ICE just blew through a court-imposed deadline to release hundreds of children and their families from family jails rippling with coronavirus, and we’re already seeing the consequences.
At least 40 parents and kids have now tested positive for COVID-19 in ICE detention*.
It’s simple: You can’t cage a virus, and the fact that ICE is choosing to ignore the judge’s order intentionally keeps families in harm's way.
This is heartbreaking, but at this stage: it’s not surprising. ICE clearly thinks they’re untouchable, but they’re wrong.
We won’t stop until families are freed from detention. Families Belong Together is organizing constantly, raising red alerts in the media, working to change the cultural narrative, and partnering with dozens of local activists and groups across the country.
This is going to be a longer fight than we anticipated. We are a small team, and it’s not easy, especially in weeks like this, but it is critical -- and so is your support.
Can you donate $20 to support Families Belong Together’s work to Free The Families?
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ICE and CBP are acting like rogue agencies: snatching protestors off the streets in Portland, detaining migrants in “black site” hotels in Texas, and just yesterday defying the Supreme Court ruling on DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program).
The actions of these agencies are the symptoms of a politics of cruelty that has flourished under the Trump administration -- tearing families apart and traumatizing children. ICE and CBP are acting like they’re above the law, and it’s up to all of us to stop them.
That’s where we come in. At its core, our work at Families Belong Together is about healing.
It’s about reuniting families that were cruelly ripped apart. It's about welcoming those who come to the U.S. seeking safety and a better life, not locking them away in squalid and dangerous camps. It's about saying NO to racism, xenophobia, and cruelty.
And it's about doing it together. Because the only way for us to overcome the cruelty against families is by working together to care for those who need it most.
So, if you’re able, can you donate $20 to support Families Belong Together’s work to Free The Families?
Thank you so much for everything you do.
With hope,
Paola Luisi, Director
Families Belong Together
