Lawyers association urges ‘Magkaisa’ vs Donald Trump’s immigration orders




NFALA members of the board 2015-2016

NFALA members of the board 2015-2016

By Jhanice Domingo

The National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) has denounced Donald Trump’s recent Executive Order signed on January 27, 2017.

The Order suspends entry of all refugees into the United States for 120 days, bans Syrian refugees from resettling in the United States indefinitely, and blocks citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for at least 90 days — even individuals who have already been granted permission to be in the country.

The statement reads below.

The Executive Order unfairly discriminates based on race, religion, and national origin, and is directly contrary to the very fabric of our nation. Our country was founded on religious freedom and we must embrace immigrants, and especially those who flee from persecution or violence in their home country.

Federal courts are already recognizing that under the Executive Order, there will be substantial and irreparable injury to refugees, visa-holders, and other individuals from nations subject to the Order.

Filipino immigrants constitute one of the largest foreign-born groups in the United States and NFALA stands together with the diverse communities of our nation. History should teach us that policies rooted in fear and ignorance can — at times — pass when its citizens are divided and remain silent to prejudicial policies ushered through in the name of national security.

We often hear the quote that ‘those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’ NFALA urges you to have your voice heard and join NFALA’s Call to Action.

1. Take NFALA’s Unity Pledge! #MAGKAISA Pledge to contact your local, state and/or national representative to oppose Trump’s January 27, 2017 Executive Order.

You can find your representatives here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ https://www.senate.gov/ https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Once you have done so, copy and paste the NFALA Unity Pledge below on social media and use the following hash tags: #NFALAunitypledge #MAGKAISA #[insert the word for “unite” in your native language].

NFALA UNITY PLEDGE #MAGKAISA: I pledge to speak out and stand up against policies that promote hostility toward immigrants and refugees, and jeopardize the welfare of diverse communities of our nation. I will contact my local, state and/or national representatives to have my voice heard.

2. Help with Airport Triage! If you are an attorney and/or translator/interpreter (i.e., Somali, Kurdish, Arabic & Farsi), NFALA encourages you to assist with ongoing Airport Triage provided by the Urban Justice Center International Refugee Assistant Project. You can register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScU15uSaSkA61YrGmXfplfOu2UwlcwIyEJXP uyON6SCE6YlAw/viewform

3. Immigration Attorneys Wanted! If you are a Filipino American immigration attorney and can lend your expertise, please provide NFALA your name, email address, telephone number, and jurisdiction for inclusion in NFALA’s attorney referral directory for potential clients seeking legal representation.

You can submit your contact information here: https://goo.gl/forms/SPZxjkwlAwQWlO482

The National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) is a national association of Filipino‐American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students dedicated to promoting the professional development, interests, and success of Filipino‐American legal professionals nationwide. NFALA is the voice for the national Filipino‐American legal community and strives to fight for equal opportunity and the rights of underserved minority groups. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact NFALA via email at nfalainfo@gmail.com.



2 Comments

  1. Juliet B wrote:

    you have got an incredible blog right here!

  2. […] Jhanice Domingo, Partner at Morris County-based law firm Einhorn Harris and a resident of Somerset County, has been selected by the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey and the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law as a recipient of the 2017 Professional Lawyer of the Year Award. […]

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