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‘Squad’ Lawmakers Reflect on Empty Thanksgiving Seats, Citing Deportations, Mass Incarceration and Indigenous Trauma

Rep. Ayanna Pressley said some Thanksgiving tables were missing loved ones who have been "abducted & deported" or lost to gun violence and mass incarceration, urging action toward a fairer America. Rep. Summer Lee noted the holiday also reminds many of stolen land and broken treaties and called for honoring Indigenous communities. Both lawmakers used the day to highlight calls for immigration and criminal-justice reform and to center historically marginalized voices.

12:47 AM, 11/29/2025Politics
‘Squad’ Lawmakers Reflect on Empty Thanksgiving Seats, Citing Deportations, Mass Incarceration and Indigenous Trauma

Progressive Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts said some families observed Thanksgiving with “empty seats” because loved ones have been separated by deportation or lost to gun violence and mass incarceration. In a social media post, Pressley used the holiday to draw attention to the human toll of immigration and criminal-justice policies and to call for a more just America.

"This Thanksgiving, I'm thinking of our neighbors with an empty seat at the dinner table. Those with loved ones abducted & deported from their families. Those we lost due to gun violence, mass incarceration, & more. A more just America is possible, if we fight for it," Pressley wrote.

The comments came amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, a policy direction that many Democrats have criticized for separating families and increasing removals. Pressley’s message framed those enforcement actions alongside broader concerns about public safety and the criminal-justice system.

Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania also reflected on the holiday’s painful meaning for Indigenous communities: "Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and community for many, but it’s also a reminder of stolen land and broken treaties for others. As we give thanks today, let’s also honor Indigenous communities by committing to the fight for sovereignty, justice, and freedom."

Pressley has previously highlighted historical harms to Indigenous peoples. On Indigenous People’s Day she posted, "Happy Indigenous People’s Day! We are all on stolen land," and pledged to center Native voices in policymaking and acknowledge the trauma inflicted on Indigenous neighbors.

Both lawmakers used the holiday to emphasize broader calls for change — including immigration reform, criminal-justice reform, and greater recognition of historical injustices — urging the country to confront those realities while celebrating with family and community.

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