We, the undersigned residents and community members of Key West, Florida, respectfully petition for the immediate release of Edward Lee Martin Stinton, who was recently detained by Border Patrol and is now being held in ICE custody.

We are not terrorists. We are not criminals. We are people who are suffering. We legally won the Diversity Visa Lottery, and we have the right to enjoy this opportunity just like everyone else. We are fleeing war in our country and asking for help — not to harm, but to live a better life and build a future for ourselves and our children.

When community members protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) raids to protect their neighbors this weekend, they were met with what The New York Times called, “an extraordinary show of force.” “Dozens of federal agents wearing helmets and green camouflage arrived in two hulking armored trucks and other unmarked vehicles, and were soon approached by a crowd of immigrant activists and supporters. Some agents carried riot shields and others held rifles, as well as shotguns that appeared to be loaded with less-than-lethal ammunition.” This is mass deportation under Trump. Now that he has deployed thousands of National Guard troops along with 700 active duty Marines to crush protests in the Los Angeles area, more violent intimidation and threats to free speech are likely. Troops and tanks don’t belong on LA’s streets, or anywhere. But the horrifying reality is that Trump’s military flex likely won’t be limited to southern California or his DC tank parade — and that’s why we’re reaching out today with an urgent call. This is no time for business as usual. Senators have a crucial role to play in securing an end to the ICE raids and Trump’s violence-first responses. The good news? They’re more likely to do it if they hear from you today.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of California President David Huerta was assaulted, injured, and detained while advocating for immigrant workers. He was hospitalized for a head injury sustained during his arrest, but the federal government has charged him with with conspiracy to impede an officer. David, a husband and father of two, is also a well-known and beloved community member. From organizing with Justice for Janitors to his decades of work with SEIU, Huerta has been a champion for workers in Los Angeles. In 2014, he was awarded the National Champion of Change from then-President Barack Obama for his advocacy and commitment to fighting for immigrant neighbors. And now, the Trump administration threatens to imprison him.  The Trump administration is trying to silence civil unrest and using workers like David to intimidate everyday people from exercising their fundamental rights. Add your name to show your solidarity with David and the immigrant workers across the country that he was defending.

No matter how Trump and Stephen Miller dress them up, their recently announced travel ban and ALL the others they have attempted amount to the same thing: A racist immigration policy that leaves people to suffer and struggle. Communities across the country have recently seen their neighbors disappeared, abducted, detained, and deported. With the latest iteration of Trump’s infamous Muslim Ban set to go into effect as soon as 12:01 AM on June 9, the chaos, fear, and harm will only deepen. Make no mistake: Travel bans do not make anyone safer. Centering bigotry and hatred at the heart of U.S. immigration policy will only separate families, demonize immigrants, and strip our country of the values — of the people — who help make it great. But we anticipated this move, and that’s why we’re ready to demand the kind of policies that keep people — everywhere — safe. The good news? Champions in Congress are speaking out. That’s the kind of leadership necessary to repeal these hateful bans, remind the White House that Congress — and people like us — have a say in our governance, and send a crucially needed message of hope and welcome to people whose lives Trump is upending. It’ll take a sustained groundswell of opposition in the coming days and months to make it happen. How do we get that? You. Sign now to send every member of Congress a loud and clear message: No Ban Ever.

The mass detention, deportation, and surveillance of immigrant communities are a stain on our country's history. The GEO Group, CoreCivic, and the banks that finance them are all complicit. *Photo by Molly Adams.

It’s a budget betrayal of working families, immigrants, and communities already pushed to the brink:  Congressional Republicans would funnel TRILLIONS to weapons contractors, private prison profiteers, and mass deportation operators. The kicker? They’d gut essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP to pay for it all.  If this bill reaches the President’s desk, it’ll do one thing: Embolden an unaccountable MAGA regime deadset on prioritizing billionaires' wallets over our communities' needs. The House passed this budget reconciliation package — and exposed deep divisions within Republican ranks that put this bill on thin ice in the Senate. It gives us an opportunity to derail these misguided priorities as this dangerous budget inches closer to the finish line. To seize it, your Senators need to hear from you now:

More details:   Elsy Berrios, a mother and Westminster resident, was violently taken into ICE custody by two agents (one of them masked) on March 31, 2025 in Westminster, MD. The agents did not produce a warrant, and Berrios was not resisting. Her daughter filmed as the ICE agents violated Berrios’ constitutional fourth amendment right by smashing her car window and taking her away. Ms. Berrios has an employee authorization document and had been working as a seamstress while she applied for asylum. Now, Berrios is being detained at the Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center in Pennsylvania, and, in an immigration court that is operating under the Trump administration Department of Justice’s interpretation and bidding, Berrios was denied bond. On April 14, 2025, Sheriff DeWees said of Ms. Berrios, “It’s about time they came up and got her. She’s no big loss to this community.” We condemn Sheriff DeWees’ cavalier dehumanization of a community member based on unsubstantiated and disputed allegations. This is just one example of how ICE agents, with the support of local law enforcement, are enacting the Trump administration’s illegal reign of terror on immigrants’ right in our backyard. Carroll County Sheriff Jim Dewees and Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker claim that local cooperation with ICE is just "common sense.” They characterize people as "illegal" for simply existing in Carroll County while they work through an intentionally broken immigration system. They conflate being arrested with being guilty. They say cooperation with ICE will make Carroll County “safer.” But, we know that these claims of “common sense” and “safety” mask actions that trample Carroll County residents’ constitutional due process rights, that pit neighbor against neighbor, that erode trust between immigrants and the police, and that result in less community safety.  In March 2025, the Carroll County Sheriff’s office signed a working agreement with ICE to provide Warrant Service Officer (WSO) training to Carroll County Detention Center deputies. Due to a bill in the Maryland General Assembly attempting to ban such an agreement, DeWees did not immediately implement it. Now that the legislative session has ended and such agreements were not banned, DeWees has a green light to begin the WSO training. The training will allow Carroll County Detention Center deputies to serve and execute ICE administrative arrest warrants to people held in Carroll County detention who are believed to be undocumented immigrants. Warrant Service Officer training agreements are part of the 287(g) program, which draws its name from the Immigration and Nationality Act that authorizes it. 287(g) agreements create partnerships between ICE and local and state law enforcement – delegating authority to allow local officers to perform some of the same functions as an immigration officer.  Sheriff DeWees mischaracterizes 287(g) agreements as “non-discriminatory” and all about community safety. But, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) researchers describe WSO Programs as “an attempt to shield local officers from liability when they violate people’s rights, and as a way to subvert state and local decisions not to participate in immigration enforcement.” In direct contradiction to DeWees’ claims –  • Uniform crime report data show that 287(g) programs do not make communities safer.  • Data show that 287(g) programs undermine public safety “by decreasing trust in local law enforcement and diverting resources away from investigation of serious crimes.”   • 287(g) programs are feeding into a discriminatory immigration system. And studies have shown that “programs pushing more collaboration between local police and ICE like 287(g) use racial profiling to stop, arrest, and deport Black and Brown immigrants.” Carroll County residents’ politics are varied, but we are united in our desire to keep an inhumane, illegal, and weaponized immigration system out of our county. We have seen how ICE agents violated Elsy Berrios’ rights in our community. We have  seen ICE agents enacting illegal orders by detaining and “disappearing”  Kilmar Abrego Garcia and over 200 other immigrants to CECOT prison in El Salvador with no due process. We have seen ICE weaponized to suppress the free speech of students and others who lawfully protest. We have seen videos of ICE agents harassing and brutalizing people all over the country including in our region. Imagine what we have not seen! Under any circumstances, we do not support local cooperation with ICE or 287(g) agreements, which have been shown to be racist and dangerous for communities. Under the current presidential administration, cooperation with ICE and implementation of 287(g) agreements amount to local facilitation of and complicity with illegal and inhumane orders. ICE is currently not operating under constitutional principles. Therefore, Carroll County residents demand that the Sheriff’s office end all cooperation with ICE and end the WSO training 287(g) agreement.  The ACLU states that “the fundamental constitutional protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution and Bill of Rights apply to every person, regardless of immigration status.” As we see these rights being trampled across the United States and in Carroll County, we are speaking up to protect ourselves and our neighbors. It is now the Carroll County Sheriff office’s turn to be on the right side of history and stand up for the rights of immigrants and all community members by serving the Carroll County community instead of serving the Trump administration’s brutal and inhumane agenda.

Refugees from Ukraine who came to the US legally need to have an opportunity to work to support their families and contribute to the US economy by paying taxes. The government of the US is refusing to renew their work authorization, forcing them to start working illegally and be on social financial assistance. This assistance doesn’t provide enough financial support, robs them of dignity to provide for their families, and prevents them from contributing to the US economy. 

The threat of ICE in schools creates unnecessary trauma, leads to damaged trust in educators, and causes students from undocumented and mixed-status families to miss school, leaving a lasting impact on their education. And surveillance and intimidation in our schools creates an unwelcoming and harmful environment for all children. Some school districts in states like California, New York, and Illinois are already taking action to protect the rights of students—and we need more districts to follow their lead and put students’ safety first.  With federal protections weakened by the Trump administration, school districts must pledge to:  • Prohibit immigration officials from entering schools if they don’t have a judicial warrant • Ensure ALL students know their rights, including that they cannot be forced to share their immigration or residency status with an ICE agent • Train all school personnel to be able to identify ICE agents and protect students Our children deserve to learn free from fear—regardless of immigration status. Sign the petition now >> 

After Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents abducted Kilmar Abrego Garcia, he was illegally deported to an infamous mega-prison in El Salvador — the same country he fled as a teenager because of gang violence. Despite a unanimous Supreme Court order that Abrego Garcia be returned, the Trump administration has refused to act. Instead, they’re stonewalling and causing more harm: His wife and three kids have been forced into a safe house after U.S. officials posted their home address on social media. Experiences like this are becoming horrifyingly commonplace, but cracks in a horrible deportation machine are showing. Trump's immigration approval rating sank 10 points in April. ICE buses filled with people to be deported have turned around. Senator Chris Van Hollen went to El Salvador himself to push for Abrego Garcia’s safe return. After being denied access at CECOT, the notorious mega-prison, he was able to speak with him and confirm that he is still alive. Over the past few weeks, more members of Congress have met with detainees and political prisoners to amplify their stories and fight for everyone’s rights. It’s critically needed leadership, but it wouldn’t have happened without activists like you pushing for it, so let’s keep going. Gratitude can make a HUGE difference in moments like this. A thank you signals you’re doing the right thing. It builds encouragement to do it again. It’s also a uniquely hot commodity — like all humans, when one lawmaker sees another get praise, they want in. If we want to see more actions like Sen. Van Hollen’s, he and other members taking brave action need to hear from you today.

Just days ago, three U.S. citizen children from two different families were deported with their mothers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). One of them is a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer who was deported without medication or the ability to contact their doctors. Lawyers say the families were taken to an ICE facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, where they were prevented from communicating with their family members and legal representatives and then put on a flight to Honduras. The lack of humanity and due process is shocking and intentionally violent.  Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in an already broken immigration system that isn’t working for anyone. And it’s becoming increasingly worse and harder to navigate for people under the Trump administration in the past few months.  People are being arrested by ICE, their families ripped apart and their children—regardless of their citizenship— kidnapped and sent to countries they’ve never called home. This is happening right now in our country. And it must stop.  This isn’t about partisan politics. It’s a matter of fairness and basic rights. Trump’s administration and these expedited deportations are violating the rights of both citizens and noncitizens. It’s unacceptable.