. A mass deportation agenda disregards these realities and tears apart what is best about our country’s communities – that we support one another and contribute to one another’s well-being. Immigrants are essential to the fabric of this nation, driving economic growth, enriching our culture, and strengthening our communities through hard work, creativity, and resilience. The federal government’s budget should only build upon that beautiful aspect of who we are as families, neighbors, cities, and beyond. We urge Congress to take a stand for our communities’ strength and ensure that no dollar will be spent on a cruel, harmful mass deportation agenda.”
