The Election is Over… Now what?

BorderLinks celebrates with the majority of the country (and many, many international allies) the clear results of the 2020 election to end the disastrous reign of the current Administration. It is heartening and inspiring to witness the fruits of the hard work and organizing efforts of grassroots communities, unions, faith organizations, and BIPOC community members to ensure that as many voices as possible were heard, seen and most importantly, counted. There is much to celebrate: the first female and POC Vice-President, historic voter turnout, and the undeniable validation of the fact that BIPOC communities are the ones that ensured the defeat of one of the most destructive and cruel Administrations that has ever held power in the United States. The BorderLinks family is taking a moment to celebrate and bask in the glow of victory.

So, what next? Well, put simply: now we get back to work.

The heart of BorderLink’s work has always centered on affecting systemic change through education and holding space for directly affected communities. This work will be more important than ever as we see the potential opportunity to make real change if the new Administration makes good on its word to right some of the injustices that have been seen on the border for nearly four years. Border voices and stories must be amplified now more than ever. The work of undoing the harm that has been done must begin with the understanding of the root causes of migration, the history of systemic racism and white supremacy in our (im)migration system, and the need for all people of conscience to come together to demand systemic change.

This is the work of BorderLinks. Our staff continues to stand on the front line of fighting against the onslaught of racism, xenophobia, and general bigotry of the last four years. In the past two years alone, BorderLinks staff has educated at least a 1,000 people from across the country. Those people went on to organize and conduct countless community actions. The community organizers that have been trained by BorderLinks have been inspired to continue the fight in their own communities. This is how we create meaningful and systemic change.

So, with all of this in mind, BorderLinks encourages you to take some time to celebrate the historic moment in which we find ourselves. Practice self-care, breathe, and be gentle with yourself. And when you are ready, we invite you to stand up and join us in our continued fight for border justice.