Launching the Campaign to End the Gang Database & #Faith4DACA in DC!
Last Thursday, CRLN joined OCAD, BYP100, Mijente, and other organizations as a part of the coalition to Expand Sanctuary in Chicago to call for an end to the gang database in Chicago. The campaign, calling for a review of Chicago policies to strengthen protections for those targeted by Trump administration, began focusing on expanding the Welcoming City Ordinance, Chicago’s Sanctuary city policy, to be consistent with respecting all immigrant’s constitutional rights and requiring a warrant for all police interaction with immigration enforcement. However, despite support from the ACLU of Illinois and dozens of immigrant rights and civil rights organizations in Chicago, the Mayor and City Council have failed to make the necessary changes to Chicago’s ordinance.
A few days later, Claudia Lucero, Executive Director of CRLN,
joins faith leaders from throughout the country in D.C.
to rally in support of defending DACA. As a part of today’s delegation,
CRLN joined prophetic witnesses from many regions
to call on Congress to defend DACA, while at the same time fighting for protections for all immigrants, voting no to billions of dollars to expand the immigration enforcement machine, and call for accountability from local ICE offices.
Today and everyday, we learn from and take the lead from our DACAmented & UnDACAmented immigrant siblings:
”
To all those that ask how to help and who say they stand with us:
The continued attacks affect
our
daily lives in tangible, material ways. We organize because our lives are completely political. We live the struggle, because this country has denied our humanity due to the circumstances of our births. When we step out to recharge, we are doing so to come back stronger leaders.
No immigrant should have to meet any criteria to gain your support.
Our humanity is enough to garner solidarity.
We do not need your “solidarity” if it means throwing us and our families under the bus for personal or political gain or providing a resume of contributions we’ve made to the country to garner support. We do not need your solidarity if it defends white supremacy. We do not need your solidarity if you are not centering our lives, our struggles, and our voices.
It is time for a new kind of solidarity.
To be an accomplice, start by asking yourself:
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Will you set up human chain blockade if they try to deport one of us?
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Will you slash the tires of a law enforcement vehicle when they try to come for us?
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Will you help us post bail if we or another undocumented community member is apprehended?
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Will you move aside and offer your seat on a immigration panel to an actual immigrant?
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Will you hire undocumented workers ?
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Will you fight against the forced migration that gentrification inherently creates?
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Will you provide shelter and sanctuary to immigrants fighting deportation orders?
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Will you finally shatter any notion that the American Dream is something real?
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Will you demand that the shadow economies we have built become decriminalized?
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Will you listen to us, and follow our lead?
We are the protagonists of our own story. It is not yours to tell. Offer donations, scholarships, jobs, and political connections to get resources and to stop deportations.
Whatever the next steps may be, let’s make sure to learn from the movement lessons of the past and lead with our heads held high. We have been here before. It is up to us to decide what our future will be.
Sincerely,
Immigrant Womxn of Color”
—
Additional information on what you need to know now that DACA is ending is available in
English
and
Spanish
.
Please visit ICIRR’s
Events page
for a listing of upcoming DACA information sessions and workshops.
Please visit ICIRR’s
Protection page
for links to legal, mental health, and other community resources.
You can text “DACA” to (630) 524-4106 to get more information regarding legal and community resources near you.
