John,
On Sunday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chartered a plane deporting dozens of Iranian nationals back to Iran. It was only through rapid and intensive intervention by attorneys and community networks, including our staff, that some vulnerable individuals set for deportation avoided being forced on the plane.
For the rest, they were deported.
This was the second such flight in which our elected government delivered Iranians back to Iran under a shadow of secrecy, in some cases persons who had fled persecution in Iran and were being returned against their will or individuals who agreed to deportation only after being detained indefinitely in inhumane ICE facilities.
We know that ICE is planning to deport many more Iranian nationals to Iran. An estimated 100 Iranian nationals have already been returned, and at least 300 more are likely to be deported back to Iran if there is no intervention. And this nightmare is far from over for our community – the Trump Administration is currently "re-evaluating" existing visas and green cards held by Iranians in the U.S.
In addition to our advocacy to change these policies, NIAC has prioritized two things when these crises have hit: connecting vulnerable individuals with necessary legal resources and assistance, and shining a light of accountability on what the Trump administration is doing.
In October, NIAC submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking all documents related to deportation flights to Iran. In November, after ICE failed to produce the documents, we filed litigation to force them to come clean about what they are doing. The government’s response is due in one week.
To stay updated and access resources, visit:
www.niacouncil.org/travelban [[link removed]]
As a nonprofit, we depend entirely on donors like you to help fuel this work. Thanks to your support, we've been able to provide dozens of families with the support they need, connecting them to legal resources and lawmakers in their time of need. Every one of our interventions is only possible with your support.
So far, we have raised $39,697.23 toward our $250,000 End of Year goal. That means we still have an enormous distance to go.
If you are able, your donation is needed now. The defense of our community’s rights is more important than ever, and if we don’t stand up things will only get worse. We need your help to scale up this work.
Please give today if you can. We cannot do this without you.
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With urgency,
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Jamal Abdi NIAC Presidentunsubscribe: [link removed]