FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2025

CONTACT: media@vera.org

WASHINGTON, DC – Late Monday, after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, he and his new administration signed a slew of executive orders as part of their “Day One” promises. Included in the orders were dozens of immigration measures that close off access to asylum, put an end to birthright citizenship, undermine due process, and pave the way for mass detention, deportation, economic devastation, and family separation.

As a campaign that champions and advocates for immigration legal defense for all, the Fairness to Freedom campaign issued the following statements in response to the day one executive actions on immigration:

Said Nicole Melaku, executive director, National Partnership for New Americans: “These day one actions are as divisive and destructive as we expected. But rather than despair in fear, we come prepared and choose to believe in the power we’ve built across the country for this moment and the moments to come. We will defend our communities—not out of fear, but because of the very fact that immigrants are woven into the fabric of this nation from coast to coast. We call on all elected officials—from county commissions to the halls of Congress—to resist an agenda of mass deportation, defend our needed and beloved neighbors, provide critical protections for immigrant communities, and stand on the right side of history. If these executive actions are any indication of the road ahead, now is the time to resist policies that tear families apart and invest in deportation defense to help keep families safe, stable, and together.”

Said Shayna Kessler, director, Advancing Universal Representation initiative, Vera Institute of Justice: “These executive orders ramp up indiscriminate immigration enforcement, threaten state and local governments into conducting federal immigration enforcement, and deny people a fair chance to present and defend their case in immigration court. Studies make clear the devastating, far-reaching effects these policies will have on our families, our communities, our economy, and our nation. Our team of experts is actively analyzing the full scope and impact of these executive orders on migrants and our communities. While we will fight against those that are blatantly unlawful, our focus remains on advancing solutions that protect due process, uphold human dignity, and create a more fair and more just immigration system.

“Everyone deserves to live in safety and stability, united with their families. This is why we condemn these extreme measures and call on our elected officials at all levels of government to act now to safeguard all communities by investing in effective solutions—like immigration legal defense—to defend due process and protect human dignity in our immigration system.”

###

Fairness to Freedom: The Campaign for Universal Representation was launched by the National Partnership for New Americans and the Vera Institute of Justice in April 2022 with a coalition of over 200 organizations and legal service providers. The campaign’s goal is to support the passage of the Fairness to Freedom Act to establish a federal right to representation for all immigrants facing deportation.