TIRRC 2024 End of the Year Letter

Building power for the fight ahead.

We know that by coming together as a community to discuss the issues facing our families and develop strategies for winning campaigns, we build critical power for our movement and lay the foundation for transformative change in Tennessee. 

That’s why, last Saturday, around 100 TIRRC members from across the state joined us at our home office in Nashville for a day of building community, reflecting on the past year, and preparing for critical elections and campaigns in 2024. Our members cast powerful visions of what we’ll achieve together this year, from strategizing for election season to protecting our communities from SB2576, making clear they have powerful plans to build a Tennessee where all can belong and thrive.

Photos by Maria Urias

Will you help put our plans into action by making a donation today? Your contribution will help fuel our movement to create a state that values everyone, no matter who we are or where we come from.

This past Saturday was a powerful day for immigrants and refugees statewide—now, we know that it’s time to keep the momentum going into the rest of 2024. We are so grateful to all our members who traveled near and far to Nashville to build power and lay the foundation for critical campaigns that will deliver meaningful change for our communities.

Photos by Maria Urias

Now, let's get to work. 💪

Our climate, our future.

Whether we are Black or white, Latino or Asian, Native or newcomer, we all want our families to have the freedom to drink clean water, breathe safe air, and live in healthy communities. For too long, fossil fuel CEOs and the politicians they pay for have spread lies about the possibility for change and polluted our surroundings, targeting the communities they think can’t fight back. And when climate disasters hit our communities, they leave us behind instead of helping our neighborhoods get back on our feet.

For example, cities nationwide are experiencing an “oven effect,” where a lack of trees and shade in environments that heavily use concrete creates a rapid rise in heat. In Nashville, there is a 12.4°F difference in temperature between the hottest and coolest areas, correlating with the amount of trees and green space in the environment. Black and brown families are far more likely to live around a lot of concrete structures in the US, with very little shade from trees to help cool down temperatures. This isn’t an accident. Historically, our governments have refused to care for immigrant neighborhoods and make improvements that would protect us from the effects of extreme heat and give our families safe, clean outdoor spaces to enjoy.

But the communities who’ve been hit hardest are the ones leading the way to hold our governments accountable, protect our health, and win meaningful protections and equitable recovery from the climate catastrophe the wealthy few have created.

When a tornado struck a dominantly Latinx neighborhood in Madison last December, our organizers and members sprung into action to connect those affected to resources and information in their native language, ensure they knew their rights with landlords and government services, and engage them in our climate justice campaign. Because it's not enough to just get back on our feet, we need policy changes and long-term investments that protect immigrant workers from extreme heat on the job, warn immigrant families of severe weather in multiple languages, and equitably fund the recovery and development of immigrant communities.

And this Earth Day, you can join us to demand our leaders ensure everyone’s freedom to breathe easier, no exceptions.

• If you are a Spanish-speaking immigrant community member who has been affected by a climate disaster, fill out our survey.

• Commit to our climate campaign by adding your name here.

• Donate to fuel our climate justice organizing campaign.

By unleashing our power in our communities, workplaces, and polling booths, we will ensure our governments pass equitable climate policies, giving us the freedom to thrive and repairing and reviving the places we call home.

The power of our movement on full display.

Last night, the power of our movement was on full display as over 500 Tennesseans marched to the Capitol to stand against anti-immigrant attacks coming from the Tennessee General Assembly.  From dropping off personal letters to Governor Lee of how anti-immigrant bills would affect their families to chanting in the streets, our members sent a powerful message: Tennessee is our home.

Time and time again, we have seen that when we come together, we build power: in the streets, at the ballot box, and in the legislature. That's why we need you to join us to build a state where everyone can thrive and live with dignity, and we have multiple opportunities for you to join our movement.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED WITH TIRRC:

• Sign up to volunteer! 
  Our volunteers are crucial to the success of our work, whether for English and Naturalization Classes, Deep Canvassing, or events.  Click here to sign up on our volunteer interest form.

• Apply to work with us at TIRRC!
  This year our work is expanding, and so is our team. Check out our website to learn more about our job opportunities and apply! 

• If you’re a first or second-generation immigrant or refugee, sign up for our annual Membership Convention!
  Every year, immigrants and refugees from across the state come together for our annual membership convention to celebrate our victories and strategize for the year to come. Don’t miss out, and click the link here to sign up!

• Chip in and fuel our mission!
  Every donation counts towards making our vision of a Tennessee where everyone can thrive a reality. No matter where you are, you can chip in and make a difference in our movement. Click here to donate—we couldn’t do this work successfully without your support.

Yesterday, we showed up and out and made sure our voices were heard. With your support, we will continue to build a Tennessee where everyone has the freedom to thrive—today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.

When we come together, we build power.

On Tuesday, we stepped into our power, we claimed our space, and made our voices heard. More than 150 Tennesseans representing over 20 countries took to the state capitol to send a powerful message: We are Tennesseans too.

Photos by Maria Urias

Our annual Day on the Hill came as the legislature debates a slate of anti-immigrant bills, such as HB2124/SB2576, which mimics the demands of federal 287(g) agreements throughout the state, and HB2078/SB2078, a bill criminalizing the transportation of undocumented immigrants. But, even in the face of these attacks, we know that no matter where we’re from or how we got here, we all have a stake in the future of our state and can play a powerful role in contributing to a future of shared prosperity.

Photos by Maria Urias

During our Day on the Hill, community members received advocacy and communications training, including how to meet and share their story with lawmakers to encourage them to support immigrant Tennesseans and oppose harmful bills. Following a powerful rally, attendees met with Tennessee legislators and attended hearings to oppose hateful and extremist bills that work against our communities, and to show unequivocal support for legislation that guarantees all of our right to thrive and live with dignity.

Photos by: Maria Urias

Time and time again, we have seen the power of fellow immigrants and refugees coming together to fight for our rights, and Tuesday was another reminder of that—we are so grateful for everyone who joined us to make this day on the hill such a success. 

Sharing our stories is the most powerful tool we have, so we’ll keep showing up and protecting our freedoms—at the legislature, in our communities, and in the streets. However, we need you to help us keep the momentum going toward creating a Tennessee that works for all of us. We deserve a legislature that will work to provide real solutions for our families to ensure we all have the freedom to thrive.

Immigration is a Black Issue.

As we reflect on Black History Month, we’re struck by the resiliency and growing power of Black communities across the country. In a world that is forever changing, Black folks across the diaspora and in Tennessee continue to find ways to be resourceful and survive, even in the face of a government that often doesn't have our backs. And while we celebrate the ingenuity of Black communities and the history of freedom struggles in the United States, we must also call out the ways that our laws, systems, and structural injustices–and the powerful people behind them–continue to harm Black communities.

Our current immigration system disproportionately affects Black immigrants and refugees at every turn. Black immigrants make up only 7% of non-citizens in the country, but over 20% of people facing deportation are Black, in no small part due to the surveillance, over-policing, and police brutality aimed at Black bodies in this country. Black immigrants also face significantly longer detention times and are placed in solitary confinement six times as often as the detained population overall. Furthermore, Black immigrants are denied citizenship more often than any other racial and ethnic group . It is more important than ever for us to take action and advocate for the rights of immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants, to build a world where everyone is free and safe regardless of color, gender, ability, immigration status, or income. 

But it's not just the existing system. From state legislatures across the country all the way to Congress and the White House, power-hungry politicians are using our communities as bargaining chips, putting politics above humanity, and trying to divide us by the language we speak, the color of our skin, or where we are from.

For example, the Biden administration recently released a statement presenting their vision for a Bipartisan Border security bill. His “vision?” Cutting our existing legal immigration pathways, expanding the use of expedited removal in the interior, and creating a ban on majority Latinx and Black asylum seekers. This so-called plan would exacerbate chaos at the border, leaving thousands to face incomprehensible danger. 

In our own state legislature this year, we are fighting a number of bills attacking our communities, including legislation that requires local governments to collaborate with ICE to detain and separate families. These policies would increase instances of racial profiling and discrimination, increasing harm to our Black immigrant neighbors and expanding the criminal immigration system. 

No matter our color, gender, or our immigration status–we all deserve the freedom to live, work, and raise our families without fear. Now is the time to join together to demand fair and safe immigration processes for all families. Together, we can call on our leaders stop pushing harmful and ineffective policies and instead envision an immigration system built from a place of welcome, one that includes updated pathways to access citizenship and border policies that meet the incredible opportunity at our fingertips, to welcome the newest Americans to our country with dignity.

Blog Post Title One

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.