Around 500 activists from nearly 100 organizations from the US and other countries that advance the rights of migrants and people gathered under the theme “Migrants build strength and hope! Resist fascist attacks, exploitation, and oppression! End Forced Migration!” to support the Defend Migrants Political Conference and Mobilization held on August 30 to 31 in Portland, Oregon. The International Migrants Alliance-US (IMA-US) and Tanggol Migrante Movement (TMM) led the activity.

The activity aimed to strengthen and solidify the unity of communities in the US and to consolidate the people’s movement to defend migrants from fascist attacks.

Participants discussed the impact of the Trump regime’s anti-migrant policies on migrant communities in the US and worldwide and condemned migrants’ home governments for neglecting their citizens. They also shared lessons from campaigns launched to defend migrants against detention and deportation.

On the final day of the conference, the Defend Migrants Alliance was established to build unity and alliances among various migrant organizations in the US. The alliance called on the US government and their respective home governments to address the roots of forced migration.

On Labor Day in the US on September 1, IMA spearheaded a mobilization outside the NorthWest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, together with TMM, La Resistencia, and other people’s organizations to demand an end to inhumane treatment of detainees in ICE facilities, the persecution of migrants, and unjust deportations. Activist participants in the conference were among the up to 850 who joined the mobilization.