named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Drop the Banner Campaign
A public solidarity campaign encouraging communities to display "Love and Protect" banners in response to ICE raids, promoting resistance, documentation, and mutual aid during immigration enforcement actions.
Right to Return Campaign
Initiative created to establish a pathway for deported Southeast Asians to return to the United States, emerging from community resistance to ICE detentions such as the MN8 case.
SEADRA (Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act)
A legislative bill to end deportations for Southeast Asians who arrived before 2008, vacate removal orders, extend work authorization, and establish a pathway to return for those already deported.
SEARR Campaign (Southeast Asian Relief & Responsibility)
A national policy platform comprising four legislative bills to address historical U.S. harms and provide deportation relief, including SEADRA, the Victims of Agent Orange Act, the Legacies of War Recognition and UXO Removal Act, and the New Way Forward Act.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Immigrant Rights Advocacy & Policy Reform 3 activities
- Advocacy for legislative relief for Southeast Asian communitiesLeads national advocacy campaigns to advance legislative relief, including the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act (SEADRA), the Victims of Agent Orange Act, the Legacies of War Recognition and UXO Removal Act, and the New Way Forward Act, aimed at addressing U.S. policy harms related to deportation, health, and war legacies.
- Public solidarity campaigns against ICE enforcementRuns the Love & Protect – Drop the Banner campaign, including distribution of digital banner graphics and public actions, to resist ICE raids and demonstrate solidarity with Southeast Asian communities.
- Right to Return advocacy campaignLeads the Right to Return Campaign to create pathways for deported individuals to return to the U.S., developed in response to the detention of the MN8 and broader community mobilization.
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Immigrant Rights Education & Legal Preparedness 2 activities
- Community-based deportation defense and direct supportProvides direct support to individuals and families impacted by deportation through legal defense, safety planning, mutual aid, documentation of ICE activity, and neighborhood alert systems via the Southeast Asian Defense Response Project.
- Development and distribution of deportation-related resourcesProduces and disseminates multilingual legal resources, Know Your Rights trainings, and the Community Deportation Defense toolkit to support immigrant communities facing deportation and ICE enforcement.
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LGBTQ+ Legal and Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advancing queer and gender justiceAdvocates for queer and trans liberation, representation, and safety by addressing gender-based violence and centering queer justice within broader social justice initiatives.
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Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
- Community healing and belonging initiativesFosters collective wellness, storytelling, and trust-building to support community healing and strengthen belonging among Southeast Asian communities.
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Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Leadership and organizational capacity buildingProvides executive leadership coaching, transformative and somatic leadership practices, national convenings, and sustainability resources to strengthen community-based organizations serving Southeast Asian communities.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Organizing cultural and political festivalsOrganizes UNITI Fest, a cultural and political festival for Southeast Asian communities, with planned events such as the 2027 Midwest gathering.
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Film Distribution and Screening Programs 1 activity
- Public education and narrative change through cultural storytellingOrganizes national tours of the documentary Taking Root and integrates arts and culture into social justice work to address intergenerational trauma, promote healing, and shift public narratives about Southeast Asian communities.
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Youth and Community Research Initiatives 1 activity
- Research on queer Southeast Asian communitiesConducts and publishes research on the lived experiences of queer Southeast Asians, including the report A Census of Our Own: The State of QSEA America.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Youth leadership and intergenerational engagementCenters youth leadership and facilitates intergenerational knowledge transfer within Southeast Asian communities to strengthen movement continuity and community resilience.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$860K
Contributions & grants$860K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$589K
Program expenses57%
Admin / overhead29%
Fundraising14%
Salaries & benefits$394K
Grants paid out$3K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$409K
Cash$409K
Investments$0
Liabilities$2K
Net assets$407K
Liquid reserves8.3 mo
2 years on record · 2023–2024 · YoY revenue +87.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chhaya Chhoum | Executive Dir. | 40 | $128K |
| Pheng Thao | Director | 40 | $128K |
board members · 4
- Bunthay Cheam — Director
- Hope Vang — Treasurer
- Phougna Kongmanichanh — Secretary
- Vina Xiong — President
relationships · 38
Who they work with
- 1Love Movement Network — Philadelphia-based organization that emerged as part of the national movement against deportation and was formerly a member of SEAFN.
- AAPIP Partner — Partnered with AAPIP for an event on May 21, 2025 in Chicago, IL.
- Asian American Resource Workshop Network — Member organization of SEAFN focused on grassroots power through political education and community organizing.
- Asian American Resource Workshop Partner — Member-led organization building grassroots power in Greater Boston through political education and community organizing.
- Freedom Inc Network — Member organization that helped evolve SEAFN by centering queer, trans, and gender non-conforming Southeast Asian voices.
- Freedom, Inc Partner — Member organization focused on empowering Black and Southeast Asian communities through direct services and organizing.
- Freedom, Inc. Network — Member organization advancing justice for Black, Hmong, and Khmer women, girls, and queer and trans youth in Wisconsin.
- Hmong American Women’s Association Network — Member organization organizing Southeast Asian women, queer individuals, and youth toward gender justice.
- Hmong American Women’s Association Partner — Organization supporting Hmong women, youth, and children in Milwaukee while fostering leadership development.
- ILRC Partner — Provides multilingual Know Your Rights resources, such as red cards, used in SEAFN’s community education and protection efforts.
- Immigrant Justice Network Partner — Anchors the New Way Forward Act, part of the SEARR Campaign.
- Immigrant Justice Network (IJN) Partner — Anchors the New Way Forward Act as part of the SEARR Campaign.
- KhAAGe Network — Member organization representing incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Southeast Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Washington state.
- Khmer Advocacy and Advancement Group Partner — Community organization advocating for the Khmer community, particularly against ICE raids and deportations.
- Khmer Girls in Action Partner — Builds community power in Long Beach through racial, gender, and economic justice initiatives led by Southeast Asian women and youth.
- Legacies of War Partner — Anchors the Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Removal Act as part of the SEARR Campaign.
- Legacies of War Partner — Anchors the Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Removal Act, part of the SEARR Campaign.
- ManForward Network — Member organization for Southeast Asian men and masculine-identified folks across the country.
- ManForward Partner — National network of Southeast Asian men and individuals of diverse masculinities working to challenge patriarchal norms and promote collective healing.
- PrSYM Network — Member organization involved in shaping SEAFN’s focus on queer Southeast Asian experiences during its 2.0 phase.
- PrYSM Partner — Organizes queer Southeast Asian youth, families, and allies to build grassroots power and advance social justice.
- Providence Youth Student Movement Network — Member organization supporting Southeast Asian families, queer, and trans youth of color in Rhode Island.
- SEARAC Partner — Collaborated with SEAFN to urge immediate action on deportation relief.
- Shades of Yellow (SOY) Network — Member organization that helped prioritize and amplify queer Southeast Asian voices within SEAFN.
- Smithsonian Partner — Collaborated with the Smithsonian for a curation event on May 10, 2025 in Washington, DC.
- Song Community Development Corporation Partner — Collaborates with SEAFN in organizing community resistance to ICE enforcement, particularly among Vietnamese communities in New Orleans.
- Southeast Asia Resource Action Center Partner — Co-led the reintroduction of the Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act (SEADRA) in February 2026.
- Southeast Asian-Action (SEA-Action) Partner — SEAFN's affiliated organization that leads the Southeast Asian Relief and Responsibility Campaign (SEARR).
- Transforming Generations Network — Member organization providing support services to victims and survivors of gender-based violence in Hmong and Southeast Asian communities in Minnesota.
- Transforming Generations Partner — Provides support services to survivors of gender-based violence and works to transform cultural and power dynamics in Hmong and Southeast Asian communities.
+ 8 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Abolitionist Systems Change Frameworkmethodology: abolitionist_frameworkBy guiding advocacy through an abolitionist lens, the network seeks to dismantle carceral immigration systems and build alternatives because this approach addresses root causes of displacement and reimagines justice beyond punishment.
- Community-Led Organizing with Impacted Leadershipmethodology: community-led_organizingBy centering long-term organizing led by directly impacted communities, the network advances legislative and policy change because authentic leadership from affected populations builds sustainable power and legitimacy in advocacy efforts.
- Coordinated Multi-Level Movement Buildingmethodology: coordinated_movement_buildingBy building infrastructure and coordination across local, state, and national levels, the network increases collective power and political influence because sustained, aligned organizing amplifies impact beyond isolated local actions.
- Healing Justice and Somatic Leadership Integrationmethodology: healing_justiceBy integrating healing justice and somatic practices into leadership development, the network sustains movement work and builds resilience because addressing collective trauma strengthens long-term organizing capacity and community well-being.
- Narrative Change Through Cultural Expression and Storytellingmethodology: narrative_change_through_cultureBy using storytelling, cultural expression, and narrative reclamation, the network challenges dominant racist narratives and builds internal solidarity because reclaiming truth empowers communities and shifts public perception more effectively than policy advocacy alone.