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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Classrooms should be a space for students to express themselves, to be curious about the world, and to practice their freedom to learn. The Trump Administration`s recent executive order to gut the Department of Education threatens this vision by eliminating opportunity and access in education for students, teachers, and communities across the country
Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, “It is unconscionable for the administration to cut support when our students are still catching up with the learning loss from the pandemic and many Southeast Asian students continue to face barriers to educational attainment."
Congress can still act, and we encourage our community to email and call your member of Congress and tell them to protect the Department of Education.
Mar 24
Classrooms should be a space for students to express themselves, to be curious about the world, and to practice their freedom to learn. The Trump Administration`s recent executive order to gut the Department of Education threatens this vision by eliminating opportunity and access in education for students, teachers, and communities across the country
Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, shared, “It is unconscionable for the administration to cut support when our students are still catching up with the learning loss from the pandemic and many Southeast Asian students continue to face barriers to educational attainment."
Congress can still act, and we encourage our community to email and call your member of Congress and tell them to protect the Department of Education.
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."