We've known about the caravan for months now. We've also known that it is a mostly queer and trans caravan seeking to escape violence from their home countries. Honestly, we could have anticipated something catastrophic would happen once people started arriving at the border. You know what we could have definitely predicted though? The response NGO's would give about whatever tragedy that happens.
United We Dream responded a day later to the tear-gassing at the border in an email and on social media demonstrating empathy and declaring that the response was unethical. The included this famous photo. What is ironic, however, is that the Dream Team seeks to
advocate for immigrant families but did not attempt to show any solidarity with the caravan for any of the months that they were embarking on their journey (I checked their Instagram). Wild right? What is more appalling, and disgusting even, is that United We Dream used the horrible even that happened at the border to promote their organization and solicit donations, highlighting that children were tear gassed. This is true, but doesn't tell the full story in a dangerous manner. It makes people forget that this caravan is made up of mostly trans and queer folk.
My friends and I came up with some reasons that UWD might have waited so long to address the caravan. Some of us believe that their ignorance and lack of coverage has to do with the fact that the caravan is mostly trans and queer. "Their liberal politics, focusing on elections means that you have to really trail public opinion so as to not alienate your support base" (One of my friends, 2018). They need to maintain support so if they present a liberal outlook on politics they need to align with their constituents who may or may not be trans and homophobic. Posting about the caravan would be too controversial because it could cause some of their anti-trans, anti-black, etc. followers to go against United We Dream. "Their was a lot of generalized outrage across racial & SES groups so it was easy to have a very vocal stance. But not for the caravan. There are mixed feelings about it. Support base = donor base: the perils of NGOism and being depended on money with strings" (My same friend, 2018). UWD wants to maintain the status quo instead of pushing against it. The status quo being transphobia.
In addition, the work that they do do not align with the issues the caravan presents. They focus on electoral politics and government programs to help immigrant youth seeking education and their families. "The people in the caravan wouldn't qualify in any of the programs or political agendas they have. Basically, [the caravan] [isn't] the right kind of immigrant for them" (My other friend, 2018).
Are these speculations? Could be. But in my organizing experience, I have witnessed the NM Dream Team pull out of actions that are meant to be more radical than what their electoral politics can handle. The Queer/Trans march in August didn't have any support by the Dream Team. They do a bad job in making themselves look like they are pro-queer and pro-trans. With this whack fundraising initiative, along with the other atrocious practices they inflict on their members and staff that Dream Team members have told me about, I can't affiliate myself with this organization ever again. I'll still support things like a clean Dream Act, but the organization and the ideology they spit out is too toxic.
