Mon. 9/23: Asylum America – Write a comment today! Deadline 11:59 pm EST.

Unless our people came here unwillingly, or were standing on the shore watching the first ships land, we are beneficiaries of asylum – our people were refugees from failed crops and starvation, from joblessness, from poverty, from corruption, from religious persecution and from threats against their lives. (Even ~~Swedish~~ German former brothel owners were welcome to return after being banished from the country of their birth for draft dodging.) In our forefather’s shoes, we walked down a gangplank into America and a new life.

We owe a debt, those of us who got here before cruel immigration limits kicked in, for there was nowhere else to go. Pay it back by standing indivisible with the people coming here now. They too, are running from failed crops and starvation, from joblessness, from poverty, from corruption and from threats against their lives, and they need our help.

Action: Write a comment to oppose Trump’s proposal to further bloat the anti-American “Expedited Removal” rule. Due tonight!

“Expedited removal . . . represented a dramatic assault on the due process rights . . . . [It grants] extraordinary and unprecedented power to low-level immigration officers to remove individuals without review and without a fair hearing.” – ACLU

Your voice matters and is needed now more than ever. Your comment doesn’t need to be long. A few sentences are fine. It just needs to sound exactly LIKE YOU.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, don’t copy anyone else’s comment verbatim. It will be thrown out by the moderator. Don’t bother with petitions either, as all the signatures only count as “1”.

Comment here

Here is the proposed rule here.
Here are other people’s comments for inspiration only: here.

Basic Information

Continue reading “Mon. 9/23: Asylum America – Write a comment today! Deadline 11:59 pm EST.” →

Wed. 8/14: Stop the “Public Charge” rule changes.

Action: Call your legislators to stop the Administrations cruel and unnecessary changes to the “Public Charge” rule.

It’s time to call in the Congressional Review Act – This action empowers Congress to review new federal regulations issued by government agencies and overrule them with a joint resolution. Congress has 60 days to do this.

(From Indivisible SF): “For generations, the US government allowed people who immigrated to avail themselves of commonly-used anti-poverty programs to get a start in building a new life, keep their kids fed, and keep their families healthy without endangering their status. Now the Trump administration intends to deport hard-working taxpayers if they use government services. Despite overwhelmingly negative public comments, DHS has allowed their expanded “Public Charge” regulation to go into effect.

This is an unmistakably class-based attack on immigration, aimed at ensuring that America allows only wealthy people to enter or remain here. It ties in directly with racist ideas of white supremacy—particularly of immigrants being a drain on (white) society—espoused on Fox News and in recent mass shootings. This cruel reversal of “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” is in complete opposition to our most deeply held ideals. And Congress can put a stop to it with the Congressional Review Act.“

Minimal script to federal legislators: I’m calling from [zip code] to urge Rep./Sen. [___] to invoke the Congressional Review Act to block implementation of the new DHS “Public Charge” immigration rule.

Minimal script to our Governor: I’m calling to urge Governor Newsom to take the strongest possible action to fight the public charge immigration rule changes and to act by executive order to ensure outreach and services continue to reach legal immigrants and their families awaiting processing in California.
Continue reading “Wed. 8/14: Stop the “Public Charge” rule changes.” →

Sat 7/27: Kids take a stand! – kids raise awareness and funds for KIND and the Rio Grande Valley Rapid Response.

What are your kids doing this weekend?

The Lawyer Moms Foundation is organizing Kids Take a Stand—lemonade stands set up all over the country on Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28, to raise awareness of the plight of migrant families and to raise funds to support the Rio Grande Valley Rapid Response and KIND (Kids in Need of Defense).

Last year, kids and families in 91 cities, across 38 states, hosted over 112 lemonade stands as part of Kids Take a Stand. These lemonade stands raised OVER $35,000!

Does your kid want to help? Go here to sign up your stand! Here is the link to the tool kit. Continue reading “Sat 7/27: Kids take a stand! – kids raise awareness and funds for KIND and the Rio Grande Valley Rapid Response.” →

Mon 7/22: Tell our county supervisors to just say “NO” to Operation Stonegarden’s bait.

Action – Tell your supervisor to turn down Consent Agenda Item #39 – “Operation Stonegarden” at tomorrow’s board meeting. (7/23)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is dangling a $390,000 Operation Stonegarden grant in front of our sheriff’s department to tempt our local law enforcement personnel into performing federal immigration enforcement operations, possibly even contravening CA’s own laws, and they’re trying to sneak it through on the “Consent Agenda”. (Tomorrow’s agenda here.)

Pima Co. – 2018: The Board of Supervisors in Pima, AZ, turned down a new contract with Operation Stonegarden, along with a new $1.4 million incentive in Sept. of 2018. (tucson.com) “Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier questions why the Board of Supervisors decided to drop Stonegarden funding after 12 years and a $16 million seat at the Stonegarden table. The question he should be asking is why he and his predecessors failed to use that seat to address the simmering public resentment and outrage that has grown out of Stonegarden enforcement priorities, priorities that have more to do with padding local wallets and pensions than ensuring public safety in underserved areas of Pima County.” Continue reading “Mon 7/22: Tell our county supervisors to just say “NO” to Operation Stonegarden’s bait.” →

Mon – 7/8: In this land of casual cruelty, the Department of Housing works to make American kids homeless. Your comment due tomorrow, 7/9.

Action – Write a comment telling HUD Sec. Ben Carson what you think of his plans. Deadline Tueday night (7/9) tomorrow at 11:59 EST.

The Trump Administration is doing what it does best… Just like the debacle of their health insurance reveal, the GOP is bankrupt of any good ideas to solve America’s affordable housing crisis. So they’re using their go-to distraction plan…inflaming the racists and xenophobes amongst us and pitting the poorest against each other, while stealing the homes and security from 55,000 American kids. All the trauma without making anything better for anybody.

Comment by Tuesday, July 9th, at 11:59 pm EST here!

The repetitive proposed rule is here.
- Ben wants all non-eligible family members out. That includes DACA kids, work permit and U visa holders as well. Or the whole family.
- He want to change the rule so that non-eligible adult can no longer be leaseholders for citizen minor children. The rule specifically says that the sole eligible member can be a minor.
- We would like Ben to go back to buying overpriced dining tables and leave us alone. No one in the video wanted to go to the dark place of forcing ol’ Ben to explain why some kids are more American than others.
If you need inspiration, cruise the comment section here. However, NOTE! DO NOT COPY VERBATIM anybody else’s comment. COPIES AREN’T COUNTED.

We have two “Background” sections for you today. One is for Ben Carson’s cynical meat-toss to the administration’s base and one is why we haven’t cracked the affordable housing issue yet and a very good idea by the People’s Policy Project. Continue reading “Mon – 7/8: In this land of casual cruelty, the Department of Housing works to make American kids homeless. Your comment due tomorrow, 7/9.” →

Monday – 6/24: Someday, a young person will ask you what you did during the time of concentration camps. Mark your calendars – 3 local actions – Join in!

There is a philosophy, in both Judaism and Islam, that is paraphrased “whoever destroys a life, it is as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he has saved an entire world.” 33 worlds are now gone.

(Go here for today’s LEGISLATIVE actions.)

“What did you do, grandpa?” – when our country ran amok, when we put scared, desperate men, women and children into freezing cages, when we pulled screaming toddlers from their parents’ grip, when we fed them inadequate or rotten food, or trapped them in vans, or carried their bodies out of our facilities.

Over the last week, we’ve read ferocious arguments on Facebook over the term “concentration camp“. We’ve seen “READ HISTORY!” hurled at each other on Twitter. We watched “Never Again” being reduced from the robust internal tripwire it should be to a verbal tombstone.

Yes, social messaging is a crucial issue in our modern political world. Everyone should be reminding their media circles that we can’t let shame or denial keep us from hearing the warning 6 million souls are screaming to us. There are also active things we can do to help drive that message, to connect with other resisters and to help affected people directly. Here are some options…

Action #1 – June 29th – “Know Your Rights” Workshop

This event, and another offered on July 9th in a different location, are sponsored by Buen Vecino and will be conducted in Spanish. If you’re interested to becoming a Know-Your-Rights educator in English, Spanish or in other languages, check out buen-vecino for further information.

Continue reading “Monday – 6/24: Someday, a young person will ask you what you did during the time of concentration camps. Mark your calendars – 3 local actions – Join in!” →

Fri – 3/8: The real immigration tragedy at our border. We can’t look away. 3 actions.

It’s not drugs or human smuggling and its solution is not a wall.

Action #1 – Make this call. Tell your friends to do it too.

An urgent message from Team Al Otro Lado! Of the 29 families that we turned in at the Calexico port of entry this past Saturday, 13 are still being held! These parents were separated from their children and then deported from the U.S. without them. We need your help putting the pressure on Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release these families so that they may be reunified with their children immediately! Call/tweet ICE today to demand their release! 1-855-681-1349.

Minimal script: I’m calling today to ask you (Ken Smith of ICE) to release the 13 asylum-seeking families still being held in Calexico immediately to reunite with their children. Continue reading “Fri – 3/8: The real immigration tragedy at our border. We can’t look away. 3 actions.” →

Sat – 1/26: Hands-on volunteering opportunity – Last-Sunday Immigrant Legal Aid Clinic.

We have a year-long “lease” for the Last-Sunday-of-the-Month Legal Aid clinic!

We will continue to help immigrants fill out their forms for citizenship, green cards and DACA renewal, selective service and even register to vote. They can continue to ask questions of volunteering immigration lawyers.

For FREE! For anyone who can get to us.

Here are the dates! Mark your calendars: 8am-3pm, 1/27, 2/24, 3/31, 4/28, 5/26, 6/30, 7/28, 8/25, 9/29, 10/27, 11/24, and 12/29. You may come for a shorter amount of time, but please be sure to carve out at least 3 hours! For new volunteers, come at 8:30.

Location: Oxnard College Marketplace & Swap Meet. We’re right in front of the student book store. Continue reading “Sat – 1/26: Hands-on volunteering opportunity – Last-Sunday Immigrant Legal Aid Clinic.” →

Thurs -1/10: Tired of hearing about our corrupt president? Some positive things to do instead…

Action #1- Today, Thurs 1/10, sign up for a volunteer information webinar for 12 noon.

This webinar describes what is happening now and how to volunteer at the U.S.-Mexico border to help protect asylum seekers’ rights. With Al Lado Otro border organizers and 2 lawyers who have volunteered in Tijuana. Login at 12noon on Thursday here.

Other volunteer and donation opportunities here and here.

Action #2 – Knowledge is power. This Sunday, 1/13, come listen to Professor-Activist Ruth Capelle speak on immigration from Central America.

Continue reading “Thurs -1/10: Tired of hearing about our corrupt president? Some positive things to do instead…” →

Fri – 12/28: #TrumpsShutdown – “There’s nothing like doing things with other people’s money…”

Quote from Donald J. Trump.

#TrumpsShutdown will cost us billions…

trump promise Government shutdowns hurt people, causing financial disruption for government employees and financial disaster for contract workers. They are also expensive for the rest of us. The shutdown of 2013 was estimated to cost taxpayers more than $2.5 billion. In 2017, analysts projected a government shutdown would cost the U.S. economy $6.5 billion per week. Add that into the $210 million already spent on Trump’s pre-election troops-at-the-border photo-op, and you get a picture of the taxpayer dollars wasted on his ineffective, immoral and environmentally disastrous fever-dream of a border wall.

Memory Lane: For those who think this country should be run like a business, Trump filed for 6 bankrupcies, destroying employee retirement funds and small businesses. “It’s called OPM. I do it all the time in business. It’s called other people’s money. There’s nothing like doing things with other people’s money because it takes the risk — you get a good chunk out of it and it takes the risk.” Continue reading “Fri – 12/28: #TrumpsShutdown – “There’s nothing like doing things with other people’s money…”” →