Dear Friends,

It’s hard to believe that we are wrapping up another year, for me it is a significant time as I reflect on my first year as Executive Director of America’s Voice. I think it is fair to say that it has been a rough year for immigration advocates, from the desperation of people coming to our borders, to the dire predictions around the end of Title 42, to the busing of migrants to cities across our country, and on and on.

As a communications shop, we have indeed felt what is like to be drinking from the firehose, trying to respond to the daily barrage of bad news, preparing to be ready for key moments like the end of Title 42, trying to anticipate what villainy our opponents are scheming in Congress while offering whatever support we could muster to states like Florida, Texas, and New York, who are themselves bravely fighting off attacks daily.

But as I often remind myself, the people we serve, very seldom get a break. Whether it is the dangerous journey they take, the job or many jobs they have to support their families, or the indignities of being targeted as scapegoats, for them it is always rough. And yet, they find it in themselves to get up each day and fight for their future and their families. We have to do the same.

In this letter, rather than focus on the lessons learned as we get to the end of the year, I would like to focus on the future, which is frankly what keeps me up at night.

It is no exaggeration to say that 2024 will present an existential challenge for our issue and our country. By now, the likelihood of Trump being the GOP nominee is very real given that he is the clear favorite among the GOP presidential contenders.

Voters have short memories, and people outside our movement often forget the traumatizing weeks, months, and years under Trump. But we cannot allow them to forget. From the Muslim ban to the African immigration ban to attempts to end TPS and asylum,Trump’s policies were cruel, dangerous, and chaotic. They were also ineffective. While Trump reduced legal immigration by 66% and all but ended the refugee program, unauthorized immigration was trending up before COVID and Title-42 effectively shut the border. His famous chant/policy “build the wall” did nothing to help add orderliness to immigration, and nobody should forget the trauma caused by Trump and Miller’s family separation policy, which purposefully ripped children from their parents in a failed attempt to send a deterrence message. Families are still separated and children are still in foster care because Trump and Miller thought, still think, this is how the US should manage migration.

As if his record is not enough, his top immigration advisor Stephen Miller gave an interview with the NY Times where he laid out his—and Trump’s agenda. Based on that interview, it is clear that the extreme and cruel actions and policies they pursued in 2016-2020 were the floor for them, not the ceiling. Miller is now gleefully foreshadowing sweeping raids, mass detentions, and mass deportations. The difference now is that they have a better understanding of how to effectively use the levers of government. In his own words, “Any activists who doubt President Trump’s resolve in the slightest are making a drastic error: Trump will unleash the vast arsenal of federal powers to implement the most spectacular migration crackdown.”

Some may say that Trump won’t ultimately be the nominee, but the rest of the GOP contenders are not any better. Vivek Ramaswamy was one of the first to float the idea of ending birthright citizenship and also suggested that we should invade Mexico. Our friends in Florida are still feeling the impacts of Ron DeSantis’ anti-immigration bills that have driven significant numbers of immigrants — and jobs out of the state. Similarly, Nikki Hailey is promising to re-establish the Remain in Mexico Program, end “sanctuary cities”, and implement mandatory E-Verify, among others. It is clear that Trump is setting the standard and the rest of the contenders are rushing to meet it.

I remember that in 2016 some argued that Trump would not follow through on his hyperbole, that he was bluffing just to be elected. He proved them wrong. He did many of the things he said he would do, like putting kids in cages, decimating our immigration system, and in the process creating the conditions for the bottleneck at our borders. If elected in 2024, he will be emboldened to do more and most likely will be more effective at it.

What does this mean for AV? It means that we are preparing for the fight of our lives, where we have to be more rapid, more strategic, and hopefully more coordinated than ever before. I see the 2024 election akin to 2020 when the whole progressive movement came together with one purpose: defeat Trump.

2024 will require the same of us, each doing what we know how to do best, leaning in on our strengths, strategically playing our roles, and being clear-eyed about our purpose: defeat Trump and Trumpism once again.

Yours in the struggle,

Vanessa Cárdenas
Executive Director, America’s Voice