Thread by @RAICESTEXAS

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we honor the lives lost in the attack, but we also acknowledge the thousands of lives, especially immigrants, who have been affected since.

In addition to the nearly 3,000 people who died on Sept. 11, approximately 801,000 people have been killed directly in the violence of the subsequent wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere.

In the US, the violent backlash against anyone perceived as Muslim —whether actually Muslim, Sikh, South Asian, or Arab —has driven not only a string of attacks against these communities, but also paved way for the deplorable Muslim ban enacted in 2017.

There have been more than 800 incidents since 9/11 involving violence and threats against Arab-Americans, Muslims, Sikhs, and South Asian Communities. According to the FBI, the rate of anti-Muslim hate crimes is about five times higher today than before 2001.

Countless children have been bullied in schools for their appearance, or faith post 9/11. Innocent people have become targets of senseless violence and numerous lives have been lost.

Some of these tragic incidents can be traced to the vitriol emanating from hate groups, but it would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge how 9/11 fueled ignorance and bigotry towards Muslims in many Americans as well.

Political and social reactions to 9/11 not only heightened violence and changed attitudes towards muslims, Arabs and South-Asian Americans, but it also created a systematic shift that reshaped our entire immigration system.

After 9/11, the government formed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “protect us” from terrorism, but the truth of the matter is DHS has been weaponized against immigrants.

DHS has been responsible for separating families, denying asylum, and locking up thousands in squalid conditions – even during a global pandemic. This includes ICE, a subsection of DHS created under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 following the events of 9/11.

We explored the formation of DHS post 9/11 on the podcast #HomelandInsecurity, where @ErikaAndiola explains how DHS took the rights of immigrants away and created a system that exploits immigrants, while ICE continues to terrorize our neighborhoods. homelandinsecuritypodcast.com

“It wasn’t just the actual policies & the funding and creation of these agencies, it was also how the framing of immigration started changing. The entire narrative became that we were the threat — we were the actual enemy of the nation.” - @ErikaAndiola theintercept.com/2021/09/10/imm…

On the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, which coincides with the end of the war in Afghanistan, we must learn from the past. Communities have experienced layers of trauma & bias, immigrants have been treated as second-class citizens, and asylum-seekers have been uniformly turned away.

This didn’t come out of nowhere. We must learn from the past to create a better future. We have an opportunity and an obligation to aid the Afghan refugees whose lives have been a mixture of tragedy & loss, propelled by the wars launched by the US in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

We can all take steps to rectify this harm. One way is by telling the Biden administration to #ProtectAfghanRefugees by expanding asylum eligibility for Afghan refugees and halting deportations to Afghanistan raicestexas.org/2021/08/18/afg…

Or if you have the means to give, we have partnered with the @safoodbank for our Refugee Resettlement in-kind needs. The food bank will be receiving, storing, and distributing in-kind goods in San Antonio for our Afghan clients. Please help if you can 👇
safoodbank.org

And finally - we should get rid of dangerous, rogue agencies that have been terrorizing and targeting protestors, Black, Muslim and undocumented communities and #AbolishICE & DHS once & for all.