Dear John,
The passage of President Trump's giant budget measure last week portends a disastrous escalation in raids, sweeps, arrests, surveillance, mass detention, and deportations, with massive funding increases that will fundamentally reshape how our government approaches migration. The sheer scale of resources now devoted to spreading fear and militarization represents will have far-reaching consequences for migrant communities and American society as a whole.
In response to these developments, I've written a comprehensive analysis examining how these unprecedented funding levels will translate into expanded detention facilities, increased deportation operations, and heightened surveillance of immigrant communities. Beyond the immediate humanitarian concerns, there are deeper worries about our nation's descent into a police state, where immigration enforcement becomes a tool for broader social control and the erosion of civil liberties.
At WOLA, we remain steadfastly committed to making these critical issues as visible as possible, leveraging our role as trusted experts to inform media coverage and public discourse. Over the past week, our research and analysis have been featured in major outlets including MSNBC, Infobae, and New York Magazine, while I've been quoted in Newsweek, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press. This media engagement is essential to our mission—ensuring that policymakers and the public have access to rigorous, fact-based analysis at a time of worsening disinformation.
While the challenges ahead are significant, we take heart in knowing that informed advocacy and sustained public attention can make a difference. The very fact that our work continues to reach broad audiences, on Capitol Hill as well as through respected media outlets, demonstrates that there remains space for evidence-based voices in these debates. Together, we can continue to shine a light on injustice and work toward policies that reflect our shared values of human dignity and justice. Sincerely, |
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| Adam Isacson Director for Defense Oversight |
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🇭🇳 🇳🇮 We released a statement condemning the administration's decision to remove Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras and Nicaragua, a move that will leave thousands of vulnerable individuals without legal protection. The importance of maintaining legal pathways for immigrants cannot be overstated, especially as we continue to track the systematic cancellation of TPS for various countries, including both Venezuela and Haiti just a few weeks ago. Read the statement here.
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🇨🇴 Our Director for the Andes, Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, joined us for an in-depth podcast discussion about President Petro's ambitious total peace process in Colombia and the mounting security challenges the country faces. The conversation explores how Colombia is simultaneously juggling nine different peace processes while confronting escalating violence and institutional obstacles. Listen to the podcast here.
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🗓️ WOLA President Carolina Jimenez Sandoval participated as a panelist in an important event with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) titled "Participating in Democratic Life: Political and Human Rights." Her participation underscores WOLA's ongoing commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and protecting human rights defenders across the Americas.
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For human rights activists across Latin America right now, the stakes are high. Violence around elections is on the rise, as are threats against those who speak in favor of justice and accountability. Your support of WOLA creates space to amplify the voices of those who put their life on the line to champion human rights; from Caracas, to San Salvador, and everywhere in between. |
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“Smugglers’ messaging may not be able to overcome the climate of fear among the immigrant community in the United States. People are probably getting scary messages on WhatsApp, TikTok and elsewhere about how bad for migrants the climate is in the United States.” Adam Isacson Director for Defense Oversight
– The New York Times, Illegal Border Crossings Plunge to Lowest Level in Decades |
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"The symbolic power and political mobilization that were achieved marked a turning point. So I believe that Mexican society and political parties will have to decide whether or not to participate, whether or not to mobilize, and whether they are willing to play by the rules of the game."This article is in Spanish. Carolina Jiménez Sandoval President
– Expansión Política, México necesitará recuperar equilibrio de poderes, dice Fundación para Justicia |
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