Our work on the SCOTUS decision on DACA, the covid-19 crisis in our prisons, and family separation at the border. [link removed]
This month, DACA recipients won a massive, well-deserved victory when the Supreme Court ruled in our favor, finding that DACA was terminated unlawfully. Ever since the Trump Administration attempted to repeal DACA in 2017, DACA recipients have lived in heightened fear and uncertainty. While waiting months for a Supreme Court decision that would determine their future, these brave young people had to also deal with a pandemic — in which DACA recipients represent 200,000 essential workers. They have also been called on to help defend Black lives — including those of Black DACA recipients. Last week, their perseverance and spirit won at the Supreme Court. It was extremely welcome news in a time when that kind of victory has been hard to come by. This is a huge win for DACA recipients and America!
Read more details of the decision below, and also about how COVID-19 is intersecting with our broken criminal justice system, Immigrant Heritage Month updates, bail reform rollbacks in New York, and more.
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CONTACT CONGRESS
Supreme Court Rules That DACA Recipients’ Home is Here!
By now, you’ve undoubtedly seen the news: The justices agreed with the lower courts and ruled that the Trump Administration broke the law when it ended DACA. The Supreme Court has reinstated the full 2012 DACA policy. We are thrilled for the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients — especially our coworkers and partners with DACA — and their families, who have worked so hard and been through so much leading up to this decision.
So what does that mean going forward?
First and foremost, the Trump Administration must commit to leaving DACA in place, and immediately allow for new DACA applications. Just as importantly, though, we need Congress to permanently provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and all undocumented immigrants. How? The Senate must pass the Dream and Promise Act, which would provide Dreamers and TPS recipients with the permanent legislative protections they deserve.
Take time to enjoy this incredible victory. Use this momentum to demand permanent protections for DACA recipients, message your Senators now:
CONTACT CONGRESS
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LEARN MORE
#FreeAndSafe: A New Tool Outlining the Consequences of COVID-19 on Individuals Impacted by the Criminal Justice System
The coronavirus has made America’s incarceration crisis exponentially worse because incarcerated individuals are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. On any given day, there are 2.3 million people locked up in America’s jails and prisons. People locked up in America's jails and prisons generally have increased underlying chronic health issues and are unable to access even the most basic medical care, safety measures, or cleaning supplies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system are especially vulnerable. People like Jalil Muntaqim, Gloria Williams, and many others, share stories of trying to stay safe and healthy behind bars, fighting for release, and navigating the criminal justice system in the community during this pandemic. Follow and support The Advancement Project [link removed] and The Dream Defenders [link removed], two groups fighting to bring people home to safety. And learn more about the human consequences of COVID-19 in the criminal justice system here.
LEARN MORE
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WATCH
Out of Many, We Are One: Immigrant Heritage Month is Here
June is nearly over, but we plan to #CelebrateImmigrants through June 30 and beyond. For the rest of Immigrant Heritage Month and, yes, long after it’s over, we’ll continue to stand up for true equality, equity, and justice in America by amplifying the experiences of Black immigrants who have been doubly harmed by the criminal justice and immigration enforcement systems in this country. All of us must do all we can to fight for policies and investments that defend Black lives.
With everything that’s going on, be sure to take some time to celebrate our immigrant heritage with food, family, and community.
WATCH
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READ MORE
Reducing Oklahoma’s Prison Population: State Question 805 Ballot Initiative
In November 2019, a bipartisan coalition filed a ballot initiative, State Question 805, to tackle extreme sentences in Oklahoma. Under current law, prosecutors can add years, decades, even life in prison to a person’s sentence if they have ever previously been convicted of a crime. These penalties lead to drive up Oklahoma’s incarceration rate, starve the state of critical resources, and keep families apart, without making anyone safer.
SQ 805 would turn a page for Oklahomans — reducing the state’s prison population by 8.5 percent over the next 10 years and saving taxpayers up to $27 million per year. The greater impact would be in mothers and fathers and sisters and uncles coming home to their loved ones and contributing once again to their communities.
READ MORE
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LEARN MORE
ICYMI: President Trump’s Visa Ban: What It Does (And What’s Next)
On the heels of the DACA victory at the Supreme Court, we also got some difficult news as the Trump Administration announced an Executive Order slashing legal immigration. This week, President Trump signed the “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak,” barring individuals and their dependents from entering the United States on certain “nonimmigrant” visas.
So what does that mean?
Extending through the end of 2020, these measures effectively shut down some of the most significant legal immigration avenues available, and sets the stage for additional restrictions in the near future.
For now, the ban is limited to individuals who are outside the U.S. and do not yet have a valid visa. Still, the Migration Policy Institute estimates this ban, coupled with the President's green card ban, also extended through December, could collectively bar up to 325,000 individuals from entering the country by the end of the year.
This ban hurts our country, and could lead to further restrictions on legal immigration which will compound the damage. Learn more about this executive order and what comes next from FWD.us Deputy Director of Federal Policy, Andrew Moriarty.
LEARN MORE
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TAKE ACTION
Family Separation at the Border: Learn More About the #PowerOfAFathersLove
The Trump Administration is using the COVID-19 pandemic to systematically eliminate access to asylum and separate children of asylum seekers from their parents. Fathers are being separated from their children and spouses, and many are being detained in unsafe conditions due to COVID-19. Some fathers, separated from their then-pregnant partners, have yet to meet their young children.
Learn their stories and tell the Administration to end family separation at the border today.
TAKE ACTION
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The FWD.us Newsletter is a roundup of the biggest news on our failing immigration and criminal justice systems - and the supporter movement uniting behind reform.
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