7/1/25

        A 13th person has died in ICE custody, making this year ICE's deadliest in a generation only halfway in. This comes as the Trump regime is empowered by the Supreme Court to disregard legal challenges leveled by lower level courts and as Trump levels challenges against birthright citizenship. Meanwhile, ICE acts with impunity as it arrests lawmakers for demanding they obey the law and snatches up migrants attending immigration hearings- the ones doing it "the right way", as Republicans claim to have no issue with. Right wing ideologues have become less subtle in their bigotry to accommodate, with Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk saying that, "It's not just the open border, it's our suicidal legal mass migration policies... green cards, chain migration, refugee resettlement, anchor babies, and asylum scams. This all needs to be ended". This rhetoric is undemocratic and un-American. America offers a promise that if you are committed, you can build something better for your children than what you had. This promise is offered to every American and everyone who wishes to be one. These "illegals", as so many are willing to label them, have been building this nation for generations. They came here in the 1880 to work alongside Americans to connect this land. They came here in the 1940s to work alongside Americans to feed this land. They could be anything, but choose to be Americans, to accept this promise offered to them and to their children. They are the poor, the tired, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. If America is not for them, then who is it for?!

        Any action that can be taken against these policies must be taken. Beyond the 50501 movement- which organized the massive No Kings protest and is planning more events on the 4th and 17th of July- we must take targeted action against ICE and it's operations. Icemap.dev and StopICE.net, both volunteer run groups, provide up to date information on ICE raids. If you can, contribute to them or spread information about them so people who need them may see them.

        Meanwhile, a massive prison complex is currently being constructed for use by ICE in Florida's Miami-Dade county. Gleefully referred to as "Alligator Alcatraz" by Republicans, it has faced controversy for it's inherent nature, for being constructed with FEMA funds as hurricane season begins, and for the feared damage it could do the the Everglades, a critical part of the state's ecosystem. Friends of the Everglades, a local environmental group, is filing a lawsuit against its construction. You can donate to them or, if you live in Florida, join a protest against the construction or organize one yourself- the 50501 website has a number of resources on how to organize and conduct one. Be sure to protect your identity by covering your face and only posting photos after removing metadata, as far right groups have been known to harass protesters.

        And, as always, spread awareness on the legal rights of migrants. The tarjetas rojas provide information on legal rights in a format that can fit in a person's hand, while AOC's Know Your Rights website provides more comprehensive information. Spread this information to where it needs to get, whether that means giving it directly to someone who needs it or simply sharing it on the internet. While ICE has repeatedly disregarded the rights of the people it targets, every defense that migrants have slows them down. Every dollar and moment they have to spend on this is one they cannot spend on their criminal agenda.

        God bless America.