All Californians should access necessary health care regardless of their immigration status or where they were born.
Key resources:
Featured story
SEARAC Unites With California Partners to Celebrate Our Right to Heal
SEARAC joined our California-based advocacy and health services partners to host the third annual “The Right to Heal: Centering Mental Health Multi-Racial Equity in California.”
Learn more
“Everyday I woke up crying because I gave birth to him but couldn’t do anything about his medical bills. I cried every time I looked at the medical bills because I couldn’t afford them. I didn’t even want to take my son into the hospital if it was going to be that expensive.”
as featured in our video “A Mother’s Love”
“Before the Medicaid expansion, I was without health insurance for a long time and was only able to access the free health clinics in the East Bay to address this recurring stomach issue that I had. I would be in immense pain. With the Medicaid expansion, I have been able to see a doctor and receive regular check-ups regarding my illness. I know that having Medi-Cal has prolonged my lifespan.”
Southeast Asian Americans Speak Out to Protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion report
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Our policymakers should protect, not punish, the communities that contribute to this country.
For the final part of the second edition of SEARAC`s special policy newsletter, we are breaking down Congress` anti-immigrant bills. Since Jan 3, Congress has advanced multiple bills that will harm immigrant and refugee communities. We condemn these harmful legislation and urge policymakers to push for policies based on our values of care, compassion, and respect for human rights.
Stay tuned for the next edition by signing up for our newsletter at bit.ly/SEARACnews.
Mar 20
Our policymakers should protect, not punish, the communities that contribute to this country.
For the final part of the second edition of SEARAC`s special policy newsletter, we are breaking down Congress` anti-immigrant bills. Since Jan 3, Congress has advanced multiple bills that will harm immigrant and refugee communities. We condemn these harmful legislation and urge policymakers to push for policies based on our values of care, compassion, and respect for human rights.
Stay tuned for the next edition by signing up for our newsletter at bit.ly/SEARACnews.
Posted @withregram • @advancingjusticesocal We`ve received reports that Vietnamese, Laotian, & Cambodian community members were detained during their routine check-ins with ICE. Those affected include those who arrived in the U.S. before `95 as refugees, were previously ordered removed from the U.S., & are required to check-in with ICE periodically under an order of supervision.
This trend`s contrary to long-established practices in which these community members wouldn`t be detained or deported, partly due to agreements between the U.S. & the gov of Vietnam & Cambodia. Under those agreements, they have significantly limited who they`ll accept for deportation, allowing many community members to remain in the U.S., stay with their families, & build their lives over the past several decades.
If you have an upcoming check-in with ICE, or if someone has already been detained, please call #AJSOCAL for a legal consultation. If you forsee any interaction with ICE, here`re some steps to prepare & protect yourself & your loved ones.
Know your rights
-You have the right to remain silent & request an attorney.
-You shouldn`t sign anything without legal advice.
Prepare important documents
-Gather your legal documents, identification, & any paperwork related to your immigration & criminal cases. Keep them in a safe & accessible place.
-Give a trusted person access to these documents so they may consult an attorney on your behalf if necessary.
Consult with an immigration attorney
-Speak with a lawyer about your case & legal options.
-Ask about any steps you can take to prevent detention or removal. You may be eligible for post-conviction relief or other immigration relief.
Stay connected with support networks
-Reach out to local advocacy groups that support immigrant communities.
-Stay informed about any changes in policies that may affect your case. Since this situation`s evolving, ICE’s policies may shift again.
Make a safety plan
-Share important contact info with family, friends, or community members.
-Designate someone to reach out to an attorney or an advocacy group if you`re detained.
#Immigrants #stayinformedandstaysafe #informedimmigrant
Mar 19
Posted @withregram • @advancingjusticesocal We`ve received reports that Vietnamese, Laotian, & Cambodian community members were detained during their routine check-ins with ICE. Those affected include those who arrived in the U.S. before `95 as refugees, were previously ordered removed from the U.S., & are required to check-in with ICE periodically under an order of supervision.
This trend`s contrary to long-established practices in which these community members wouldn`t be detained or deported, partly due to agreements between the U.S. & the gov of Vietnam & Cambodia. Under those agreements, they have significantly limited who they`ll accept for deportation, allowing many community members to remain in the U.S., stay with their families, & build their lives over the past several decades.
If you have an upcoming check-in with ICE, or if someone has already been detained, please call #AJSOCAL for a legal consultation. If you forsee any interaction with ICE, here`re some steps to prepare & protect yourself & your loved ones.
Know your rights
-You have the right to remain silent & request an attorney.
-You shouldn`t sign anything without legal advice.
Prepare important documents
-Gather your legal documents, identification, & any paperwork related to your immigration & criminal cases. Keep them in a safe & accessible place.
-Give a trusted person access to these documents so they may consult an attorney on your behalf if necessary.
Consult with an immigration attorney
-Speak with a lawyer about your case & legal options.
-Ask about any steps you can take to prevent detention or removal. You may be eligible for post-conviction relief or other immigration relief.
Stay connected with support networks
-Reach out to local advocacy groups that support immigrant communities.
-Stay informed about any changes in policies that may affect your case. Since this situation`s evolving, ICE’s policies may shift again.
Make a safety plan
-Share important contact info with family, friends, or community members.
-Designate someone to reach out to an attorney or an advocacy group if you`re detained.
#Immigrants #stayinformedandstaysafe #informedimmigrant
50 years after war and violence displaced our Southeast Asian communities, our families are STILL being torn apart.
When we fight for passage of the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act and the New Way Forward Act, we fight for community members like Ma Yang, a mom of 5 who has lived in Milwaukee since she was a baby, deported to a country she barely knows after already serving her time.
🔍 Read her story at the link in our bio.
📧 Sign up for our email list at https://bit.ly/SEARACnews or at the link in our bio to learn how you can support our advocacy.
Mar 17
50 years after war and violence displaced our Southeast Asian communities, our families are STILL being torn apart.
When we fight for passage of the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act and the New Way Forward Act, we fight for community members like Ma Yang, a mom of 5 who has lived in Milwaukee since she was a baby, deported to a country she barely knows after already serving her time.
🔍 Read her story at the link in our bio.
📧 Sign up for our email list at https://bit.ly/SEARACnews or at the link in our bio to learn how you can support our advocacy.
Every single student across the United States deserves access to quality education. This means investing into our education system, rather shutting down key programs that benefit children, students, families, and educators. The Trump Administration`s attack on the Department of Education will harm our communities. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, "This is an attack on children and students, especially students who have long been denied full access to education and opportunity, including Southeast Asian Americans. Nearly 14% of SEAAs are low-income, and a quarter have not attained a high school diploma."
Mar 12
Every single student across the United States deserves access to quality education. This means investing into our education system, rather shutting down key programs that benefit children, students, families, and educators. The Trump Administration`s attack on the Department of Education will harm our communities. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, "This is an attack on children and students, especially students who have long been denied full access to education and opportunity, including Southeast Asian Americans. Nearly 14% of SEAAs are low-income, and a quarter have not attained a high school diploma."
We are joining together to demand our families are kept whole and our freedoms protected. Mahmoud Khalil should be safe in his home with his 8-month-pregnant wife, not in immigration detention far from his family and loved ones. The abduction of Mahmoud Khalil is an attack on our freedoms – to speak what we believe, learn, and live safely. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Posted @withregram • @detentionwatch This is it. Period.
Over the weekend, ICE targeted Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University. Khalil is a permanent resident. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Remember:
➡️ Immigrants in detention can be undocumented or documented immigrants, including people whose immigration status is not current, expired or is under review. The immigration detention system is fundamentally inhumane and unjust.
➡️ ICE operates within a culture of secrecy. Obscuring abuses and purposefully transferring people from detention center to detention center to disconnect them from their loved ones and support community.
➡️ Suppression of dissent is a key tactic of the administration. The ramp up of targeting activists to silence political opposition is a clear example of the rise of authoritarianism and undermining of democratic values under Trump.
Mar 11
We are joining together to demand our families are kept whole and our freedoms protected. Mahmoud Khalil should be safe in his home with his 8-month-pregnant wife, not in immigration detention far from his family and loved ones. The abduction of Mahmoud Khalil is an attack on our freedoms – to speak what we believe, learn, and live safely. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Posted @withregram • @detentionwatch This is it. Period.
Over the weekend, ICE targeted Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University. Khalil is a permanent resident. Support the demand for his immediate release: https://shorturl.at/Lm86S
Remember:
➡️ Immigrants in detention can be undocumented or documented immigrants, including people whose immigration status is not current, expired or is under review. The immigration detention system is fundamentally inhumane and unjust.
➡️ ICE operates within a culture of secrecy. Obscuring abuses and purposefully transferring people from detention center to detention center to disconnect them from their loved ones and support community.
➡️ Suppression of dissent is a key tactic of the administration. The ramp up of targeting activists to silence political opposition is a clear example of the rise of authoritarianism and undermining of democratic values under Trump.