As immigration enforcement continues to terrorize communities in Minnesota and elsewhere, everyday people have joined advocates to push back against unchecked ICE and Department of Homeland Security powers. At CAA, we thank those who answered our email to block federal funding for these agencies, and can report that more members of Congress are challenging the administration’s gross abuse of civil and immigrant rights.
In this issue:
- CAA fought back against Congress’ attempt to revive the defunct China Initiative.
- We are helping to pass state-level protections against federal immigration enforcement.
- CAA is closing the digital divide in Chinatown.
- We’re excited to share our Asian American multilingual learners report.
- CAA has community service days coming up!
We’re ready for 2026! Will you join us by making a gift to CAA?
We Beat Back the China Initiative. Again.
Earlier this year, CAA and our partners successfully halted another attempt in Congress to revive the harmful “China Initiative,” stripping harmful language from the House FY2026 CJS appropriations bill that would have effectively reinstated the program at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Originally launched during Trump’s first term in 2018, the China Initiative fueled racial profiling and wrongful prosecutions of ethnic Chinese and Asian American scientists, treating researchers as suspects simply because of their heritage. Careers were derailed, families were traumatized, and top scientific talent left the U.S., undermining both civil rights and American innovation.
Working alongside Congressional champions, Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC, the Asian American Scholar Forum, and supporters across the country, CAA organized coalition letters, educated policymakers, and mounted rapid responses to block every attempt to revive or rebrand the Initiative. These collective efforts helped end the program in 2022 and continue to keep it from returning today.
Together, we will keep pushing back against policies rooted in fear and racial scapegoating and stand up for the rights, dignity, and contributions of Asian American scholars and researchers.
State Bill: No Moonlighting for ICE
As we watch what’s unfolding in Minneapolis – where ICE operations have led to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — AB 1537 establishes a necessary separation between federal and local law enforcement to protect public safety. CAA believes that in San Francisco and California, with our strong sanctuary values, local and state police officers should not be able to work or volunteer for DHS in their off duty time. Huge thanks to Assemblymember Isaac Bryan for introducing the bill, and big appreciation to Supervisor Mahmood for bringing a companion resolution to the SF Board of Supervisors. Stay tuned!
Free Public Wifi in Chinatown
CAA helped to close the digital divide in Chinatown. Last fall, San Francisco expanded free public Wi-Fi to Chinatown’s commercial corridors. But there is more! After Lunar New Year celebrations, construction will begin to extend free high-speed fiber broadband to qualifying buildings—bringing faster, more affordable internet to the neighborhood.
CAA will work with the City to monitor the project and host a February workshop so residents understand what’s coming and how it will affect them. We are also connecting community members to California’s new three-year LifeLine broadband subsidy pilot, which offers internet discounts for qualifying low-income households.
Multilingual Learning for K-12 Students
Last year, CAA convened educators, community organizations, and policy leaders to learn about the challenges that Asian American English learners and their families face in California’s public schools. Too often, the model minority myth and one-size-fits-all instruction mean these students lack the tailored support they need to succeed.
Today, we’re proud to share our findings to help make our classrooms more inclusive and equitable for Asian American K-12 multilingual learners! A New Blueprint for Success: Meeting the Needs of Asian American Multilingual Students shares policy recommendations for California and local education stakeholders. Check out the report here!
Upcoming Community Service Days
