Anahit Kirokosian is a content creator born and raised in Arizona and the daughter of two immigrant parents, one undocumented, from different countries. (Mobilize4Immigrants/TikTok)
By VANESSA GARCIA
It’s been almost eight years since Donald Trump stated his infamous line of Mexico “not sending their best” across the U.S. border. Anti-immigrant rhetoric is nothing new in America’s history, but in the post-Obama era, Trump fanned the waning flames of public and outright xenophobia. He weaponized the ability to speak openly about hatred of “the other” in a stealthy but still racist—it was a main feature of his presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020.
As a result, when Joe Biden announced his candidacy for the White House, immigrant rights activists and organizers were encouraged by the former Democratic vice president’s promise to restore the U.S. as a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers. Biden pledged to undo the inhumane immigration policies of the previous administration and usher in a nonaggressive approach.
Fast forward to April 2023, Biden has not only maintained but expanded the strict Trump-era border policy known as Title 42 that has allowed the government to rapidly expel migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Earlier this year, a new policy was introduced that would largely prohibit migrants from applying for asylum at the southern border. Biden has urged Congress to pass more comprehensive legislation to overhaul the immigration system, but progress has remained stagnant on that front, despite a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress during the first half of Biden’s term.
After a string of empty promises, a group of fed-up people from all backgrounds are demanding accountability and fighting back. The Latino Content Creators for Immigrant Justice is a coalition of creators, activists, elected officials, organizations, and community members who are stressing the urgency of passing a pathway to citizenship now, protecting the right to seek asylum without restriction, and opposing asylum bans and addressing mistreatment of the immigrant community in ICE detention centers or in the country.
@mobilize4immigrants Gracias @.anahit 🤎 Es hora de una reforma migratoria!! Un grupo de creadores latinos se han unido para solicitar al Congreso que apruebe una reforma migratoria! 🙌🏼 Estos creadores han escrito una carta que están enviando al congreso pidiéndoles que firmen para apoyar la reforma migratoria. Pueden ir a mobilize4immigrants.com (enlace en mi perfil) para leer la carta y ver qué creadores están apoyando. Hay una petición adicional para cualquier otra persona que quiera mostrar su apoyo! Visite el enlace en mi perfil y firme la carta para mostrar su apoyo mientras envían su carta a los miembros del congreso! #mobilize4immigrants #signtheletter #immigration #immigrationreform #reformamigratoria #inmigracion
“We will organize, meet and call out politicians who don’t stand for humanity and seek to hurt the immigrant community through restrictionist policies,” the group states on its website.
You can take action with them by visiting their site and learning about them. Follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to remain updated on their nationwide plug-ins: @mobilizeforimmigrants on all platforms!
You can also read their letter petition to Congress and add your name to it here.
***
Vanessa Garcia is a video creator and political commentator in South Florida. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela and immigrated to Miami, Florida with her parents in 1996. TikTok: @shesreallypolithickal
[…] post Latino Influencers Pressure Congress for Immigrant Justice (OPINION) appeared first on Latino […]
maybe if like years ago when asylum seekers cam to the states, they should be helped by family. sponsored. because we cant take these people in and financially support them. its not sustainable.