FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 13, 2024

Contact: Melissa Stek | melissa@masadc.com or media@vera.org

Washington, DC– Following the announcement of Donald Trump’s re-election and his continued pledges to unleash the largest mass deportation force beginning on day one of his presidency, leaders from United We Dream Action, CHIRLA, the National Immigration Law Center, the Fairness to Freedom campaign, and more, hosted a virtual press call to discuss immediate priorities as a movement to fight back against Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.

A recording of the call is available here.

Said Greisa Martinez Rosas, Executive Director of United We Dream Action:

“We didn’t just survive Trump’s first presidency. We grew. Trump may be re-elected but he does not have a mandate to come into and rip apart our communities. We call on electeds nationwide to use every tool at their disposal to reject Trump’s mass deportation agenda. We also urge the public to get organized now. Together, there is a lot we can do to ensure Trump and his cabinet are not successful in their plans. Our movement is at the vanguard of our fight for change and creating a new politics that centers the working class, Black, brown and immigrant communities nationwide. We will not retreat into fear and despair. We are home. And we are here to stay.”

Said Areli Hernandez, Director of Executive Affairs of CHIRLA:

“Democracy is at stake. The Trump administration's agenda is to dismantle human and civil rights for people in the United States, immigrants included. Knowing Our Rights is the best protection from deportation. As immigrants, we have civil and human rights which must be respected. We call on immigrants to be connected, and find a community. We call on Americans to stand in solidarity with immigrants, solidarity with immigrants is solidarity with democracy. This is our home, and we will fight to stay.”

Said Mireya Reith, Co-Board President of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement - FIRM:

“From 25 years of campaign work in the movement for citizenship, the lived experience at FIRM is that immigrant voters are also proud working-class voters, who demand policy outcomes and results and are still in search of a political home that delivers for them. We are proud of the family and political advocacy infrastructure that we have collectively built but there is not enough infrastructure anywhere in the US to address the economic instability and social disruption that would be the outcome of mass deportations. We stand ready to lead defensive action but more importantly we join in a Call to Action on proactive commitments from elected officials and allies. As we make meaning of the elections by talking with directly impacted members, we already have an eye to 2028 to protect and fulfill the true potential of our democracy. “

Said Shayna Kessler, Director of the Advancing Universal Representation Initiative, Vera Institute of Justice:

“We take president-elect Trump at his word that efforts to actualize mass deportations are coming—and that they will be sweeping and indiscriminate. Our immigrant neighbors—including parents, essential workers, and students—will be targeted. We have built and will continue to build a strong deportation defense network that will work tirelessly to ensure that people can legally defend their right to remain in their communities and with their families.”

Said Nicole Melaku, Executive Director of the National Partnership for New Americans:

“The policy proposals of the incoming administration will expand detention, ramp up deportation, strip individuals of vital protections, and deny people a fair hearing in immigration court. These measures will tear families apart and uproot long-standing community members from their homes and workplaces. The ripple effects will be felt across neighborhoods, schools, the economy, and the nation. Together we will resist mass detention and deportation, defend family unity, and continue to work with our partners and elected officials across the nation toward a future where no one is left alone in defense of their freedom.”

Said Milka Uribe, Member Leader at Make the Road Action Pennsylvania:

"We must organize and we must do it now to protect our communities from Trump's attacks…It's elemental for us to demonstrate our unity - especially now in this new Trump administration. We must fight for an immigration system that takes each and every one of us on a pathway to citizenship. And I say again that we must show that we are united."

Said Karime Rodriguez, Empowerment Servicios Manager at Living United for Change in Arizona

“Our Servicios department will be at the forefront, providing crucial resources, education, and support for our immigrant community. Servicios will help families understand their rights, prepare for potential challenges, and access the information they need to stay safe. Trump’s administration has made it clear that they seek not only to persecute immigrant communities but to dismantle civil society itself. These attacks aim to strip away the very foundations of our democracy—our rights, freedoms, and capacity to organize. That’s why organizations like LUCHA are more important now than ever. Civil society's commitment to equity and accountability is a vital safeguard against authoritarianism. LUCHA will continue to be a political home for those who believe in justice and want to take action. We are here for everyone who feels the weight of these attacks and wants to stand up to defend our democracy, protect our communities, and work for a better future.”

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Fairness to Freedom: The Campaign for Universal Representation was launched by the Vera Institute of Justice and the National Partnership for New Americans 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.

United We Dream Action is the leading national network fighting for dignity and justice led by immigrant youth and allies. We are a dynamic community of thousands of immigrant youth nationwide who build independent political power for those directly impacted by injustice. We organize and take action to win victories so that all people can be safe and thrive. You can find more about United We Dream Action online at www.unitedwedreamaction.org