Our most cherished ideals and principles — the U.S. as a nation of immigrants and a nation of refuge for those in need; values of diversity, fairness, justice, and equity; the belief in family unity and the dignity of children — are under assault. We can and must respond — as a community, and as a nation. That’s why Hispanic Federation has launched an extraordinarily comprehensive effort called the Latino Immigrant Families Together US, or LIFT US Initiative.
“The humanitarian crisis taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border — and the roots of the crisis in Central America itself — are especially troublesome,” said Hispanic Federation’s Senior Vice President for Institutional Development Brent Wilkes. “Poverty and violence have forced children and families to brave the journey to the border, where they have been met with actions by this administration that deny them safe harbor. Thousands of children and families are currently being interned in tents and holding cells. Our LIFT US Initiative supports new and existing programs which strike at the root of the problem, while defending and integrating the most vulnerable immigrants.”
The LIFT US Initiative includes a number of key objectives including:
- Support for migrant shelters in Mexico and Central America that provides families with necessary resources to take care of their well-being, with the aim of keeping families together and lessening risks for those who are forced to make the journey to the border.
- Scaling up of legal, social, and advocacy services to help those suffering the trauma of undocumented status and family separation, especially at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- A public education campaign that promotes immigrants’ “value proposition,” and that builds public will to reject hateful rhetoric and promote the integration of immigrants into society.
- Expansion of naturalization programs that accelerate the completion rate of Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) on the road to citizenship.
Taken together, these elements of the LIFT US Initiative can help us turn the tide against rising anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. To learn more about the LIFT US Initiative, please contact Brent Wilkes.
