This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. wars in Southeast Asia. Instead of commemoration and healing, Southeast Asian refugee communities face a new crisis: deportations without due process that recreate the trauma of displacement they survived decades ago.
AAPIP, New Breath Foundation, Freedom for Immigrants, Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE), Latino Community Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, Solidaire Action, Hispanics in Philanthropy, and Funders for Justice are calling on funders to act. Southeast Asian communities need legal support, family assistance, and resources to fight deportation. The organizations serving them remain severely underfunded.
Sign the open letter to demonstrate your commitment to supporting these communities.
Register for the November 5 funder briefing to hear directly from community leaders about where funding can make immediate impact.
What’s Happening Now
ICE is deporting Southeast Asian refugees to third countries in Africa and Latin America where they have never lived and have no connections. Others are sent to Southeast Asian countries they barely remember or that are foreign to them after decades in the U.S. The countries receiving them lack infrastructure and programs to help people rebuild their lives.
These communities carry deep wounds from war trauma and received inadequate support during their initial resettlement in America. Now they face family separation and displacement again.
“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. wars in Southeast Asia, making the current attacks on Southeast Asian refugees particularly heartbreaking. These communities carry deep wounds from war trauma and intergenerational trauma, compounded by decades of inadequate support during their initial resettlement in America. Now, they must relive the trauma of separation and displacement all over again.”
The Pattern Across Communities of Color
Southeast Asian refugees are part of a broader pattern of deportation policies devastating communities of color nationwide. ICE raids target immigrant communities in workplaces, houses of worship, and immigration hearings. The administration systematically targets Black migrants, revoking temporary or permanent residence statuses and forcing them back to countries experiencing dangerous unrest. Asian immigrants face raids in their shops, massage parlors, restaurants, and grocery stores.
While Asians comprise the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., media provides less reporting on the fear and trauma they experience. Southeast Asian communities have been particularly overlooked throughout American history and remain underfunded.
What Philanthropy Can Do
The coalition calls on philanthropy to:
Learn and acknowledge how current deportation policies devastate all communities of color.
Significantly increase support for Southeast Asian refugees. These communities need:
- Relief for those detained or at risk of deportation
- Access to legal support and resources
- Family assistance
Provide substantial funding for programs that Southeast Asian communities require to fight deportation and ensure dignified transitions for those who cannot escape it. View the list of organizations supporting this work.
Join the Funder Briefing
Protecting Southeast Asian Communities: Funder Briefing
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
12pm PT / 3pm ET
Hear directly from community organizations about what is happening in real-time and where your funding can make a difference.
Speakers:
- Connie Chung Joe, President and CEO, AAPIP
- Chhaya Choum, Executive Director, Southeast Asian Freedom Network
- Cat Bao Le, The Ba Lô Project
- Dr. Thao Ha, Collective Freedom
- Eddy Zheng, President & Founder, New Breath Foundation
- Rajasvini (Vini) Bhansali, Executive Director, Solidaire Network
- Moderated by Sophy Yem, Program Officer, Surdna Foundation
You’ll learn about real-time impacts on families, specific organizations where funding creates immediate impact, and how to build authentic partnerships with frontline organizations.
This briefing is part of AAPIP’s Rooted in Resilience learning series, which uplifts the often-overlooked impact of immigration enforcement on AANHPI families and communities.
Take Action Now
Community-based Southeast Asian organizations have been on the frontlines providing legal support, organizing for policy change, and helping families heal. They need resources to meet urgent needs and build long-term power.
Sign the open letter to join philanthropic leaders calling for increased support.
Register for the November 5 briefing to learn where and how to invest.
“The time for action is now. We cannot stand by as communities that have already endured so much face renewed trauma and abandonment. Join us in responding to this humanitarian crisis with the urgency and resources it demands.”
Full Letter Text
Dear Colleagues in Philanthropy,
ICE raids target immigrant communities across the United States, creating widespread fear and trauma. We stand in solidarity with LatinX communities facing mass raids in their workplaces, houses of worship, and immigration hearings. We also recognize that other communities of color experience the same terror and uncertainty as ICE targets them nationwide with similar devastating impacts.
The administration systematically targets Black migrants, revoking their temporary or permanent residence statuses and forcing them back to countries still experiencing dangerous unrest. Asian immigrants face raids in their shops, massage parlors, restaurants, and grocery stores. While Asians comprise the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., the media provides less reporting on the fear and trauma they experience.
A Painful Anniversary Deepens the Crisis
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. wars in Southeast Asia, making the current attacks on Southeast Asian refugees particularly heartbreaking. These communities carry deep wounds from war trauma and intergenerational trauma, compounded by decades of inadequate support during their initial resettlement in America. Now, they must relive the trauma of separation and displacement all over again.
This year, ICE has deported some Southeast Asian refugees without due process to third countries in Africa and Latin America—places they have never lived and have no connection to. Those sent to Southeast Asia more often don’t have support with starting a new life in a country and culture that is foreign to them, or they barely remember it. And the countries receiving them don’t have the infrastructure and programs to help them rebuild.
Our Call to Action
We urgently call on philanthropy to:
Learn and acknowledge how current deportation policies are senselessly devastating all communities of color.
Significantly increase support for Southeast Asian refugees whom the U.S. has historically failed to adequately resettle and whom this country has consistently overlooked throughout American history. These communities desperately need:
-
- Relief for those detained or at risk of deportation
- Access to legal support and resources
- Family assistance
Provide substantial funding for programs that Southeast Asian communities require to fight deportation and, for those who cannot escape it, ensure they receive a dignified transition. Here is a list of organizations we know that are supporting this issue. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and we’ll continue to add to it.
The time for action is now. We cannot stand by as communities that have already endured so much face renewed trauma and abandonment. Join us in responding to this humanitarian crisis with the urgency and resources it demands.
Together, we can demonstrate what principled philanthropy looks like.