Friend,

Yesterday, we started a new presidency, a new administration, and a new era for our country.

Now, families torn apart for years can reunite: Biden’s first executive actions included repealing the hateful Muslim and African ban.

I am deeply grateful for all the advocates, coalitions, and organizations who never gave up and organized communities across the country against this hate agenda. Thank you to everyone who had the courage to speak up and fight back!

In the summer of 2016, while Trump was campaigning on registering and banning Muslims, I joined other women in speaking up at and getting thrown out of a Trump speech at the Detroit Economic Club—where I demanded that he read the Constitution because he’d find that a Muslim ban was unconstitutional.

Unfortunately, Trump implemented this cruel and racist policy, separating families and setting the tone for increased xenophobia and Islamophobia in this country, which led to skyrocketing hate crimes. In the midst of the hate and chaos, my young son came to me and said that he’d start hiding his Muslim faith.

No one deserves to feel that they must hide who they are—no matter their background. That’s one of the reasons I ran for office, and it’s why I’ve been holding Trump accountable for his hate since getting elected as one of the first two Muslim women in Congress.

Chip in today to celebrate this historic moment and make clear to Islamophobes: We aren’t going anywhere.

Although we can’t take back the years of trauma and dehumanization millions of people have endured, we can make sure this never happens again.

Last summer, I had the honor of presiding over the U.S. House of Representatives when we passed the NO BAN Act, which would prevent any future presidents from banning people because of their nationality or their faith.

Thanks to the dedication of activists across the country, President Biden included the NO BAN Act in his immigration plan!

In his first-day executive orders alone, President Biden also took important first steps toward racial and LGBTQ+ equity, immigration reform, and tackling climate change.

But with hunger and poverty levels higher than they’ve been in decades, we must keep up the call for long-overdue economic relief in the form of recurring payments of $2,000/month, and the call to enshrine water as a human right.

I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to implement bold and aggressive policies advancing economic, racial, and environmental justice, as well as strong civil rights protections to ensure that every person has the ability to thrive.

Yesterday’s actions are just the beginning. Donate now so we can not only undo Trump’s legacy, but also confront our country’s hate, address our deep inequities, and move forward.

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If you tuned into yesterday’s inauguration ceremonies, you were likely moved by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s performance of her recent poem, The Hill We Climb.¹ She ended her poem with this message of empowerment and hope for what’s ahead:

In every corner called our country,
Our people, diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and beautiful.
When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it,
If only we’re brave enough to be it.

Thank you for being brave and for seeing the light of the possibilities we can create together.

In solidarity,

Rashida