Dear John,

Last week, WOLA was thrilled to host a group of law students from Temple University's Beasley School of Law as part of our ongoing asylum project, which produces country of origin research for attorneys supporting asylum cases from various Latin American countries. During the day, the students met with a congressional staffer, a former U.S. official with decades of experience working on U.S. foreign policy towards Latin America, attorneys and other advocates working directly with migrants and asylum seekers, and experts on Central America. These visits give the students an up-close look at our work to shape U.S. policies, valuable insight for their country-of-origin research, and the opportunity to speak with attorneys about how they are supporting vulnerable asylum seekers in an increasingly adverse context, as well as career insights.

The conversations during this visit were particularly sobering. The students heard firsthand about the systematic dismantling of asylum protections and the administration's retreat from longstanding commitments to international law and the humanitarian values that have long been part of our national identity. These are difficult realities to sit with, especially for those considering careers in human rights and immigration law. 

In my nearly 20 years at WOLA, I've witnessed many challenging moments, but this period stands out for the scale and speed of the rollbacks we're confronting. But even in this context, I find signs of hope. The attorneys, legal coordinators, and others we met with spoke of small victories, such as keeping clients out of detention while their proceedings are underway and seeing a path forward in select cases. Most of all, I was heartened by the dedication of these attorneys and legal service providers and by the students desire to pursue careers in immigration law and public defense. I continue to be inspired by the dedication of people like these Temple law students, like our tireless partners working in communities across the Americas, and, of course, WOLA's remarkable staff, their commitment reminds me why this work matters and why we can't afford to step back.

As we move through the final weeks of 2025, we're taking stock of this year's challenges and adapting our strategies for the road ahead. 2026 will demand creativity, resilience, and partnership. I'm grateful to be in this fight alongside all of you. 

Sincerely, 

Maureen Meyers

Vice President of Programs

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.

"I believe that European countries have finally begun to react, and what we may be seeing is a marked distancing from these [military attacks in the Caribbean and East Pacific], demonstrating that, at the political level as well as within the human rights community, there is a rejection of them." This article is in Spanish.

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

President

– Deutsche Welle, El papel de Europa en la crisis entre EE. UU. y Venezuela

“These groups are businesses. If they are carrying out violence in the United States, they are doing it for profit, not for the purpose of sowing terror.”

Adam Isacson

Director for Defense Oversight

– The Washington Post, U.S. troops not liable in boat strikes, classified Justice Dept. memo says

"It needs to be clearly stated: 0.00% of fentanyl that arrives in the United States comes from Venezuela, the Caribbean, or South America for that matter.”

The fentanyl illicitly manufactured that arrives in the United States is almost entirely coming from Mexico, based on precursor chemicals imported into Mexico mostly from China.”

John Walsh

Director for Drug Policy

– CBC News, Trump’s Venezuela endgame: ‘This could be very ugly’

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