Local Communities Across Our Nation Are Being Destabilized. We’re Coming Together to Protect Each Other

Immigrant families are facing a growing wave of fear and instability. Cruel and chaotic immigration enforcement activities are ripping families apart – and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are not immune.

From threats to end birthright citizenship to mass deportation flights sending  Asian refugees to third countries to ICE arrests at routine check-ins, the current administration is undermining the safety and rights of all communities. 

Stateless Bhutanese refugees who entered the U.S. through a humanitarian program are being rounded up in Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Georgia. LGBTQ+ asylum seekers are being denied protections and sent back to dangerous conditions. Families with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are being forced to prepare for the unthinkable. The administration is pushing for 3,000 arrests a day – leading to rampant cases of racial profiling.

These actions are not abstract policy debates. They are lived, terrifying realities for millions of our neighbors. Today, fifty-seven percent of Asian Americans were born in another country, and fourteen percent are undocumented. Many came here seeking safety and a stable democracy. They have settled here, raised families, are caregivers, small business owners, and workers in the hospitality, manufacturing, or meat-packing industries. Many are part of mixed-status households. And many have spent decades building their lives here. Now, they are being told they don’t belong.

At the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund, we believe in a country with a functioning government that serves and protects its people – not one that singles out and punishes them. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to building the power of AAPI communities through community service, civic education, and narrative change. In moments of crisis, we serve as a trusted hub for information, resources, and action.

This moment calls for vigilance. It calls for unity. And it calls for action.

What We’re Doing

• Supporting frontline organizations: We invest in local groups embedded in the most affected AAPI communities that are trusted hubs for services, information, and action.   
• Combating misinformation: In times of fear and anxiety, facts matter. The local groups that we support are working to provide accurate, accessible information in-language and online to help families understand their rights and options.
• Driving civic engagement: When our communities are under threat, participation is power. We are mobilizing people, telling our unheard stories, and building community power to ensure AAPIs are seen, heard, and protected.

What You Can Do

• Stay informed: Sign up for updates and know your rights. We’ll share community resources, and policy updates as they unfold.
• Support local organizers: Donate to grassroots groups defending AAPI families from deportation and discrimination.
• Raise your voice: Share our content, uplift the stories being erased, and demand better from our elected leaders.

The inhumanity of this moment is real – but so is our collective strength.

We fight for our families. We fight for our future. We fight for each other.