The Equal Justice Society unequivocally condemns the latest threats against immigrants and the Trump Administration’s white supremacy agenda.
Immigrants are part of our country. They are our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers. Militarized raids on homes, families, and workplaces, and the lack of due process betray our American values. Rather than serving the national welfare, mass arrests only advance white oppression against immigrants, indigenous people, and people of color.
Trump and his supporters relish this constant stream of fearmongering and hate. They think that they will overpower us through fatigue. We must prove them wrong at every opportunity.
Our allies with California’s rapid response networks and at the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity have issued statements and helpful information and resources. We shared them in full below.
California Rapid Response Networks Stand in Solidarity Against Trump’s Hateful Rhetoric
(June 19, 2019) — The recent remarks by the President are the latest attempt to sow panic among immigrants in this country, and use fear as a weapon against our communities. As Rapid Response Networks, we stand united in reminding all Californians to respond with power, not panic in the face of such inflammatory rhetoric and reckless hate.
It is also important that every person who calls California home know their basic constitutional rights, including the right to remain silent and the right not to open their door. We urge anyone who witnesses potential ICE activity to verify information before posting on social media. Direct witnesses should call the rapid response hotline for your county (numbers are available here). Our networks will continue to monitor ICE activity and provide updates with respect to enforcement and arrests.
There is power in solidarity and coordination. We remind members of our community that rapid response hotlines are available to report ICE activity, and local organizations and advocates are ready to assist families with emergency preparedness planning and legal assistance.
During this period it is important that we remember that sensationalist rhetoric and fear mongering are a tactic of this Presidency, and do not necessarily correspond to reality or policy. Spreading fear and panic feeds into the arsonist agenda of this administration and diminishes our collective strength. Instead we must continue to stay prepared and focus on our collective goals of justice and dignity for all.
We know that ICE has gone to great lengths in California to find bed space following the closure of multiple facilities used by the agency to separate families. Their desperate attempts to expand detention have included blatant collusion with private companies to circumvent California state law. We will continue to stand united in defending our communities and exposing the injustice and lies of ICE and this administration.
Signatories
California Rapid Response Steering Committee
Orange County Rapid Response Network
California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ)
Los Angeles Raids Rapid Response Network
Valley Watch Network (Central Valley)
Faith In The Valley
Monterey County Rapid Response
Rapid Response Network of Monterey County
Sacramento FUEL Network
North Bay Rapid Response Network Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties
Rapid Response Network in Santa Clara County
Stand Together Contra Costa
Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR) Santa Cruz
Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership
Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network
San Diego Rapid Response Network
Long Beach Community Defense Network
Sacramento Rapid Response Network
Pajaro Valley Rapid Response
Stand Together Contra Costa
Responding to Threats of Mass Immigration Raids
By Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
(June 18, 2019) — Last night Trump posted out a tweet claiming ICE will be conducting mass arrests starting next week. The Washington Post reports that our government is sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) throughout the nation to round up and deport millions of immigrants whom they believe to be undocumented. You can read the story here.
It is sometimes hard to distinguish this new activity with ICE’s ongoing “removal operations.” Unfortunately, it’s had another chilling effect and the fear that is spreading to immigrant communities is hard to ignore. We ask you that you are a peaceful and calming presence and that you help us dispel the fear that is paralyzing our people. Encourage people to resume their normal activities. Remind people that there is a strong network- of legal and community defense that is organized and will work to stop any deportations. Trump is announcing to incite fear and panic in our communities. Trump is developing his re-election campaign, and he will continue to run on the abuse and violence toward of immigrants. To the immigrant and faith community: we encourage you to stay alert and informed for upcoming ways to act. We specifically call on ICE enforcement agents to resist orders for increased raids and roundups.
We also must remember that we have been developing networks of protection in our cities, congregations, and across our states, so we will be leaning into these mechanisms and it will be important for all of us to be prepared so we are not only in reaction mode. Specifically as immigrant and faith communities, we strongly encourage you to Breathe, Pray, Stay Grounded, and Connected so that we all can respond with utmost clarity and wisdom in these difficult moments.
[Here] are some resources we wanted to re-share & how we can take this opportunity to be more prepared for the worst.