Dear Colleagues in Philanthropy,

ICE raids target immigrant communities across the United States, creating widespread fear and trauma. We stand in solidarity with LatinX communities facing mass raids in their workplaces, houses of worship, and immigration hearings. We also recognize that other communities of color experience the same terror and uncertainty as ICE targets them nationwide with similar devastating impacts.

The administration systematically targets Black migrants, revoking their temporary or permanent residence statuses and forcing them back to countries still experiencing dangerous unrest. Asian immigrants face raids in their shops, massage parlors, restaurants, and grocery stores. While Asians comprise the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., the media provides less reporting on the fear and trauma they experience.

A Painful Anniversary Deepens the Crisis

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. wars in Southeast Asia, making the current attacks on Southeast Asian refugees particularly heartbreaking. These communities carry deep wounds from war trauma and intergenerational trauma, compounded by decades of inadequate support during their initial resettlement in America. Now, they must relive the trauma of separation and displacement all over again.

This year, ICE has deported some Southeast Asian refugees without due process to third countries in Africa and Latin America—places they have never lived and have no connection to. Those sent to Southeast Asia more often don’t have support with starting a new life in a country and culture that is foreign to them, or they barely remember it. And the countries receiving them don’t have the infrastructure and programs to help them rebuild.

We urgently call on philanthropy to:

Learn and acknowledge how current deportation policies are senselessly devastating all communities of color. 

Significantly increase support for Southeast Asian refugees whom the U.S. has historically failed to adequately resettle and whom this country has consistently overlooked throughout American history. These communities desperately need:

• Relief for those detained or at risk of deportation

• Access to legal support and resources

• Family assistance 

Provide substantial funding for programs that Southeast Asian communities require to fight deportation and, for those who cannot escape it, ensure they receive a dignified transition. Here is a list of organizations we know that are supporting this issue. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and we’ll continue to add to it.

The time for action is now. We cannot stand by as communities that have already endured so much face renewed trauma and abandonment. Join us in responding to this humanitarian crisis with the urgency and resources it demands.

Together, we can demonstrate what principled philanthropy looks like.