As Spojmie Nasiri, an Afghan American immigration attorney points out, “They are using the tragedy to enact the agenda that they already had.”

The post How the Trump Administration Used a National Guard Tragedy to Accelerate Its Anti-Immigrant Agenda appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Today, we need a similar framework to move the immigration debate beyond fear and division. A new vision—what I call the RESPECTED framework, for Restoring Economic Opportunity, Protecting Every Community, and Treating Everyone with Dignity—invites us to see immigration policy not as an isolated crisis but as part of building a fairer, safer and more prosperous society.

Legalization, for example, shouldn’t just be about paperwork—it’s about removing barriers that keep women in low-wage, unsafe jobs and making economic opportunity real for everyone.

Ultimately, the RESPECTED approach asks a simple but transformative question: How can immigration policy help us build the future we want together? By embedding immigration reform within shared priorities—economic security, community safety and human dignity—we can replace the politics of exclusion with a politics of belonging.

The struggle is far from over, especially for women fleeing violence and seeking asylum. But if we listen, learn and lead with respect, we can carry forward the feminist lessons that made change possible before—and make them work again today.

The post What Feminist Wins Can Teach Us About Immigration [Part 3 of 3] appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Advocates say the resulting system fuels chaos, disrupts families and touches every aspect of society—from economic opportunity to civic trust.

Cynthia Buiza, former executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, argues that fixing immigration requires a broader vision. “Rather than focus solely on reforming immigration laws, we need to pass laws that incorporate immigration into broader objectives such as improving the economy, promoting opportunities for youth or addressing disparities in the judicial system,” she says.

Programs like Welcoming America show that community-based solutions can help. By fostering inclusion and mutual understanding, local initiatives demonstrate that immigration reform doesn’t have to exist in isolation—it can be part of a larger framework that benefits everyone.

The post Immigration Isn’t a Problem—It’s Part of the Solution [Part 2 of 3] appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

“This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has singled out women seeking asylum, and we know where this path leads,” said Neela Chakravartula of the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies. “More judges denying protection to women who qualify for it. More refugees being deported to danger.”

The decision highlights the ongoing struggle to recognize gender as a protected basis for asylum. Afghan and Salvadoran women, among others, may now face even steeper barriers to protection—a chilling effect that experts say could deter survivors from seeking safety in the U.S.

The post Yearning to Breathe Free [Part 1 of 3] appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

It’s one more example of the administration’s incremental intimidation of children—this time, with a price tag attached.

The post The Trump Administration Is Paying Children $2,500 to Give Up Their Rights appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Fortunately, a federal judge quickly acted to block the removals, at least for now—but the events that unfolded between Aug. 29 and Aug. 31 are a sobering indictment of all that is wrong with Trump’s campaign against immigrants. In a single night, the Trump administration may have permanently scarred children who were just beginning to feel like they had found a safe place, far away from the danger and threats they had fled.

Their terror and confusion is captured in the affidavits children and witnesses filed with the court over the next few days. One boy described how shelter staff woke him at 2 in the morning, telling him he would be leaving in a few hours; he had no time to wash his face or brush his teeth but had to gather his things and go. For a minute, he just sat there, staring into space, unable to fathom what going back to Guatemala might mean. Another child became so scared that she vomited. 

Many worried whether their parents or relatives could even answer the phone at such an hour or be ready to receive them. Some asked in trembling voices, “¿Me van a mandar a otro albergue en Guatemala?” “Are they going to send me to another shelter in Guatemala?”

The post Nighttime Deportations: When Government Policy Becomes Child Trauma appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the policies necessary to end the diversion of “hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration.” A coalition of state attorneys general has called the revision an unmitigated crisis in public health and safety, bringing suit to block the changes, which are temporarily on hold until mid-September.

The new rules mark a dangerous and seismic shift in interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, legislation born of a broader agenda to vilify the poor and others accused of gaming the system.

At its core, this is an extension of the administration’s relentless desire to close the border—a tool to sow discord and consolidate power.

The post RFK Jr.’s HHS Slashes Healthcare Access and Safety Net, Putting Both Citizens *and* Immigrants at Risk appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

It was already difficult to obtain asylum in the United States. You must demonstrate that you have been or will be persecuted, based on a protected category, and that your own government will not or cannot help you. You must show that your persecutor intended to harm you based on the protected category. You must show that you can’t simply move to another part of your country, and you must provide evidence that your life is in danger if you return home.

"What I desire most is for all women who are fleeing abuse in their country to have their asylum cases heard and to be safe here. The situation right now is dire. The struggle continues. But they have to keep fighting."

The post With New DOJ Ruling, Women Fleeing Gender-Related Persecution Will Have an Even Harder Time Winning Asylum appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

"If you care about trafficking, about what will protect children, you have to ask: Are children feeling supported?" asked Jonathan Beier, the associate director of research and evaluation for the unaccompanied children’s program at the Acacia Center for Justice—where the Trump administration abruptly canceled a multimillion-dollar legal services contract, jeopardizing the cases of approximately 26,000 children represented by attorneys from more than 100 legal organizations around the country.

The post A System Designed to Keep Immigrant Parents From Their Children appeared first on Ms. Magazine.

Almost 200 years ago, Frances Wright, an early feminist, abolitionist and utopian visionary, gave a Fourth of July address that celebrated true patriotism as the embrace of change, moving always toward the improvement of humanity. In 1828, women didn’t speak in public—and when they did, it was only for other women. Wright was one of the first to break those barriers, giving lectures championing women’s rights, opposing slavery and championing knowledge and science over religion. 

She worried that America praised “patriots” without understanding patriotism.

The post A Feminist’s Independence Day Speech From 1828 Is More Important Than Ever appeared first on Ms. Magazine.