GCIR envisions a society in which everyone thrives no matter where they are born. Through our work with foundations across the country, we mobilize philanthropic resources to promote the protection, wellbeing, and inclusion of immigrant and refugee communities within our multiracial democracy. Our 2025 Public Policy agenda is informed by the tireless work of immigrant justice advocates across the country, and we encourage funders to resource the movement organizations and campaigns leading these efforts.
Policy Pillar I
In order promote the protection and safety of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, we:
- Oppose policies that narrow legal pathways for entering the United States, including, but not limited to: the right to seek asylum, visas for those that were victims of trafficking or crimes (T and U Visas), family reunification, humanitarian parole, and refugee resettlement.
- Oppose excessive policing and surveillance, as well as the indiscriminate detention and deportation of immigrants, and instead supports pathways to citizenship for individuals who are undocumented, stateless, and/or hold temporary and precarious statuses such as DACA, TPS, DALE, and humanitarian parole.
- Oppose unnecessary local and state government cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, including via data sharing, 287(g) agreements, and detainer requests.
Policy Pillar II
In order to advance the health and well-being of immigrants and refugees, we:
- Support reforms that facilitate access to federal health programs care, such as: the elimination of the 5-year bar, the expansion of the Affordable Care Act marketplace to DACA holders, and state-level expansions of Medicaid and CHIP programs to include individuals regardless of citizenship status.
- Support health and safety labor regulations and enforcement actions that protect workers’ rights and health, including appropriate safeguards in hazardous occupations and weather conditions; the right to organize and unionize; freedom from sexual harassment, violence, or intimidation; and employer penalties for wage theft and false imprisonment.
Policy Pillar III
In order to foster a sense of belonging and facilitate the full representation and participation of immigrants and refugees in society, we:
- Support state-level reforms that promote equitable opportunities for all residents, including, but not limited to: drivers licenses and identification documents, in-state tuition rates, municipal voting expansions, professional licensure policies, and legal representation programs.
- Oppose policies that seek to alienate or reduce representation of immigrant communities, such as proposals to add a citizenship question to the census, eliminate birthright citizenship, or adopt exclusionary apportionment practices.
- Oppose any attempts to restrict access to public education for children, regardless of citizenship status, and efforts to undermine the public education system at large.
Policy Pillar IV
In order to embrace and strengthen our multiracial democracy, we:
- Reject authoritarian and fascist policies that erode transparency, fairness, and inclusion within democratic systems of governance, including attempts to restrict free speech of the nonprofit sector.
- Support policies that actively confront anti-blackness and promote racial, economic, gender, reproductive, LGBTQ+, and disability justice, along with efforts to address common needs across communities, including justice system reform and access to quality housing, food, and transportation options.
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Last Updated 1.8.25