First Things First

We want to take a moment to say we know this has been a really hard week. So many Ohioans have been grappling with bad news that dramatically affects their lives. For example, in the last few days alone:

• The Supreme Court rubber stamped the Trump administration’s decision to end the legal entry program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans;
• ICE abducted Ohioans outside of a grocery story in Cincinnati, at the immigration court, and at immigration appointments, locking them up in Ohio jails for no criminal reason whatsoever;
• The administration finalized a new Muslim, African, Caribbean, and Asian visa ban; and
• Ended Temporary Protected Status for people from additional countries that are not stable, like Haiti, Cameroon, and Afghanistan.

One common thread among all of this was highlighted by a man I spoke to last week, who called because he was scared to go to immigration court. Following the law isn’t good enough for Trump. He’s actually making people who are following the legal process undocumented. This man said, “I love this country. All I want to do is follow the law.” But in these examples, the law is being changed. I spoke about this to the Ohio Capital Journal as well.

The man went to his court date, and he wasn’t detained. Other people were less lucky. We want to give a shout out today to all of the immigration lawyers, the community navigators, the interpreters, the helpers, the suddenly single parents, the kids, the friends trying to deal with other friends’ affairs, having to go pick up your buddy’s car, put money on their commissary account, track down a passport, make arrangements, all of the things you are doing that you don’t want to be doing, shouldn’t have to be doing. We see you. We know it’s hard. You are not alone. If you want someone to talk to, give us a call. We’re in this together.

The Rest Of It

Did you know we run the Ohio Immigrant Hotline? We’re really proud of the work our Hotline Managers are doing, providing a lifeline for Ohioans who have immigration problems and questions or need some help. Read more about it, and share our promotional videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to spread the word across Ohio! If you can, make a monthly donation so we can keep offering this service for years to come.

Tomorrow (June 7) is Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest days in the year in Islam. We’re marking it with a celebration of Fulani culture and heritage called Pulaagam, at the Columbus Arts Festival, at 3pm! Check out our promotional video and come see us in person, or watch live on Instagram and tell us what you think in the comments.

We value you, and we know you value us. The Ohio Immigrant Alliance was able to get some foundation funding for this year, but the truth is we are not funded for the coming year. We have been applying for grants, but the situation is tough for nonprofits right now. If you know of any leads or ideas that we can pursue, please give us a shout. And if you are able to donate personally, click on the link here.