Like so many of you, we are dismayed by the footage of children as young as four months old being ripped away from their parents at the border, with no process or timeline for reunification with their families. The President’s recent executive order reverses the policy of separating families, but will instead detain families together indefinitely, in violation of a US court order and international human rights standards. We condemn this inhumane treatment of immigrant families, including mothers and children fleeing domestic and sexual violence, and call on the Administration and Congress to rescind the “zero tolerance” policy that jails children and families.
In addition, the Attorney General issued an order that blocks most survivors of domestic abuse and gang violence from receiving asylum. This cruel decision condemns thousands of children and adults to ongoing violence and potential death in their countries of origin. We know better. We must do better.
Many of us are seeking ways to take action against these immoral and inhumane policies. Here are some ways you can resist:
+ SIGN your organization on to a letter opposing the Attorney General’s decision to revoke asylum for DV survivors: Read the letter here; sign the letter here.
+ LEARN more about how the asylum policy might impact survivors you serve here.
+ PROTEST these cruel decisions.
– Join the Coalition at the #FamiliesBelongTogether Rally, Saturday, June 30, beginning at 11 AM at the SeaTac Detention Center – one of many being held across the nation on this date. More info here.
– More local immigrant rights and related events are listed here and here.
+ DONATE to advocacy organizations locally and nationally.
– Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) – donate here.
– Northwest Detention Center Resistance – donate here.
– Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) – donate here.
– ActBlue Charities has set up a link that allows you to donate to eight different organizations, here.
We recognize that what is really needed is comprehensive, compassionate federal immigration reform. We also recognize that this is not the first or only time, historically or currently, that families and communities of color have been subject to inhumane government policies and practices. We stand against these and all abuses of power.
Safety and freedom from violence are non-partisan issues. We remain steadfast in the belief that ALL families and individuals should be able to seek safety without fearing punishment, and we are committed to working together for safe and just communities where all people thrive.