Speak for those who cannot speak;
seek justice for all those on the verge of destruction.
Speak up, judge righteously,
and defend the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
Proverbs 31:8-9
The election of the new president-elect has created much fear, confusion and uncertainty in communities all across the nation. Will the young dreamers lose DACA? What obstacles will Muslim immigrants face? Will there be a “deportation force” roaming through our cities and towns, tracking down millions of hardworking undocumented immigrants to deport them? Will that wall be built?
Like many of you, we lift our eyes to the road ahead of us, and find it impossibly bleak.
How much bleaker—and how much more terrifying—that road looks for immigrants. They are our clients, our neighbors, and, in many cases, our friends and family. Will they take our dad from us? Will I still be allowed to work? Are my children no longer able to come live with me? Am I safe here?
It remains to be seen how the rhetoric of Trump’s campaign will be put into practice as legislative, budgetary and other constraints come into play. There is also the hope that President Trump will be more unifying than candidate Trump, as our election process invites contrasts and creates divides.
But mostly, we find comfort in being faithful to our mission of providing vital legal aid to our most vulnerable immigrant neighbors. We know that our ministry is more crucial today than at any time in our history. We vow to daily prove to our immigrant brothers and sisters—by thought, word and deed–that we value them, we welcome them, and that we love them.
We will keep fighting for immigration policies that are just and compassionate and against those grounded in bigotry and intolerance. We will lift up our voices in our churches and our communities and share stories of the immigrants we have come to know and admire. We will continue to stand with refugees and those who seek safe haven in our country. We will continue to tirelessly represent immigrants so they can, in fact, work here lawfully, be able to live together with their families, and remain safely and permanently in the United States.
The new president-elect made many promises on his road to the White House. Here’s our promise to you: we aren’t quitting, we aren’t backing down, and we are not going away.
Here we stand. Here we stay. Join us.
