Community Defense

Under the current Administration, immigrant and refugee families are under attack. In the Southeast Asian Community, families are being separated. In Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, community members still don’t understand how this issue affects our community. Directly impacted community members are still living in fear. The AST Community Defense track will 1) fight back the narrative around good vs. bad immigrant through the community through Know Your Right Teach outs, 2) work to build a safe city for everyone in coalition with other immigrant bases organizations by building out a vision for what it means for Philly to be a sanctuary city during KYR Teach-Outs. and 3) fight to keep our community together through organizing a rally at the end of the summer.

Our Accomplishments

In the spring of 2021, our youth on the Community Defense team worked towards the release of one of our community members from ICE Detention after being detained for over a year. The team created and signed petitions, called and emailed targets, shared a toolkit for others to contribute to the work, and held a spotlight event to educate and share more about the case. After a few weeks of hard work our community member was released from ICE Detention and was able to reunite with his family back home in Philadelphia! This wouldn't have happened without the immense support and love received from the community!

To learn more about Saroun Khan’s story, click on the link below

https://www.inquirer.com/news/ice-deportation-refugees-vietnam-cambodia-saroun-khan-20210430.html

 
 
 

More Accomplishments

  • Build and become part of networks of organizations

  • Complete in-depth interviews for a yet-to-be-released report on the impact of deportation on Viet deportees once they’ve reached Vietnam

  • Completed a series of Know Your Rights and Accompaniment Trainings for the Cambodian, Viet, and Indonesian communities

  • Visited a number of our State Electeds to get them to support Pardons for Immigrants/Refugees with past criminal convictions 

  • Met with the Secretary of the Pardons Commission, Brandon Flood