#DayWithoutImmigrants
Damayan Statement on Trump’s Executive Orders
As an organization of Filipino immigrants and migrant workers forced to migrate to the United States due to massive poverty and unemployment in our homeland, Damayan Migrant Workers Association stands in firm solidarity with all immigrants, particularly with our Muslim sisters and brothers in the US. Damayan strongly opposes Trump’s unconstitutional anti immigrant, anti worker and anti muslim executive orders that devalues the significant contribution of immigrants in the US economy and threatens to destroy families and the lives of hardworking and law abiding workers. In the middle of these attacks on our communities, we will continue with our mission to provide critical services and to educate, organize and mobilize our people to protect and defend our rights under the Constitution of the US and to fight for justice and dignity for all Filipino immigrants and workers in the US.
Damayan knows first hand what it means to leave your home, your family, and your life back home in order to ensure your family’s survival and to seek a better future for your children. We know the extreme challenges that immigrant workers face, from dealing with family separation to surviving discrimination, criminalization, bigotry and racism in the US. Despite this, millions of people worldwide are forced to work and seek for a new life, peace and safety in far away lands.
As history has shown us over and over again, where there is oppression, there will always be resistance. While the Trump administration continue to tear families apart, we believe that no wall or amount of distance can tear apart the collective power of the people in the fight for justice.
Leading up to the election, Damayan launched the critical campaign, Magtanggol: Defend Our Communities! Defend Ourselves! In partnership with the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center, and the Immigrant Defense Project, Damayan provided members and the public an in depth Know Your Rights Training, with hands on training on how immigrants can protect themselves and assert their rights in case of Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. In addition, Damayan has been holding monthly legal clinics which provide consultations with lawyers on trafficking, fraud in labor contracting, stolen wages, and immigration cases. In light of the recent executive orders, Damayan will be holding another Know Your Rights Training on Sunday and Monday, March 19 and 20, open to the public.
For over 15 years, Damayan has stood its ground to serve, organize and fight for the Filipino immigrant workers and Damayan will be here to stay, and regardless of any executive order, Damayan will remain.
America is a country of immigrants!
Justice for all immigrant workers!
The people united, will never be defeated!
#DayWithoutImmigrants #NoBan #NoWall #HeretoStay