Phoenix, Arizona. This weekend 100,000 people marched six miles from Steele Indian School Park to the State Capitol to denounce SB1070 and demand President Obama intervene in the growing human rights crisis in Arizona. We were joined by supporters ranging from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka to the voice of her people, Grammy Nominated Singer, Jenni Rivera, and attendees who drove from as far away as Boston to support the local people leading the effort to overturn SB 1070.
In a gathering Sunday morning, movement-building organizations from across the country share their commitments to bring the Arizona human rights crisis fight back to their communities.
Participants heard from local leadership, national allies, and from veterans of the Mississippi Freedom Summer the urgency of a national response. Organizations shared ways to connect their struggles, campaigns, and creativity in breakout sessions and committed to ongoing peaceful resistance. A global call for escalating resistance to stop SB1070 was made.
“We will make this summer a Human Rights summer everywhere, “Said Pablo Alvarado,
Tens of thousands are mobilizing to Phoenix on May 29 to show the world that people from all backgrounds across the country are unified in denouncing SB1070. From Seattle to Miami, the demands are clear, that President Obama needs to end the criminalization of people of color in the state of Arizona and stop SB1070.
Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, stated, “The eyes of the world are watching and President Obama must act. SB1070 is where we draw the line and say enough is enough. Enough of a disastrous and dangerous ‘enforcement first’ strategy to immigration reform. Enough to the criminalization of workers and families. We will escalate our struggle if the President does not act concretely and immediately to stop the implementation of SB1070.”
Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Eliseo Medina, International Executive Vice President of SEIU, Luis Gutierrez (Illinois, D), Raul Grijalva (Arizona, D), and artists such as Alex Lora of El Tri and Jenni Rivera will all be
President Obama announced a decision to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border. Mr. Obama is trying to appeal to enforcement-first and enforcement-only activists in and out of Congress with this escalation, but Republicans continue to distance themselves from any measures that include a path to citizenship for those in the US without documents.
The President has also continued to expand Bush-era policies that promote or force cooperation between Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local law enforcement, like Secure Communities and 287(g). Obama has offered mild criticism to Arizona’s S.B.1070, which forces police departments (often against their will) to demand papers from anyone who appears illegal, but his Administration’s own policies are moving the whole country in that direction. While DC Jobs with Justice was able to stop Secure Communities from coming to the nation’s capitol, efforts in other places, like San Francisco, have encountered roadblocks in fighting the program.
By expanding enforcement, the President opens the door to laws like Arizona’s and copy-cat bills across the
As a catastrophe unfolds in Arizona, people across the country are preparing to defend their communities against the racist immigrant policies being implemented under the banner of “secured communities” in America.
Arizona has been in the forefront of the most deplorable immigrant enforcement tactics, with Sheriff Joe Arpio’s shameful treatment of undocumented workers, the signing of the SB1070 bill by Governor Jan Brewer that will lead to racial profiling and distrust between the police and immigrant communities, and today the passage of a ban on ethnic studies programs.
These despicable actions in Arizona have led to organizing and involvement of all sectors of the community to show their disgust against these policies and remind elected officials, especially Arizona’s governor, that their actions will lead to massive mobilization at the polls. As one good friend said “Justice delayed, election denied”
Many people across the country are fighting to keep their communities safe from these xenophobic policies and are creating safe communities for all residents, and local Jobs with Justice Coalitions have been supporting these efforts.
Members of community, labor, religious and student organizations gathered on February 11th to hear from and support workers facing exploitation at the hands of Gillette stadium’s contractor and the outrageous tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in ambushing dozens of immigrant workers.
Earlier this year ICE detained 58 workers who were on their way to work at Gillette Stadium at a roadblock in Foxboro. The workers were hired to shovel snow from the stadium seats in preparation for a New England Patriots game. These hardworking Rhode Islanders now face deportation.
This ICE attack is the most high-profile act by ICE against Rhode Islanders since the raids at six RI courthouses in 2008. It is the largest number of Rhode Islanders detained by ICE since the 2007 raid at the Bianco Factory in New Bedford.
While ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have tried to claim that the raid was directed toward people with criminal records, the vast majority of people arrested had no record whatsoever, and were unknown to ICE at the time of their arrest. According to Juan Garcia of the Immigrants in Action Committee, “This action shows that ICE is not focused on going after people
Mass deportations and workplace raids continue to terrorize communities across the United States. Racist immigration policies further divide families and communities and force millions of people to live under the constant threat that any interaction with police—however minor—could lead to detention and even deportation.
On January 26th, hundreds rallied outside the Department of Homeland Security and dozens blocked streets to bring attention to the need for immigration reform NOW. The protest was organized by CASA de Maryland and brought activists from DC Jobs with Justice, Nakasec, National Day Labor Organizing Network, and more.
Mackenzie Baris of DC JwJ explained, “this broken immigration system not only hurts the individuals and families who are caught in raids, but also hurts all workers and the economy as a whole by allowing employers to exploit the differences in immigration status to take advantage of workers and deny their rights.”
Tuesday’s action also drew attention to The Trail of DREAMs. Drawing inspiration from the civil rights movement, four students are walking from Florida to DC to bring public attention to a failed immigration system that tears
Participants heard from local leadership, national allies, and from veterans of the Mississippi Freedom Summer the urgency of a national response. Organizations shared ways to connect their struggles, campaigns, and creativity in breakout sessions and committed to ongoing peaceful resistance. A global call for escalating resistance to stop SB1070 was made.
