The official statement is published here.
In response to the Trump administration’s submission of 95 cases to Hanoi to be processed for deportation, we released a statement condemning such acts:
In the last several months, more than a hundred Cambodians have been detained and deported due to the Trump administration’s increasingly strict policies on immigration. Analysts believe that immigrants of Vietnamese descent are the next targets of his anti-immigration policy.Currently, the U.S. has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vietnam. The MOU, which is up for renewal every 3 years, allows Vietnamese refugees who arrived before July 12th, 1995 to remain in the United States even if they had prior deportation orders. If lifted, Vietnamese immigrants residing in the the U.S. with visas or green cards are at risk for deportation. Late last month, the US submitted 95 cases to Hanoi to be processed. Fear in many Southeast Asian communities has risen as people believe that families will be separated if President Trump and his administration continue to disregard the MOU.We believe this intentional exclusion of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Latinx, and other ethnic and racial minorities is a step backward from North America’s progressive social movement. Such actions as deporting immigrants who’ve contributed to the overall growth of North American society is unjust and inhuman. The Vietnamese have built businesses, influenced cuisine, helped push the boundaries of arts and music, and countless other positive contributions that shape communities across the world.. The struggles of the Vietnamese diaspora are not new among the immigrant community in North America but until recently, we have been safe from the scrutiny of deportation. Now is the time that we need to band together with our fellow immigrants from other racial and ethnic backgrounds who have been dealing with these issues for decades and stand up to respond to the recent anti-immigration and deportation efforts by the Trump administration.Depletion of resources, lack of jobs, and welfare exploitation are issues often pushed onto minorities as the blame and cause. This is the time to not only dispels these myths, but to rise above and hold each other and policy makers accountable and responsible. Contact your government officials through this link and voice your concerns. Members can also text your representatives as well! In this troubling time, many organizations like Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)and Asian Law Caucus (ALC) are working around the clock to help those affected. We’ve also compiled a list of resources for anyone directly affected and not sure where to start.As an organization seeking to advance the Greater Vietnamese Community, we must continue to embrace the importance of diversity. It is crucial we recognize that this issue affects other groups and cannot be treated as simply a targeted act against the Vietnamese community. UNAVSA will always stand with immigrants and any marginalized group being targeted unfairly. We will continue to honor and embrace diversity, inclusion, and equality, and hope our surrounding partners and communities support our partnering organizations.