IRCO Stands Against Racism and the Killing of George Floyd

We are grieving for George Floyd, his family and loved ones. We share the collective pain and anguish our communities are feeling. As refugees and immigrants, we stand together in condemning this horrific act of racism and killing of George Floyd and the many other Black Lives killed by law enforcement. We stand by our Black brothers and sisters and staff in this fight against racial injustice and violence against our Black community members.

IRCO has been working passionately for 45+ years to change systems that are not equitable. We were founded by refugees for refugees. Refugees who are arriving today are experiencing trauma as newcomers in our country—and they are seeing brutality here that they thought they had escaped. This country needs to change. We need it to change.

We stand in fierce opposition to police brutality and systemic racism, which is a different kind of virus that has forced people out to the streets across the country. We honor and share in calls for justice. We need to be allies in this movement. We need to collaborate in this work.

We will stand with others to take steps and make reforms. We will also continue to prioritize our direct service work to ensure that the most vulnerable brown and black community members have equitable access to the services they deserve.