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I hate to give this right-wing conspiracy theory any more airtime than it’s already getting, but this one hits close to home for my district.

The former occupant of the White House and his running mate are spreading vicious, racist lies about Haitian migrants. You may have heard them referenced last night on the debate stage or seen dehumanizing memes circulating on social media.

If you watched the debate this week, you may know what I’m talking about. Trump, Vance, and other right-wing pundits and GOP legislators are also using their online platforms to circulate dehumanizing memes amplifying these lies to stoke white-supremacist, anti-immigrant fears.

These men are running for the highest offices in our country, and they delight in spreading racist conspiracy theories and dehumanizing people. How many more times can I say that they are unfit to lead this country — a country of immigrants, no less?

We are better than this. Haitians living in this country deserve better. Asylum seekers deserve better. We cannot turn a blind eye to the treatment of human beings seeking refuge at our door.

We can combat their hateful and racist rhetoric with action and resources for migrant families. Please pitch in $25 or anything you can to Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI) right now — an organization supporting families seeking asylum in our country.

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I represent the third largest Haitian diaspora in the country. As a co-chair of the Congressional Haitian Caucus, the Haitian community is always on my mind. The people of Haiti have witnessed the assassination of their president, lived through natural disasters, and faced unprecedented gang activity and gun violence – exacerbated by the trafficking of U.S.-made firearms into the country.

Families fleeing humanitarian crises to seek asylum should be met with compassion and support. Instead, the people of Haiti have been met with hostility, cruelty, and inhumane conditions. We will never forget how the Department of Homeland Security treated Haitian migrants in 2021, or the accelerated efforts to deport groups that included families and children.

Seeking asylum is a human right, full stop. We must combat the vile words of Trump and Vance by calling for the dignity and safety of all Haitian people. We must protect asylum seekers by ensuring they have access to community-based support and legal services. We must be better than those who fear people who are different from them and attack what they don’t understand.

Please make a donation to IFSI today to support families seeking asylum, and to show that we stand with migrants.

We must commit ourselves to rising above when hate tries to hold us back.

Onward,

Ayanna