Cleveland Heights – Lynn Tramonte, Director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, issued this statement.
With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ victory, our nation can start down the road to recovery and building unity.
The way President Trump behaved these past few days, weeks, and years has only further polarized our communities. His goal is to turn us against each other, but the fact is, we are far more alike than our differences.
I’m not saying it will be easy, or that it will happen overnight. But the healing has to begin.
Over these past four years I have had the great honor of getting to know many Ohio immigrants and refugees who love this country, however imperfect, and are striving to make it their permanent home.
Sadly, our relationships began in the darkest of hours–their months in detention and fighting deportation. Some won their battles and remain here today. Many others were cruelly and callously deported. They have hopes and dreams of returning to their homes, lives, jobs, and families in the United States one day.
Today, we draw attention to the need to reunite families torn apart by deportation. There are policy changes that a Biden-Harris administration can make to facilitate this, even though Congress must also do its job and pass broad immigration reform.
Allowing aspiring Americans who were deported to return to the U.S. is part of the healing we need as a nation. Let’s welcome them home.
Read more about the administrative policy changes needed to facilitate return after deportation here: http://bit.ly/ReunitePolicy. Sign a petition to the Biden-Harris administration to #ReuniteUS here: https://bit.ly/BidenReuniteUS
Follow the Ohio Immigrant Alliance on Twitter @tramontela
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