Between May 2018 and June 2019, Armando Arzate and his fellow workers put long hours of skilled labor into Vanderbilt Divinity School’s expansion. Vanderbilt University contracted with Orion Building Corporation, their frequent construction partner, to oversee the project. Orion Building Corporation then subcontracted with Joe Haas Construction Company for cement work, and Joe Haas Construction hired Armando and his team. Even when Joe Haas started withholding wages, the workers continued and completed the work with pride and skill, determined to stay true to their word. At this time, Armando and his team are awaiting $66,000 in claimed wages. Armando and the other workers, with the support of VDS student and alumni volunteers, have repeatedly requested of both Joe Haas and Orion that their wages be paid, only to be met with threats and indifference. This week, over a month after we initially reached out to them, members of the administrations of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Divinity School met with us and heard our concerns. They listened as Armando once again described how he and his crew has been mistreated, and they expressed their intention to investigate and seek a resolution. However, they did not commit to a schedule for payment, and meanwhile Armando and his team continue to experience economic hardship. Until they are paid we will not relent in ensuring that the administration faces the urgency and the weight of this situation. It is shameful that Vanderbilt University would allow the buildings and infrastructure that provide opportunities to its students to be built with exploited labor. It is all the more a moral travesty that Vanderbilt Divinity School, which professes to be committed to justice and liberation, will be celebrating the grand opening on August 23 of a new addition built by workers who continue to suffer. Guests will mingle and admire floor tiles declaring “JUSTICE” and “LOVE,” but the declarations will be hollow and ironic. Vanderbilt University has the opportunity to redeem this situation by doing all in their power to influence Orion to make their subcontractor, Joe Haas, pay their workers the $66,000 in claimed wages, or if necessary to take responsibility and correct the deficit themselves. It is also incumbent upon Vanderbilt University to publicly cease business with Orion until Orion commits to using high road contractors that treat their workers fairly, and that quickly address any violations. Armando and his fellow workers are suffering because of the greed of Vanderbilt University and its contractors, and we must join together to correct this injustice immediately. ________________________________________________________________________________________ PETICIÓN: Alto al Robo de Salario en la Renovación de la Escuela de Teología de Vanderbilt! Nosotros quienes firmamos abajo pedimos que la Universidad de Vanderbilt asegurar el pago completo e inmediato de todos los trabajadores quienes han trabajado en el proyecto de expansión y renovación de la Escuela de Teología de Vanderbilt. Entre Mayo de 2018 y Junio de 2019, Armando Arzate y sus compañeros de trabajo pusieron horas largas y trabajo especializado para expandir las instalaciones de la Escuela de Teología de Vanderbilt. La Universidad Vanderbilt contrató con el Orion Building Corporation, su contratista frecuente, para manejar el proyecto. Orion luego subcontrató con Joe Haas Construction Company para trabajo de concreto, y Joe Haas Construction contrató a Armando y su equipo. Aun cuando Joe Haas Construction empezaba a retener sus pagos, los trabajadores siguieron y terminaron el trabajo con orgullo y habilidad, comprometidos a comprobar su palabra. En este momento, Armando y su equipo siguen esperando $66,000 en sueldos no pagados. Armando y los demás trabajadores, con apoyo de estudiantes y graduados voluntarios de Vanderbilt, han pedido varias veces que Joe Haas y Orion paguen la cantidad debida, y respondieron con indiferencia y luego amenazas. Esta semana, más que un mes después de que los contactamos, administradores de Vanderbilt y la Escuela de Teología se reunieron con nosotros y nos escucharon. Escucharon mientras Armando otra vez les contaba cómo el y su equipo habían sido maltratados, y expresaron su intención de investigar y buscar una resolución. Sin embargo, no comprometieron a una fecha de completar el pago, mientras que Armando y su equipo siguen en condiciones de dificultad económica. Mientras no han recibido su pago completo no paramos de asegurar que la administración se enfrenta con la urgencia y peso de esta situación. Es una vergüenza que Vanderbilt permita que sus edificios y infraestructura, que proveen oportunidades a sus estudiantes, sean construidos con labor explotado. Es un escándalo moral que la Escuela de Teología de Vanderbilt, lo cual expone un compromiso a la justicia y la liberación, celebrará la apertura de la adición construida por trabajadores quienes siguen sufriendo. Los visitantes se festejarán y admirarán la loseta declarando “JUSTICIA” y “AMOR,” pero estas declaraciones serán vacías y hipócritas. Vanderbilt tiene la oportunidad de redimir la situación, usando su poder sobre Orion para asegurar que la contratista Joe Haas pague sus trabajadores los $66,000 en pagos reclamados, o si se necesaria tomar la responsabilidad de pagar lo que falta ellos mismos. Vanderbilt debe de dejar de pasar contratos a Orion hasta que Orion se compromete a usar solamente contratistas quienes tratan correctamente a sus trabajadores, y arreglar inmediatamante cualquier irregularidad. Armando y sus compañeros de trabajao están sufriendo por la avaricia de Vanderbilt y sus contratistas, y tenemos que corregir esta injusticia inmediatamente.

We, the undersigned national and international civil society organizations and human rights defenders, urge you to respect Kanaka Maoli, Indigenous Hawaiians, by ensuring the respect of their human rights to exercise cultural practices and to peaceably assemble to protect their sacred Mauna Kea from further desecration and destruction. Ultimately, we demand an immediate end to the pursuance of the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea which is the most culturally and spiritually significant site to Kanaka Maoli. Indigenous Peoples have always been connected to and have held reverence for their mountains. Kanaka Maoli hold great reverence for their holy mountain, Mauna Kea, also known as Mauna a Wākea (Mountain of Sky Father). Mauna Kea is said to have arisen from Wākea and Papahānaumoku -- Earth Mother and Sky Father. It is revered as the origin of Hawaiian cosmology and the place where Kanaka Maoli trace their lineage to. Mauna Kea is a place of spiritual connection with one’s ancestors -- a sacred temple. The proposed TMT would be taller than any existing building on Hawai‘i Island at 18 stories high causing further devastation to the cultural landscape and open space in a conservation district that includes hundreds of Hawaiian cultural sites and shrines. This project is led by corporate and foreign interests of the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory LLC including the University of California, California Institute of Technology, and the nations of Canada, China, India, and Japan, who intend to systematically ignore and violate the human rights of Kanaka Maoli. The construction of TMT would negatively impact and interfere with the cultural and religious practices of Kanaka Maoli. This is a violation of the standards set by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), including articles 12 (1) and 25 regarding spiritual practices, and article 32 (2) on free, prior, and informed consent. As articulated in the UNDRIP articles 11 and 12, the United States, including the State of Hawai’i, is obligated to respect the cultural and religious customs of indigenous Hawaiians. In addition, the efforts undertaken by the State of Hawai’i and all parties involved in advancing the TMT project violate General Recommendation 23 of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), which calls upon State parties to ensure that “indigenous communities can exercise their rights to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs.” The construction of TMT on Mauna Kea is in direct violation of these international legal norms. Pursuing the construction of TMT would be an injustice against Kanaka Maoli and all Indigenous Peoples the United Nations seeks to protect. We, the undersigned national and international civil society organizations and human rights defenders, write in support of the peaceful resistance of Kanaka Maoli at Mauna Kea. We recognize that Kanaka Maoli have experienced discrimination and institutional racism at the hands of the federal and local governments since the illegal occupation of the Kingdom of Hawai’i 126 years ago. We stand in solidarity with Kanaka Maoli as they express their right to self-determination, knowing that their struggle to protect Mauna Kea is felt by Indigenous Peoples around the world. We demand that their peaceful protests are met with respect, and we ask for a prohibition on any and all use of force against nonviolent demonstrators. Finally, we demand an immediate halt to the pursuance of the TMT project on the sacred temple of Mauna Kea. Please contact the US Human Rights Network Deputy Director Salimah Hankins with any questions or concerns regarding this letter: [email protected]. Sincerely, US Human Rights Network

On Monday July 22nd, ICE agents attempted to detain a father and son in Hermitage. ICE agents called Metro Nashville Police Department and requested assistance in detaining the family, and Nashville Police Officers. The police officers stood by ICE for several hours as the father and son refused to exit the van. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: https://www.facebook.com/mixnashville/videos/2105602209734333/ At one point ICE agents intimidated the father and son by stating that if they didn’t exit the vehicle- they would have Nashville police officers arrest him, saying, “We’ll just call the cops and they’ll arrest you, and then when they’re done with you in the jail, then we’ll get you”, and threatening to come back for his wife. You can watch this video that was recorded by the courageous dad while he was surrounded by ICE. We demand an investigation of Metro Nashville Police Department's decision to accompany ICE. After Monday’s thwarted ICE arrest, Metro Nashville Police Department, along with Mayor Briley, released a statement saying the presence of Metro Police served as crowd control and as a “peacemaker”. We know from video accounts and statements of our responders that MNPD showed up when ICE called them to assist with the arrest, long before there was a “crowd”. Additionally, MNPD repeatedly and falsely informed responding friends and neighbors that ICE had the correct warrant, when they did not. The actions by Metro Nashville police officers go against MNPD stated policy, which indicates the department does not actively collaborate with ICE. We demand an audit of MNPD practices that waste Metro Government resources by deploying public servants in acts of terror against the communities and neighborhoods they serve. We also are calling on Metro Nashville Council Members to vigorously pursue policy changes that will prevent further cooperation between MNPD and ICE that puts Nashville families at risk. It does not serve the safety of our neighborhoods for our local law enforcement resources and personnel to be deployed in support of a deportation campaign against immigrant members of Nashville’s communities. Other organizations signing on to the effort include: Community Oversight Now Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights Mijente National Workers Dignity Mijente Louisville Siembra North Carolina Congress of Day Laborers, Showing Up for Racial Justice - Nashville No Exceptions Prison Collective Nashville Indivisible Middle Tennessee Indivisible

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is holding its annual trade symposium at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Chicago on July 23rd & 24th. We are calling on Marriott Marquis Chicago to cancel the conference and want to make it clear that CBP is not welcome in our city in any capacity. On July 11, 2019, Marriott International published a statement declaring that they would not allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use their hotels as a detention facilities for immigrants. The statement came after ICE announced it planned to use hotels in place of detention centers to address overcrowding in their facilities. Marriott stated: "Our hotels are not configured to be detention facilities, but to be open to guests and community members as well.'' By hosting the Customs and Border Protection Trade Symposium, Marriott is showing that they in fact are not an open and safe space for guests and community members, and are actively enabling CBP and its profiteer company collaborators to continue to build the deportation machine which is used by both CBP and ICE to terrorize immigrant communities. By hosting a conference full of CBP officials and collaborators, Marriott is participating in creating an unsafe environment for Chicago residents, and it needs to be known that CBP, ICE, & DHS are not welcome in our city. In order to show that they truly stand with immigrants, Marriott must cancel the symposium and refuse to collaborate with CBP and ICE in any capacity moving forward. In addition to signing this petition, please call the Marriott Marquis at 312-824-0500 and voice your support to cancel the CBP conference!

While the Trump regime has continued to expand its violence against migrants at the border and in detention camps across the country, including the “zero tolerance” policy and family separation, Virginia elected officials have continued to receive political contributions from the same ICE contractors and collaborators enacting Trump’s agenda. MVM, Inc., founded by Dario Marquez Jr., is and has been a loyal political contributor to Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA 11th District), Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and the Democratic Party of Virginia, as well as to other establishment entities working to elect Democratic candidates in Virginia. In addition to MVM Inc., member of Congress Gerry Connolly has also received thousands in contributions from General Dynamics, another ICE contractor, and Amazon, which has been described as the “backbone behind ICE’s immigration crackdown” by providing technological infrastructure to ICE through its collaboration with Palantir.

Jeff Bezos claims doesn't want you to know: Every day, ICE uses technological weapons hosted on Amazon's cloud to terrorize immigrant communities. We are writing to Jeff Bezos in support of the 52,000 immigrants currently being held in detention camps and the millions of immigrants deported from the U.S. over the last 10 years. —Immigrant families are being torn apart across the U.S. and thrown into detention camps and prisons. The human rights abuses in detention camps have escalated to unprecedented heights—officers forcing immigrants to drink out of toilets, denying immigrants toothbrushes or soap, sexually assaulting immigrants—all undergirded by the constant fear of being detained indefinitely and anxiety over being sent back to their countries or origin, where many face threats of violence and death. —And we know ICE is responsible for many deaths—like the death of 20 month old Mariee Juárez, who died just weeks after being released from an ICE detention camp last year. —Palantir runs on AWS. We know that ICE relies on Palantir to power its detention and deportation machine—using it to hunt down, track, detain, and deport immigrants across the country. In response to your company's ties with ICE, your Executive Brian Huseman noted at a NYC Council hearing that "the government should have the best available technology." Is Amazon proud to be providing the best available technology to Palantir so they can help ICE to detain and deport immigrants, families, and children? Is Amazon proud of enabling human rights abuses and Trump's white supremacist agenda? Don't be like IBM—a company that will forever be remembered for providing its technology to Hitler and the Third Reich & enabling them to hunt down, track, detain, and ultimately commit genocide against the Jewish people. It's time to stand on the right side of history, Jeff. We demand you cut all ties to ICE, including ties to Palantir and any other partners that may be working directly with ICE and its detention machine. Please do it for the immigrants who have passed away in ICE and CBP custody: Jakelin Caal Maquin, 7 Roxsana Hernandez, 33 Felipe Alonso-Gómez, 8 Claudia Gómez González, 20 Carlos Hernandez Vásquez, 16 Wilmer Josué Vásquez, 2 Darlyn Cristabel Cordova-Valle, 10 Johana Medina Leon, 25 Yimi Alexis Balderramos-Torres, 30 And all those who have had their lives torn apart by detention and deportation. Signed, the Prime Day Coalition: MPowerChange United for Respect DailyKos ALIGN NY Communities for Change Make the Road NY https://youtu.be/DCOOj5BfnpQ

The Pinal County Attorney is trying to Hang my brother in front of a Jury. An all upper class Predominant Racist-White Jury. These are everyday injustices that are more than less gruesome and certainly reprehensible. I have a relative going through what many inmates are currently going through. I want Justice for him and i want Justice for all. If we start with one we can show that united we can and that we wont be defeated. Lets rise together, were there are many united no one is left behind because we are our brother's keeper's. We never leave our fellow man hanging.

For the past few weeks, immigrant communities across the country have been living in fear, while thousands languish in atrocious conditions in detention facilities and camps. ICE has been given a blank check by the current administration to perpetrate human rights abuses and feed the detention and deportation machinery. Companies like Enterprise have a choice to make. You can either align yourself with an administration that is openly anti-immigrant and an immigration system that is cruel and unjust, or you can get on the right side of history and choose dignity for all.

Two top officials in DHS confirmed the agency will carry out raids targeting over 2,000 families in 10 major cities including Chicago. Community groups believe the Mayor can do more to protect those under attack by the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement policies. On June 29, 2019, the Lightfoot administration received a copy of an Executive Order (EO) drafted by community groups responding to raids and deportations across the city on a daily basis. With the threat of massive enforcement operations targeting families due on Sunday, the Immigration Working group asked the administration to sign the EO as soon as possible and asked for an answer from the Mayor's office by July 11. ANY Executive Order or action by the Mayor that does not include the key points of the community's Executive Order will not be enough to protect our families from this threat. While the Mayor has stated publicly that she ended ICE's access to the city's databases, the Executive Order addresses other loopholes ICE and DHS agents can use to carry out raids in Chicago. Call the Mayor's office, leave a message asking her to sign the Executive Order to end Police-ICE collaboration in Chicago now. Script: Hi, my name is ___ and I am calling to demand that Mayor Lightfoot honors her commitment to protect Chicagoans from ICE raids by implementing the Immigration Working Group’s draft Executive Order sent to her office June 28, 2019. With the threat of raids starting this Sunday, we ask the Mayor to sign the order that would ensure the Chicago Police Department is not assisting ICE in any way to carry out these raids. The Executive Order would also ensure that DHS agents and ICE agents do not have access to the city’s databases. Mayor’s Office, City of Chicago: (312) 744-3300

On May 21, 2019, beloved OCAD staff Miguel Lopez received a call alerting him that his youngest brother, Jesus Alberto Lopez Gutierrez (A-204588492), a long time resident of Chicago, was turned into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a traffic stop by a local Iowa police officer on his way home from a camping trip. Jesus Alberto, or Beto, came to the United States when he was nine years old and has lived in Chicago since 2005. He graduated from Solorio Academy High School in June 2014 and began working to support his family that same year. Jesus Alberto applied for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and, in February 2013, his application was approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). As the youngest member of his nuclear family, Jesus contributes the majority of his wages to ensure his family’s financial stability. He is in charge of providing care and physical support for his aging parents, both diagnosed with diabetes, and his elderly grandmother who requires constant care and assistance. Jesus would spend most of his days working but, in his free time, he likes to go running in the neighborhood park and enjoys camping trips with his friends. Since his detention in May, Beto's family and community launched a campaign to stop his deportation but by September, the immigration judge overseeing his case ordered his removal. But Beto is not giving up, with the support of his legal team he decided to sue the agencies that are keeping him locked up and away from his family. Morever, ICE’s top officials in Minnesota have the authority to release Jesus from detention so that he has the opportunity to apply for DACA. Sign the petition to demand Minnesota ICE Field Director Peter Berg to release Jesus Lopez immediately from Freeborn County Jail in Minnesota on his own recognizance and allow him to proceed with his DACA renewal process. ******** Español ********** El 21 de mayo de 2019, el querido miembro de OCAD, Miguel López, recibió una llamada para alertarlo de que su hermano menor, Jesús Alberto López Gutiérrez (A-204588492), residente de Chicago desde hace mucho tiempo, se encontraba en custodia de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) después ser detenido por un oficial de policía local de Iowa en camino a casa después de un viaje de campamento. Jesús Alberto vino a los Estados Unidos cuando tenía nueve años y ha vivido en Chicago desde 2005. Se graduó de Solorio Academy High School en junio de 2014 y comenzó a trabajar para mantener a su familia ese mismo año. En Febrero del 2013 Jesús Alberto solicitó el programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA) y su solicitud fue aprobada por los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS). Como el miembro más joven de su familia nuclear, Jesús contribuye con la mayoría de sus salarios para garantizar la estabilidad financiera de su familia. Está a cargo de brindar atención y apoyo físico a sus padres, ambos diagnosticados con diabetes, y a su abuela que requiere atención y asistencia constantes. Jesús pasaba la mayor parte de sus días trabajando pero, en su tiempo libre, le gusta correr en el parque del vecindario y disfruta de los viajes de campamento con sus amigos. Desde su detención en Mayo, su familia y la comunidad de Beto lanzaron una campaña para detener su deportación, pero para Septiembre, el juez de inmigración que supervisaba su caso ordenó su expulsión del pais. Pero Beto no se rinde, con el apoyo de su equipo legal, decidió demandar a las agencias que lo mantienen encerrado y alejado de su familia. Los principales funcionarios de ICE en Minnesota tienen la autoridad de liberar a Jesús de la detención para que él tenga la oportunidad de luchar contra sus casos y continuar con sus responsabilidades familiares y laborales sin la injusta intervención de ICE que intencionalmente lo descarrila sin opción. Firme la petición para exigir que el Director de Campo de ICE Peter Berg libere a Jesús López inmediatamente de la cárcel del condado de Freeborn en su propio reconocimiento y le permita continuar con su proceso de renovación de DACA.

We need support each other and work to end all deportations!

It’s hard to an estimate official number on how many queer and gender-nonconforming people ICE is currently detaining, but Francisco is one of them. He has been detained at Dodge Detention Center since October of 2018, far from his friends and the community that is fighting for his release. In late March 2020, his attorneys filed a humanitarian parole request to the ICE field director asking for his release given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, despite the community support, this request was denied. Francisco remains detained by ICE although he has been granted relief twice by an immigration judge, he has now been detained for over a year and a half. In another attempt to gain his release, his attorneys have filed a habeas petition. We know Robert Guadian, ICE field office director, has the power to grant Francisco his release. We ask that you email the field office director and let him know that we support Francisco. We need Francisco released now!