WASHINGTON, D.C. — This Immigrant Heritage Month, as the nation prepares to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), along with our membership of the largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations across the country, proudly announces our Declaration of Dreams—an affirmative vision for shared commitment to justice, dignity, and transformation. Through this declaration, we reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm our fundamental belief that every person, regardless of nationality or status, should have access to opportunity and a prosperous future.
Said Nicole Melaku, NPNA executive director, “The American Dream is what brings us together in this nation—but now, as we celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month, the mass deportation and detention machine is swelling with unchecked terror, cruelty, and even death. What’s more, the administration is actively restricting and terminating the few legal immigration pathways, further eroding the promise of the American Dream—a dream that our ancestors fought and gave their lives for throughout history.
“As a collective, we recognize that if the People do not have access to justice, accountability, or due process, there can be no true safety or security. In fierce commitment to this declaration and each other, we remain united because we know it is our American responsibility to challenge the politics of division, the hateful rhetoric that has embodied the issue of immigration under the current administration. That is why, today, we reclaim our right to the American Dream and redefine what it means to be American—whether citizen or not—for communities that contribute and belong in the social, economic, and civic life of our nation.
Said Carlos Aleman, CEO of the Hispanic and Immigrant Coalition of Alabama (HICA), “Immigrant Heritage Month calls us to remember that the American Dream has always belonged to those who build it, not just those born into it,” said Carlos Aleman, CEO of the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama. “As a Southern organization rooted in a state that has lived through both the worst and the best of what this country is capable of, this Declaration of Dreams speaks directly to the moment we are in. Every day, Alabama’s Latino and immigrant families are growing, contributing, and writing themselves into the story of this state. A democracy that excludes its fastest-growing voices is a democracy in name only. HICA is proud to stand with NPNA in reclaiming the American Dream and building the fully inclusive democracy all of our people deserve.”
Said Lisa Sherman-Luna, Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), “No matter the color of our skin, what’s in our wallets, or how we came to call this country home, we all deserve the freedom to build a good life for ourselves and our families. It’s the dreams of immigrant families that have directly contributed to the vibrancy and prosperity of our communities. But now, the very fabric and soul of our nation is under attack as this administration continues to unleash a cruel agenda of mass deportation, family separation, and attacks on legal pathways in order to divide us and distract us while they consolidate power for themselves. But together, just like those who came before us during the Civil Rights movement and other moments of progress in our nation’s history, the brave of us can stand up and declare our dreams and demand systems that allow everyone to thrive and belong in our communities. Progress can’t happen without people, and this is Immigrant Heritage Month, immigrant communities and our allies are joining together as a powerful force to rebuke this agenda of hate and call for a country that recognizes our dreams and gives us pathways to achieve them.”
Said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition, “The American Dream has always been the defining story of America. The opportunity to build a better life through hard work and determination has given hope to those fleeing war, persecution, or economic collapse in their home countries. Today, however, the American Dream is threatened by a federal administration who wants to reclaim the story of America by erasing the social and economic contributions of immigrants to this country, cruelly and violently attacking our families and limiting or terminating the few legal pathways to permanent stability that remained. During Immigrant Heritage Month, we stand with NPNA in reclaiming the American Dream, affirming the rights of immigrants, and building the fully inclusive democracy all of our communities deserve and desire.”
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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of over 76 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 40 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.