On August 31, Genoveva Ramirez accompanied by other OCAD leaders, her attorney, and various elected officials, appeared before ICE for her check-in. After a two hour wait and abusive treatment which individuals like Congresswoman Schakowsky and IL State Rep. Lisa Hernandez described as “unlike any other treatment [they] have ever received”, ICE once again denied the request for discretion of our ‘Abuelita’ Genoveva Ramirez, a 67 year old grandmother and long-time Chicagoland immigrant and union leader. ICE told Genoveva to return to ICE on September 28 with plane tickets to leave the country before the end of October. While this news weighs heavy on the Ramirez's family, Genoveva herself reminded her supporters that, “We will keep fighting. We have to keep fighting.” Genoveva’s case is not new to Ricardo Wong, ICE Field Director. Since 2013 Genoveva and supporters have shown up in multiple occasions to ask Director Wong to stop her deportation. But this year the local office has decided to continue proceedings against her. Under the Obama administration, Genoveva’s case was treated with discretion multiple times. Under Trump’s leadership, ICE feels empowered to do whatever they want : they have explicitly stated that they no longer have priorities or discretion, and that they will deport anyone, including this grandmother, with no regard whatsoever for consequences for her or her family.

The safety of our communities is of the utmost importance and Motel 6's actions have shown that they cannot be trusted. We must boycott Motel 6 and stand against all those who seek to harm our loved ones. Read more about Motel 6's work with ICE here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/us/arizona-motel-6-ice.html?mcubz=0

We demand that ICE immediately parole and release all the Cuban asylum seekers detained at Northwest Detention Center. Approximately 30 Cuban asylum seekers are detained in the Northwest Detention Center at the time of this petition's creation. While their female relatives and children were paroled and released at the Texas border, they were transferred to the Tacoma facility where they have been virtually stonewalled by ICE. More than 14 have participated in a hunger strike since August 27 in an attempt to get ICE to move their processes along. This is the fifth hunger strike at the NWDC so far in 2017, which ICE and GEO Group claim is a model immigration detention facility. Since August 27th, strikers reported threats of being placed on IV and force-feeding, and some strikers were placed in solitary confinement. They also reported that GEO administrators did not monitor their vitals or physical health. Hunger strikers stated that ICE has given different excuses for not releasing them, including telling them that that they cannot determine whether they are Cuban, despite being provided with birth certificates and identification cards; others have stated that ICE has given no explanations or excuse, and some have not even received court dates or interviews with ICE authorities.

The militarization of police departments is dangerous to communities of color and vulnerable populations. Dissent should not be punished, it's our right to voice our opinions and demand justice. We cannot continue to be harassed by white supremacists who leave the premises protected, and be targeted by white supremacist institutions like the Phoenix Police Department for calling out the very system that tear gasses, tackles, shoots us, and takes our lives. The residents of Phoenix have elected a City Council to be more reflected of the communities that live in this City. We need you to stand with us, to represent our concerns, and to stop the criminalization of dissent in our city.

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 .