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immigration nation - understanding and addressing the weaponization of immigration to create fear and division in the united states

august 4, 2021

U.S. officials are struggling to respond to the arrival of displaced people at the southern U.S. border. The challenges at the border are exacerbating perceptions inside the United States of immigrants and immigration as being a threat, which is fueling xenophobia, racism, animosity, and polarization. This perception has galvanized the anti-immigrant movement and made life substantially more difficult for all immigrants and the communities that welcome them.

This session explored the complex issue of immigration, starting with what is the state of our immigration system, what is happening at the border, why and how the issue is being weaponized and turned into a wedge issue that is fueling divisions in the country, and what immigrant rights groups are doing to change the narrative and address these divisions, while ensuring that immigrant communities in the United States can live in safety and peace.

Speakers:

  • Saurav Upadhyay (Moderator), Research Manager - Learning & Evaluation, Alliance for Peacebuilding

  • Josh Leach, Public Policy and Communications Strategist for The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee 

  • Oscar Hernandez Ortiz, Dreamer and Activist

  • Peniel Ibe, Policy Engagement Coordinator, American Friends Service Committee

  • Jordyne Krumroy, Southern Regional Manager, Welcoming America