Statement of Mary Meg McCarthy, executive director, National Immigrant Justice Center

With final election results showing that Donald Trump will return to office as president of the United States, the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) reaffirms our commitment to defending the rights of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. We will continue our work of providing critical legal representation to immigrants and refugees, fighting to keep families together, defending access to asylum, and advocating for the end of arbitrary detention and unjust deportation. President-elect Trump’s plans for a second term, as outlined in Project 2025 and reflected in his rhetoric, mean our communities now face a serious fight to uphold human rights and due process. Our shared values of family unity, freedom, and access to justice are at stake.

NIJC encourages immigrants without documentation or temporary status to contact qualified immigration legal counsel if they are concerned about their safety in the United States. People with lawful permanent resident status should consult with immigration lawyers and consider applying for citizenship.

As we prepare for the next administration, NIJC maintains our commitment to defending immigrants’ rights. NIJC will:

• Help communities and families stay together by providing legal services. Every year, NIJC helps thousands of people secure citizenship, apply for lawful status that provides pathways to permanent protection, and defend against detention and deportation. Earlier this year, NIJC attorneys achieved a landmark monetary settlement on behalf of five families, including children as young as five, who were separated under the first Trump administration.
• Defend access to asylum in the federal courts and in local communities. NIJC and partners have litigated four federal court cases challenging asylum bans implemented under the Trump and Biden administrations, successfully defending access to asylum for people seeking protection at the U.S.-Mexico border. NIJC attorneys and pro bono partners in the Midwest and beyond have helped thousands of people apply for asylum.
• Defend human rights for all. NIJC will challenge the administration’s efforts to implement mass detention and deportations. During the first Trump administration, NIJC worked with community members and allies to eliminate immigration detention in Illinois. Our national advocacy continues to demand that Congress stop funneling billions of tax dollars to detention centers that are now poised to implement Trump’s promises of mass deportation and family separation.

NIJC will continue to work with local and state officials to invest in immigration legal services and other programs that help communities ensure wellbeing for all.