Vera mourns the lives of those lost over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, and grieves for and with the victims’ families and other loved ones. We hope for the full recovery of everyone who was injured and stand with the countless people who will be forever changed by the trauma of these hate-fueled tragedies.

The seemingly endless assault of white supremacist terrorism and gun violence has infected our nation, unraveling our sense of cohesion and safety in ways both completely in keeping with America’s history and distinct in our modern era. As an organization working to transform our justice system and support due process for immigrants and people of color in a country built on their struggle, we are intensely aware that white nationalism increasingly has a mainstream voice – sparking hatred that has often led to violence.

Unless we confront this reality, there will be no recovery. But in the face of tragedy, we have an opportunity to work toward a better future. We will continue to speak out and ensure that those who are fleeing violence are not subjected to violence in the United States. We will stand alongside the millions of people working to create a justice system that makes all of our communities safer. Today and every day at Vera, we will choose purpose-driven action over hopelessness and hatred.