SEAAs and other immigrant and refugee communities want a fair chance to thrive, but we cannot do so while we are subject to a dehumanizing, unjust immigration system.
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The New Way Forward’s Impact on Southeast Asian Americans
There are 15,000 Southeast Asian Americans with a final order of removal. About 80% of removable Southeast Asian Americans have a criminal conviction. Many of these individuals were refugees who have never lived in their countries of origin and no longer have any family ties to Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam.
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“It felt like I was being double punished. A terrible crime that I committed when I was a youth would eventually lead to my deportation to a country that I had no ties to. I felt like I was unworthy, not valued, that all that I’d done to change my life, to build community while I was inside, doesn’t matter.”
featured in our anti-deportation PSAs
“If I can change back the hands of time, education and knowledge would be the best for any young person trying to figure themself out. Please be aware that I am still human even though I made a mistake in the past. I do have family that loves me, and I love them, too.
featured in our anti-deportation PSAs
“If we were deported, our family wouldn’t be as happy as they are now. We draw them together and the positive mindset we bring—that heals them and heals our community. I believe deportation is really double punishment for our family, for us, and for our community.”
featured together with impacted community member Tith Ton in our anti-deportation PSAs
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Latest related posts
Join SEAC Village and SEARAC for a screening of “Threads,” an episode from the “Southeast Asian American Journeys” docuseries produced by CAAM and SEARAC, at UNC-Chapel Hill on Nov. 20. This special event will also feature a screening of Fighting for Family as well as a panel discussion highlighting Southeast Asian American resilience. We are thrilled to host this event alongside UNC’s Southeast Asian American Student Association, Carolina Asia Center, and UNC’s Asian American Center with support from AARP. Registration is requested and you can sign up here: tinyurl.com/SEASAscreening (case-sensitive)
About Threads: Threads is a sprawling portrait of indigenous Montagnard refugee community, threading intergenerational storytelling and history-making in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
Directed by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê
About Fighting for Family: Fighting for Family tells one family’s story from refugee flight to school-to-prison-to-deportation pipeline while highlighting the power of community resistance.
Directed by Lan Nguyen
Nov 10
The White House has announced the lowest refugee admissions cap in US history at just 7,500 for fiscal year 2026. In the announcement, the Administration specified the prioritization of white Afrikaners from South Africans for resettlement.
The current refugee system was formalized in the 1980 Refugee Act, a bill that SEARAC (then known as the Indochina Resource Action Center) helped pass and was one of the primary means to help resettle over 1.2 million Southeast Asian refugees in the United States. Quyên Đinh, SEARAC Executive Director, responds, "Refugee protections must not be selective. It must reflect our shared humanity. History has shown that refugee resettlement is not a partisan issue; it is a moral one, rooted in justice and equality for all people seeking safety."
Read the full press release at the link in our bio.
Read the full statement at the link in our bio!
Nov 6
Join @searac and @iumienoforegon for a screening of @seaajourneys_doc on Dec. 1!
RSVP at bit.ly/rsvp12125.
Nov 5
The open enrollment period for health insurance started on Nov. 1 in most states. However, Congress remains at a standstill over extending the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, which expire at the end of this year. The enhanced tax credits greatly improved health insurance enrollment and make insurance more affordable for millions of individuals and their families. By allowing these tax credits to expire, more than 24 million Americans will see their premiums rise by $1,000 or more.
As the shutdown continues, more and more families will also lose their SNAP access. Full SNAP funding ceased on Nov. 1 and is only restored when Congress funds and reopens the government. Over the weekend, the courts ordered the Trump Administration to give partial or full SNAP payments. The Trump Administration announced today that it will give families partial payments drawn from a lawfully designated SNAP emergency fund, which the administration previously refused to do.
SEARAC remains committed to uplifting Southeast Asian American communities and ensuring that our stories are heard. We invite you to share your story: bit.ly/SEARACShutdownSurvey
Read our full statement at the link in our bio.
Nov 3
In October, SEARAC and our friends at Hmong Innovating Politics and Iu Mien Community Services hosted a screening of Southeast Asian American Journeys. What’s special about this docuseries is that it was made by Southeast Asian Americans, about Southeast Asian Americans, and for Southeast Asian Americans. 2025 marks the 50th commemoration of Southeast Asian refugee resettlement to the United States and we are proud to uplift the beauty and strength of Southeast Asian American and American stories that are too often overlooked.
Oct 31
