WhyHunger believes deeply that everyone deserves the right to nutritious food and to live a life of dignity free from fear, hunger, oppression and violence. We join our allies, supporters and hundreds of thousands of advocates across the U.S. and around the world in denouncing the treatment of immigrant families and individuals fleeing a humanitarian crisis in their home countries on the southern border.
For years, U.S. policies and practices demonstrate that our country has looked the other way as immigrants face grave injustices while picking our fruit, plating our meals and packaging our produce, all while fueling a food system reliant on exploited and undocumented workers forced into the shadows. We’ve collectively ignored the role U.S. policies have played in destabilizing economies and governments in Central America, then turned to policies of intimidation, violence and detention when those experiencing violence and repression in their own countries seek asylum at our borders.
Yesterday, our news feeds were filled with the inconceivable and heartbreaking photo of a father and daughter lying face down on the banks of the Rio Grande, the reports of hundreds of children suffering in unsafe, deplorable conditions at the hands of the U.S. Government and a pending wave of ICE raids. The humanitarian crisis at our Border and the daily fear immigrants across the U.S. face is unconscionable, fueled by racism and nothing less than a violation of human rights.
We cannot stand by. We cannot look away any longer. We must take action and we must build power together for justice. Join WhyHunger in calling for an end to dehumanizing conditions at our Border and for just immigration policies and practices that treat all people with the humanity and dignity they deserve.
Take action, organize and build power to make change
The current humanitarian crisis at the Border is a direct call for you to act. It is going to require that we all invest in building power from the ground up to form a collective voice. We ask you to join in efforts already underway by organizers across the country, to organize your own communities, or to stand as an ally on the frontlines to bear witness and demand policy makers end the travesty unfolding at the Border.
Flex your citizenship muscle: Contact Congress and local elected officials again and again and again. Give your elected officials a call or fill out a form provided by Raices, a legal defense non-profit, to send to congress requesting improvement at border detention centers and to stop the raids.
With the presidential debates beginning and primaries approaching, identify candidates whose border policies are humane, speak out and let them know we will hold them accountable to their promises. Sign the MoveOn Political Action Petition asking Democratic candidates for president to visit the Homestead child detention center in Miami during this week’s debates so they can see the gravity of the crisis firsthand. Pay attention to who takes that extra step!
Take to the streets and protest: Organize your own protest or take part in the number of protests and vigils occurring around the country and in your local communities to make it known that you do not stand for ICE raids and detention centers. It is also important to not only show up, but to be an effective ally.Solidarity is a must. It is important to stand in solidarity with those who suffer inequitable treatment. Use your personal privilege and power to stand up to injustice, put your body on the line when necessary and use your voice to demand change. Feminist Campus and Showing Up For Racial Justice provide more ways and steps to take to be an effective ally.
Here is a partial list of protests and actions to explore:
June-August: Stop Deportation Demonstrations at ICE Immigration Holding Center
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Mondays and Wednesdays
630 Sansome Street, San Francisco, California
June-August 28: ICE Expansion in Sherburne County Protest
3:30 PM Every Wednesday
13880 Business Center Dr NW, Elk River, MN 55330-1692, United States
June 29: Families Belong Together: One Year Later
12:30 PM
49 West Jericho Turnpike , Huntington, NY
June 29:Families Belong Together
11:00 AM
Owen Park, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
June 29: Rally Against ICE
10:30 AM
Bristol County House of Correction, 400 Faunce Corner Rd, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747
June 30: Action at ICE Facility
3:00 PM
Aurora, CO, 3130 Oakland St
June 30: Stop Separating Families!
2:00 PM
Lake Street & Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis MN
June 30: ICE Detention Center Rally
2:00 PM
20 Bradston St, Boston, MA 02118-2705
July 2: The Fight Will Not Stop!
9:00 AM
2035 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004
July 8-12: Week of Action: Shut Down I.C.E. Profiteers!
Various locations, check for details
July 12: Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to end human detention camps
7:00 PM
Various locations
August 5: Vigil at GEO Immigrant Detention Center
6:00 PM
3130 Oakland St, Aurora, CO 80010-1502
Donate money or supplies: Give money or supplies to our partner and ally organizations such as: Immigrant Justice Now, Women’s Refugee Commission, No More Deaths, Families Belong Together as well as The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. By supporting these organizations you are helping to provide resources, support, and safety to those who live in fear daily of deportation, violence, and separation. You can also check with your local shelters and houses of worship about what donations they may want and need for migrant and asylum-seeking families.
Educate and inform: Understand your rights and the rights of others, learn and spread the truth about the inhumane treatment at the Border, don’t let it go undiscovered. Check out these programs to educate yourself about the Border.
Report and protect those subject to ICE raids and arrests: Call the United We Dreams hotline at 1-844-363-1423or other local hotlines to report raids in your area to help inform and protect those at risk. For more information on how to protect yourself and others visit The National Immigrant Law Center.
Changing the narrative and negative stigma around immigration: There is a fear of the “other” that leads to systematic racism within our country. Dangerous and unjust narratives around who migrates across our borders and why have been forming and spreading for years, and rhetoric seeking to cast immigrants, migrants and asylum seekers as criminals, thieves and undeserving has only escalated. It is important to push back against such narratives and understand the root causes of the crisis at the Border. Take the time to have conversations and be conscious of the underlying issues that may be clouding information and beliefs. The American Friends Service Committee provides simple steps to start changing the narrative around immigrants and immigration.
Think long term: Support social movements like La Via Campesina International that are building power with peasant farmers in communities across the globe to create opportunities for everyone to live with dignity free from hunger, fear and oppression. Sign up for WhyHunger’s newsletter to stay informed on the long term work to support and help build global social movements or make a donation to support WhyHunger’s work to accompany social movements and grassroots efforts to build food sovereignty and social justice around the world.
