In the aftermath of war and genocide in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, many SEAAs were separated in their escape to safety. Our immigration system must ensure the timely and humane reunification of families.
Key resource:
How family-based immigration benefits Southeast Asian Americans: Standing up for our families and our rights — A memo that discusses the current backlog for immigration visas and the ramifications of ending family-based sponsorship.
Featured story
Keep Our Families Whole – SEARAC Applauds Reintroduction of the Reuniting Families Act
The RFA would streamline the United States’ family immigration system – which has not been updated in over 20 years – to ensure the timely and humane reunification of immigrant and refugee families. The bill would eliminate bureaucratic red tape: clearing visa backlogs in the family and employment immigration systems, as well as providing an opportunity for relief for immigrants in deportation proceedings to remain with their families.
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“She’s all I think about. I just want my companion to be with me here, not just to help as a caregiver to my elderly father, but so we can also finally save some money and start a family, which is all I ever wanted. The emotional stress, the financial hardship, the physical toll it’s taken on both of us — it’s all really hard to manage.”
Solar installer, Minnesota
“The Reuniting Families Act would make our family reunification system more humane by ensuring that our families do not have to wait decades to be together and by providing greater opportunities for relief for those currently in deportation proceedings.”
Executive Director, SEARAC
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Latest related posts
SEARAC has just launched a new fundraising campaign on @wearechuffed, a crowdfunding platform for socially-conscious projects from around the world, to support our immigration policy advocacy and deportation defense work. We’re fighting back against ICE raids and kidnappings, speaking up against dehumanizing policies that terrorize our communities, and protecting Southeast Asian Americans’ right to family. Will you help us meet our goal of raising $100,000 to support this urgent work?
Donate at the link in our bio!
Oct 20
Posted @withregram • @migrantfreedom
The U.S. immigration enforcement system is deliberately confusing and hard to navigate, especially if you are under despair and stress. This toolkit contains a broad overview of where and when people go missing within the system and guidelines on how to locate them. This is a resource intended for advocates, friends and family members of people impacted by the U.S. immigration system and does not account for attorney privileges. Please be sure to consult with legal counsel if you’re able to.
Tap the link in our bio for the full toolkit.
Oct 16
This month`s screening of @seaajourneys_doc with our partners at @hipcalifornia and @iumiencommunity was a testament to the power of community and storytelling. As @hmongdailynews shared in their reporting, "For Sacramento`s Southeast Asian communities, the screening was as much a celebration as it was a remembrance—a reminder of how far they have come, and what they have brought with them." Read the full article at the link in our bio.
You can visit seaapower.com to find a screening near you.
Oct 15
A recent PBS NewsHour story sheds light on the devastating impact of the US deportation machine on Southeast Asian refugees, their families, and communities. Alan Phetsadakone has lived nearly his entire life in the United States, but now faces deportation over a decades-old mistake. Though he served his time and worked hard to rebuild his life, his future remains uncertain. Many Southeast Asians live in fear of detention and deportation every day.
We must continue to rise up and demand an immigration system rooted in humanity, justice, and dignity.
Alan shares, “What I need now is just the support and the fight to prevail from this — from this immigration madness.” Watch the full video here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/laotian-refugee-living-in-u-s-since-childhood-faces-threat-of-deportation
Oct 10
Today is #DAFDay! If you have a Donor Advised Fund, it’s the perfect time to support causes you care about. Your generosity supports SEARAC`s work to fight against unjust detention and deportation, protect funding for education, and ensure health equity for all.
If you’re giving through a DAF, consider directing your gift to SEARAC today and visit our donation page at bit.ly/donatetosearac.
Oct 9
