Tell Democratic governors: Prevent mass deportation NOW!
Dear MoveOn member,
President Donald Trump is moving forward with what could be the largest deportation effort in American history. Only weeks after Trump’s inauguration, his attacks on immigrant communities are already taking their toll after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched raids across the country.1 And Republicans are wasting no time ramping up their cruel deportation efforts, using Trump’s directives to push for even harsher policies in their states.
Unleashing bounty hunters to round up immigrants in our communities.
Imposing fees for undocumented children to access public education.
Turning routine traffic stops into aggressive immigration checkpoints.
Forcing immigration status checks to purge workers and disrupt our economy.
Fingerprinting migrant children.
These are just a few of the cruel proposals being introduced in Republican-led states.2 And make no mistake, while immigrant communities are going to bear the brunt of these heartless and extreme measures, we are all going to suffer under these policies. We’re already seeing their outrageous consequences. Native Americans, whose ancestors have lived here for centuries, are being harassed by ICE agents and forced to prove their citizenship on their own land.3 Veterans who have served our country are being detained by ICE while at their workplaces.4
We are safer and better when everyone—regardless of their immigration status—has access to the basic legal, medical, and educational resources they need.5 We refuse to accept Trump’s election as a mandate for cruelty. Just as Republicans are ramping up their efforts to fall in line with Trump, Democratic leaders can ramp up their resistance. We need our elected leaders to take proactive countermeasures to protect immigrant communities NOW.
As Republicans ramp up their hateful, anti-immigrant efforts, we need Democrats to do whatever they can to protect our communities against mass deportation efforts!
The ICE raids and deportation efforts are having a chilling effect, with people bracing against potential violence and human rights violations.6 The White House has already begun flying detained people to Guantanamo Bay—a military base that has been fraught with allegations of torture and abuse.7 And as more and more stories come out about the chilling raids, immigrant children and families are being driven into hiding.8
Since the raids began, Lupita, a 12-year-old U.S. citizen with undocumented parents, has been living in fear that her parents may not be there when she gets home from school. Hundreds of thousands of U.S.-born children like Lupita are waking up every day not knowing if their families will be torn apart.9 Reports of empty schools and workplaces are circulating as more people avoid day-to-day activities out of fear.10 Children, families, and entire communities will be reckoning with the ramifications of Trump’s deportation machine for decades to come.
Some state leaders are already rising to the challenge. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed an executive order last week creating the Family Separation Rapid Response Team, to bring together stakeholders from across the state to coordinate and prepare for mass deportations.11
And school administrators in Chicago have stepped up to resist Trump’s mass deportation directives—reiterating that ICE is not permitted to access their schools without certain credentials and a warrant, and committing to uphold their sanctuary city laws despite Trump’s executive orders.12
These efforts are an example of the kind of leadership we need in order to protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities. But we also need a united front across state lines to prevent Trump’s cruel detention and deportation efforts. Governors and local governments must take the steps necessary to protect our immigrant neighbors.
Thanks for all you do.
–Mia, Joel, Toni, Asna, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “N.J. leaders slam ICE raid in Newark as ‘chilling,’ ‘cruel,'” New Jersey Monitor, January 24, 2025
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/01/24/n-j-leaders-slam-ice-raid-in-newark-as-chilling-cruel/
2. “Red states, following Trump’s lead, pursue sweeping immigration measures,” The Washington Post, February 4, 2025
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/02/04/undocumented-immigrants-states-legislatures-bills/
3. “Native Americans say tribal members harassed by immigration agents,” Reuters, January 30, 2025
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/native-americans-say-tribal-members-harassed-by-immigration-agents-2025-01-30/
4. “ICE agents raid seafood store, detain U.S. military veteran,” KTLA 5, January 31, 2025
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/ice-agents-raid-seafood-store-detain-u-s-military-veteran/
5. “The Effects of Sanctuary Policies on Crime and the Economy,” Center for American Progress, January 26, 2017
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-effects-of-sanctuary-policies-on-crime-and-the-economy/
6. “N.J. leaders slam ICE raid in Newark as ‘chilling,’ ‘cruel,'” New Jersey Monitor, January 24, 2025
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/01/24/n-j-leaders-slam-ice-raid-in-newark-as-chilling-cruel/
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. “Immigration raids have begun. For immigrant and mixed-status families, everyday life has changed,” NPR, January 27, 2025
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/27/nx-s1-5271630/immigration-raids-are-sending-migrants-into-a-deep-panic-advocates-say
10. “‘Everyone is scared’: Deportation fears keep immigrant students home from NYC schools,” Chalkbeat, January 24, 2025
https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/01/24/trump-immigration-policy-and-deportation-fears-affect-attendance-for-immigrant-families/
11. “WA response team formed to prep for Trump’s mass deportation plans,” Cascade PBS, January 27, 2025
https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2025/01/wa-response-team-formed-prep-trumps-mass-deportation-plans
12. “Public schools try to protect undocumented students from Trump immigration raids,” NBC News, January 28, 2025
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/public-schools-undocumented-students-trump-immigration-raids-rcna189466
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