Southeast Immigrant Rights Network
The mission of the Southeast Immigrant Rights Network (SEIRN) is to lift up the voice and the leadership of immigrant communities of the Southeast at the regional and national levels. We promote collaboration and exchange between our members, as well as political education and collective action to build just and inclusive communities.
SEIRN envisions a shared struggle between the immigrant community and other marginalized communities to build a movement that transforms the Southeast into a place that respects the dignity and the human rights of all.
Our mission and vision
Our principles
We believe in the dignity and fundamental human rights of all people, regardless of immigration status, national origin, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, language, disability, political or social beliefs, economic status, or any other distinction.
We affirm that the struggle for immigrant rights in the South is part of the historical context and ongoing legacy of racism in this region. We honor the past struggles of African Americans and Native Americans which paved the way for us and join them and others in a shared struggle for justice and dignity for everyone.
We celebrate the richness and complexities of our communities and commit to creating a space where people’s full identities are embraced. We also understand that attacks against any of us are harmful to all of us, and we stand firmly against any of these attacks against our dignity and fundamental rights.
We uphold the principles of mutuality and solidarity in building alliances and engaging in campaigns, supporting initiatives that mutually benefit all impacted communities and opposing those that benefit some communities at the expense of the others.
We believe that to transform the South into a region that upholds the rights and dignity of immigrants as well as everyone else, we must build a movement that includes everybody---immigrants and allies, groups who focus on immigrant rights and groups who do immigration work within a broader context, organizations who focus on a single strategy and those who employ multiple ones.
We lift up the voices and leadership of grassroots immigrant communities, particularly those who are most marginalized because of immigration status, age, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, language, disability, economic status, geographic isolation or any other reason. We proactively support ongoing leadership development in these communities and commit to paving the way for grassroots community members to lead the Network and the movement.