AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Stop ICE and Border Patrol! Quick reply all Reply Forward Delete Actions American Friends Service Committee

American Friends Service Committee

Dear Amy,

Last month, 20-year-old Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez was killed by a single bullet to the head from the gun of a Border Patrol agent in Texas. Claudia was an indigenous Maya Mam woman from the highlands of Guatemala who had studied to become an accountant. She was driven to the U.S. by the lack of opportunity at home.

Just days later, Roxsana Hernandez died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She had traveled from Honduras and requested asylum based on the deadly persecution of transgender women like herself. Instead, she died after spending eight days without proper medical care in freezing temperatures in ICE and Customs and Borders Protection (CBP) detention facilities.

Claudia and Roxsana are just two of the countless people who have been victimized by ICE and CBP—and it’s time we stop these agencies for good. Tell Congress today: Defund ICE and CBP!

In the last few months, border and immigration agents have ripped away hundreds of migrant children from their parents under the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance" policy—which the United Nations has denounced as a violation of human rights and international law. The policy includes criminally prosecuting anyone who crosses the border and detaining parents who request asylum.

While these abuses have grabbed the attention of Americans in recent weeks, we know that they’re not new. Since their inception, both agencies have separated families and caused the deaths of people fleeing poverty and violence—with little accountability. AFSC has worked for decades to demand justice for dozens of people killed by Border Patrol, but not a single agent has ever been held accountable. And since last October, at least six people have died in ICE custody.

It’s time to put an end to the cruelty and dehumanization of immigrants by ICE and CBP. Tell Congress today: Stop funding ICE and CBP!

In peace,