FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2020

Joint Statement Regarding a Nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

We congratulate President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris on a decisive victory against Donald Trump. This win is a solid rejection of Trump’s vile xenophobia and a clear mandate to immediately undo the anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies enacted during the Trump administration. This is an essential first step after four years of relentless and systematic assaults on immigrants and aspiring immigrants and refugees. This win is also a call to action – the new administration must begin the long-overdue work of updating our immigration system to reflect the highest values of our country.

We stand ready to work with the transition and the incoming Administration to achieve these crucial goals. It will require leadership from the very top; the White House must prioritize the appointment of a Secretary of DHS with the experience and expertise necessary to make these goals a reality. Specifically, they must have an extensive background on immigration, possess a deep understanding of the immigrant community, profound respect for U.S. humanitarian obligations, commitment to approaching immigration through a humanitarian lens, and a demonstrated ability to lead large institutions through significant mission realignments.

Then-candidate Biden’s immigration platform stated: “Immigration is essential to who we are as a nation, our core values, and our aspirations for our future.” We are confident that President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will select a nominee for DHS Secretary who agrees. The next DHS Secretary must be committed to the transformative overhaul of the immigration system that our country so desperately needs, along with leading on the other essential functions currently under the authority of DHS. We look forward to supporting such a nominee.

Signed,

National Organizations:

Alianza Americas

Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC)

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

America’s Voice

Bend the Arc

Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)

Community Change

Center for Popular Democracy (CPD)

Demos

Faith in Action

Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)

FWD.us

Immigration Hub

Hispanic Federation

Human Rights First

Immigration Hub

Indivisible

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR)

Mi Familia Vota

Mijente

MoveOn

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)

National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON)

National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)

National Immigration Law Center (NILC)

National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIP NLG)

National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)

Resistance Force

South Asian American Leaders (SAALT)

Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC)

UndocuBlack

UnidosUS

UNITE HERE

United Farm Workers

United Farm Workers Foundation

United We Dream

Women’s Refugee Commission

Regional, State, and Local Organizations:

Alliance San Diego

Arriba Las Vegas Worker Center

CASA

Florida Immigrant Coalition

Florida Institute for Community Studies

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights

Make the Road Nevada

Make the Road New York

Make the Road Pennsylvania