At 22 years old, Yesica has been detained at detention centers in Texas for almost two years. She is currently being held at CoreCivic's Houston Processing Center. Having survived trauma and persecution in El Salvador, she made her way to the U.S. alone to get to safety and reunite with her family. She braved the abusive detention and deportation machine stretching from Mexico to the U.S. Yesica passed her credible fear interview and has appealed her asylum claim repeatedly, but ICE continues to deny her appeals and release. While Congress just voted to greatly increase the 2018 budget for ICE and Customs & Border Patrol, families like Yesica’s continue being ripped apart by an inhumane and deadly immigration enforcement system. Yesica’s family lives in Chicago, IL and has been waiting for years to be reunited with their oldest daughter and beloved sister. Yesica fled to the U.S. from El Salvador with her mother and two younger brothers in 2015 but was violently separated from her loved ones. In 2016, she was apprehended at the border while attempting to reunite with her family. Her family’s asylum claims have been allowed and are proceeding under the same set of entry circumstances that apply to Yesica’s case. Yesica made the critical decision to flee El Salvador following the murder of her father and after her own life was threatened. Now, Yesica is beset by depression, nightmares, and terror. She fears for her life after so many months in immigrant detention. Every person has the right to move and live freely, in community and with their family, without fear of being separated from their loved ones or displaced from their home. We are asking for your support to put pressure on ICE to stop Yesica’s deportation and release her from detention so she can join her family in Chicago. __ ¿Por qué es importante? A los 22 años de edad, Yesica ha estado detenida en varios centros de detención en Texas por casi dos años. Actualmente se encuentra detenida en el centro de procesamiento de CoreCivic en Houston. Después de pasar trauma y persecución en El Salvador, se dirigió a los Estados Unidos sóla, enfrentándose a peligros, a un sistema de detención y deportaciones abusivo para llegar a un lugar seguro y reunirse con su familia. Yesica ya pasó su entrevista para establecer el nivel de “miedo creíble” y ha apelado su solicitud de asilo en varias ocasiones, pero ICE continúa negando sus apelaciones y su liberación. Mientras que el Congreso acaba de votar para aumentar extremadamente el presupuesto de 2018 para ICE y la patrulla fronteriza, familias como la de Yesica siguen siendo destrozadas. La familia de Yesica vive en Chicago, IL, llevan años esperando para reunirse con su hija mayor y su hermana. Yesica huyó de El Salvador con su madre y dos hermanitos en el 2015, pero ella fue separada violentamente de su familia. En 2016, Yesica fue detenida en la frontera mientras intentaba unirse con su familia de nuevo. Las solicitudes de asilo de su familia han sido autorizadas y proceden bajo las mismas circunstancias de entrada que aplican al caso de Yesica. Yesica tomó la decisión de huir de El Salvador tras el asesinato de su padre y después de que su propia vida estaba en peligro. Ahora, Yesica vive acosada por la depresión, pesadillas, y terror. Ella teme por su vida después de tantos meses en detención. Todxs tenemos el derecho a la movilidad humana y vivir libremente, en comunidad y en familia, sin temor a ser separados de nuestros seres queridos o ser desplazados. Estamos pidiendo su apoyo para presionar a ICE para que detengan la deportación de Yesica y que la liberen de detención para poder reunirse con su familia en Chicago.

THIS IS URGENT! ICE IS NOT FOCUSING ON DANGEROUS CRIMINALS like they say. Instead, they are deporting people who have been showing up for annual check in appointments. Enma, originally from Guatemala, came to the United States 25 years ago seeking asylum, but her application was denied. While she waited for a decision, ICE gave her a working permit. After her asylum request was denied, she continued to receive a Stay of Deportation every year. For 25 years, she has been reporting to ICE and renewing her work permit; every year. This year, after reporting for her yearly check-in, Enma was told she would have to leave. She is set to leave on Friday, March 30th, 2018. Enma was denied a hearing before a judge and was coerced into signing a voluntary deportation to avoid going to a detention center with her U.S. born adopted granddaughter after being told she would have to take her with her to Guatemala. In the 25 years she has lived in the United States Enma has never had contact with the police. In addition to her adopted daughter, Enma has two daughters. Her oldest daughter, Evelyn, was diagnosed with liver disease and needed a liver transplant. She was told that due to her undocumented status, she could not get on the list for transplant recipients even if a donor came forward to donate for her specifically. Seeing no hope, Evelyn became despondent, fell into depression and committed suicide at the age of 25, leaving behind a 7-year-old daughter with special needs. Enma adopted Evelyn's daughter, and she is now her sole provider. Enma also plays a significant financial and emotional supporting role for her second daughter who is a DACA recipient, married to a U.S. Citizen, and mother to three young children. If Congress fails to act on behalf of all DACA recipients, she too, will be vulnerable to deportation. Her only option is to try to raise funds to pay for the costly application to adjust status, money she and her husband do not have. Enma practices a unique and rare high-skill trade. She is the only person in South Carolina that can do this work. She does antique rug repair, restoration and maintenance work for Bistany's Oriental Rugs in Columbia. According to her employer, Sylvana Hanna: “Enma is the lifeline of the business, and if she is deported, there will be no one left to train others.” Without Enma, Bistany’s Oriental Rugs, a highly respected and trusted business in the State, and a generational legacy, will most likely shut down, leaving many unemployed. Enma’s only mistake was to come to the United States seeking asylum. She has suffered enough. Let Enma stay, she is not a threat to anyone.

FAIR has been a labeled hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) since 2008 for its ties to White Supremacist groups and attacks on non-white immigrants (1). Now FAIR is scheming with Orange County cities to undermine California's Sanctuary Law, and the OC Board of Supervisors may be the next government to join in on the scheme by considering a proposal to sue the state. The Immigration Reform Law Institute, an organization affiliated to FAIR has been lobbying cities in Orange County to undermine California's Sanctuary law, including Yorba Linda, Los Alamitos, and others. “We’re lining up cities to join us with amicus briefs,” Christopher Hajec, the organization’s director of litigation, told the OC Register (2). The SPLC writes: 'FAIR founder John Tanton, a man with a lengthy record of friendly correspondence with Holocaust deniers, a former Klan lawyer, and leading white nationalist thinkers, has repeatedly suggested that racial conflict will be the outcome of immigration. In 1998, he told a reporter that whites would inevitably develop a racial consciousness because “most people don't want to disappear into the dustbin of history,” and added that once whites did become racially conscious, the result would be “the war of each against all”' (1). Don't let this racist, hate group dictate Orange County's policies and priorities. References: 1. How Do We Know FAIR is a Hate Group?: https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2012/08/10/how-do-we-know-fair-hate-group 2. Orange County supervisor suggests suing California over immigration sanctuary law: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/03/22/o-c-and-cities-launch-new-steps-against-sanctuary-law/

The Los Alamitos City Council is attempting to vote on an ordinance to exempt the City of Los Alamitos from the California Values Act (SB54) in order to continue collaborations between their city and ICE (1). The California Values Act has been instrumental in protecting immigrants in our state against deportation. It is not only moral, but legal and necessary. California's values are a reflection of it's people. Separating families is not one of them. Join me today in demanding that the Los Alamitos City Council reject this ordinance and cease all efforts to undermine California's Sanctuary Law. References: 1. https://www.ocregister.com/2018/03/16/los-alamitos-might-challenge-state-over-sanctuary-law/

If Edin gets deported, his life is in risk due to past victimization of extortion and gang violence in his native country. “What is happening to my family is wrong,” says Thalia. “This was an arbitrary decision by ICE without just cause for denying his Stay. While Congress is debating trivial issues like members sleeping in their chambers on Capitol Hill, families like mine, who support our community and have strong ties to the US, are being ripped apart. We have been waiting for relief for a long time, but all I see is the cowardice of those in Washington, as they refuse to actually resolve this issue, and would rather use my family as their political football.” This case once again demonstrates ICE’s cruel practice of apprehending individuals at scheduled check ins. Edin’s case highlights the plight of individuals who could potentially adjust status through a spouse, yet still facing the devastating possibility of being denied and then having no option for reuniting with their family in the U.S. The Ramos family has been publicly supported by U.S. Congressman Jared Polis throughout this ordeal over the last few years. Congressman Polis has even spoken about the Ramos family on the House Floor: https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4587226/polis-dapadaca

Guillermo has been an active member of his community in Chicago for over two years. As a member of the Autonomous Tenants Union, he has helped many of his neighbors facing evictions or other housing problems. He has played a major role in protecting & empowering immigrant and working class people in the Albany Park neighborhood and city of Chicago as a whole. Guillermo’s social justice work has been all-volunteer, and is motivated by his passion for community. He is a trusted and loyal neighbor, colleague, and friend. In addition to his volunteer community work, Guillermo worked hard to support his family, who depend on him for income. He had temporarily moved to Jacksonville to pursue a work opportunity, and since his detainment his primary concern has been the well being of his family. Please sign this petition to demand his release on bond so he can leave detention as soon as possible.

The Trump administration is using ICE to target people in cities that they consider Sanctuary. Although according to our communities, Chicago has a long way to go, we are on the Federal Government's target list. We want to make sure that if the Mayor of Chicago and City Council have information about imminent raids, that they make that information public, and allow our communities to protect themselves.

[ESPAÑOL ABAJO] BACKGROUND As a result of years of organizing against the harmful cooperation between ICE and law enforcement, in 2013, Connecticut made progress by passing the TRUST ACT, which prohibits local and state law enforcement from holding individuals so that Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) could arrest them. In 2015, the Department of Correction amended Administrative Directive 9.3. to further limited the cooperation between DOC staff and ICE. However, both the Trust Act and the Administrative Directive contain many loopholes which still allow law enforcement to hold people at the request of ICE without due process. Courts all over the country have held that holding an individual solely on the basis of an immigration detainer (which is a request not a warrant) is unconstitutional. Furthermore, the state of Connecticut is continuing to misuse resources and undermine trust between local communities and law enforcement. Connecticut officers are still heavily communicating with ICE about release dates, immigration status and other personal information. This discretion has proven extremely problematic especially because it ultimately leads to the individual’s arrest. We have proven cases of people all over the state who have been violently removed from our communities because they had some interaction with the justice system and staff (either DOC, Judicial Marshals, State Police, Probation Officers, etc.) were complicit in their arrest by ICE. Most recently, the staff at York Correctional delayed a bond out process while they communicated with ICE in order to transfer custody of two immigrant women. Finally, we must stop the ICE from entering DOC facilities and Judicial Marshal holding cells. ICE agents are using deceptive practices to elicit information to arrest individuals and place them in removal proceedings. Individuals in custody have reported that ICE agents questioned them without identifying themselves as such, or, worse still, completely misrepresenting their identity. This type of enforcement creates mistrust, stress, and anxiety in people under our state custody and should have no place in our state. WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH: For that reason, we support reforming the Connecticut Trust Act in the 2018 Connecticut Legislative Session. Among some of the changes to the Trust Act include: 1) stop honoring immigration detainers unless they are accompanied by a judicial warrant; 2) communication between ICE and our state law enforcement should be limited; 3)ICE interrogations and interviews should not take place inside our DOC facilities. The Trump administration is doubling down its efforts to persecute our friends and neighbors. As a state, we can do more to protect all of our residents. We urge members of the Connecticut General Assembly to support and protect the immigrant community in Connecticut by supporting the 2018 Trust Act. ------------------------- Como resultado de años de lucha donde la comunidad se organizó en contra de la cooperación dañina entre la migra y la policía local, en el 2013 Connecticut dio un paso adelante pasando la Ley de Confianza. Esta ley prohíbe que la policía y otros oficiales detuvieran a las personas para que la migra los arrestara. En el 2015, el Departamento de Corrección enmendó su Directriz Administrativa 9.3 para limitar aún más la cooperación entre los empleados del departamento e Inmigración. Sin embargo, tanto la Ley de Confianza como la Directriz Administrativa contienen varios tecnicismos que permiten que la policía aguante a algunas personas para que Inmigración los arreste sin el debido proceso de ley. Varias cortes en todo el país han confirmado que detener a personas solo en respuesta a lo que se conoce como un “immigration hold/detainer” es inconstitucional. Además, el estado de Connecticut continua mal utilizando recursos del estado y como consecuencia socavando la confianza entre las comunidades locales y la policía. La policía en Connecticut se está comunicando con inmigración frecuentemente. Particularmente les dejan saber las fechas de liberación, el estatus migratorio y otra información personal. Esta discreción ha sido extremadamente problemática ya que ha llevado eventualmente a que se le arreste a la persona. Conocemos de casos por todo el estado donde a las personas se les ha removida de nuestra comunidad ya que han tenido algún tipo de interacción con el Sistema Judicial y sus empleados (ya sea por medio del Departamento de Corrección, los Marshals Judiciales, la Policía Estatal y Oficiales de Probatoria). Recientemente, los empleados de la prisión de York retrasaron el pago de una fianza de dos mujeres inmigrantes con el simple propósito de que la migra se las llevara. Finalmente, debemos exigir que la migra deje de entrar en las prisiones del Departamento de Corrección y las cárceles de los Marshals Judiciales. Los agentes de inmigración utilizan prácticas engañosas para obtener información de las personas y arrestarlas. Individuos que han estado en las cárceles de Connecticut han reportado que los agentes de Inmigración los interrogaron sin identificarse, o, peor aún, se hicieron pasar por otra persona. Este tipo de práctica crear desconfianza, estrés, y ansiedad en las personas que están bajo la custodia del estado y no deben llevarse a cabo en nuestro estado. Por esta razón, apoyamos reformar el Acta de Confianza en la Sesión Legislativa 2018 de Connecticut. Algunos de los cambios que se proponen son: 1) dejar de honrar los “immigration detainers” a menos que vengan acompañados de una orden de arresto firmada por un juez ;) la comunicación entre la migra y la policía debe ser limitada; 2) Las interrogaciones de la Migra no deben llevarse a cabo en las prisiones del Departamento de Corrección.

Through organizing to defend Washington-based organizer and undocumented mother, Maru Mora-Villalpando, we found documents that show that the WA Department of Licensing (DOL) shared her personal information, including a copy of her driver's license, with ICE. Last month, the WA state DOL admitted to giving ICE information on undocumented immigrants "20 or 30 times per month” without requiring a criminal warrant. WA-DOL information sharing has exposed a tremendous weakness in the state’s laws and policies, including last year's executive order by the governor's office. WA-DOL information sharing has affected many lives. The State of Washington has a responsibility to the people who were affected.

On January 31, Jose “Ivan” Nuñez was attending his marriage interview at USCIS with his husband Paul fully expecting to be in and out of the office. Paul and Ivan are in love and have been married since April 9th, 2016. What should have been a dream come true ended in a nightmare. In the middle of his interview ICE agents stormed into the interview and handcuffed him without warning. Now, instead of spending this Valentine's Day with his husband, Ivan is spending it at the York County Detention Center and at risk of being deported. If he was to be deported back to Mexico, Ivan’s life would be in jeopardy due to his sexuality. His sister, who is also queer, is currently in hiding with her partner back home and close friends of the family have been severely assaulted for their sexual orientation. As of January 13th, USCIS has deemed Ivan and Paul’s marriage petition valid and Ivan has passed his Reasonable Fear interview, meaning there is no reason why he should still be in detention. On this Valentine’s Day we ask you to sign this petition in support of Ivan, in support of Paul, and in support of their love Love, GALAEI & Juntos Dear Judge___________ I am writing this letter in support of Jose “Ivan” Nunez. As you are aware, Ivan is a Mexican immigrant who fled his hometown to seek asylum from the potential homophobic violence he would receive because of his sexual orientation. Ivan has found happiness and tranquility with his husband Paul here in Pennsylvania. Ivan was detained by ICE while attending his marriage interview at the USCIS building on January 31, 2018 and has been detained at the York County Detention Center since. By detaining Ivan and potetionally deporting him, Ivan’s wellbeing and safety will be jeopardized. Ivan fled his hometown in Mexico due to fear of being harmed. Ivan’s sister, who is also gay, is currently in hiding due to the same fears and he has close friends who have been assaulted for being gay. I ask that you release Ivan on bond and allow him to be reunited with his husband Paul. Thank you for your time and consideration In Solidarity,

We could not be prouder of our Eagles for bringing home the Super Bowl Championship to Philly this year. We stand with every Philadelphian when we say we are overwhelmed to be from Philly today. As we prepare to celebrate we would like to ask our Eagles team to stand with Philadelphia by declining as a team any invite from Trump and boycotting the White House. Stand in unity with the thousands of immigrants in Philadelphia who love you and the millions more across the country who have been criminalized by this president. Stand with the overwhelming number of Philadelphia residents that have been incarcerated, detained, been put on probation or held down by an unjust criminal justice system. Stand with our brothers and sisters from Haiti, El Salvador and other Black and Brown nations who have been insulted by this president time and time again. And make a statement against police brutality by taking a metaphorical knee by not going to the White House. President Trump and Jeff Sessions have targeted Philadelphia since they entered into office for our Sanctuary City status, deportations have risen by over 30% in our city and thousands of men and women are reeling from a criminal system that profits off of their incarceration. Show them that you stand with Philly by refusing the invitation to the White House. #BoycottTheWhiteHouse #Not1More #FreeMeek

Benjamin has been a productive and beloved member of the community in Springfield, KY. He has been a worker, a leader and a foreman, and has been given and has proven himself worthy of responsibility on large farms, primarily in the tobacco industry. It was on a day that Benjamin had stopped to collect workers for the farm that ICE agents appeared and pulled him from the life and family he'd known for more than a decade, throwing him in prison like a common criminal. Benjamin is a hard worker and a respected leader. He has never been accused or convicted of a crime in the US or Mexico. Benjamin has lived primarily in the US since the latter 1990s. He came here to work, and to escape the violence of his state, Veracruz, where he was shot, "mistakenly" and almost killed by the police, who are in cahoots with the cartels. He has lived here continuously for 11 years, and has been married to an American citizen, Pansy Coleman Valdez, for 12 years. Together, they have a foster daughter, Keeland, who is twelve years old. Keeland loves her "Big Daddy" so much that she convinced Pansy and Benjamin to have a vow renewal, all decked out like a second wedding, because she had missed the first. And for her, their little "Pupcake," they will do anything! She had her own "wedding dress!" Benjamin's life is centered around his family, his church, his garden, and helping others. Even while imprisoned these six months, he has practiced his faith and forbearance by teaching Bible lessons and hymns to other inmates. Meanwhile, he has been denied his medications and has been without his C-Pap machine which he needs for sleep Apnea and asthma. He has lost sixty pounds while in prison. After he was taken away, I went over to see if I could help with his garden, and I was astounded. It was the most well-tended, productive, and organized garden I'd seen outside of grand estates. Clearly, Benjamin had spent countless hours lovingly tending it. What I learned only recently is that this whole area had been covered with scrubby trees and that Benjamin had cleared them all before he had even started the garden, which covered an acre or more. He had not seen his wife and daughter for almost six months, as Pansy does not drive out of the state. Benjamin has been the provider as well as the emotional support for his small family. He stood by Pansy as she cared for her dying mother for several years. He is a devoted father to Keeland, who is suffering from his loss, especially since her birth mother died in the Fall of 2017 from a drug overdose. Keeland already suffers from numerous developmental delays and emotional traumas caused during her early years, including RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder.) Pansy is unable to work outside the home due to disability. There is no question of them going to Mexico, even to visit. They cannot take Keeland out of the country, due to the permanent custody agreement. Furthermore, as Benjamin has argued, his home state is by far the most dangerous, and he has a certainty that, having lived in the US for so long, he will be targeted for kidnapping or ransom. Not only do Pansy and "Pupcake" need Benjamin, they love him with all their hearts. To send him away would be a grave injustice and would do great harm to his family.