Press Releases

This week a small bipartisan group of senators are negotiating President Biden’s supplemental funding request, and shockingly they have put asylum protections for people fleeing harm on the chopping block in exchange for funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. There is no conceivable reason, other than cruelty, why foreign aid should be held hostage in exchange for codifying the dismantling of the U.S. asylum system. Asylum protects the most vulnerable among us who have fled dangerous peril, and gutting those protections will undeniably result in increased human suffering.

CARECEN SF was founded by people fleeing the wars in El Salvador and Central America in the 1980’s. Sadly, we know too well the sound of bombings, the cries of death, the pain of loss, of forced displacement and human suffering because of war. We stand in solidarity with Palestinians terrorized by brutal and indiscriminate bombings from the state of Israel in response to attacks from Hamas. We stand with all families impacted by this military conflict. We call for humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip.

CARECEN SF is greatly concerned and disappointed  about recent news reports of U.S. and Mexican governments collaborating on taking many actions to deter migrants from reaching the U.S./Mexico border. These inhumane measures include deporting asylum seekers who have fled their home countries and have reached border towns. Historically, these tough measures have not worked and inflict harm and injustice to migrants exercising their internationally recognized right to seek asylum in order to escape life-threatening danger.

President Biden’s Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families is charged with leading the reunification effort of more than 5,500 migrant children separated from their families at the U.S./Mexico border by the Trump Administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy. The #CaravanForTheChildren campaign seeks to keep public attention on the reunification effort, so the U.S. government is accountable for Uncaging, Reunifying and Healing the children separated from their parents. Members of the #CaravanForTheChildren organizing committee traveled to Central America in response to a formal U.S. government delegation to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras on the matter.

On Thursday, April 27, 2023 DHS announced new measures to limit avenues for asylum seekers to enter the United States through what they called an expansion of “safe and legal pathways” for migrants, in light of the proposed end of Title 42. CARECEN San Francisco supports and calls for programs that uphold Due Process, and honor the struggle, dignity, and bravery of people asserting their right to asylum.

The San Francisco Foundation announces a $3 million investment to strengthen the Bay Area’s ecosystem of Latinx community organizers to help fight the region’s deep systemic inequities the pandemic exposed and deepened.

CARECEN SF expresses its outrage for the tragic deaths of 39 people in a fire at a migrant detention facility in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Monday March 27, 2023. We are appalled at how guards left the victims to burn in their cells as fire spread throughout the building.

A New York Times report exposes how the Biden Administration is said to “turn to increasingly restrictive measures as his administration prepares for the end of Title 42” and is now considering bringing back detaining entire families in ICE detention centers when they seek asylum at the U.S./Mexico border. CARECEN SF is horrified to hear the Biden administration is considering a return to the use of family detention. A humanitarian crisis requires a humanitarian response—not a return to detaining families in ICE detention centers.

October 5, 2022, in the case, Texas v. the United States, challenging the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the case should return to a federal district judge in Texas for further consideration. The ruling continues the uncertain future of DACA beneficiaries. CARECEN SF calls on all members of Congress to take action to permanently protect these Americans, who are an integral part of our community and country.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would extend a pathway to permanency for millions of long-term U.S. residents.
The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 would update the existing Registry statute so that an immigrant may qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they have lived in the U.S. continuously for at least seven years before filing an application for lawful permanent resident status and are of good moral character.

CARECEN SF, Instituto Familiar de la Raza and HOMEY proudly launch the RAMA Blueprints Podcast series, which aims to capture the oral history of the legendary Real Alternatives Program (RAP), founded by Jim Queen in 1969. Through research, first hand interviews and archival footage, RAMA Blueprints Podcast series tells the story of how RAP, a revolutionary youth service organization, advocated for youth empowerment through leadership development and self-determination. Generations of San Francisco community leaders were trained while at RAP and to this day many work in leadership positions within community services locally and nationwide. Its legacy includes being one of the most pivotal youth service providers to influence both city, state and nation wide policies utilized by other city governments and organizations.

CARECEN SF calls out the broken promises to all migrants made by President Biden while he was running for election. Mr. Biden stated that he would make our immigration system more humane and welcoming for those seeking refuge in our country. Yet on the one year anniversary of his presidency, his words have turned out to be empty promises.

CARECEN SF thanks Speaker Pelosi for her leadership and commitment to advancing the nation’s future with the passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Build Back Better Act. We understand that the current proposal could result in urgently needed temporary work permits for a good segment of the immigrant community. We also understand that it still faces many barriers now that it has moved to the Senate. So we call on your leadership to advocate with Democratic Senators to not only protect, but support amendments to the current language that would expand protections and secure a path to permanency for the very people whose labor and contributions will ensure that as a nation we actually “build back better.”

Today’s passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Build Back Better Act represents an important step towards a once in a generation investment in our nation’s future. For 11+ Million immigrants actively contributing to the economic, social, cultural and civic fabric of the nation, and particularly in the context of a devastating global pandemic, the Build Back Better Act also represents an expression of our nation’s values. CARECEN SF calls on Senate Democrats to not only protect, but enact amendments to the current language that would expand protections and secure a path to permanency for the very people whose labor and contributions will ensure that as a nation we actually “build back better.”

On Thursday, January 21, 2021 at Dolores Park, the Caravan for the Children campaign was launched – a national six-month effort to demand the release, reunification and healing of migrant children still being held in ICE detention centers across the country as a result of the Zero Tolerance policy. Organizers also seek to hold the incoming Biden/Harris administration accountable to the promises outlined in the Biden Immigration Plan .

CARECEN SF condemns the decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow the Trump Administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS, for citizens of Sudan, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Haiti who are living in the United States. This ruling ignores the Trump administration’s clear racial animus in its decision-making, and may have a devastating impact on the more than 300,000 migrants and their
families currently protected under the TPS program.

CARECEN SF rejects the Trump Administration’s announcement regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which essentially undermines the program’s benefits; limiting work permits for recipients of the program to one year instead of two. They will also deny any new applications from people who currently qualify for the program, as well as severely restrict advanced parole requests. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (June 18, 2020) makes it clear, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) MUST continue the program, renew work authorization documents, and allow for new applications into the program to proceed.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program also known as DACA has lifted a painful burden for our nation’s DREAMERS, caused by the Trump Administration’s cruel cancelation of DACA. Recipients of this program and immigrant rights advocates have remained steady, united and effective in the work of organizing, advancing, and protecting the rights of ALL individuals, children, youth and families in the nation.

In a demonstration of solidarity with families and children held in detention camps, a group of artists has come together to bring “Our Children Are Sacred” – “Nuestros Niños Son Sagrados,” a song that centers on children and their sacredness. At a time when people of color are suffering in disproportionate numbers due to COVID-19 and historic social upheaval has spurred worldwide demonstrations calling for systemic change led by Black Lives Matter, “Our Children Are Sacred” brings attention to our children — who suffer the deepest consequences of unjust and racist structural systems of healthcare, policing, housing, education, nutrition and immigration, to name a few.

The Central American Resource Center – CARECEN SF joins Alianza Americas #KeepingUSsafe national campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise public awareness about the exclusion of immigrants from federal relief efforts, despite the active role of essential immigrant workers in keeping the U.S. economy going, as well as their work in various sectors deemed critical to the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CARECEN SF will be localizing this campaign to California with the use of #KeepingCAsafe given that California benefits from the largest TPS, DACA, and immigrant population in the country.

San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen, introduced a Board Resolution calling on the U.S. Congress to ensure protections for all without exclusion of the nation’s immigrant population in the next Federal Relief Bill, in response to the COVID-19 global health pandemic.

CARECEN SF opposes Trump’s latest attacks on immigrants of color with today’s executive order adding 7 more countries to the administration’s 2017 travel restrictions, also known as the “Muslim ban.” Today the White House expanded this racist and xenophobic ban, by adding Belarus, Nigeria, Myanmar, Kyrgyztan, Sudan, Tanzania and Eritrea will be added to the list. The ban effective today will suspend visas that can lead to permanent residency as well as end diversity visas for Sudanese and Tanzanian nationals.

CARECEN SF condemns the Supreme Court ruling issued yesterday, giving the Trump Administration the right to implement the “Public Charge” rule spearheaded by the president’s immigration advisor, Stephen Miller, who has made no secret of his anti-immigrant agenda. This ruling enables the federal government to start enforcing new immigrant wealth test, designed to screen out certain green card applicants seen as being at risk of becoming dependent on government benefits, or “public charges.”

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, their families, along with Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) holders will be joined by CARECEN San Francisco, CARECEN DC, Alianza Americas, the Bay Area TPS Committee, CASA, 32BJ, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, African Advocacy Network, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, OXFAM, Latin America Working Group, FANM and other allies call on Congress to act now to create a path to permanent residency for all 13 countries beneficiaries of TPS, DACA and DED.

September 9th, is the day when more than 190 thousand TPS beneficiaries from El Salvador would have lost protection against deportation, forced to face family separation and forcefully be uprooted from communities in which they have deep ties. They would have seen the cancellation of their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) if not for the Ramos vs Nielsen lawsuit. To place an urgent call to action to Congress, several families,TPS, DED and DACA beneficiaries along with community based organizations, planned two days of action to tell Congress that time is running out! TPS, DACA and DED beneficiaries are facing daily challenges related to being in legal limbo due to the cancellation of the programs and the inconsistencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issuing the Federal Register Notices. These highly vetted individuals with U.S. born children, deserve immediate protection from deportation and an opportunity to apply for permanent residency now!

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled to overturn a lower court’s injunction of the Trump administration’s “Migrant Protection Protocol” policy also known as MPP or “Remain in Mexico.” Due to this ruling, immigration officials can keep sending asylum seekers back to Mexico, where they will be forced to wait as their immigration court proceedings move forward.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Center for Gender & Refugee Studies filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration’s new policy forcing asylum seekers to return to Mexico and remain there while their cases are considered.

In a partnership with the Northern California TPS Coalition, the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, and CARECEN SF, a large group of TPS beneficiaries and immigrant advocates headed to Washington, DC to lobby lawmakers and advocate for the protection of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) February 10-13th. Also joining the delegation were members of African Advocacy Network, SF Living Wage Coalition, We Rise SF. They met up with over 3,000 migrant activists, who came from across the country to walks the halls of Congress and march for immigrant rights in Washington, DC.

Read our full press release, watch and read media coverage of our press conference here.

San Francisco, CA – January 31, 2019 – CARECEN SF proudly takes the lead in organizing a 26-
person delegation traveling to Washington, D.C. from Feb. 10-13th to lobby lawmakers for the
protection of TPS (Temporary Protected Status). The delegation is also led by East Bay Sanctuary
Covenant with African Advocacy Network, SF Living Wage Coalition, We Rise SF and the NorCal
Save TPS Coalition joining the effort. All organizations are active in the fight towards immigrant
rights and will meet up with over 2,000 other members of the #SaveTPS movement for D.C.
Lobbying Day led by the National TPS Alliance.

San Francisco, CA – December 3, 2018 – CARECEN SF, the Bay Area nonprofit organization that has been empowering and responding to the needs, rights and aspirations of immigrants in the Bay Area for over 32 years, is answering the call to help Central American migrants at the U.S./Mexico border due to the massive exodus coming from that region. On December 10, CARECEN SF will be sending a small team of lawyers to meet with Central American refugees to provide much needed immigration legal assistance and guidance. CARECEN SF will be hosted by two organizations that are already working on the ground, Al Otro Lado and Pueblo Sin Fronteras.

U.S./Mexico Border – Sunday, November 25, 2018 – “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The images of children, women and individuals choking in tear and pepper gas are terribly painful. The overt show of state-sponsored violence and use of intimidation is a new low for the U.S. government and one that is ultimately financed by tax payer’s money.

We call on our allies and people in the United States to take action by calling your local representatives and express their outrage about the use of U.S. tax dollars to finance human rights violations, and repress peaceful migrants to deter them from accessing that which the current legal system already affords them — the right to ask for protection, to seek asylum.

CARECEN SF proudly supports the ruling by US District Judge Edward Chen of granting a preliminary injunction towards stopping the White House and the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate the Temporary Protection Status known as TPS. This decision will immediately affect hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Sudan, El Salvador, Haiti and Nicaragua. The ruling states that the TPS program must be maintained while a lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to eliminate the program continues.

The Damage is Done! And the only acceptable action to mitigate the torture and suffering of more than 2,000 children and families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Trump administration is for them to be immediately released from detention centers, reunited and granted legal permanent residency.

CARECEN SF stands in solidarity with the parents and children surviving the torture of family separation through the “zero tolerance” policy put in place by the Trump Administration, which criminalizes families seeking safety in the U.S. CARECEN SF calls for an end to such racist, hateful policies and encourages respect for the sacredness of families and those seeking asylum.

The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 195,000 Salvadorans is consistent with its racist and anti-immigrant agenda and is a continuation of the political violence and psychological torture against the immigrant community.

TPS beneficiaries not only contribute their hard labor, cultural and social assets to this nation, but they have raised families, started businesses and participate in all sectors of our national economy.

Legendary folk singer and activist, Joan Baez, who has marched with Martin Luther King, Jr., stood alongside Nelson Mandela and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame has chosen to partner with CARECEN SF in support of Bay Area Dreamers and migrant community by making a personal donation of the proceeds from her first ever art show, Mischief Makers, which displayed at the Seager/Gray Gallery in Marin County this past September 2017. All of the paintings in the exhibit immediately sold, and CARECEN SF was personally chosen by Baez as the beneficiary of a portion of the proceeds.

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) announcement that it will cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 2,500 Nicaraguans who have legally lived and worked in the United States for decades is a shameful decision that ignores their many long-term contributions to this country. The ambivalence on the fate of Honduran TPS holders unnecessarily continues to place 57,000 people and their families in a cruel limbo – one that could end in family separation, and their forced return to countries in a region profoundly impacted by violence and poverty.

The Northern California Rapid Response Network (NCRRN) is aware of an increase in immigration enforcement actions throughout the region. This includes an increase in reports of arrests in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as surrounding regions, including at least 167 arrests in Los Angeles. NCRRN is continuing to gather information and reports from local rapid response networks. These large scale enforcement actions are the latest example of a policy of terror separating families and fostering fear and mistrust in the social fabric of our communities. The NCRRN in partnership with local rapid response networks asks that affected families reach out to local hotlines to report enforcement actions and obtain assistance. It is important to stand together and coordinate a united response to actions that are meant to inflict fear in our communities in general and sanctuary cities in particular.

On September 5, 2017 President Trump announced the “phasing out” of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Here are “Five Key Points” that are important to know about the announcement. We recommend that you get an immigration consultation from a non-profit community agency and/or an immigration attorney to determine how this announcement may affect your immigration case. Please be aware of unscrupulous legal advisors when reviewing your immigration options.

Today Donald Trump and his administration announced the “phasing out” of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, giving Congress six months to potentially legislate on protections for 800,000 current beneficiaries.

Dreamers are integral members of our society, as are ALL youth –ultimately the future leaders and labor force of not only this country, but of the globe. DACA beneficiaries represent some of this nation’s greatest assets, uniquely bi-cultural, bi-lingual and transnational members of our society. Raised in the U.S., educated in our schools, children and youth from our blocks, neighborhoods and cities. They have done more than their part by contributing actively to the social, cultural, civic and economic landscape of this nation, same as their families, same as the 11+ million immigrants conveniently exploited, eternally excluded and violated, solely to protect the interests of a “few” committed to perpetuating racist and oppressive social, political and economic structures of power. These systems and economic models make this nation one of the richest, but also one of the most undereducated, unhealthy, violent, racist, unequal and divided “developed” nations in the world –The system is broken, and we have been, are and will continue advancing a vision to fix it.