Chicago Fil-Am lawyers join sister groups against Trump order

FALA CHICAGO

CHICAGO – Another Filipino American lawyers’ organization has denounced President Donald Trump’s executive order barring travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries and suspending the resettlement of refugees, including an indefinite ban on all refugees from Syria.

The Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago (FALA Chicago) joined the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) and its sister organizations in

condemning the executive order Trump signed on Jan. 27.

“FALA Chicago recognizes that national security and public safety are critical for all Americans,” said the group’s press statement. “However, President Trump’s Executive Order condones xenophobia and discriminatory lawmaking.”

FALA President Lesley Arca, stated, “As Asian Americans, we know all too well the negative impact of laws targeting and restricting immigration from specific countries. In 1882, the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act arose from prevailing racial prejudice and fear of economic competition from Chinese immigrants. Eventually the Immigration Act of 1924 outright banned immigration from several Arab and Asian countries, including the Philippines.”

Arca stated further: “The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 stripped Filipinos of their status as American nationals and reclassified them as aliens. What history has shown is that these laws arise from and promote unwarranted fear against those who do not share the same race, religion, or country of origin as us. What history has also shown is that the U.S. government has acknowledged that these laws were mistakes and have issued official apologies for them.”

Noting that the recent Executive Order has caused incredible hardship and disruption to families, businesses and schools across the country, FALA Chicago expressed dismay “that President Trump would promulgate such ill-judged measures without sufficient due diligence, including using interagency processes allowing key parties such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Council to review the Executive Order. In particular, FALA Chicago condemns the vagueness of the Executive Order, which has resulted in the detention of lawful U.S. permanent residents.”

FALA Chicago also vowed to continue to provide the wider community with updates on this matter, including addressing rumors, yet unproven, that the Executive Order will expand to the Philippines. It will also share resources on how members can become involved in specific initiatives to address the impact of President Trump’s recent Executive Order.

“For starters, we encourage attorneys to take part in NFALA’s Call to Action, referenced below. Additionally, we join our fellow bar associations in support of the Chicago-based Muslim and Arab American organizations who will be delivering a response to the Executive Order during the February 6 press conference at the Chicago Bar Association, also attached below.

Should you have any questions, contact [email protected].

NFALA’s CALL TO ACTION:

1. Take NFALA’s Unity Pledge! #MAGKAISA

Pledge to contact your local, state and/or national representative to oppose President

Trump’s January 27, 2017 Executive Order.  You can find your representatives here:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

https://www.senate.gov/

https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Once you have done so, copy and paste the NFALA Unity Pledge below on social media and use the following hash tags: #NFALAunitypledge #MAGKAISA #[insert the word for “unite” in your native language].

 NFALA UNITY PLEDGE #MAGKAISA: I pledge to speak out and stand up against policies that promote hostility toward immigrants and refugees, and jeopardize the welfare of diverse communities of our nation. I will contact my local, state and/or national representatives to have my voice heard.

2. Help with Airport Triage!

If you are an attorney and/or translator/interpreter (i.e., Somali, Kurdish, Arabic & Farsi), NFALA encourages you to assist with ongoing Airport Triage provided by the Urban Justice Center International Refugee Assistant Project.  You can register here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScU15uSaSkA61YrGmXfplfOu2UwlcwIyEJXPuyON6SCE6YlAw/viewform

3. Immigration Attorneys Wanted!

If you are a Filipino American immigration attorney and can lend your expertise, please provide NFALA your name, email address, telephone number, and jurisdiction for inclusion in NFALA’s attorney referral directory for potential clients seeking legal representation.  You can submit your contact information here:

https://goo.gl/forms/SPZxjkwlAwQWlO482