This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the wars fueled by US imperialism. It also marks the start of a failed resettlement process that placed refugees in under-resourced and over-policed neighborhoods, feeding generations into the school to prison to deportation pipeline. During a milestone year for our communities to honor those we lost and celebrate our resiliency, we find history repeating itself. Our people are being disappeared while driving to work, taking their kids to school, or attending temple. These assaults on our communities echo broader political repression, including the targeting of student activists like Mahmoud Khalil, and mirror global injustices from Palestine to Congo to Sudan.
And still, we resist.
PrYSM has been providing deportation defense for Southeast Asian families through mutual aid, legal support, community organizing, and direct action. This includes covering legal fees, connecting impacted members with trusted attorneys and advocates, and building power through art, protest, and popular education.
To continue and expand this work, we are launching the Southeast Asian Defense Fund, a community resource to meet the immediate and long-term needs of those facing detention, deportation, and forced separation. Every dollar raised helps us protect our people, fight back against injustice, and support healing for families and communities harmed by these systems.
