Join MAF in supporting families facing detention and deportation with love and action.
I came to this country undocumented when I was nine years old. It was during a time when the U.S. was confident in itself, secure in its place in the world. I was 15 years old in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan signed an amnesty bill allowing 3 million people to come out of the shadows into the full light of day. I was naturalized, which allowed me to obtain a Social Security number, enabling me to study, work, and access a world of opportunities. I got lucky.
Today, over 11 million people are forced to live in the shadows, without relief or pathways towards legal status. Despite the hardships and uncertainty that come with undocumented life, immigrants persevere and work hard to find ways forward for themselves and their families. But every day is a day lived in fear of deportation, of losing everything they’ve worked to build – including their freedom – at any moment
It’s been nearly four decades since President Reagan said that immigrants are one of “the most important sources of America’s greatness.” In his final speech, he said, “Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier.”
He was right. America is a bright beacon, fueled by the dreams, hopes, and energy of immigrants yearning to live free, seeking safety and opportunities to build a better future for themselves and their loved ones.
But what was once bright is now dim.
People are anxious and scared, sheltering in place to avoid being detained. ICE is apprehending people whom we once considered “essential workers” but are now treating as “disposable laborers.” ICE is going after people at their worksites, literally chasing farmworkers in the middle of agricultural fields while they do the hard work of picking the food we eat.
ICE agents are going even further, breaking up elementary school graduation ceremonies, apprehending adults and children alike during what would have been a glorious and joyous occasion. Now, the memory of children crying, separated from their parents, without knowing when or if they will see each other, is a bitter memory they will carry for the rest of their lives. And for what? To what end? Who benefits from the pain and suffering inflicted on immigrant families?
There are no winners in mass deportations. We all pay a price. We all lose when a whole generation of people is pushed to the side, further into the shadows, and kept from fully contributing to the well-being of society.
Sadly, ICE is conducting deportation raids as a spectacle, live-streaming enforcement actions to sow fear far and wide. If they can get away with manhandling and handcuffing U.S. Senator Alex Padilla for simply asking a question of DHS Secretary, trying to hold her accountable, what hope is there for the rest of us? What do we do in the face of such force?
We stand up and do more for the people left behind.
With generous support from courageous foundations in San Francisco, MAF is providing ALMA grants to families who are losing their primary breadwinner to deportations or detentions. We’re helping impacted families continue to put food on the table as they find a way forward.
ALMA grants show our love and support of families during a time when it feels like the world is upside down. We’re preventing a downward slide, giving them some breathing room to avoid a financial crisis.
We can make a difference. We are ready to scale ALMA to help even more impacted communities.
Together, we can be the light, making America’s beacon shine bright once again.
In community,
José Quiñonez, MAF CEO
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