This July 4, as this nation celebrates its independence and freedom, we celebrate our interdependence and proclaim that an injury to one is an injury to all. While there is one mother or father separated from a child because they were not born on the “right side” of a border, none of us are free. While there is one despondent child sleeping in a cage, none of us are free.
We particularly want to give a shout out to an immigrant woman who truly understands that an injury to one is an injury to all. Pramila Jayapal came to the United States from India when she was 16 years old and today, as a congresswoman from Seattle, she is a leading light in the resistance to Trump’s vicious immigration detention practices. Jayapal has introduced HR 3923, a bill aimed at crafting an immigration detention policy that is accountable, transparent and humane. Ask your congressperson to follow Jayapal’s lead by cosponsoring this bill.
We are honored to follow Congresswoman Jayapal’s leadership. We got arrested with her last Thursday in the Senate Hart building with over 500 women. We joined her in the streets on Saturday, with massive marches in every single state in this country.
ICE was created shortly after 9/11, and it has become a rogue agency with no accountability, no transparency, and a very misdirected focus. According to Congresswoman Jayapal, this legislation would set up a commission with a mandate to redesign the functions of ICE, to be humane and transparent. Contact your member of Congress now and tell them to cosponsor HR 3923.
As Congresswoman Jayapal says, we must continue to protest the cruel zero tolerance policy of this administration, the caging of children, the separation of families, and the imprisonment of asylum seekers who simply seek a better life. We must demand that Trump free the detained children and reunite them with their parents, and allow the parents to seek asylum in accordance with due process laws.
This July 4, please do something to show that you too believe we are all one human family and that none of us are free until all of us are free. Make sure your congressperson is on the side of freedom by supporting the Dignity for Detained Immigrants bill.
With liberty and justice for all,
Ann, Ariel, Brienne, Jodie, Kelly, Kirsten, Mark, Medea, Nancy, Natasha, Paki, Rita, Sarah, Sophia, and Tighe