DEMS’ POSITIVE VISION FOR AMERICA
This week’s Democratic National Convention featured a hopeful and optimistic view of what America can be, on immigration and beyond, that stands in stark contrast to the “send them back now” chants and “mass deportation now” signs at the RNC. In her stirring remarks, Vice President Kamala Harris invoked her mother’s immigration story, saying she was just 19 “when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California, with an unshakeable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.” Harris made clear she believes today’s immigrant families deserve their shot at the American Dream, saying that “we can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.” DACA recipients also shared their stories in a spectacular video, and a number of speakers spoke to the deeply ingrained identity of the United States as a home and refuge for immigrants. Ana Navarro and Oprah Winfrey both praised the fact that the daughter of two immigrants was now positioned to be President, with Oprah adding, “That is the best of America.” One of the most poignant moments was when Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland described the six men, Central American immigrants fixing potholes overnight, who lost their lives when the Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed. Of course, as some press coverage noted, there was no ignoring the explicit embrace of enforcement-only, asylum-restricting bipartisan legislation that Trump killed, from speakers including Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy. And while undocumented immigrants, Dreamers, and other forceful voices for immigrants were on the speaking stage in past years, it was not so this week. America’s Voice issued a convention messaging memo drawing attention to the three most important messaging points for Dems: 1) lean in to define a message about combining a secure and orderly border with legal immigration avenues and legal status for deeply rooted immigrants; 2) Clear contrasts with the messages and disinformation coming from the opponents of immigrants and immigration; and 3) Address the huge liability that mass deportations present to the other side by reminding people of the family separation and economic consequences of the proposed – nightmarish – Project 2025 blueprint for America. Read more here.
KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER LAUNCH
The new Keeping Families Together program to offer “parole in place” to certain undocumented immigrants married to or the stepchildren of U.S. citizens launched on Monday, and reports show that the first approvals have already been issued. Events by service providers, advocates, and attorneys around the country to inform potential applicants have been happening all week and are being tracked and promoted by American Families United, among others. At America’s Voice, we welcomed the new program with a statement from our Executive Director, Vanessa Cárdenas, that read in part: “The launch of the ‘Keeping Families Together’ program is an example of what is possible when our elected leaders decide to act and implement common sense solutions that benefit our communities. Today, thousands of American families can hopefully breathe a sigh of relief and feel more secure in their futures in this nation and be able to work free from the fear of deportation while their residency applications are being processed.” Read more here.
THE 2024 ELECTIONS: HOPE VS. EXTREMISM
In her weekly column, America’s Voice consultant Maribel Hastings writes that if anything stands out from the DNC, it’s the united front that Democrats seek to demonstrate in defending the rights of women, minorities, workers, immigrants, the environment, and our democratic values. And in nominating Vice President Harris, Democrats have picked someone who “reflects the diversity of races, accents, and cultures that coexist in this experiment called the United States.” Her nomination, Hastings writes, has “become a nightmare for Trump since this combination has thrown the anti-immigrant misogynist on his heels.” And while Harris has maintained support for Dreamers and pathway to legalization, she has angered some in the pro-immigrant sector for supporting the border bill that Republicans disowned at the political urging of Trump. “But nothing compares to Trump’s Machiavellian plan for mass deportations, included in Project 2025, which would generate a humanitarian, legal, and economic nightmare if it were implemented.” Hastings writes that if 2016 and 2020 were crucial elections, “the 2024 one is even more because we already lived through a Trump presidency, and we know, with certainty, the danger that it represents for various groups, especially immigrants.” Her column was also published in several outlets, including La Opinión, El Diario NY, and Radio Bilingüe. Read her column in English here and Spanish here.
ARIZONA’S KARI LAKE DOUBLES DOWN ON FAILED WHITE NATIONALIST RHETORIC
If the 2022 midterm results showed one thing in Arizona, it was that the GOP’s massive investment in ugly and dangerous nativism didn’t pay off at the ballot box. Kari Lake should know. She embraced white nationalist conspiracy theories in her gubernatorial race against then-state Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and lost. But were lessons learned? Nope. Lake is once again making the deadly lie about a so-called “invasion” the centerpiece of her run against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in their bid to replace retiring Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, including pushing a great replacement lie about non-citizens polluting the ballot box (reminder: widespread non-citizen voting is very rare and very illegal). It’s despicable yet completely unsurprising behavior from Lake, an election denier who still refuses to admit that she lost her 2022 race to Hobbs. In fact, in her 2023 book, Lake claimed that she was “the lawful governor of Arizona.” Sure, Kari. While eyes will certainly be focused on this critical battleground Senate race, the state’s legislature is also at play for the first time in decades. These races will be key as Arizona voters go to the polls and vote on policies that affect the everyday lives of Arizonans, including one dangerous measure that puts people of color, regardless of immigration status, at risk by giving local police the purported authority to arrest and detain anyone they suspect is undocumented. Freedom is indeed on the ballot – from the national races on down to the states. Read more here.
THE CONTRASTS COULDN’T BE CLEARER
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said that while Trump calls for the mass purging of millions of Dreamers, farmworkers, and long-settled immigrants, the Biden administration’s policies are helping families stay together in the communities they call home. The contrasts couldn’t be any clearer. Click here to share our video of Rep. Aguilar’s must-watch remarks at the Democratic convention.
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS
DACA recipient Brenda Valle has been among the thrilled immigrants to seek to apply for the Biden administration’s new program. She was at CHIRLA headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on Monday to help lift the member-based immigrant rights organization’s Keeping Families Together-related services, including screenings and application assistance. “Definitely excited for this opportunity that starts today,” she told ABC 7 News. “It’s something that we’ve been waiting for many, many years.” During Monday’s event, which included representatives from the offices of Sen. Laphonza Butler, Reps. Lou Correa, Jimmy Gomez, and Nanette Barragán, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas said the policy is at its core about family values. “At CHIRLA, we’re calling this program keeping families together – familias unidas,” Salas said. “Because at the heart of this program is family unity, at the heart of this program is also love and compassion.” She added that for too long, “being a U.S. citizen has not protected you from harm if your family is undocumented. Today, President Biden’s executive order begins to change this terrible wrong.” In a new TikTok, America’s Voice Legal Advisor David Leopold warned about potential scammers looking to take advantage of folks interested in applying. “Look on the website, if you really don’t understand it, consult with a licensed attorney, or an agency that’s licensed,” he said. It’s much-needed advice as families seek more information about this new policy. Read more here.
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