Belonging is Stronger Than Fear

Dear friends,

For decades, Lincoln has been a welcoming community for immigrants and refugees. The Asian Center has been leading in this space for over 30 years. Today, our immigrant neighbors are scared. Thousands across the country have lost their documentation status due to arbitrary federal actions – including individuals who helped the U.S. government in Afghanistan and will be hunted if they return there, and Ukrainian families fleeing attacks on their cities and homes.

While our team at the Asian Center has no power to counter these federal orders, we continue to stand with immigrant neighbors whose lives are upended and futures uncertain.

A family of five from Ukraine living in Lincoln was urgently trying to find a legal path to stay in the states, knowing that an end to their parole status was fast approaching. Desperate to keep their children safe from returning to their beloved war-torn country, the family made the heart-wrenching decision to leave the U.S. before their status could be taken away and lead to detention and separation in an ICE facility.

Now, Nebraska’s governor intends to host an ICE detention center in our state. It goes without saying that all criminals, including those who are immigrants, should be held to account through legal processes. But we know that many people who have been taken from their jobs and families and imprisoned in ICE facilities have no criminal record.

Immigrant community members contribute $1.3 billion in state and local taxes every year. They are a vital part of our economy and our community. Our immigrant neighbors work hard to provide for their families. They open businesses and employ workers. They dream of education and success for their children. They make our community a stronger and more vibrant place to call home.

Every day, Asian Center advocates meet with immigrant parents searching for a way to prevent losing their documentation status, so that their children are not uprooted again. We help immigrant elders who have been scammed by opportunists posing as federal authorities and threatening them with deportation. We support immigrant mothers who need to escape abuse. We work with partners with legal expertise and domestic violence experts to ensure families in peril have the support they need. While our immigrant neighbors are scared, we stand with them and offer help, reminding them that they belong.

Together, we affirm this simple truth: immigrants and refugees belong here. Our community is stronger when every neighbor can live without fear, raise their children in safety, and share their talents and culture freely. We will not stop working toward that future.

With hope,

Sheila Dorsey Vinton

Executive Director and CEO

#TogetherWeThrive