National Immigrant Justice Center celebrates the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) welcomes the election of President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.

NIJC Executive Director Mary Meg McCarthy issued the following statement:

“The American people have spoken, and now we face the challenge of overcoming the last four years of divisiveness to restore core American values, among them respect for human rights, protection of refugees, and inclusion of immigrants into a stronger, plural nation. We will now have an opportunity to work together to not only repair the damage of the past four years but to begin to address the systemic racism, human rights violations, and family separation that have been perpetrated against immigrant, Black, Indigenous, and communities of color since our country was founded.

“For too long, the practice of immigration law has meant helping immigrants and families navigate a system mainly built to keep them away or to punish them. Under the Trump administration, we have seen the devastation that occurs when the government takes these laws to their most damaging extremes and fails to uphold the most basic protections. But we also have seen how the courage, leadership, and voices of immigrants, the legal profession, and  communities of color can unite Americans, change our understanding of our nation’s history, restore the Constitution as a living document, and help us imagine a future built on racial justice, religious freedom, family unity, and community wholeness.

“NIJC looks forward to joining with immigrant communities and the legal profession to work with the Biden-Harris administration and the newly elected Congress to pursue a transformative immigration agenda that is centered on values of welcoming and compassion.”