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.

In January of this year the Santa Ana City Council declared Santa Ana to be a Sanctuary City. Yet many of our most vulnerable neighbors continue to suffer under the City's agenda of criminalization. People experiencing homelessness are consistently the target of compassionless efforts to outlaw their every behavior. Currently, the Santa Ana City Council is considering an ordinance that would ban items vital to people's survival, such as tents or any shelter from the coming winter, chairs, and recyclables. It would make it a misdemeanor for churches and community groups to provide food to those in need, which will lead to costly lawsuits the City is not likely to win. While the City claims this is being done in the interest of public safety, this is nothing more than a transparent attempt to drive the people away from their offices, with no established shelter as viable alternative. Please add your voice to the concerned residents calling on the City to vote no on such a cruel and shortsighted ordinance. *This campaign is a collaboration between:OC HoME, OCNEP, Catholic Worker, Chicanos Unidos, Chispa, Orange County Immigrant Youth United, Resilience Orange County, and Summer of the People.

Melecio Andazola Morales is a father to 4 children, the youngest of whom is only 2 years old. In May 1998, he crossed the border and has been working in the U.S. ever since. He has spent his time here working in construction: from the Denver Coliseum, the Denver Airport, to the booming housing market he’s helped Colorado grow. He has no criminal record, and his children are all U.S. citizens. In 2017, Melecio’s daughter Viviana, a current senior at Yale, petitioned for Melecio to obtain residency. When they arrived at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building in Denver, one of the state officers told Viviana that she did not need to go into the court with her father. However, Viviana asked to go with him anyway. Though the officer had mentioned that Melecio had been recommended for approval, she told Viviana that she had to leave. Viviana, confused, left the room. Twenty minutes later, Melecio’s lawyer informed Viviana that her father had been aggressively removed from the room. She was not allowed to speak to her father until ICE arrived on the premises. When ICE entered, they aggressively pushed Melecio’s lawyer and interpreter out of the room, and said that they had an expedited removal proceeding for Melecio. However, they refused to show the lawyer proof. Since October 12, Melecio has been detained in the ICE Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, CO without due process. He has anxiety, and does not have his medication in detention with him. We are asking that Melecio be immediately released from detention. Please sign and circulate so that Melecio can be reunited with his family. You can call Jeffrey D. Lynch, Acting Field Director of Colorado ICE through this call sheet template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17zNEBjkZjO-AziJFpoZNehcmG0KcaYjpq-TmrIo8M3o/edit Here is the Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/support-melecio-andazola-morales

Ibrahim Momin and his two brothers fled Bangladesh in 2009 after being brutally beaten because of his father's political activities. Ibrahim traveled to Ecuador, and traveled across land through at least seven countries for nearly a year in order to seek safety to the United States. However, Ibrahim has faced a constant series of challenges in finding safety here. He has had encounters with the police which led to him being turned over to ICE. He has been sent to immigration detention centers in Alabama, Louisiana, and New Jersey multiple times and has served many months on the inside. He has had his asylum cases denied despite concrete evidence and documentation of the threats he faces, including the murder of his father while Ibrahim was still in detention. While Ibrahim has not been detained, he worked in restaurants in order to support himself, support his families, and get his life on track. Ibrahim was once again detained in on September 29th 2017 from his workplace in Astoria, Queens in NYC by NYPD and ICE officers. He is currently being held at Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana. Extrajudicial killings in Bangladesh have been well documented, including by the U.S. State Department. Sending Ibrahim back to Bangladesh would mean him being #DeportedToDeath IBRAHIM MUST BE REALEASED NOW! Please Take a Moment to make a call and Demand Ibrahim's Release Newark ICE Field Office: 973-776-3240 - Press 2, then - Press 4 Sample Script: "Hi, my name is __, and I am calling to demand that you release Ibrahim Momin (A# 088 440 468). Ibrahim fled Bangladesh after a brutal attack as a result of his father's political activities and affiliations. After Ibrahim fled to save his life, his father was killed by his political opponents. Ibrahim life will be in danger should he be deported back to Bangladesh. He should be released so he can continue building his life with safety."

Last week, the white supremacist groups responsible for the tragic events in Charlottesville, announced plans to hold a similar rally in Shelbyville, TN. As explained by Sharon Edwards, one of the organizers of the #ShelbyvilleLovesDiversity campaign, "It is of the utmost importance that all Shelbyvillians—and Tennesseans at large—fully understand the philosophies of those invading our public spaces. They are not, ‘good ole country boys.’ These people advocate for the stripping away of rights, and/or complete removal of, anyone who is non-white and non-Christian to create a nation where only whites are recognized as citizens." Now is not the time for silence. Shelbyville needs to know where our public officials stand. We call on all of Tennessee’s elected officials, candidates for office, ministers, business owners, and all responsible leaders of every political persuasion to issue public statements that white supremacist hate groups are not welcome in our city or our state. "As Shelbyville residents, we have been harassed by white supremacist groups who come to march in our town many times in the past, but this is our home and we deserve to feel safe and supported here. Support us by sharing this petition." -Rigo, Rosa, Nancy, Carmen, Alma, Antonio, Tomas, on behalf of Shelbyville community residents. --- La semana pasada, los grupos de supremacía blanca responsables por los eventos trágicos en Charlottesville, anunciaron planes para tener un evento similar en Shelbyville. En las palabras de Sharon Edwards, una organizadora de la campaña #ShelbyvilleLovesDiversity, "Es sumamente importante que nosotros en Shelbyville -y toda la gente de Tennessee- entienden las filosofías de los que están invadiendo nuestros espacios públicos. Estos no son 'chavos buenos del campo.' Ellos están a favor de quitar derechos, o expulsar, a cualquier persona quien no es blanco o quien no es Cristiano, para crear un país en que solo personas blancas son reconocidas como ciudadanos." Ahora no es el momento para mantener silencio. Now is not the time for silence. Shelbyville tiene que saber si nos respalden nuestros oficiales públicos. Hacemos un llamado a todos los oficiales elegidos, candidatos, pastors, empresarios, y otros líderes responsables de cualquier orientación política para declarar que los grupos de odio y supremacía blanca no son bienvenidos en nuestra ciudad ni en nuestro estado. "Como residentes de Shelbyville, nos han acosado grupos de supremacía blanca quienes vienen a nuestro pueblo para marchar varias veces en el pasado, pero este es nuestro hogar y merecemos sentir seguros y apoyados aquí. Apóyanos compartiendo esta petición." -Rigo, Rosa, Nancy, Carmen, Alma, Antonio, Tomas, en nombre de residentes de la comunidad de Shelbyville