|
In 2002 the Cambodian government agreed to allow people deported from the US entry into the country. Since then Cambodians who came to the US in the 1980s as legal permanent residents --as refugees of the Khmer Rouge genocide-- have been targeted by ICE and deported due to the Immigration and Nationality Act and Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Since Trump took office, deportations have increased each year and there are constant threats of mass deportations and ICE raids. “Our community has suffered so much and we’ve been silent for too long...We made a promise to hold the families no matter what happened, to fight for their freedom and to stand with our community...When we fight, we win!” - Elijah Chhum, CERI Outreach Worker On the cold morning of March 13, 2019, Cambodian elders, children, and families impacted by deportation broke their silence as they prayed, sang, and spoke about mental health, PTSD and the impacts of deportation on their families in front of the ICE Detention Center in SF. They demanded liberation and freedom even as they had to bear the trauma of being separated from community members by ICE on that very day. This was a turning point. At CERI, we understand the traumatic impacts of police brutality, incarceration, and deportation on individuals and families. We work with Cambodian community members who were formerly incarcerated or deported and their families, who are working every day to heal and transform their lives in the face of oppressive systems. Since that morning in March, CERI’s Cambodian community members have continued to raise their voices to stop deportations through speaking at rallies and hearings, writing letters, collecting signatures for petitions, raising funds for impacted families, holding teach-ins and art builds, healing across generations, and celebrating victories, most recently with Chanthon Bun. Victories would not be possible without strong community partners, so we want to thank Asian Prisoners Support Committee, Asian Law Caucus, and Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. Right now the #ReleaseRot campaign needs attention. Read more here. CERI’s anti-deportation work with the Cambodian community is deeply tied to the struggle against systemic racism that disproportionately impacts Black communities in the US. We continue to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement and Movement for Black Lives campaign to defund the police and reinvest in communities.
|
