In the days following the inauguration, Donald Trump and his Administration have put into motion a number of executive orders on immigration (with White House leaks indicating more to come), along with directives to the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol who have been carrying out questionable enforcement practices at the border and in the interior, including an uptick in raids in cities across the country and continued reports of denial of entry.
This chaos and confusion has struck a chord of fear in our communities, but it has also sparked a wave of solidarity, resistance and action. The judicial stay on the Muslim Ban is a sign that our movement can successfully push back, but we must stay vigilant as that moves through the courts. Meanwhile, the attacks on immigrants, LGBTQI, communities of color, workers, health care, education, people with disabilities, the environment and women’s rights are daily. We must stay informed and keep up the momentum to fight back.
Below we share some tips and resources to help you stay connected and join the resistance. Dream, rise, organize!
What you can do:
- Join in local actions: You can help to organize or participate in local mobilizations on immigration and related issues; during this critical period we need to shore up street actions that bring many of us together in a public show of of our views and solidarity.
Find an event near you United We Dream has created an ongoing calendar of events around the country.
- Connect with local/regional “resistance” networks. There are various initiatives all over the country that bring together progressive groups on many issues, to share information and actions. For example, here in a link to the SF Bay Area group on Facebook: The Resistance United, San Francisco, Bay Area
- Call your congressional representatives. Here is a video from Brave New Films that explains how to do it and why you should do it.
For more information on key congressional committees and using legislative advocacy for organizing, go to NNIRR’s Legislative Resources and Tools page.
Another great resource is Indivisible — A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda. This contains good, flexible guidance on the many ways we can influence members of Congress, in particular. It is also available in Spanish: Indivisible: Una Guía Práctica para Resistir al Trump Agenda
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- You can sign petition and letters to policy makers on critical issues — help to raise awareness and register your voice. And numbers matter.
Sign the petition to End the Detention of Families and Asylum Seekers This is a joint petition from NNIRR and human rights partners nationwide.
- Check out our Education & Capacity Building resources if you want to spark further dialogue and discussion to help building a strong popular movement. Some popular education tools will help you to organize small group discussions and workshops to raise awareness on immigration issues. Our immigration quiz is a good way to introduce conversations about immigration (en español).
- How to respond if you witness any oppressive interpersonal violence and harassment: click here to learn how in a guideline from the American Friends Service Committee.
- If you witness an immigration raid, you can use social media to share information. Click here to learn how in a guideline from DRUM – the South Asian Organizing Center.