AIDS United condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the relentless attacks on immigrant communities, allies, and our social fabric. In the wake of the senseless killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti this past weekend and Renee Good earlier this month, as well as the ongoing, brutal attacks on immigrants across the nation, we urge Congress to put a halt to funding the infrastructure that allows this to happen. We mourn alongside the impacted communities; we are those communities, and we stand together. We honor our immigrant brothers and sisters – being profiled and terrorized because of the color of their skin or their accented speech –and we honor those who stand up in their defense. No one should lose their life while exercising their rights or documenting what is happening in their community. We join calls for a full, transparent, and independent investigation, and for accountability consistent with due process and the rule of law.
“This latest act of violence demands our government enact true safeguards that protect the civil liberties of every person,” said Carl Baloney Jr., President and CEO of AIDS United. “Our country must pursue transparency and accountability—and we must ensure this moment does not become another excuse for political dysfunction that puts people’s health and lives at risk.”
To that end, AIDS United urges the United States Senate to separate consideration of the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill and immediately take up and vote on the remaining House-passed FY2026 appropriations measures so that HIV/AIDS programs—and other essential federal operations—are not subjected to continued uncertainty, delays, or disruption.
Programs that prevent new HIV transmissions, support testing and linkage to care, provide life-saving treatment, fund community-based services, advance research, and address HIV-related housing and health disparities cannot be treated as bargaining chips. Budget brinkmanship has real consequences: clinics and community organizations cannot plan, hire, procure medications, or maintain services when federal funding is in limbo.
AIDS United remains committed to protecting the dignity, safety, and health of the communities we serve—and to demanding a federal government that both funds life-saving programs and upholds human rights.
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