Dear Friend,  

After two weeks of upheaval in our nation following the unconscionable killing of George Floyd, we at Immigration Equality are mourning, anguished, and outraged. We categorically denounce the shameless actions of the police officers responsible for his death, and the deeply entrenched pattern of police brutality against black people in the United States. Immigration Equality is chanting with people across our nation right now: BLACK LIVES MATTER!

While we are keenly aware of the violence and discrimination afflicting communities of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ people every day, this historic moment requires something greater from us. Not just commitment, but meaningful action. We must unite to stop, once and for all, the senseless killings of people like Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless others.

As we look ahead, we’re calling on the history of the LGBTQ movement to guide our path because we KNOW progress is possible. Pride was forged in the flames of a riot against police violence, led by trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. AIDS activists like Larry Kramer raged against government inaction in the face of an epidemic killing our community.

In that same spirit, Immigration Equality will be working every day to fight for racial justice through direct services for individuals and advocacy for broader structural change. Just as we must end the over-policing of communities of color, we must stop ICE from raiding and detaining those same communities. These objectives overlap because the institutions that perpetrate violence against marginalized communities in our country work in tandem to orchestrate oppression. And so, in order to succeed, we must work just as closely together to overcome it.

From demonstrations of thousands to courageous conversations between individuals, this effort will take actions large and small for a long time. But where to start? A natural beginning for all of us is to closely explore what we can do better as individuals and as an organization to halt racist violence and to uproot our ingrained biases. Immigration Equality makes a commitment to do so today, and we challenge you to do the same. Nearly all of our institutions, public and private, are tainted with structural racism. We must all be vigilant to ensure that we are not complicit in the practices that continue inequities in communities of color.

We also ask that you consider joining us in using your voices to call for immediate reform in policing. Here are some impactful actions you can take right now:

• First, call your members of Congress and tell them to endorse the PEACE Act, which would forbid federal law enforcement agents from engaging in use of force except as a last resort.  
• Then, call your Senators, and tell them to endorse The Eric Garner Excessive Force Prevention Act, which would make it illegal for the police to use chokeholds.
• Finally, call your state and local representatives and tell them to pass similar legislation immediately.

In the coming days and weeks, there will be more demonstrations, more legislation, and more opportunity to push for progress. We are in this fight for the long haul, and while change doesn’t always come quickly, it won’t come at all unless we all do our part.

In solidarity,
Immigration Equality