FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Laura Trask
Director, Development and Communications
[email protected]
Washington, D.C. (July 7, 2025) – Ayuda strongly condemns the passage of H.R.1 – the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This sweeping legislation will devastate immigrant communities across the country under the false guise of “border security” and “fiscal responsibility.”
Though some lawmakers have celebrated this bill as “big” and “beautiful,” its true impact will be one of cruelty, exclusion, and injustice. It is a deeply punitive attack on immigrants, many of whom are long-time residents, essential workers, asylum seekers fleeing violence, and children seeking safety and stability.
Among its most harmful provisions, the bill pours nearly $170 billion into immigration enforcement, fueling detention, deportation, and militarization at the expense of families, due process, and basic human rights. Specifically, the law:
- Drastically expands funding for detention and deportation, while stripping oversight and legal protections for those held in immigration custody.
- Imposes new fees on asylum seekers and immigrants, effectively turning access to safety and legal status into a privilege reserved for the wealthy.
- Blocks access to critical health and nutrition programs, such as Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP, for lawfully present immigrants and DACA recipients.
- Further militarizes immigration enforcement, diverting billions to border infrastructure and surveillance while slashing support for services that keep families safe and stable.
- Narrows pathways to asylum and undermines humanitarian protections, endangering lives and violating the moral and legal commitments of the United States.
At Ayuda, we know firsthand the courage, resilience, and contributions of immigrant communities. This law does not reflect our values, nor those of a nation built by immigrants. It punishes people seeking protection. It separates families. It undermines decades of hard-fought progress toward justice and equity.
We are outraged — but we are not deterred.
Ayuda will continue to stand with immigrants and fight back through legal representation, social services, and language access. We call on our allies, community members, and elected leaders to reject this cruel agenda and work toward policies rooted in dignity, compassion, and fairness.
###
About Ayuda:
Ayuda provides direct legal, social, and language access services to low-income immigrants in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Since 1973, Ayuda has served more than 150,000 immigrants throughout the region. Ayuda is the only nonprofit service provider in the area that provides a wide range of immigration and family law assistance, social services, and language access support for all immigrants – including women, men, and children – from anywhere in the world. Visit www.ayuda.com to learn more.
