African Communities Together (ACT) condemns the recent expansion of the visa bond policy. Earlier this month, the State Department added Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, and Tanzania to the list of countries whose citizens are required to post a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 as a condition for entry into the U.S.

African Communities Together (ACT) opposes the recently reintroduced Dignity Act (H.R. 4393) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite recent revisions, the bill remains deeply flawed and poses serious risks to immigrant communities across the country.

The Dignity Act undermines protections and opportunities for immigrants in several critical ways:

NEW YORK, N.Y. After over a year of legal battles, proponents of the City Council’s CityFHEPS expansion laws may finally get a moment of relief. An appellate division of the Supreme Court of New York issued a decision yesterday ruling that the expansion laws were within the City Council’s power, rejecting Mayor Adams’ argument that such laws are supposed to be legislated at the state level.

African Communities Together strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s cruel revival of the travel ban, which targets majority-Muslim, Black, and Asian countries. This policy, a revival of the devastating 2017 ban, blocks people from 12 countries from entering the United States and imposes restrictions on 7 more—cementing a legacy of xenophobia and racism against Black and Brown communities.

We are deeply concerned by the government’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon, despite the ongoing armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in Cameroon that has made it unlivable for so many citizens. This action will strip many members of our community of a critical, life-saving protection that has allowed them to work and live in the United States without fear. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday, April 5, 2025, the State Department announced that effective immediately they will begin revoking previously issued visas and stop issuing new visas for South Sudanese passport holders. This move will have sweeping and detrimental consequences on our communities across the United States, including students, families, and workers.

On Day One of his second term, President Trump signed a number of executive orders aimed at resurrecting the xenophobic rhetoric and policies our communities have fought so hard to eliminate—policies that unabashedly and indiscriminately strip working people, immigrants, and communities of color of the safety and prosperity this country has promised for generations.

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- This morning, during the Senate Judiciary hearing, we heard a brave testimony from Sierra Leonean DACA recipient Foday Turay, an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, who came to the U.S. when he was just 7 years old. Coming from a mixed-status family, Foday shared how his family’s life would be rocked if he were deported, including being unable to care for his disabled mother-in-law. “I feel the consequences of mass deportation on a personal level, on a community level, and on a societal level,” he said.

OUR WORK DOES NOT BEGIN OR END AT THE BALLOT BOX 

November 8, 2024