For decades, the Hazara population has faced ethnic cleansing, systematic persecution, and unspeakable acts of violence in Afghanistan stemming from discriminatory beliefs against their religion and ethnicity. With such great risk to their lives and personal safety, large numbers of Hazaras are fleeing from Afghanistan with refugee status to seek security from these life-threatening dangers. As a refugee, the right to international protection is one they reserve. While measures have been taken to enforce this refugee status and their rights as refugees, further progress is necessary to ensure the safety of the Hazara community. Due to the nature of the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States, the US remains a key player responsible for defending the rights of Hazaras. The US has held diplomatic relations with Afghanistan for decades now. With the removal of US troops from Afghanistan in recent years, the Hazaras are at an extreme risk under the reinstated Taliban rule making it more imperative than ever to take steps toward ensuring protection to the Hazara population in the United States. This campaign is ultimately advocating for the increase of visas for Hazara refugees in the United States by lobbying for the classification of Hazaras as a vulnerable population. Limited access to visas are forcing Hazaras to undertake dangerous journeys to other countries, live in overcrowded refugee camps for years, or stay in Afghanistan where their right to a safe life is not protected. By upgrading the severity of refugee status for the Hazara population and raising awareness about the unjust treatment they have faced for years, Hazaras’ right to a safe life is better protected. This upgrade will require bipartisan Ohio government support stemming directly from the traction created by the signatures on this petition. This campaign is committed to protecting the basic human rights of the Hazara population and the advocacy for dignity regardless of background; thank you for your support.

Catastrophic flooding has left one-third of Pakistan underwater and devastated the country’s healthcare, education, and agricultural infrastructure. 1 in every 7 Pakistanis has been impacted by the flooding. This has displaced 7.9 million people, impacted more than 33 million people, and killed at least 1,600 people and counting. After record flooding, the UN health agency warned that the country is on the verge of a public health crisis as millions suffer from waterborne diseases. Relief agencies have warned that the wait for the water to recede could last at least six months. Pakistan emits less than 1% of the world’s planet-warming gases, but it is the eighth most vulnerable nation to the climate crisis. [https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/asia/pakistan-climate-crisis-floods-justice-intl/index.html] While the United States sent some relief in monetary aid, this is simply not enough to counteract the impact of the climate crisis that Pakistan is not even responsible for. Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and Special Student Status (SSR) are humanitarian protections that have benefited numerous foreign national groups in the U.S. over the past few decades. Pakistani nationals and students should not be excluded from this humanitarian relief. **Sign this petition to demand President Joe Biden and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas designate Temporary Protective Status for impacted Pakistanis and protect Pakistani nationals already working and studying in the United States.** We also urge the Biden administration to enact policies that communicate a more serious commitment to support Black and Brown working communities, here and abroad, that are disproportionately impacted by climate disasters. The humanitarian crisis facing ordinary Pakistanis is unthinkable. Millions of people lack access to food, clean potable water, or safe shelter and have lost their ability to work the lands impacted by the floods in a country where agriculture is the predominant source of livelihood. The hit to the agricultural sector threatens a severe food crisis. There is not enough dry land to properly bury those killed due to the floods. To make matters worse, over 1.1 million houses have been washed away, an estimated 18,000 schools have been destroyed, and millions of Pakistani mothers and infants face increased risks to life and health. Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can designate a country for TPS if the country is experiencing ongoing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. TPS allows its beneficiaries to stay in the U.S. during the designation period and receive work permits. It is lifesaving, blanket protection that allows people from a designated country to remain in the U.S. while conditions in their home country make a safe return impossible. In addition to these more immediate demands, we believe that longer-term action is urgently needed. Governments can no longer ignore their responsibilities to fortify communities vulnerable to global warming, center safe pathways for migration as essential climate adaptations, enact stronger legislation to eliminate carbon emissions, increase mitigation efforts, and implement equitable climate finance like the Loss & Damage Finance Facility being discussed under the UN Convention on Climate Change. **While longer-term commitments are needed to support Black and brown communities disproportionately impacted by climate disasters, the best thing President Joe Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas can do right now is to use programs like TPS and SSR to provide relief and respite for impacted Pakistanis.** A designation of TPS and SSR would allow Pakistani immigrants, including students, the ability to work in the U.S. and provide relief to their families back home while bolstering the larger economy. Sign this petition to request relief for impacted Pakistanis. – Coalition partners: Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Communities United for Status and Protection (CUSP), Climate Justice Collaborative at the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), and Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM) – Banner image credit: Guardian/Husnain Ali/AFP/Getty Images – For more context, read these reflections from Pakistanis directly impacted by the floods. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/10/opinion/pakistan-floods-flood-crisis.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/world/asia/pakistan-floods-food-crisis.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/15/world/asia/pakistan-floods-dadu-sindh.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/03/opinion/environment/floods-in-pakistan-climate-change.html https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/scale-of-destruction-due-to-pakistan-floods-nearly-incomprehensible https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/climate/pakistan-floods.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/world/asia/pakistan-floods.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/climate/pakistan-floods-global-warming.html

Before Hurricane Fiona hit, Puerto Ricans were being subjected to nearly daily power outages that were burning out generators, leaving hospital patients at risk, and forcing children to do their homework under flashlights. For this state of misery under the LUMA Energy consortium, households and businesses were issued SEVEN rate hikes—in one year alone. This abuse is unconscionable. After more than 100 organizations sent letters to the Commonwealth and Federal governments, and to Congress, and after attempts by legislators in the Island to withhold funding from LUMA Energy were blocked by a Congressionally-imposed fiscal control board, Puerto Ricans en masse took to the streets. Their demand that went unheeded: Cancel the LUMA contract. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, we echo the call of the people being harmed by this bad contract and incompetent service provider. Do right by the people by canceling this contract before Nov. 30th. Otherwise LUMA will be locked in for 15 years. In fact, all you have to do is not sign any renewal contract. To President Biden and Congress, we say Puerto Rico MUST have a sustainable and clean, renewable energy grid that is reliable, hurricane or not. The federal government should take immediate steps so that what should have been done after Hurricane Maria is accomplished. Federal reconstruction funding to rebuild the electricity grid should be required to be used for only sustainable and clean, renewable energy projects, not dirty, polluting fossil fuels. FEMA should reprogram the tens of billions already available in disaster funding to municipalities and NGOs. As energy experts advise, Congress should move to cancel all or a substantial portion of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s debt. FEMA officials recently testified that out of $13 billion available in US grid reconstruction funds, only $40 million had been disbursed, FIVE years after Hurricane Maria. Enough is enough! Please join the demands of the people of Puerto Rico: #CancelLUMA, #CleanGrid4PR #CommunityDrivenRecovery

Families, including children, were transported across state lines under false pretenses. This was a premeditated effort targeting persons by national origin. It’s shameful that instead of treating asylum seekers with the love, dignity and care they deserve, Republican Governors like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott are exploiting them and using them as political pawns. Families, including children, are being transported across state lines under false pretenses. Immigrants are being treated inhumanely. These are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate actions relentlessly carried out by anti-immigrant Republicans/politicians. It’s completely unacceptable and it needs to end now. Republicans want to divide us by demonizing immigrants. But no one is illegal on stolen land. And immigrants deserve to be welcomed and treated with dignity, love, and care. Together, we can keep fighting for immigration justice including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented folks.

This is important because the people of the United States cannot allow a currently undemocratic institution like the Supreme Court to make incredibly dangerous population-wide decisions which go against facts, logic, and the will of the people.

Cuong Phan is a 46 year old incarcerated Vietnamese immigrant who came to this country in 1984, when he was 8 years old. Cuong was sentenced to serve 15 years to life for gang-related shooting in September of 1994, even though he wasn’t the shooter. He was just an 18 year old boy when he was arrested. Cuong has since taken full responsibility for his actions, serving 28 years in State Prison. In this time, he’s completed multiple programs (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Criminals and Gangs Anonymous, Lifer's Activity Group, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Meditation Buddhist Pathways, Going Out By Going In, Partnership for Re-Entry Program); built his skills in the trades (Vocational Machine Shop, Computer Services and Repair, Vocational Mill and Cabinet, Braille Transcriber); and continued his education to earn 6 college degrees. Cuong is now the Supervisor for the braille program at Ironwood State Prison, which helps produce books for blind and disabled students across the nation. The company he works for has also offered him a job when he’s free. Cuong was recently granted parole, pending Governor Newsom’s approval. His release will be in July of this year. However, ICE has issued a detainer on Cuong. This means that ICE requested the State Prison to notify them before releasing Cuong. On his release day, instead of being freed, Cuong will be detained by ICE, and potentially deported to a country he’s never known. Cuong should be reunited with his family and community, who are ready to support him and his freedom. Will you sign the petition TODAY to stop Cuong from being transferred to ICE?

The Buffalo shooter posted a white supremacist, anti-Semitic manifesto. It clearly shows that he had been radicalized radicalized by the repugnant, baseless “Great Replacement” theory, a conspiracy theory that preposterously asserts that white Americans are being purposely and intentionally replaced by immigrants and people of color to dilute the power of the white majority. The shooter joins a tragically long list of mass murderers driven by hate, including the shooters at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, WI, Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Walmart in El Paso, the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, sites in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and many other places. The white supremacy that led to the murders in Buffalo and to all the other racially motivated shootings reaches all the way up to the highest echelons of our society and government. In Congress, some elected leaders are weaponizing racist disinformation about everything from Critical Race Theory to gender-affirming care, from investments in a care infrastructure to ending mass incarceration and criminalization, in order to stoke fears and hold onto their power. In fact, some extremist members of Congress, including Representatives Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and even Elisa Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking House Republican, who echoed the repugnant “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory in her fundraising, are helping to mainstream false, reprehensible white supremacy. Other members of Congress have been notably silent when racially motivated acts of horrific violence, such as what happened in Buffalo, occur. Don’t let your member of Congress support or ignore white supremacy and the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. Demand that they publicly and loudly denounce it now.

Addiction is a brain disease, not a choice. Individuals in Connecticut with Substance Use Disorders are overdosing on heroin and fentanyl at alarming rates. In March, 2022, Connecticut received approximately $95 million from the Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family settlement, yet addiction treatment is still not readily available. The agreement authorizes Connecticut to use a portion of the settlement funds to establish an Opioid Survivors Trust to directly aid survivors and victims of the opioid epidemic. WHERE ARE THE SETTLEMENT FUNDS? CONNECTICUT NEEDS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO ADDICTION TREATMENT NOW!

INDICTING THESE INDIVIDUALS IS ONLY FAIR! COMMIT THE CRIME, DO THE TIME! By NOT acting, & indicting them, YOU ARE ENABLING THEM, TOO! By your inaction, you are normalizing terroristic behavior from our elected public officials. Congress has ways to deal with traitors amongst their ranks. THERE ARE LAWS TO DEAL WITH THEM! USE THEM!!!!!! CENSURE THEM! WRITE RESOLUTIONS TO EXPEL THEM! DEMOCRATS, CALL FOR THEM ALL TO BE EXPELLED! DO YOUR JOB TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC FROM FUTURE DOMESTIC ENEMIES. You took the oath, to protect us from enemies, foreign & domestic. HONOR YOUR OATH! If you DON'T indict them, they are emboldened to continue lying to the public, inciting continued violence from their supporters, & not only obstructing a Democratic agenda, but still in office, pressing for their abysmal agenda, which persecutes women, children & families across the nation. Furthermore, since they're not charged with insurrection, they can run for re-election, no problem! And continue terrorizing the country! WE CALL ON CONGRESS & WHITE HOUSE & DOJ TO DO YER JOB!!! CENSURE, CHARGE, REMOVE THESE TRAITORS FROM OFFICE, & BAR THEM FROM FUTURE ELECTIONS. I personally urge all of you to DESIGNATE THE GOP AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION! Although this sounds fair to me, probably most Americans would not agree with this measure - yet.

We all heard about war in Ukraine. Millions of people had to escape the war zone , they had to leave behind everything they had in life. They are scared, exhausted, lost, heartbroken. Some of those people have families in US. Family members who are US citizens or permanent residents are able to provide for their loved ones everything they need . Ukrainians need family support more than ever. But It takes years to obtain family based visa. It is very important to be with your family , comfort each other , hope together for a future.

Most people think sending money to a friend or family member in need is a personal matter, but ICE disagrees. We just found out that ICE has been collecting personal financial data on millions of people who use money transfer services like Western Union.1 ICE can use this data to try to target immigrants who send money back to their families, and potentially deport them. The federal government should never be in the business of spying on people who are just trying to financially help their friends and family. Sign the petition: Tell Congress and President Biden to ban ICE surveillance of money orders and cash transfers! For millions of people in California, Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas, who recently used a money order service, like Western Union, their personal information and the personal information of the person they sent money to likely ended up in a database without them even knowing – a database that is shared with ICE and other law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, ICE used administrative subpoenas to money order and cash transfer companies like Western Union to collect sender and recipient names and addresses. This essentially criminalizes people for not having bank accounts, and specifically targets immigrant communities of all kinds for the commonplace practice of sending remittances back to family members. Once Senator Wyden started asking questions about the program, ICE shut it down.2 That’s because ICE has gotten so out of control that they don’t stop to question whether their actions are legal or not – they’re just out to hunt down, detain, and deport as many immigrants as they can. This has to stop. ICE has consistently proved that they will abuse any amount of power given to them. That’s why Congress and President Biden need to act now to specifically and permanently ban ICE from spying on people’s private financial data. Sign the petition: Tell Congress and President Biden to ban ICE surveillance of money orders and cash transfers! Sources: 1. Buzzfeed, “ICE Conducted Sweeping Surveillance Of Money Transfers Sent To And From The US, A Senator Says,” March 8, 2022. 2. Ibid.

The CannaJustice Coalition leading this work in VA is proudly partnering with Minorities for Medical Marijuana and Morring Law firm here in the Commonwealth to push this message forward. Legalization can be a way to dismantle the War on Drugs or re-activate it. As the number four reason for deportation and the reason why many are barred from housing, education and employment, we must legislate legalization that makes the public feel safe, and ensure police are not targeting them for a legal substance. As of August 31, 2021, the state is responsible for incarcerating 570 people for 599 marijuana-related offenses. There are 229 people incarcerated with a non-drug related Most Serious Offense (MSO), 331 people incarcerated with Drug Sales MSO and 10 people incarcerated with Drug Possession MSO with their families sooner. There are even more of our loved ones on community supervision due to marijuana that need to be set free from surveillance. Cannabis expert, Shaleen Title, explains that this a crucial and vulnerable moment for the future of the cannabis market. While states are making historic progress creating paths for small businesses and disenfranchised groups, larger companies are expanding, consolidating, and lobbying for licensing rules to create or maintain oligopolies. Federal legalization will only accelerate the power grab already happening with new, larger conglomerates openly expressing interest. Left unchecked, this scramble for market share threatens to undermine public health and safety and undo bold state-level efforts to build an equitable cannabis marketplace and reduce the impact of disproportionate policing. Virginia must recognize our role in protecting our people but also our place in the federal legalization conversation that stands up to exploitative businesses and demands an equitable return for those impacted by the racist War on Drugs.