WASHINGTON, D.C. – The first 30 days of the Trump tour have been nothing short of a disaster. One month into his administration, the National Partnership for New Americans—a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 86 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states—has witnessed the initial consequences of disastrous policies centered on cruelty toward immigrants with the end goal of usurping our democracy to an authoritarian dictatorship. Trump’s reckless policies and blustering rhetoric have undermined global stability, upended critical international and domestic lifesaving programs, and have emboldened dangerous, ethno-nationalist, and white supremacist ideologies that threaten our civil society.
Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “What we have witnessed so far is not just an attack on immigrant communities and families, but an assault on the principles of justice and fairness that define our nation and are enshrouded in the Constitution. Our immigrant family members and neighbors are the canary in the coal mine, and the threats to their civil and human rights serve as a stark warning to us all about the dangers of coupling unchecked power with hate—that will soon impact every person in this country regardless of their race, class, or political affiliation.
“Of the 40 plus Executive Orders issued to date, not a single one will improve the lives of the people of the United States. Instead, they have cost people their jobs, cut essential programs across the country, and have created greater economic uncertainty for everyone. Meanwhile, the criminalization of everyday people, the “made for TV” apprehensions, and the expulsion of thousands of people without access to due process present grave threats to our economy, the justice system, and the social fabric of our nation.
“As Congress works to determine the federal government’s budget for 2025, they have a pivotal decision to make: whether they will authorize a 350 billion dollar “blank check” to implement policies that separate families and terrorize our communities. We must not allow our tax dollars to get rerouted to fund cruelty and further pad the pockets of billionaires, siphoning money away from essential safety-net programs like Medicaid that serve 80 million seniors, children, and people with disabilities. The American people need to know that the current budget proposals are bloated with billions of their taxpayer dollars to enact cruel, short-sighted programs parading as security and public safety that will deepen inequality, harm vulnerable people, compromise public safety, and undermine the economy—as we all foot the bill. This is not governance—this is a betrayal of our nation’s values and our shared future.”
For further insight on current policy and narrative impacts on immigrant communities, or expert analysis of Congress’s budget proposals during the ongoing reconciliation process, please reach out to [email protected] to arrange for an interview with NPNA leadership and their grassroots members.
Background:
Policies undermining law and order
The administration’s financial policies, including the USCIS funding freeze and firing of dozens of immigration judges, jeopardize legal immigration and pathways to citizenship, throwing the already-dysfunctional and backlogged immigration system into chaos and greater inefficiency. In the NPNA network alone, more than three million dollars in funding owed to immigrant and refugee rights organizations has been frozen, halting lawful naturalization application processes, and leaving individuals and families in limbo while they await further news on citizenship and documentation. These thoughtless and near-sighted actions, coupled with Congress’s FY2025 anti-immigrant budget proposals, prioritize unnecessary cruelty and undermine the values of fairness and inclusion that fundamentally define our nation as a land of freedom and opportunity.
Threats to democracy, eroding justice for all
With Senate Bill 5 signed into law—a measure that allows the arrest and detention of people without a trial, jury, or conviction—immigrants have seen their due process rights stripped away overnight. This law emboldens racial profiling and will have devastating, far-reaching consequences—not only for immigrant and mixed status communities, but also for the integrity of our justice system.
Over-reaching executive orders
From Day One, the administration has pursued a relentless agenda that disproportionately targets immigrant communities. Through sweeping executive orders and harmful legislation, the administration’s policies and rhetoric have sowed fear and instability, made our communities less safe, and upended the lives of countless individuals and families. Included in the orders were dozens of immigration measures that seek to close off access to asylum, terminate refugee admissions and critical Temporary Protected Status designations, put an end to birthright citizenship, undermine due process in immigration court, and pave the way for mass detention, deportation, family separation, and economic devastation.
These orders bypass congressional oversight, concentrate power in the hands of DOGE—an unaccountable agency—and have eroded the system of checks and balances. This pattern of executive overreach reflects a troubling trend toward authoritarianism and the fast track to fascism, where the rights of vulnerable communities and everyday workers are sacrificed for billionaires’ political gain.
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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 83 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.