On May 4, 2017, GEO Group filed a complaint against the City of Tacoma, claiming that the NWDC is a correctional facility, and should be granted preferential treatment as an "essential public facility." On September 20, 2017, the State of Washington filed suit against GEO Group for violating minimum wage laws, noting that the NWDC is not a correctional facility. We call on the City to acknowledge this legal distinction and call on GEO Group to respect city, state and federal laws.

Alderman Raymond Lopez has suggested that the City of Chicago hire more police officers to enforce all the laws in the books, as a way to give out more tickets and increase the City budget. Specifically, he has mentioned going after people selling elotes, candy or other items on the sidewalks; people who are playing loud music; and Taco makers who are trying to make ends meet by selling from home. Meanwhile, the budget for police in Chicago makes up 40% of the entire city budget. In addition to that, just in 2016 City of Chicago taxpayers were responsible for covering $52 million on police misconduct payouts and litigation. And recently, Mayor Emanuel proposed a $95 million dollar police training academy. It doesn't make sense to pay the City debts on the backs of our communities, especially when there is so much money being spent already on policing and criminalization. You can read more about his stance here: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/ald-lopez-wants-city-to-hire-50-super-ticket-writers/, and on his facebook page, here: https://www.facebook.com/RLopez15thWard/ #firelopez #defundthepolice #nocopacademy

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. Although about half have been released, the rest remain in detention with no information about the course their cases will take or how long they will remain in prison-like conditions. Since August, various Cuban detainees have been using hunger strikes to protest this situation. On September 26, seven Cuban asylum-seekers again started a hunger strike, saying that this is the only tool they have left to get ICE to respond or communicate about their cases. But these detained 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 - 253-779-6000 Ext 1, then Ext. 4. 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 bein 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. "

These women have never been in prison and DO NOT have any criminal record. They don't speak English and when they speak up they are harrassed and threatened with isolation by detention officers. All they are asking is for parole so they can be represented legally in the immigration court in the state where their family lives and can prepare for in the right legal defense. They are are NOT dangerous to the community and there is NO fear of leaving the country prior to their immigration hearings due to the fact that they are asking for political asylum.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have opportunities to move the Dream Act quickly and cleanly. But after a meeting with President Trump, they announced they had reached a bargain with Donald Trump tying the fate of immigrant youth to militarization of the border. The announcement included no details about legislative language and conflicting reports have already emerged. After Sen Pelosi was interrupted in CA by a group of undocumented youth, she came out the next day and publicly declared that she would work to pass a clean DREAM bill. The undoucmented youth took a stand because our voice voices have excluded from the discussion even though their decision will affect us and our families. Chuck Schumer has yet to make a public statement in support of clean DREAM. If New York claims to lead the "resistance" than we need actions to back up that claim not silence when we need him and others to lead.

The Ramos' 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.

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