Dear Friend,

Due to sustained pressure from movement for justice in the District the DC Council passed two major pieces of legislation today. We are incredibly proud to have worked with the amazing community groups and labor unions that made these wins possible.

Right to Return to Work Bill
After dozens of calls and hundreds of emails from DC residents the Council passed the Displaced Workers Right to Reinstatement and Retention Amendment Act of 2020. This legislation guarantees workers at hotels, restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, retail outlets and other hardest-hit industries a right to return to jobs they lost as a result of COVID-19 once they become available again. Business lobbyists fought hard against this bill and tried to water it down significantly but our strong coalition we stopped them from substantially altering the bill.

Sanctuary Values Amendment Act
The DC Council passed a strengthened, expanded Sanctuary Values Act to protect immigrant communities by permanently banning DC cooperation with ICE. For decades DC government helped ICE detain immigrants through the DC Jail, MPD, and other DC agencies by sharing information with ICE and giving ICE agents special access inside DC facilities. The permanent Sanctuary Values Act that was passed today will apply to all DC agencies and includes a critical amendment to close a courthouse loophole that ICE and the US Marshals have used to detain individuals at DC Superior Court. We join the ICE Out of DC Coalition in celebrating this important step towards a safer and more equitable DC. Thank you to everyone in the ICE Out of DC Coalition for your leadership on this campaign.

As we look towards the new year we're excited to continue to work with all of you and organizations and unions from across the city to win a District that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well connected few. If you have the means please consider donating to support our work in 2021.

In solidarity,

Nikko Bilitza
Organizer
DC Jobs with Justice
Pronouns: he/him/his