Dear friends,
I am a cinephile who’s way behind on movie watching. I saw Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012) over the July 4th holiday. A scene with Lincoln and Thaddeus Stevens, U.S. Representative of Pennsylvania, haunted me. They argued about the strategy to pass the 13th amendment to abolish slavery. Lincoln said: A compass tells you where you want to go, but it will not warn you about the swamps, deserts, and chasms you will encounter.
He argued that moral indignation was not enough. Passing the 13th amendment required right action—which can be agonizing and humbling because we cannot do it alone.
When the Supreme Court rejected the effort to end birthright citizenship, victory came because people banded together. Families, community organizations, and lawyers bravely made their way through the swamps, deserts, and chasms to protect the constitution.
There were also devastating Supreme Court rulings—a decision allowing the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians, and another allowing asylum seekers to be turned back on the southern border. Haitians and Syrians who relied on TPS to live and work in the U.S. now face legal uncertainty. Asylum seekers desperate to reach safety in America will be turned back and endangered.
Now, the murders of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo (Texas) and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero (Maine) at the hands of ICE agents have sparked anger, and calls for accountability.
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Independence, our immigrant families struggle to believe in the American dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
We need to move beyond moral indignation about the tragic events in this country and commit ourselves to right action. Add your voice by contacting congress to demand transparency and independent oversight of ICE, and support for extending TPS for Haitians while returning is still unsafe (H.R. 1689). Please consider giving to MIC so our immigrant families have access to basic needs and legal services. Thank you for being a champion for our immigrant families.
