[LWVNM Action] LWVUS IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION GROUP NEWSLETTER MARCH 2025

[Meredith Machen]

Please see what’s happening around the country and the resources here.

Meredith
505-577-6337
Meredith.machen at gmail.com



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jane Andrews <jmlandrews at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Mar 3, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Subject: [immigration] LWVUS IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION GROUP NEWSLETTER MARCH
2025
To: LWVUS Immigration Discussion Group <
lwvus-immigration-discussion-group at googlegroups.com>


Dear Immigration Discussion Group Members,

The Leadership Team of the LWV Immigration Discussion Group met on February
25th with 9 members present. This newsletter is a summary of much of our
discussion. Please encourage your state and local League to post it on
their websites.

ACTION ALERTS

We have written up the attached Action Alert for Leagues at all levels to
use to publicize action that individuals can take.

The LWV of Massachusetts sent out an excellent Action Alert on Immigration
to its members this past month.  Your state or local LWV might model or use
parts of it.  It is attachedat the bottom of this email.

PLAN FOR PROGRAM ON LEGAL ISSUES & TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY

We plan to have a LWV Zoom event in late-April or early May with Lucas
Guttentag, one of the nation’s leading experts on immigration law,
migration policy, and the rights of noncitizens.  Further information to
follow once confirmed.

NATIONAL LWV ACTION ON IMMIGRATION:

On Feb 14th, the national LWV sent out this letter
<https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/league-women-voters-us-urges-congress-act-new-letter>
to all Senators and Congress Members about the executive overreach and
responsibility of Congress to act.

LOCAL & STATE NEWS & ACTION AROUND THE COUNTRY

TEXAS:

Nancy Kral and Diane Tasian discussed the dehumanizing events occurring in
the state of Texas.

NEW MEXICO:

Meredith Machen showed the full page ad that Santa Fe County LWV took out
in the local paper with the letter from Celina Stewart and the LWV
leadership regarding the Trump administration’s weaponization of the
government against its residents.  The NM legislature is poised to pass a
number of laws to protect law-abiding immigrants.

WASHINGTON STATE:

Much fear amongst immigrants but also action on the part of the state
attorney general and governor, counties, and local organizations that are
suing the federal government to overturn the Executive Orders on issues
such as birthright citizenship, admission of refugees and sanctuary cities.

ILLINOIS:

Strong immigrant civic groups, governor and attorney general regarding
sanctuary law and DOJ lawsuit against Illinois.

Illinois immigrants have protections under state laws, which include the
TRUST Act and the VOICES Act.

Getting out Know Your Rights Information.

LWVIL discussed immigration at an issues briefing.

MASSACHUSETTS:

Strong governor and Boston mayor fighting lawsuits on birthright
citizenship and otherwise.

Two sanctuary cities (Chelsea, Somerville) have filed lawsuits against
Trump administration over threat to withhold federal funding.

Bar associations have taken firm stance on protecting immigrants.

LWVMA is developing a program on democracy in our daily lives that will be
shown on local cable stations.

As mentioned above, LWVMA  published an Action Alert on Immigration
(attached at the bottom of this email).

NEW JERSEY:

Varying responses from elected officials on the Immigrant Trust Act and
immigration issues generally. Some officials have been quite active and
some silent perhaps concerned about possible loss of funding. Newark Mayor
Baraka has been part of protests against a 1,000 bed detention center
proposed for Newark.

CALIFORNIA:

International Rescue Committee has helped provide paperwork for refugees
who may be at risk of deportation.

Many churches have stepped up action to provide legal services and
sanctuary.

SANCTUARY CITIES AND STATES

We discussed HR 32 (
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/32) which would
withhold Federal funding to sanctuary cities and states.  There is the risk
that it could come up quickly in the House. All LWV MEMBERS ARE URGED TO
CONTACT THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TO OPPOSE THIS BILL.

LWVUS signed on to a letter to Congress opposing HR 32.  The letter can be
found at this link
<https://www.aclu.org/documents/advocates-letter-to-house-of-representatives-re-hr-32>
.

There are several lawsuits regarding Sanctuary Cities to follow.  See the
Just Security litigation tracker at this link
<https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/>
for further information on City and County of San Francisco v. Donald J.
Trump, et al
<https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69623767/city-and-county-of-san-francisco-v-donald-j-trump/>
and Organized Communities Against Deportations et al v. Benjamine Huffman
(Acting Secretary of Homeland Security) et al
<https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69577670/organized-communities-against-deportations-v-donald-trump/>
.

Also, on Wednesday at 10am ET the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform has asked the mayors of Boston, New York, Chicago and
Denver to speak on Sanctuary Cities.  You can access the hearing at this
link
<https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/a-hearing-with-sanctuary-city-mayors/>.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF LOSS OF MIGRANTS

See Fact Sheet on the Economic Impact of Mass Deportations from the
American Business Immigration Coalition (link
<https://abic.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mass-Deportations-Fact-Sheet.pdf>
).

THE HALT TO THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM & USAID LOSSES

The Trump administration’s halt to the Refugee Resettlement Program has
been devastating to refugees around the world.  The halt was lifted by a
Federal judge on February 25th but it is not clear that the administration
will adhere to the judge’s order.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that there are three criteria to
restart the refugee program: that the policy would make the US safer,
stronger and more prosperous.

The loss of USAID funding has been devastating for humanitarian relief work
throughout the world.  Susan Martin clarified that condoms, which have been
in the news, are often distributed in conflict zones.  Internal condoms
(sometimes known as female condoms) are provided to women who are at risk
of rape or worried about getting pregnant during conflicts, knowing that
hospitals may not be available when they would have given birth. The risk
of rape is especially high during flight and transit.  An example of
misinformation.  Let’s set the record straight.

PROGRAMS OFFERED BY STATE & LOCAL LEAGUES ON IMMIGRATION:

March 15: LWV of San Diego program on the Effect of Mass Deportation on San
Diegans will be recorded.  You will find it on the LWV of San Diego website
under events at https://www.lwvsandiego.org/  <https://www.lwvsandiego.org/>

RESOURCES

Among the resources that have been posted in the Google Group, we note the
following:

The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) has an
excellent listing of immigration hotlines at this link
<https://nnirr.org/education-resources/community-resources-legal-assistance-recursos-comunitarios-asistencia-legal/immigration-hotlines-lineas-directas-de-inmigracion/>.
It has resources to report raids in your area, to seek help if being
detained or at risk of being deported, and to report missing migrants.

Just Security, immigration section:
https://www.justsecurity.org/tag/immigration/

This is an online forum for the rigorous analysis of security, democracy,
foreign policy, and rights.

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) will be tracking Trump’s
immigration-oriented Executive Orders:
https://www.aila.org/library/tracking-notable-executive-branch-action-during-the-second-trump-administration

Immigration Policy Tracking Project: https://immpolicytracking.org/about/

This is a project of Lucas Guttentag, professor at both Stanford and Yale
and founder of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project (IRP)

Witness at the Border: https://witnessattheborder.org/

 Tracks ICE flights

NOTES FROM DECEMBER AND JANUARY LEADERS’ MEETINGS ALSO HAVE RESOURCES:

December: LINK
<https://groups.google.com/g/lwvus-immigration-discussion-group/c/kwHUo4llqDY>

January: LINK
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/19ArOyDqF0PZUtA0X8CeGWapegjh3DUAE7Q9_vA0Rulw/edit?tab=t.0>

IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION GOOGLE GROUP WEBSITE

We want to thank those who have put useful information on the Google Group
website for all to read.  The link to that website is
https://groups.google.com/g/lwvus-immigration-discussion-group and people
can access all the past postings.

For those who are not on Google Group distribution list to receive emails,
please contact Jane Andrews LWV of San Diego at jmlan... at gmail.com
<https://groups.google.com/> to have your name added.  Please also let us
know which LWV and part of the country you are from.

UPCOMING LEADERSHIP MEETINGS

The Leadership of the LWV Immigration Discussion Group meets monthly on the
last Tuesday and its next meeting is on Tuesday, March 25 at 11am ET/8am
PT. We hope to develop new talks and ideas for action for the year ahead.
If you would like to participate/visit, please contact Jane Andrews at
jmlandrews at gmail.com.

“Apathy kills democracy”

Sincerely,

LWV Immigration Discussion Group Leadership Team

Jane Andrews (San Diego, CA)

Beryl Flom (San Diego CA)

Katherine Gavzy (Pasadena Area, CA)

Edwina Jaramillo (Southern New Mexico)

Nancy Kral (Houston, TX)

Meredith Machen (Santa Fe, NM)

Deborah Macmillan (Greater Princeton, NJ)

Susan Martin (San Juan Islands, WA)

Marlene O’Brien (Wellesley, MA)

Kim Reed (Glen Ellyn, IL)

Diane Tasian (Dallas, TX)

Linda Wassenich (Dallas, TX)

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