Friend, amid an onslaught of attacks on our communities, we’re drawing lessons and inspiration from our shared history. The fight for immigrant justice is far from new — it spans decades, cultures, and issues. The common thread is that we are more powerful together.

Here are just a few of the movements that continue to inspire us today:

The #DREAMer Movement
The early 2000s witnessed the courageous rise of the #DREAMer movement as undocumented youth demanded access to higher education and a pathway to citizenship. In 2001, NILC proudly played a role in drafting the first version of the bipartisan DREAM Act. Since then, these brave undocumented youth have tirelessly organized, leading to the creation of the DACA program in 2012. Despite relentless attacks from anti-immigrant politicians, immigrant youth persist in their fight for a pathway to citizenship, demonstrating determination and leadership.

La Gran Marcha
On May 1, 2006, an estimated 2 million people across the country took part in the unforgettable day of action known as "La Gran Marcha" or "The Great March" — one of the largest demonstrations for immigrants’ rights in U.S. history. These mass demonstrations were a powerful response to anti-immigrant legislation known as HR 4437 or the Sensenbrenner Bill. The proposed bill would have made unauthorized entrance into the U.S. a felony and put the safety of millions of undocumented immigrants at risk. Immigrant-led organizing eventually led to the mega march of 2006 and the defeat of the bill.

#NoMuslimBanEver
On January 27, 2017, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order banning people from several Muslim-majority countries and freezing refugee admissions. The next day, thousands of people across the country protested at airports where people were detained or barred from boarding flights. NILC was one of the first organizations to sue against Trump’s Muslim Ban 1.0, while also supporting mass mobilizations across the country and working for years to build community power nationwide.

History shows we’re more powerful when we organize together. The fights we’ve won — and the ones still ahead — are only possible because of people like you, friend. Together, we’ll keep fighting for our rights and defending our shared future.

In solidarity,

— National Immigration Law Center