We must take steps to support and protect the rights of our community.

Broken windows arrests have always disproportionately impacted poor communities of color, specifically Black people. But now under Trump, these prosecutions are having devastating consequences for our non-citizen community members. In fact, under the new Executive Order, just being accused of a crime could lead to deportation. The NYPD has stated its intention to cooperate with the federal government’s new enforcement regime and reiterated its continued commitment to broken windows policing. District Attorneys are the only people who have the power to halt these prosecutions by declining to prosecute these cases.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has made it clear that any and all immigrants are subject to deportation. Trump has called on local jurisdictions to help carry out his plan and to do that he wants to reinstate the failed enforcement program known as 287(g), an agreement that gives local police some authority to enforce immigration law, and a similar program known as Secure Communities. The Maryland TRUST ACT would put an end to this. The MD TRUST ACT would prohibit law enforcement agencies from collaborating with ICE on civil immigration enforcement, and prohibit the contribution of state or local resources to a federal effort to register people on the basis of protected classes including religion and race.

Gonzalo has not attempted to cross illegally and has not committed any crimes. He filed his paperwork for citizenship almost two decades ago and keeps getting pushed to the back of the line. Let's get this father home to his kids!

We all have a stake in the fair treatment of our friends and neighbors no matter their immigration status. People Power ACLU groups all over the USA are planning meetings with their local police and sheriff departments to encourage their support of the following guidelines: #1) The Judicial Warrant Rule: [County/City/State] officials shall require a judicial warrant prior to detaining an individual or in any manner prolonging the detention of an individual at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP). #2) No Facilitation Rule: [County/City/State] officials shall not arrest, detain, or transport an individual solely on the basis of an immigration detainer or other administrative document issued by ICE or CBP, without a judicial warrant. #3) Defined Access/Interview Rule: Unless acting pursuant to a court order or a legitimate law enforcement purpose that is unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law, no [County/City/State] official shall permit ICE or CBP agents access to [County/City/State] facilities or any person in [County/City/State] custody for investigative interviews or other investigative purposes. #4) Clear Identification Rule: To the extent ICE or CBP has been granted access to [County/City/State] facilities, individuals with whom ICE or CBP engages will be notified that they are speaking with ICE or CBP, and ICE or CBP agents shall be required to wear duty jackets and make their badges visible at all times while in [County/City/State] facilities. Protect our friends, families and neighbors’ privacy from the Trump administration: #5) Don’t Ask Rule: [County/City/State] officials shall not inquire into the immigration or citizenship status of an individual, except where the inquiry relates to a legitimate law enforcement purpose that is unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law, or where required by state or federal law to verify eligibility for a benefit, service, or license conditioned on verification of status. #6) Privacy Protection Rule: No [County/City/State] official shall voluntarily release personally identifiable data or information to ICE or CBP regarding an inmate’s custody status, release date or home address, or information that may be used to ascertain an individual’s religion, ethnicity or race, unless for a law enforcement purpose unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law. #7) Discriminatory Surveillance Prohibition Rule: No [County/City/State] agency or official shall authorize or engage in the human or technological surveillance of a person or group based solely or primarily upon a person or group’s actual or perceived religion, ethnicity, race, or immigration status. Help our friends, families and neighbors get redress when abuses and mistakes occur: #8) Redress Rule: Any person who alleges a violation of this policy may file a written complaint for investigation with [oversight entity]. Help ensure our friends, families, and neighbors are protected from discrimination: #9) Fair and Impartial Policing Rule: No [County/City/State] official shall interrogate, arrest, detain or take other law enforcement action against an individual based upon that individual’s perceived race, national origin, religion, language, or immigration status, unless such personal characteristics have been included in timely, relevant, credible information from a reliable source, linking a specific individual to a particular criminal event/activity. Final Note: The Trump Administration has asserted, falsely, that if localities do not help advance Trump’s mass deportation agenda, they are violating federal law. The following rule, which is the only applicable federal law in this area, would help ensure your city, county or town establishes its clear intent not to violate federal law. While not a necessary addition, this rule may be a useful complement to the above policies. 1373 Rule: Under 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and 8 U.S.C. § 1644, federal law prohibits [County/City/State] officials from imposing limits on maintaining, exchanging, sending, or receiving information regarding citizenship and immigration status with any Federal, State, or local government entity. Nothing in [County/City/State] policies is intended to violate 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and 8 U.S.C. § 1644.

Dear Friends, Trump has only held public office for a little over a month, yet he has already started to plan in great detail one of his disastrous policies: building a wall between the US and Mexico. America has been built on the handwork of immigrants, who brought their styles, customs, and religions into our country. We have thrived off welcoming diversity into our nation, and we should not be willing to give up these values we cherish most strongly. We are a melting pot, and that is what keeps our nation together. What makes America great, is not only its economy, but it's acceptance towards those who are struggling all around the world, and working together with other countries to make this world a more peaceful and safe place. We cannot solve the worlds problems on our own. We need other countries' support in order to achieve global goals. We need to stand up for our values and prevent Trump from building a wall separating us from Mexico. Trump's proposal to build a wall not only goes against our Constitution, but it goes against humanity. Practically everyone living in the US today has ancestors who immigrated from other parts of the world. Donald Trump wouldn't be in our country right now if his grandfather Friedrick Trumpf never emigrated from Germany. Melania Trump wouldn't be here if it weren't for her modeling. What makes certain backgrounds more accepting than others? I am asking everyone of you to do your part to prevent Trump from following through on his measures. Congress needs to do their part by refusing to provide Trump with the funds he needs to make this disastrous project possible. However, in order for that to happen, citizens like me and you need to do our part by signing this petition and spreading the word to make sure others sign it as well. Donald Trump claims he is for the people, so let's prove to him a large majority of our people do not believe in the specific measures he is taking. America needs bridges, not walls, and we are going to eventually make this happen. I may be only 14, but I am doing my part to help the world and make it a better place. We have a voice, and if we all work together, no one can silence it. I would appreciate if you could sign the petition, and share it with your friends. Thank you.

ICE raids in the central coast.

On March 10, 2017, Governor Rauner went on record stating publicly that Illinois and the country "should cherish our diversity and cherish our inclusion and always be a welcoming state as well as nation. We should make it much easier to come here and become citizens." We are encouraged by these words, yet troubled by his actions. Governor Rauner has yet to publicly support legislation that would make Illinois welcoming including HB 3099, 0426 and 2394. He has also zeroed out the Immigrant Integration Line Item from the state's budget which includes funding for refugee resettlement, and services that help Illinois residents become US citizens. Sign this petition to ask the Governor to back up his rhetoric and make Illinois welcoming by supporting these bills and an equitable budget now! Sign up to get involved with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights at www.icirr.org/riseup

I read the following the evening, on the CNN website, "Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly confirmed he is considering an initiative that would separate immigrant children from their parents if they enter the U.S. illegally. During an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Kelly said he would do "almost anything to deter the people from Central America to getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico and to the United States." When pressed by Blitzer about whether DHS personnel would separate undocumented immigrant children from their parents, Kelly confirmed he was considering such protocol. "Yes, I am considering, in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network, I am considering exactly that," he said. "They will be well cared for as we deal with their parents." Why it cannot happen is obvious. This is still the United States of America.

These families are fleeing violence in their home countries; the parents' primary goal is to protect their children. Separating the parents and children, putting them in different facilities, is cruel and violates all norms of child welfare.

I work with immigrants and their families as an ESL teacher and know that immigrants just want a better life for your children. We need compassion for them.

U.S. immigration agents detained 22-year-old Daniela Vargas just hours after she courageously spoke about her fear of deportation at a press conference. She was afraid because two weeks ago, ICE officers raided her home and detained both her brother and father while she hid, terrified, in her closet for four hours. Dany came to the U.S. when she was seven years old and was a beneficiary of the DACA program, which grants a legal status to undocumented immigrants. She is a manager at a small store and dreams of becoming a math teacher. Like many beneficiaries of the DACA program, Dany found that paying the nearly $500 in fees every two years was hard, and her DACA status expired. However, she saved up, got the money together, and her renewal application is now in the approval process. But because of this technicality, ICE tracked her down and put her into the deportation pipeline—just hours after she courageously spoke out about this issue.