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Every day when Carmelita finishes her shift in the strawberry fields of California’s central coast, she sprays herself down with Lysol, takes off the handkerchief she uses to protect her face, and tucks it in a plastic bag before getting in her car. She’s the sole provider for her two young sons and can’t afford to miss a day on the job.

As we approach 2025, we at GCIR know that working together will be our greatest asset as we face impending challenges for immigrants and the immigrant justice movement. As we continue to mobilize funders into action, philanthropy must utilize its enormous power and privilege to stand with immigrant and refugee communities, one of the primary targets of the incoming administration. 

Today, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). While the decision was made on procedural grounds and not on the merits of the program, it nevertheless provides a reprieve for 650,000 immigrants and their families, including more than 250,000 U.S.-citizen children. 

In January 2019, I reflected on the extreme anti-immigrant policies that have come out of the White House over the past two years, the resulting human devastation, and the attacks that are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. I called on philanthropy to dream big and act with courage because we can only combat these injustices if we have a vision that surpasses the opposition’s in ambition and scope.

Somali Family Service of San Diego seeks to meet the urgent needs of refugee and immigrant families in San Diego impacted by COVID-19. The communities that we serve experience housing and food insecurity, are often from low-income households, and have difficulty navigating systems and resources due to cultural and language barriers. Therefore, they are hit particularly hard by the current crisis.