Every nonprofit has a stake in how our nation deals with immigrants, including “unauthorized” or “undocumented” immigrants. As an issue, immigration is ubiquitous. President Obama promised comprehensive immigration reform in the wake of the collapse of legislation in 2007—and recently announced that the administration couldn’t get to this until 2010. In health care reform, economic stimulus, and the federal budget, there are lots of provisions expanding and restricting what immigrants might get as services and representation—all affecting what we as nonprofits can and should do for our immigrant population. The Summer 2009 issue of Nonprofit Quarterly includes articles taking apart and restitching the picture of nonprofits and their service, program, and advocacy relationships with immigrant populations. We add to those articles with this continuing discussion on the Nonprofit Quarterly website. What should the nonprofit sector as a whole, not just “immigrant organizations,” do to protect the rights and respond to the needs of immigrants from every continent? We might all remember that immigrants aren’t some “other” “particular” population. For more than 98% of us, we’re immigrants or the children, grandchildren, or descendants of immigrants. We all have a stake in this issue.
Sign up for our free newsletters
Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.