A man who stands with Trump is a pariah. After Trump called Mexicans rapists, Javier Palomarez did not step down. After he insulted Mexican judge, Javier Palomarez did not step down. After he called immigrants animals, Javier Palomarez did not step down. After Trump's response to Charlottesville, as CEOs on his business committees resigned from their advisory posts in disgust over Trump's support of white supremacy, Javier Palomarez did not step down. In fact, he doubled down and went on national television to declare that he would not resign from his position as a Trump advisor. We cannot continue to be represented by or associated with someone who stands with Donald J. Trump. There is a time where going inside is accepting a hard role on behalf of ones community and there is a time when doing so is for ones own career despite ones community Palomarez has shown exactly what his intentions are and it is time for him to end his charade of "public service".

The images of mostly young white men chanting nazi slogans while carrying torches through the University of Virginia, and the violent Unite the Right display that resulted in the death of a young woman and injury of many others are hard to watch. They are shocking, and at the same time not at all shocking in a country that has refused to meaningfully confront its legacy of slavery and legalized racism. Less so when we realize that that legacy has not only not been confronted but is still downright celebrated in the forms of Confederate monuments like the statue of Robert E. Lee that served as this weekend’s point of convergence for White Supremacists. There were many takeaways from the events in Charlottesville along with difficult questions to grapple with. Watching from Orange County I couldn’t help but focus on that statue of Robert E. Lee that the Nazis of Unite the Right sought to defend from a growing consensus to remove tributes to the Confederacy, and I couldn’t help but think of the various streets, buildings, and landmarks in our County named after KKK members. Landmarks like Fanning Elementary, named after William E. Fanning, a Brea pioneer, teacher and Klan member. As well as Lowell Street in Santa Ana, named after Joseph Lowell, a Santa Ana farmer and Klan member. For more thorough list of these check out Gustavo Arellano’s award winning series, “OC Pioneers Who Were Klan Members” and his 2013 feature, “Welcome to Ku Klux Kounty!”. For decades Orange County’s leaders and residents have refused to own up to the Klan’s legacy and influence in county politics. Rather than acknowledge this side of history, and take appropriate steps to address it they have responded with collective denial and anger at those exposing our county’s dark roots. But as communities across the South undergo another confrontation with their history, and take further steps to stop romanticizing their racist forefathers, it is important that Orange County not stay behind and wallow in a sea of denial. Lexington’s mayor, residents in Durham, North Carolina, and other cities across the country have made the move to acknowledge the vileness of the Confederacy and the racist symbols by removing the landmarks built to honor them and put in their place something that upholds our greater values. The country is in a moment of reeling after watching civil rights protesters run down by nazis. Orange County residents shouldn’t also have to face the symbols those white supremacists rallied to celebrate. We should replace them. Reference Links: 1. Welcome to Ku Klux Kounty!: http://www.ocweekly.com/news/welcome-to-ku-klux-kounty-6425325 2. OC Pioneers Who Were Klan Members: http://www.ocweekly.com/news/announcing-the-which-oc-pioneers-were-kkk-members-series-6444018 3. Lexington Mayor Announces All Confederate Statues Are Coming Down: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/13/1689254/-Lexington-KY-mayor-announces-all-Confederate-statues-are-coming-down-because-of-Charlottesville 4. Demonstrators Pull Down Confederate Monument in Durham: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/demonstrators-durham-confederate-statue_us_59923254e4b08a247276c9bf?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

On August 4th, 2017, GEO guards placed 20 people in solitary confinement because they were protesting a guard assaulting Omar. When detainees yelled at the guard to stop, GEO accused them of "rioting" and placed them in solitary confinement. Over 15 people immediately went on hunger strike, and the NWDC 3 passed the 72 hours mark that ICE recognizes (before this, they were "refusing meals"). After day 5 of hunger strike and facing threats of force feeding and getting weaker due to the lack of food, the 3 decided to stop... for now. Tell ICE & GEO that we will not tolerate guard retaliation, and demand that the NWDC 3 be released immediately! We should not wait for whistleblowers to go on hunger strike for their call to end inhumane conditions. Geo and ICE have created a hostile and violent living environment to end their organizing, their resistance and their call to the public to demand and end to this nightmare. #FreetheNWDC3

We've been watching Game of Thrones for over 6 seasons and have waited patiently for season 7. For many of us, Game of Thrones is the only escape from this miserable administration that we have- one hour each Sunday. Please don't punish the world for 45's pendejismo. Unleash the dragons and release the remaining episodes ASAP!!

CoreCivic, formerly Corrections Corporation of America runs a private prison in Estancia, NM. With the number of inmates dwindling, it is pressuring elected officials to find 300 more prisoners or risk closing. In addition to profiting from suffering and family separation, this facility has grave problems with sexual assault, use of force and detainee deaths. CoreCivic has been instrumental in passing legislation that criminalizes communities of color in order to cash in on their incarceration. Senator Tom Udall and Representative Michelle Lujan-Grisham have the power to deny CoreCivic's efforts to drum up more business by incarcerating New Mexicans. Tell them to shut it down! http://www.alternet.org/human-rights/private-prison-demands-new-mexico-and-feds-find-300-more-prisoners-60-days-or-it-will#.WYIYt1D7WWw.facebook

Donald Trump just announced executive action that threatens any city that seeks to protect immigrant residents from his deportation machine. What he’s trying to do is roll back the leaps forward we’ve made in recent years but we won’t let him. In 2017, it’s the efforts to defend Black lives and protect migrant rights that make our cities safer, not Trump’s extra enforcement promises. To keep us safe, we need to evolve our local policies to make our cities real sanctuaries for all residents, not cancel them because of the illegitimate President's latest actions. That means a commitment to separating police from federal immigration enforcement AND addressing the policing that funnels Black and other residents to jail and places criminal charges on immigrant residents, making them a target for ICE agents. Tell our mayor and city council to stand up to Trump and take action that doesn't just symbolically defend immigrants, but transforms our city's policies to stop targeting us for imprisonment, risk of removal, and state violence at the hands of police and aggressive immigration agents. The illegitimate President's threats should be cause to embolden our city leaders, not an excuse to abandon our potential progress.

Marco’s case represents the unhinged nature of ICE’s exploits, particularly under a racist and xenophobic president. Donald Trump drew on a false narrative of ‘good’ vs ‘bad’ immigrants to galvanize his base and garner greater public support. However, his expansion of the deportation dragnet demonstrates his intent to indiscriminately detain and deport immigrants. In response to this escalating injustice, we as a community must recognize and elevate the humanity and dignity of all people, regardless of any criminal history or aspect of identity. Without a holistic and inclusive movement, we will ultimately lose our struggle to cultivate peaceful communities.

Artists deserve to be compensated for their work, especially when proceeds from that work are meant to help uplift a member of our community. Please sign the petition and tell Teespring to take stop the sale of copyrighted work .

FAMILY MAN: Joel Colindrés, a Guatemalan born, 14 year resident of the US was set to be deported on August 17th, after receiving notice during a check in with ICE on 7/21/17, giving him just 28 to leave the country or fight his case. Despite years of efforts to obtain legal status and working diligently to become a Citizen, Colindres fell victim to bad representation in addition to a lengthy legal process drawn out by the immigration system. If you followed his story closely since July of 2017, you may recall that just forty minutes before his flight on the deportation date of 8/17/17, his (new) lawyer was able to pause his removal by a verbal stay from the 2nd Circuit Court. Soon thereafter, his case was transferred to the 5th Circuit Court, causing him to loose that protection. Since then, he and his family have been laying low and keeping quiet while they wait for his I-212 to hopefully be approved; one of the last pieces to his journey that if granted, would make him a permanent resident. Since getting the initial deportation date back in July, Joel has complied with all of ICE's requirements, including checking in with ICE two times a week. It was at this recent check in on Thursday, December 28th, 2017 that ICE decided that his time is up, again, despite not being finished with the process. It is their system that is saying his time is up but yet their system that is not ruling on the paperwork in a timely manner. They then issued him another deportation date, giving him and his family another 30 days to live the nightmare they were just in four months ago. All he and his family are requesting is time. Time to review his case and let the process continue. Colindrés has been married to a U.S. citizen for almost eight years and has two American-born children, ages 6 and 3. Colindrés is a hardworking, tax-paying, and loving father and husband, who has worked at the same company for his 13 years here; paying taxes for each of those years via an TIN (Tax payer ID). He is not a criminal, doesn't even have so much as a parking ticket and gives back to the community in which he resides and owns a home in. In the last years, Colindrés has checked in with immigration and was granted a stay of removal. He voluntary went into the immigration process and had been actively trying to become a US citizen. All he is requesting is more time to stay in the United States with his family while he waits for his paperwork to be processed. We are asking ICE to reconsider Colindrés' case and keep this family together. Please also sign our second petition: https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-the-deportation-17?source=c.em.mt&r_by=19584925 Please also follow the Facebook page for live updates and calls to action: https://www.facebook.com/savejoelcolindres/ Please help support the family with relocation expenses below: https://www.gofundme.com/reunite-the-colindres-family #SaveJoelColindres

The shortchanging of New York's MTA has made this the #SummerOfHell for any subway rider. The over-crowded trains, long waits on the platforms, and escapes from broken-down cars isn't the way the subway is supposed to operate. It's fixable. But that would require Governor Cuomo to invest in the improvements the system needs, not in pet projects and vanity decorations. We love our city. But we haven't been loving what's been happening to the subway. Cuomo already announced that the MTA is in a "state of emergency" but he hasn't taken moves to actually fix it. Add your name and tell him it's about time.

According to a recent New York Times article, "tens of thousands of people who took out private loans to pay for college but have not been able to keep up payments may get their debts wiped away because critical paperwork is missing." This is a fantastic idea! The article goes on to report that "many people with private student loans end up shouldering debt that they never earn enough to repay... private loans lack that flexibility, and they often carry interest rates that can reach double digits. Because of those steep rates, the size of the loans can quickly balloon, leaving borrowers to pay hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of dollars each month." However, someone at National Collegiate has the opportunity to make it all go away. In 2014, Chilean artist Papas Fritas burned the paperwork for thousands of dollars of student debt in that country. This is an opportunity to do the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKkmY-DKI78 Education should be a right, not an opportunity for predatory lenders to make a fortune. It is time for increased protections for borrowers and more regulation of private lenders to avoid the exploitation of people seeking access to higher education.

On May 1st, 2017 Wilmer Catalan Ramirez filed a lawsuit for the excessive use of force that ICE used when they raided his home, and the Chicago Police Department and the City of Chicago for wrongfully putting him in the gang database. Chicago’s mayor and city council should be advocates for every city resident who falls victim to Trump’s deportation force, but especially for those whose physical well-being is in danger and those who the city has had a specific role in leading to his wrongful detention. Wilmer's detention was part of a national immigration raid targeting suspected gang members. It is clear that ICE wouldn’t have targeted Wilmer if it wasn’t for the Chicago police department. The police created the gang database at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s request in 2012 as part of his efforts to be ‘tough on crime.’ But since then, it has proven to be like other lists of names compiled by police in other parts of the country: arbitrary, discriminatory, and with dire consequences for those whose names get entered. Wilmer didn’t find out he was on the list until ICE agents cited it as the reason they broke down his door. He never had a chance to look at the evidence and defend himself. Join us in asking Mayor Emanuel and the city council for the least they could do to correct this error and advocate for Wilmer’s release, and start to review the procedures and content of the Chicago gang database.