We – community members, local organizations, groups, and allies of the migrant community in Virginia – are outraged that one of the few Latinx delegates in Virginia, Alfonso Lopez of the 49th District, has been receiving wages from Immigration Centers of America (ICA). It was revealed that from 2014 to 2016 Delegate Alfonso Lopez received at least $15,000 in wages from Immigration Centers of America. ICA is a toxic private prison company that operates the largest immigration detention camp in Virginia, ICA-Farmville. The majority of people detained in Virginia or Washington, D.C. are incarcerated at ICA-Farmville. We, as members of the migrant community, have experienced heartbreak and trauma at the doors of this detention camp. Alfonso Lopez’s attempts to justify his wages from ICA are disingenuous and hypocritical for a “champion” of migrants. Numerous people have died in ICE custody, including Anibal Ramirez of Woodbridge, who under custody at ICA-Farmville died due to medical neglect. During the Obama administration and the time Alfonso Lopez consulted for ICA, the largest number of people detained and deported rose and ICA-Farmville increased its average daily population of detention by almost 200 people. The detention and deportation machine that Alfonso Lopez has helped build has now been handed to an outright racist administration. The current administration has endangered programs like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), putting thousands more migrant lives at risk of detention. It is clear that ICA and any detention camp is a direct threat to the migrant community. Alfonso Lopez cannot be a “champion” for the migrant community while at the same time profiting from its incarceration. We – community members, local organizations, groups, and allies of the migrant community in Virginia – demand accountability from Delegate Alfonso Lopez. We will not stand for this abuse of our community because we believe that an attack against one of us is an attack against us all. Collectively, For more info: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/veteran-latino-lawmaker-criticized-for-work-with-immigrant-detention-center/2017/12/09/99168640-db6a-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html?utm_term=.f6ab1244e300 https://www.facebook.com/LaColectiVA703/posts/738502729694265

The City of Tacoma allows for public comments at its Tuesday public meetings. They don't like what we have to say, so they are canceling them! Join us for a rally outside Tacoma City Hall to protest the canceling of the Citizens’ Forum/public comments. With dangerous institutions like ICE, GEO Group and LNG advancing their agendas of incarceration, racism, and environmental destruction in Tacoma, we need to fight to preserve the spaces where the people's’ voices can be heard.

On, Monday, November 27, Reuters released an article about the 287g program, which deputizes local police and sheriffs to work as immigration police directly with the Trump administration. A Reuters reporter submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to find out which counties around the country are exploring joining the 287g program and Rutherford county came up in the FOIA. The Knox County Sheriff's Department recently joined the 287g program in July, after previously having blocked from joining the program in 2013 due to civil rights and profiling concerns after Knoxville Sheriff JJ Jones pledged to "Stack immigrants like cordwood" in the county jail. And Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, who once championed the 287g program, abandoned the 287g program in 2012 after Nashville residents denounced it as an anti-immigrant racial profiling policy that resulted in over 10,000 deportations for low-level offenses such as traffic violations. Just over a month ago, Rutherford County was targeted by white supremacist hate groups with an anti-immigrant "White Lives Matter" Rally, which was eventually canceled after thousands of Rutherford County Residents mobilized to stand up against hate. Now is our chance to show that we won't tolerate organized hate campaigns against immigrants from our local officials, either. Will you sign this petition asking the Rutherford County Sheriff's Department to release a statement, saying they are not interested in the discredited 287g program and that they will not seek to join it?

Kern County Law Enforcement (Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff Office) were declared the most violent police force in the entire country in 2015. 65% of those shot and killed by Bakersfield Police are Latinos, even though Latinos only make 45% of the City. Earlier this month the ACLU released a report highlighting the patterns and practices of violating civil rights. Additionally, there is an ongoing Department of Justice Investigation into both the KCSO and BPD to get to the bottom of this. We in Kern County need change and we need it now! That change must start with accountability! Please help us make this a reality in Kern County.

It's exciting to have movies that explore an important part of Mexican and Latinx culture in such a creative way. It's disappointing, angering, insulting to have to watch a 30-minute teaser of a Christmas story based on "Frozen" before. To add insult to injury, the "Frozen" short shows a town of White people figuring out whether to steal other people's traditions. We thought we were at the wrong movie, but turns out we should just have shown up about 30 minutes late. #30minuteslateforCoco #CulturalImperialism #ReleaseMamaCocofromFrozen

Jose Torres is a father and immigrant leader who has decided to take a stand against the scapegoating of his family and the entire immigrant community. As an 18 year old recently arrived to the United States, Jose survived and escaped human trafficking. He made his way to New Orleans, where he found work rebuilding the city after Hurricane Katrina. He has worked in construction there ever since and has raised his family in the city of Gretna in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Jose took Sanctuary at New Orleans's First Grace United Methodist Church on November 15, 2017 because, in his own words, "it's every parent's responsibility to go to the ends of the earth for their children." Jose’s two daughters suffer from chronic health conditions that require Jose’s constant support: Kimberly has had a life-threatening seizure disorder since birth, and Julissa has chronic tonsillitis. Jose drives them to doctor’s appointments, fills their prescriptions, and makes sure they get the love and care all children need. Jose has been a long-time leader in his community. He established a designated space in his community of Gretna, Louisiana for low-wage workers to seek work safe from wage theft and criminalization, and has spoken out in D.C. against the abuses of the private prison industry. It is fully within the New Orleans Immigration and Customs Enforcement office's authority to stop Jose's deportation. Jose belongs with his daughters in the city that he helped rebuild. Sign today to keep them together.

83 families and about 400 latinx, immigrant and low-income residents, over half of them children of the Denver Meadows Home Park in Aurora, Colorado are facing imminent eviction by the park’s owner Shawnn Lustigman. Lustigman has told the residents they must leave by June 2018 so he can close the property and sell it for millions of dollars of profit and pave the way for the gentrification of the Ward 1 District in Aurora - home to thousands of immigrant and refugee families. If the owner closes the park all of the families will be displaced without any guaranteed compensation and many will have to abandon their homes and everything they have invested in it. But we can ensure a better ending! With your support we can stop this displacement AND support the residents of Denver Meadows to purchase the property and collectively own the land! Context: The residents of Denver Meadows have been organizing collectively since 2016 to stop the rezoning of their community and the gentrification of Aurora through community education, direct action and securing financing from Resident Owned Communities (ROC) USA to make a ‘market-rate’ offer to Lustigman to purchase the property as a collective and ensure that all of their families can stay. Over the last 2 years Lustigman has retaliated with eviction notices, rent increases and targeting resident leaders. Recently, after significant community pressure, Lustigman turned down an offer of $20.5 million for the property and is moving ahead to close the mobile home park and carry out mass evictions of hundreds of latinx residents from Aurora! The city of Aurora already has an approximately 12,000 deficit in affordable housing units, and many families would end up homeless if the park were to close. Mobile Homes are one of the only permanent and long-term affordable options for families - yet when park closures happen they not only leave families homeless, but often strip families of generations of wealth and savings. In reality ‘mobile’ homes aren’t mobile - it costs between $6,000 - $20,000 to move to a new park, and with very little other housing available, demolition of the park would mean permanent displacement for most of the Denver Meadows families. For  many  families  this  would  mean  changing jobs, transitioning to new schools, longer commutes, the destruction of community fabric, more barriers to healthcare, affordable childcare, and food access. Support Denver Meadows With Legal Fees: Despite continuing to face retaliation, residents of Denver Meadows have pledged to continue to fight and need support from allies to keep fighting. Residents have found an attorney to help stop the retaliation and evictions against leaders but need funding to make this a reality. Contribute to the Denver Meadows Anti-Displacement Fund Here! https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/denvermeadows

I, Ronald Fernando Contreras, am speaking on behalf of my family, and specifically, my father, Aroldo Contreras. My father is a crucial and needed part of our family unit. He is not only the most devoted and loyal father a family could ever hope to claim as their own, he is also the hardest working man I have ever known. He leads by example in our household by upholding values and enforcing strong character in me and my two younger brothers. My entire life, he has put the needs of us - his family - first. He instead of worrying about himself, he always asks first about our needs and what he can do to help us in any way possible. My father is more than just strong role model. He is also a crucial caretaker of our family. Whenever we get sick and need to go to the doctor, or the emergency room, my father is always the one who takes us. He worries about wellbeing and will do anything in his power to stop our suffering. "As a friend of Ronald Contreras the eldest son of Aroldo Soto Contreras, I can not stress how important it is for him to have his father by his side. Senior year of high school is a tumultuous period of uncertainty, stress, anxiety, and a little bit of excitement. Big decisions are made during this short period, and as someone who just went through it, having both my parents by my side was a huge weight off my chest. I can not imagine Ronald's current emotional state. Not only is he thinking about which colleges to apply to, whether or not his SAT scores are high enough, but now he has to also wonder if his father is going to be there to see him graduate. As the daughter of immigrant parents, I know how special that moment is for one's family" Alejandra Chajon. Aroldo Soto-Contreras came to America from Guatemala at age 14 in 1989, fleeing the civil war that was going on there. While he did have three DWI arrests during his early years in this country, he has since reformed himself, married, and is now the father of three children. He has held a steady job at a pizzeria in Stamford, CT for nearly twenty years, and his family has lived at the same house in Port Chester for almost a decade. ====================== Yo, Ronald Fernando Contreras, hablo en nombre de mi familia, y específicamente, de mi padre, Aroldo Contreras. Mi padre es una parte crucial y necesaria de nuestra unidad familiar. Él no solo es el padre más devoto y leal que una familia podría aspirar a tener como propio, también es el hombre más trabajador que he conocido. Él lidera con el ejemplo en nuestra casa defendiendo valores y reforzando el carácter fuerte en mí y en mis dos hermanos menores. Toda mi vida, él ha puesto las necesidades de nosotros, su familia, primero. En lugar de preocuparse por sí mismo, siempre pregunta primero sobre nuestras necesidades y qué puede hacer para ayudarnos de cualquier manera posible. Mi padre es más que solo un fuerte modelo a seguir. Él es también un cuidador crucial de nuestra familia. Cada vez que nos enfermamos y tenemos que ir al médico o a la sala de emergencias, mi padre siempre es quien nos lleva. Él se preocupa por el bienestar y hará todo lo que esté a su alcance para detener nuestro sufrimiento. "Como amiga de Ronald Contreras, el hijo mayor de Aroldo Soto Contreras, no puedo enfatizar lo importante que es para él tener a su padre a su lado. El último año de la escuela secundaria es un período tumultuoso de incertidumbre, estrés, ansiedad y un poco de emoción. Las grandes decisiones se toman durante este corto período, y como alguien que acaba de pasar por eso, tener a mis dos padres a mi lado era un gran peso sobre mi pecho. No puedo imaginar el estado emocional actual de Ronald. No solo está pensando a qué universidades debe postularse, si sus puntajes SAT son o no lo suficientemente altos, pero ahora también tiene que preguntarse si su padre estará allí para verlo graduarse. Como hija de padres inmigrantes, sé lo especial que es ese momento para la familia de uno ", Alejandra Chajon. Aroldo Soto-Contreras vino a Estados Unidos desde Guatemala a los 14 años en 1989, huyendo de la guerra civil que estaba ocurriendo allí. Si bien tuvo tres arrestos por DWI durante sus primeros años en este país, desde entonces se ha reformado, se ha casado y ahora es padre de tres hijos. Él ha tenido un trabajo estable en una pizzería en Stamford, CT durante casi veinte años, y su familia ha vivido en la misma casa en Port Chester durante casi una década.

Nelson Pinos Gonzalez is a father of three; resident of New Haven, CT, who has lived in the United States since 1993. On October 4th during a check-in, Nelson was asked to come back with a one-way ticket to Ecuador dated November 30th. On November 6th, Nelson presented his ticket accompanied by over a dozen community members at the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building in Hartford. Nelson lives with his long-time partner and his three children are U.S. citizens ages 15, 12 and 5. He is the only provider for his family. He has worked for the same company for the last 15 years. Unfortunately, just recently he was asked to not come to his work until his legal situation is fixed. His oldest daughter Kelly, a sophomore at Wilbur Cross High School said on November 6th, “We also need a father’s view on life. It can’t just be a mother. I love my father with all my heart. I have a 5-year-old brother who has no idea what is going on. My brother still has so many years to grow up with my dad. ... I beg immigration to let him stay ... He has never done anything wrong,” Kelly said. “His home is here with us.” Nelson and his family are members of the St. Anthony’s Church, as well as Unidad Latina en Acción. Since they became involved, they have committed to supporting other people in similar situations as well as participating in cultural activities throughout the city. Nelson has become the most recent case in which the current administration threats to tear apart immigrant families in an arbitrary and malicious manner. His case resonates with the case of Luis Barrios, Nury Chavarria, Marco Reyes and the Ramos family: all of which threatened to separate children from their parents – as well as Sujitno Sajuti, and elder immigrant from West Hartford. Please sign this petition, and join us as we denounce the injustices of this administration against immigrant families!

With the end of DACA, students of Phoenix Union High School District (PUSD), our friends, and our families, can no longer deal with the prospect of criminalization or deportation hanging over the heads of Phoenix Union youth. We need the Phoenix Union High School District to take a position and defend and protect DACAmented youth, students of color and all other youth subject to criminalization by removing police and the threat they represent from all of our campuses. President Donald Trump has moved solidly with and anti-immigrant agenda. One of the first actions as President was to change immigration priorities, he has now rescinded the DACA program and suggested all federally funded law enforcement must ask for documentation. Here in Maricopa county, he pardoned Joe Arpaio, a person who has terrorized our families for over 20 years. We need to know that we are supported in our schools and that our attendance to our campuses does not put us or our families at risk. A safe school is a school with enough teachers, enough social services, enough books, school programs like art, music, and other activities that will create whole and healthy communities. A safe school cannot be defined by over-policing.​ ​Phoenix Union High School District does not need police officers. SRO's on campuses are the wrong answer to solving disciplinary issues with young people that need intervention based on love and guidance. We must work together to find solutions beyond policing and treating our schools as prisons.

Since June, the detention center in Tacoma has held up to 56 asylum seekers from Cuba who claimed asylum and passed credible fear tests at the US-Mexico border. ICE has the power to release these men and women. Instead they have stalled on their cases, promising parole to some and not granting it, promising bail to others and not granting it. As of October 24, we were aware of 9 left in detention. Since August, various Cuban detainees have been using hunger strikes to protest this situation. On October 20, one Cuban asylum-seekers again started a hunger strike - he had been in detention for 4 months already, separated from his wife who he crossed the border with and who has family in the US. He was put in solitary confinement the next day and threatened with force feeding. He says, "With this strike, I demand an opportunity to be free and to be with my wife." Asylum-seekers should not have to endanger their own health and expose themselves to retaliation from GEO Group and ICE in order to make progress in their cases. We urge you to support these hunger strikers by: 1) Please sign this petition. 2) Please also call the NWDC - 253-779-6081. Urge the officers there to immediately release the remaining two dozen Cuban asylum seekers on parole. Sample script: "Hello, I am Maria and I am calling to demand the immediate parole and release of the Cuban asylum seekers who remain at Northwest Detention Center. They have been told by the immigration court that ICE has the power to parole them. They have provided all documents requested. Yet they are being kept in punishing prison-like conditions without reason or explanation. Some have been told they would be released but were not given any more detail and they are still waiting. Please release these asylum-seekers immediately. "

On October 18, 2017 U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, defending his stance against Sanctuary Cities, against protections for LGBTQ people, and towards criminalizing U.S. born and immigrant communities of color. His statements during this hearing are part of a history of unethical behavior, which should disqualify him from continuing as a member of the legal profession. In fact, the ACLU and over 2000 lawyers have filed bar complaints in Alabama stating just that. But one thing that Jeff Sessions has never lied about is being a racist - his entire career is built on oppressing communities of color. As the nation's top attorney, he has more power than ever to flush lives down the drain. Under his lead the Department of Justice has: (1) Stopped the investigation of police departments charged with racial discrimination and use of force, and instead encouraged use of army-level equipment and technology; (2) Sought to criminalize organizing and community defense by targeting groups like Black Lives Matter; (3) Increased funding for local police to push the War on Drugs, and instructing prosecutors to pursue the harshest penalty for drug offenses; (4) Attacked municipalities that seek to assure protections and constitutional rights for all residents, including immigrants; (5) Advocated for the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), taking away protections from deportation for hundreds of thousands of young people, work permits, and ability to travel; (6) Increased incarceration rates by targeting people with simple drug-related convictions and immigration-related crimes like crossing the border (entry and re-entry); (7) Has interpreted constitutional and human rights protections on gender as rights that do not apply for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals; As Attorney General, he is not Trump's attorney, he is the attorney of all the people of the United States. His actions demonstrate that he is incapable of representing the country and all of its people. His active advocacy against our communities is the epitome of injustice and it renders him unfit to be a lawyer, much less the person at the head of defending the interest of the United States. Join us in calling on the Alabama State Bar and the Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate Jeff Sessions' misconduct.