FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-, October 6, 2025 —

CHICAGO, IL — Following President Trump’s announcement of a National Guard deployment to Chicago amid rising tensions between federal and local officials, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago issued the following statement.  

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago strongly condemns the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. The decision to invade our city violates the principles of local governance and is a gross overreach of the president’s authority. It is a blatant political power grab. This is not about keeping Chicago safe — it’s about silencing dissent and instilling fear. 

“Our neighborhoods are not battlegrounds,” said Grace Pai, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. “Deploying troops isn’t about protection—it’s about intimidation. As immigrant rights advocates, we refuse to be silenced.” 

Chicago’s Asian American communities in Uptown, Chinatown, and West Ridge are home to thousands of immigrant and mixed-status families who already face heightened risks due to the ramp-up in federal immigration enforcement. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in Chicago, now making up 7% of the city’s population, and about two-thirds are immigrants. Deploying armed troops into immigrant communities will deepen trauma, destabilize small businesses, and escalate the violence that federal agents have already instigated. 

“As rapid responders, we see that our neighbors are scared. Our team has seen a flood of requests to help provide support at school pick-ups and drop-offs and to monitor community events and celebrations,” said Ellen Zhou, community organizer and lead of the Uptown/Edgewater rapid response team. “Recent escalations in immigration enforcement have terrorized our neighbors and made people afraid to go about their daily lives. Deploying the National Guard will only create more panic and fear.” 

We urge all Chicagoans to stand with immigrant communities and reject the politics of fear. We applaud Governor Pritzker for suing the Trump Administration for federalizing the Illinois National Guard and we call on President Trump to withdraw this reckless deployment immediately. Chicago doesn’t need soldiers on its streets. We need federal resources for our schools, hospitals, and the critical violence intervention and social services that President Trump just cut. That is what will actually make our neighborhoods safer. 

Contact: Grace Pai, gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org 

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About Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and grassroots organizing to achieve racial equity. Our work centers immigrant justice, education equity, and community-led democracy. Learn more at www.advancingjustice-chicago.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–[CHICAGO, IL], JUNE 24, 2025 — Asian Americans Advancing Justice – the nation’s largest affiliation of independent Asian American civil rights organizations – strongly condemns the Supreme Court’s decision to stop the Massachusetts District Court’s order that was safeguarding immigrants from deportation to third-party countries without due process. This ruling empowers the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to unconstitutionally remove immigrants to third countries where they hold no nationality or prior personal ties – without notice or a meaningful opportunity to contest the removal orders. This will further expose immigrants to risks of persecution, torture, and death.    

These third-country removals are part of a cruel and calculated policy designed to bypass the refusal of countries of origin to accept deportees. Instead of receiving due process, these vulnerable immigrants are being sent to subhuman detention conditions near the Darien Gap, at Guantanamo Bay and the CECOT prison in El Salvador, and shipping containers on a military base in Djibouti. The actions by the President and DHS are about avoiding legal responsibility and usurping the rule of law. 

As Justice Sotomayor powerfully noted in her dissent in the Supreme Court’s decision, this ruling is an incomprehensible abuse of power and effectively “rewards lawlessness” by allowing the government to bypass legal safeguards designed to prevent torture and persecution.  The ruling undermines the fundamental principle that all people – regardless of immigration status or history – are entitled to due process and protection under the law. 

As organizations working closely with Asian Americans, we are acutely aware of the devastating legacy of exclusionary immigration policies. We stand in unwavering solidarity with all the vibrant immigrant communities affected by this ruling. This decision is not only indefensible; it is profoundly immoral. It erodes essential due process protections and consigns vulnerable human beings to inhumane, life-threatening conditions. 

We refuse to stand by as these life-threatening policies are quietly carried out. We call on members of Congress to hold DHS accountable and support efforts to defend against these heinous deportations, including those aiding Southeast Asian and other communities. 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of four leading Asian American civil rights organizations committed to advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and building a more just society for all. The independent organizations are in Atlanta, Chicago, Southern California, and Washington, D.C. 

Contact:

Aleisha Flores, aflores@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Liana Liang, lliang@ajsocal.org
James Woo, media@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Grace Pai, gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org

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About Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and grassroots organizing to achieve racial equity. Our work centers immigrant justice, education equity, and community-led democracy. Learn more at www.advancingjustice-chicago.org

Press Statement
For Immediate Release
June 6, 2025

Contact:

Aleisha Flores, aflores@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Liana Liang, lliang@ajsocal.org
James Woo, media@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Grace Pai, gpai@advancingjustice-chicago.org

(CITY, ST) – Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a network of four independent Asian American civil rights organizations, strongly condemns the Trump administration’s latest travel ban targeting immigrants and travelers from 19 countries — most of which are African, Asian, and Muslim-majority nations. The ban, announced under the pretense of national security, represents a sweeping restriction affecting millions of potential travelers and separating countless families.

The travel ban will go into effect on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 12:01 am. It bars entry to the United States from twelve countries—including Afghanistan, Burma (also known as Myanmar), Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen—and imposes additional restrictions on nationals from seven other countries, including Laos. 

This policy is a dangerous revival of discriminatory bans that stigmatize entire nations and communities. It is especially outrageous that the list includes countries that are already affected by the refugee ban and cancellation of Temporary Protected Status and humanitarian parole. Trump’s new travel ban is the latest of several attempts to target our communities in his larger agenda to stigmatize and end immigration and refugee resettlement. These efforts echo and reinforce a long history of xenophobic exclusion, from the Chinese Exclusion Act to Japanese American incarceration. Our communities’ lives and freedoms are not political bargaining chips.

John C. Yang, President and Executive Director of Advancing Justice – AAJC said: “Just as we advocated against the 2017 Muslim Ban, Asian Americans Advancing Justice strongly condemns this discriminatory order. It’s a politically motivated attack on immigration and refugee resettlement, designed to stigmatize communities under false pretenses of ‘national security.'”

“Immigration is not a crime—it’s a human right. We have a moral and legal duty to protect families fleeing war, persecution, and violence, especially when U.S. foreign policy and military activity plays a driving role in their displacement.” Said Murtaza Khwaja, Executive Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta. “This ban doesn’t make us safer—it makes us smaller.”

“It is imperative to remember that travel bans and policies like this criminalize people – not countries or their leadership. This proclamation will not only tear families apart, it will also further isolate and endanger individuals fleeing violence and death.” Said Connie Chung Joe, Chief Executive Officer at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), “For decades, we have worked tirelessly to defend the right of all immigrants to seek safety and better lives in the United States. We will not be deterred.”

This executive action will once again tear families apart, deny educational and economic opportunities, foster a climate of suspicion and fear, and increase discrimination against communities of color. It grants immigration officials enormous discretion with little transparency or accountability, increasing the risk of profiling and unjust visa denials. The travel ban will increase complications for international travel at ports of entry and impact international travellers, regardless of whether individuals are citizens of the targeted countries or not.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice reaffirms its strong opposition to travel bans and all discriminatory immigration policies. Our affiliation remains committed to working in coalition with immigrant, refugee, and civil rights communities to resist xenophobic actions and demand inclusive and humane immigration practices. We call on Congress and the administration to immediately rescind this unjust travel ban and reaffirm our nation’s commitment to justice, equity, and human dignity.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of four leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice | AAJC (Washington, DC), Advancing Justice – SOCAL, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Advancing Justice – Chicago.

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About Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and grassroots organizing to achieve racial equity. Our work centers immigrant justice, education equity, and community-led democracy. Learn more at www.advancingjustice-chicago.org

Press Statement
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2025

Illinois Commits $2 Million to Inclusive History Education Following Community Advocacy

Funding secured after years of organizing to implement racial equity mandates in public schools

CHICAGO, IL – Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago celebrates a major victory in the FY26 Illinois state budget: the appropriation of $2 million for the implementation of inclusive K-12 history mandates. This funding will help ensure that all Illinois students see their communities reflected in the histories they learn in the classroom. Administered by the Illinois State Board of Education, these funds will support the expansion of access to professional development, culturally responsive curriculum, and instructional support for educators statewide.

Illinois has passed multiple inclusive history laws over the last five years, including mandates on Asian American, Native American, Muslim, and LGBTQ+ histories. However, many districts have struggled with implementation due to lack of resources.

“The hard part of passing bills isn’t just the advocacy to get it done – it’s in the implementation,” said Grace Pai, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago. “Many teachers were never taught Asian American or other marginalized histories themselves. This investment begins to close the gap and ensures students across the state receive an education that tells the full story of who we are.”

This win was the result of three years of persistent advocacy by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago after the passage of the Teaching Equitable Asian American History (TEAACH) Act in 2021. The $2 million appropriation is a step toward our long-term vision of an education system that equips every student to see themselves and their peers with dignity and understanding.

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About Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago builds power through collective advocacy and grassroots organizing to achieve racial equity. Our work centers immigrant justice, education equity, and community-led democracy. Learn more at www.advancingjustice-chicago.org

Press Statement
For Immediate Release
May 14th, 2025

 Asian Americans Advancing Justice Welcomes Rümeysa Öztürk’s Release and Urges Immediate Action for Mahmoud Khalil and all Detained Students

Asian Americans Advancing Justice is relieved by the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts University Ph.D. student whose six-week detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was ruled unjust by a federal judge on Friday.

Öztürk was detained without formal charges after co-writing an op-ed in her campus newspaper criticizing the university’s response to student activists’ demands related to Israel and Palestine. The administration revoked her visa with no transparent process or justification, and she faced deportation proceedings before being released more than 30 days later. Though her release is welcomed, this incident raises urgent concerns about the fragile state of our democracy and how the federal government is abusing its power to strip away lawful presence and civil liberties — especially for immigrants, students, and activists. 

Öztürk’s treatment is not just an isolated event – it is part of an alarming trend of attempts to suppress our voices, especially on college campuses, through immigration enforcement. It disproportionately affects Asian Americans and many other communities due to their immigration statuses. 

The detention of Öztürk and the targeting of other student activists such as Yunseo Chung sends a message to thousands: speaking up could cost you your home, your education, or your freedom.

While we celebrate Öztürk’s release, we remain deeply alarmed that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, remains in ICE detention. Khalil, a green card holder, was detained on March 8th after ICE agents informed him that his student visa had been revoked due to his participation in pro-Palestinian protests. His continued incarceration raises urgent questions about equal protection under the law, due process and the targeting of student activists—particularly those whose views are opposed to the administration.

Detaining students for exercising political expression raises significant Constitutional concerns and is a direct threat to our shared democratic values. We demand their immediate release and call for an end to the criminalization of peaceful protest, especially among international and immigrant students.

We urge lawmakers, institutions, and the broader public to stand with students facing similar threats to their freedom, and to remain vigilant in defending the rights of all students to speak out without fear of retaliation.

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Contact:

Aleisha Flores, aflores@advancingjustice-aajc.org

Liza Ameen, lameen@ajsocal.org

James Woo, media@advancingjustice-atlanta.org

Arjumand Khan, akhan@advancingjustice-chicago.org

About Asian Americans Advancing Justice

Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of four leading Asian American civil rights organizations committed to advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and building a more just society for all.