To Immigrant Women Activists, Migrant Communities in NYC & the HMH Community:

This morning is heavy… The days ahead don’t carry too much light. The results of yesterday’s election roll back the small progress we made over the past four years, creating serious challenges for immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ communities, Black and Brown communities, and the environment. But one thing that cannot be taken back or destroyed without our consent, is our HMH community, nor the many communities like ours that stand with each other against bigotry, discrimination, violence, and injustice.

Today, however, we grieve. And that’s alright. We can take the day to grieve, allow ourselves to mourn what could have been... and what will be lost in the next four years. This is a time in which we can cradle our thoughts and fears, hold each other tight, and provide a space for the anger and the grief.

But after that, we need to rise up and stand with the many immigrants that will be directly and severely impacted by America's choice yesterday. We need to strategize how to increase protections at local and state levels and what reasonable actions can be taken NOW before the inauguration of the new administration. We need to work in solidarity with our allies, strengthen existing relationships, and form new support networks. We need to push the Biden administration to immediately put in place measures to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, to prevent family separation, to preserve access to asylum, and to expedite asylum processes and access to employment for asylum seekers. 

Her Migrant Hub emerged in response to the diminished protections under the first Trump administration. We built a community that continued to advocate for and center the voices of women with lived experiences of forced migration. Now, as we stand on the precipice of another four years of restrictive immigration measures, we know that there will be immediate attempts to erase fundamental human rights and render women, immigrants, and minorities invisible. But we will not give up. We will not be silenced. We need to prepare for a long-term resistance. It will be hard. It will be painful. But we remain committed to justice, to human rights, to humanity! 

So, take the time you need today. Tomorrow, we will start again. Together.

From all of us at Her Migrant Hub, we stand with you!

So, take the time you need today. Tomorrow, we will start again. Together. 

 

From all of us at Her Migrant Hub, we stand with you!