Press Release

Washington, DC  – In response to the re-election of Donald J. Trump, the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign and our 120+ member organizations redouble our commitment to ensure people can exercise their right to seek asylum and safety at our borders. We also remain committed to fighting for newcomers and longstanding immigrant community members who are rebuilding their lives within this country’s borders.

To our communities – our neighbors, friends, and family – we are here for you and will continue to be here, regardless of the challenges we face in the next days, months, and years. 

This election does not change the fact that immigrants enrich the very fabric of our country and are a vital part of our communities and our families. In the face of the xenophobic, racist policy and rhetoric, we have also witnessed an upswell of support for immigrant communities. We have seen communities stepping in to welcome people seeking refuge, as many have for centuries.  The majority of Americans support the right to seek asylum and believe that people should not be deported or separated from their families and loved ones. This gives us hope and reminds us that people in the United States still embrace values of welcome, compassion, and solidarity.

We are all too aware of the dangers of a Trump presidency. In his first term, we saw the shutdown of our borders to people of different faiths and nationalities. We witnessed, and fought against, the cruel policy of family separation  which separated over 5,500 children from their parents or guardians. 

Eight years after he first took office, his administration is poised to enact policies that would be devastating to communities across the country and our society as a whole, including mass deportations and the dismantling of refugee protections. People seeking asylum and protection, immigrants waiting for their day in court, and long-time residents are all being targeted. They are our family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, and co-workers.  

We recognize that the threats of a second Trump presidency extend far beyond the communities we work with and advocate for every day, endangering all of us, especially marginalized groups. This is a moment for unity – a moment for solidarity and support across all social justice movements, communities, and issue areas. 

We stand alongside our members to uphold and fight for the dignity, humanity, and rights of all our communities. 

“As I process my wide range of feelings, I am not wavering in commitment to stand for the country and values I believe in and want to live in,” said Melina Roche, Campaign Manager of #WelcomeWithDignity. “A country where families, children, and individuals can seek safety and live without fear of being separated. A country that upholds everyone’s rights and humanity equally. We must work together to protect and fight for the country we believe in.” 

“CGRS remains steadfast in our demand that the United States lives up to its international and domestic legal obligations to protect people fleeing persecution,” Karen Musalo, Director of the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS), said. “We will continue to fight for the rights of people seeking asylum who look to the United States for safe haven. Now is the moment for our communities to come together and show our leaders that we care for our neighbors, no matter their immigration status. That our country is stronger when we welcome people seeking asylum with dignity. As we look to the next four years, we hold our communities close and resolve to keep fighting together, unified in our hope and vision for a better future.”

“The election does nothing to resolve the real issues surrounding immigration and creating a system that works in the best interests of the American people,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice. “The President-elect certainly does not have a mandate to deport millions of people from American communities. The more people hear about policies like mass deportation, family separation and the hit to American communities and the economy, the more they oppose the anti-immigration agenda. If the government follows through with mass deportation, we fully expect a massive backlash to this horrific agenda. The pro-immigrant movement and our organizations will continue to be champions for the millions of hard-working immigrants who have lived, worked, and paid taxes here for a generation. They have earned a path to citizenship and we must preserve policies that serve the interests of the American people, including an asylum system that protects the vulnerable and allows people a process to seek safety.”

“Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area’s (LSSNCA) commitment to welcoming those seeking refuge and supporting them as they build new lives has been unwavering for more than 100 years,” said CEO Kristyn Peck. “As we anticipate shifts in policy with the incoming administration, we ask the administration, Congress, and the nation to recognize and embrace the strength that diverse communities bring to our society and to pursue bipartisan policies that reflect our nation’s tradition of welcome. America’s role as a safe harbor for those escaping violence and persecution is woven into our history. We are driven by our values to protect the dignity, and answer the call, of all who seek safety.”

“Xenophobia has no place in our country, and we are ready to push back immediately and strategically against President-elect Trump’s expected efforts to codify anti-immigrant hate, criminalize seeking safety, and push forcibly displaced people into even more dangerous and precarious circumstances,” said Sharif Aly, President of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). “We hoped to never be here again, but we’ve been preparing for this possibility. We are not afraid and we are not naive. We are ready to use every tool in our toolbox to uphold the rights and dignity of people seeking safety, and to fight for a more welcoming future for all.”

“Donald Trump’s election – following his embrace of white supremacy during the campaign – brings us to one of the most dangerous moments in our country’s history,” said Kica Matos, President of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC). “One thing is certain: we cannot and will not retreat. We successfully fought Donald Trump before, and we will do it again. There is too much at stake in the months ahead to succumb to despair. Instead, we will come together, lift up the courage and resilience of immigrant communities, and fight back with everything we have.”

“As we prepare for the years ahead, the National Immigrant Justice Center reaffirms our commitment to defending the rights of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers,” said Mary Meg McCarthy, executive director of the National Immigrant Justice Center. “We will continue our work of providing critical legal representation to immigrants and refugees, fighting to keep families together, defending access to asylum, and advocating for the end of arbitrary detention and unjust deportation. We face a serious fight to uphold human rights and due process, but we will never lose sight of the truth that solutions are possible that uplift our shared values of family unity, freedom, and access to justice. We will continue to work with local and state governments and any federal elected officials who understand the importance of investing in immigration legal services and other programs that improve the wellbeing of everyone in our communities.”

“It does not matter who is in power at this point. Al Otro Lado’s mission remains unchanged. We will continue to speak out, to expose injustice, and to fight as we did under Trump Round One,” said Nicole Elizabeth Ramos, Border Rights Project director for Al Otro Lado. “We urge our allies, the communities that we serve, and those just now waking to the realization that remaining apolitical and staying out of issues that ‘do not concern them’ is no longer an option, to reflect on how we can work collectively, how we can share knowledge and resources, and most importantly, how we can support each other. We have witnessed the power of the people to create change even in the face of what looks like insurmountable adversity. We know that good things can and will still happen, and we are inspired by the strength, resiliency and faith that our clients demonstrate every single day– if they are still standing and fighting, and believing another world is possible, then so are we.”

“The Advocates for Human Rights remains steadfast in ensuring the United States upholds its commitment to the human rights of all people, including noncitizens and those seeking safety on our shores. While we know that many of the policies promised by the Trump campaign raise deep concerns amongst our noncitizen neighbors and the many who support a welcoming United States, we also are heartened that a strong network is equally unwavering in its commitment to ensuring that our communities are places of welcome,” said Michele Garnett McKenzie, Deputy Director of The Advocates for Human Rights. “Our society is strongest when we provide safe, orderly and fair pathways for people to move with dignity and find safety from harm. We urge the incoming administration to eschew the harmful, illegal, and short-sighted exclusion- and punishments-based policies it has suggested, and instead work with experts to ensure our immigration policies reflect best practices and the best of the nation.”

“As we look ahead, it is clear that collaborative work to uphold human rights will be more essential than ever,” said Eleanor Acer, Senior Director for Refugee Protection at Human Rights First. “Day in and day out many of us witness the staggering difficulties that already face people left at risk by our flawed immigration and asylum systems.  The cruel and punitive policies promised by the next administration will endanger lives, separate families and harm our communities.  Just as we have in the past, we will provide legal assistance and representation to help people secure stable immigration status, challenge unlawful policies, document the harms inflicted by them, and press for a fair, effective and humane system that adheres to U.S. and international law.”

“Trump has won the presidential election, but he has not won on his aim to destroy the justice rights movement,” said Margaret Cargioli, Directing Attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). “We stand with immigrants and are prepared to defend them against unconstitutional and cruel attacks against immigrants. We need everyone who loves immigrants to be prepared to wholeheartedly protect your immigrant brothers and sisters.”