John,
The Trump administration has announced a deeply alarming series of new actions against immigrants of Iranian heritage:
* Pausing processing of green card and U.S. citizenship applications for individuals from the 19 countries named in the June travel ban, including people from Iran.
* Conducting a reexamination of all immigration benefits, including green cards, issued to persons from a "country of concern” – including Iran – who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021.
* Pausing all asylum applications.
We won’t sugarcoat it: this is a new level of harm against our community.
NIAC is actively exploring litigation to challenge the legality of these sweeping and discriminatory actions.
Please contact us here [[link removed]] if you have a pending immigration application that has been halted and are interested in including your case. This form is completely confidential and only used by our staff to communicate with interested Iranians about future litigation.
The level of anguish and insecurity this will cause, on top of already rampant and arbitrary deportations of Iranian nationals, is difficult to understate. Longtime permanent residents of the U.S. who should be approaching their citizenship ceremony day with joy are suddenly seeing their futures in upheaval. Asylees fleeing political and religious persecution in Iran are coming to the U.S. for safety, only to be turned away. Families with spouses seeking green cards so they can start their life together are being torn apart.
We’ve built a comprehensive FAQ [[link removed]] on what this means that is being translated into Persian as well. Please read the breakdown and share it with people in need. For additional support, please visit our Travel Ban and Immigrant Justice Center [[link removed]] that is stacked with legal resources and know-your-rights information. We also urge Iranian legal permanent residents to review this guide [[link removed]] from our partners at NILC to fully understand your rights.
The Trump administration tries to divide and conquer through claiming there are “good” and “bad” immigrants, but we know that’s a lie. Every person seeking a life here deserves dignity and a humane immigration system that supports their success. This latest announcement is a new level of cruelty and racism – and we will not stand idly by.
Stay tuned for news on this rapidly developing situation. We will continue to keep you informed with analysis and resources.
In Solidarity,
[[link removed]]
Jamal Abdi NIAC Presidentunsubscribe: [link removed]