Dear Friend,
Thank you for being part of AFSC’s global community as we work to support immigrants in this difficult time.
Across the country, government raids are disrupting our communities and creating a culture of fear. But our communities are stronger with immigrants. And we all have a moral responsibility to respond. Now is the time to come together with love to protect civil and human rights.
AFSC’s work is rooted in our Quaker values, including a belief in the transformative power of love. We also believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person and a just and peaceful world for all. That’s what leads us to work to advance fair and welcoming immigration policies.
Here are some of the ways AFSC is mobilizing to meet urgent needs with support from friends and neighbors like you:
- Conducting Know Your Rights trainings: We’re preparing immigrants, their families, and other community members for interactions with ICE and Border Patrol agents.
- Providing legal and social services: We’re helping thousands of people secure release from detention, apply for asylum, navigate ICE check-ins, and more. We’re also helping community protection networks operate 24-hour hotlines.
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Supporting people who are deported from the U.S.: We’re providing humanitarian aid, documenting human rights violations, and advocating for policy change in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.
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Countering fear with love: We’re pushing back against the fear that politicians use to divide us by lifting up the many contributions immigrants make to our communities.
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Supporting immigrant-led advocacy for systemic change: Together, we’re resisting the expansion of detention centers through public demonstrations, letters to elected officials, and other civic actions. We’re also advocating for welcoming, dignified, and just immigration policies.
Even in such challenging times, we know that positive change is possible when people come together. Whether through sending a message to Congress, donating, displaying posters with welcoming immigration messages, joining a webinar, or talking to friends and family, we can all play a part in creating a more just world.
Recently, my colleague Marcia Aguiluz visited an immigration detention center in Costa Rica. She met dozens of migrants who had been deported from the U.S. After collective advocacy by human rights organizations, including AFSC, the Costa Rican government granted temporary humanitarian status to all who were detained there.
"Today, a small measure of hope has been restored," she said. "But we will not stop until these individuals—and all migrants—can find true safety, reunite with their loved ones, and rebuild their lives with dignity."
Thank you for joining us in this important work.
In peace,
