Fighting Exclusion and Expulsion: Protecting the Freedom to Move and to Stay

The U.S. government has a long history of excluding people from entering the United States, including individuals from China in the 19th century, most of Asia and southern and eastern Europe in the 20th century, and Muslim-majority and African nations in the 21st century. There is also a history of expelling people from the United States, including nearly 2 million people of Mexican descent in the 1930s and at least 1 million people of Mexican descent in the 1950s – including U.S. citizens.  

The administration’s current attempt to exclude and expel people through sweeping executive overreach in defiance of the rule of law is separating families and striking fear in communities, and is part of a broader attempt to criminalize and invisibilize historically marginalized populations, starting with noncitizens. Join GCIR to learn how advocates are addressing the closure of the border and the resulting denial of access to safety while others are defending people who have made the United States their home.

Speakers

• Lillian Aponte, Executive Director, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project
• Erika Pinheiro, Executive Director, Al Otro Lado 
• Fatima Saidi, Director, We Are All America 

Moderators

• Basma Alawee, Deputy Executive Director, Community Sponsorship Hub
• Zenobia Lai, Executive Director, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative