In this workshop, we discussed the history of immigration laws in the United States surrounding the Asian American immigrant. We talked about the importance of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and the impact it had and still has today—but we focused on the aspect of refugee immigration. Due to immigration policy changes every presidential administration along with the inefficiency and difficulty of obtaining citizenship, many AAPI refugees, who have been in the United States for 30+ years, have not been able to obtain citizenship. The impact this has had on these people has been terrifying, as they live day-to-day knowing that tomorrow could be their last day in the only country they have known.
We then discussed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, more widely known as ICE. They are an agency that works within the Department of Homeland Security, and operates on a budget of over $8 billion—and still growing. We discussed the way they carry out operations, as well as injustices that occur within the organization. Finally, we talked about the meaning and purpose of the ‘Abolish ICE’ movement, and finished up the workshop with a discussion session.
Stay tuned for news regarding the situation!
Resource |
Description |
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Bring Tin Home | A petition to bring back Tin Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee stuck inside an ICE detention center. |
Kao Saelee | Story about Kao Saelee, a Laotian refugee who is currently being mistreated in ICE detentions and previously, California prisons. He is currently facing deportation to Laos, a country he has not been to since he was 2 years old. |
Adoptees For Justice | Twitter page for an organization dedicated to create an easier citizenship process for adoptees. The Adoptee Citizenship Act of 2019 is currently being voted on in the House of Representatives, and Mike Doyle, who represents Pennsylvania's 18th district, has not yet sponsored the bill. |
Trump's Immigration Policies | A summary of Executive Orders that have been signed during the Trump administration regarding immigration policies, and what all of them mean for the people. |