Press

The Time is Now! State and Local Elected Leaders Must Immediately Shore Up Protections for Immigrants 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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press@homeishere.us

The new State Policy Guide from the Home is Here Campaign outlines key policy actions state officials can take to defend immigrants against future attacks.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Home is Here campaign launched a States Policy Guide charting out a  roadmap for elected leaders at the state level to protect immigrant neighbors, reduce deportations and strengthen overall community safety. With Trump’s inauguration just days away, and his ever-increasing promises of mass detention and deportation threatening the safety of communities nationwide, immigrants and allies are calling for all hands on deck to slow down and block the harms to come. The Home is Here campaign’s States Policy Guide outlines several policy recommendations for state officials to prepare an immediate first line of defense to protect immigrants whose home is here.

Juan Jose Martinez-Guevera, Texas Advocacy Manager of United We Dream, said:

“Elected officials at every level cannot waste another minute as Trump and his allies prepare to carry out their cruel promises to unleash some of the most heinous and violent attacks on Black, brown and immigrant communities. These hateful actions will erode public trust and safety, shamefully waste billions of taxpayer dollars as working families struggle to make ends meet, and ultimately cost lives. Trump’s inauguration does not give him unrestrained power to terrorize cities nationwide and uproot lives. 

We’re calling on our state and local elected leaders to act boldly and swiftly to shore up any and all protections for immigrants, NOW! There is no need to wait for children to be separated from their parents, students to be violently removed from classrooms, patients to be heartlessly taken from their hospital beds. As immigrant communities prepare to fight back, we demand elected officials at every channel our courage and protect each of their constituents now. ”

Luba Cortes, Lead Organizer at Make the Road New York, said: 

“As the dangers of a Trump administration loom over our people, it is crucial for local officials to step up their leadership to protect our immigrant communities. This guide outlines some of the critical measures that several states have already implemented and that advocates in other states are pushing for—but it should not stop there. Our communities are an integral part of our country and we must work to advance solutions that ensure respect and dignity for all.”

Mario Carrillo, Campaigns Manager at America’s Voice said:

“It’s imperative, now more than ever, for elected officials at every level of government to make it clear that immigrants will not be scapegoated and that they will use every tool at their disposal to ensure that they are protected and not subjected to Donald Trump’s cruelty. 

We’ve seen this before. As president, Trump unleashed chaos and cruelty, and has promised to build on his policies of terror against immigrants. We must not wait until families are separated this time around. We must be ready starting now to push back against Trump’s immoral mass deportation plans, which will unleash economic havoc in communities across our country. Elected officials committed to protecting immigrants must chart a different way forward, one that honors immigrants’ contributions to our country and prioritizes their safety and livelihoods.”

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The Home Is Here national coalition is fighting to protect DACA recipients, their families, and all immigrant communities at the U.S. Supreme Court. DACA recipients are undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. They are also our nurses, our teachers, our coworkers, our family members, and our friends — and their home is here. For more information visit HomeIsHere.Us