ICE is back.
That didn't last long. Help is needed.
I saw friends this morning who are at risk of being kidnapped by masked men. I hadn’t seen them for a few weeks, since that first CBP raid the week before Thanksgiving. I was struck by how different they appear, the light and joy usually in their faces now dimmed by terror and exhaustion. I can’t even imagine what it is like to live in fear like that every hour of every day. Please don’t look away.
If you haven’t tapped in to help in some way, please consider doing so.
Follow SiembraNC on FB and IG for more up to date info. USE THIS @apply -heat Linktr.ee to plug in. Find your local zone and volunteer to monitor or patrol. Or be part of a school based protection team.
From Siembra NC on Facebook:
BROOKFORD: Yesterday (12/3) at 2pm a work truck with four men was stopped by an ICE agent in an unmarked vehicle, who was soon assisted by Brookford Police, who participate in a 287g Task Force agreement, and then six other agents in multiple unmarked vehicles. Three of the men, all from Raleigh on their way to work, were detained.
GREENSBORO: Today at 9am a vehicle with a driver and a passenger was rammed by ICE/DHS agents near 4th and Sullivan. 3-5 vehicles with tinted windows and police lights, new model Chevy and Ford SUVs. An ICE vehicle rear-ended the victims while another vehicle drove around them striking them from the front. The male victim got out and was clearly injured. The ICE agents arrested him. They were armed with rifles, did not have their faces covered, one had a vest that says “HSI Police”. Our volunteers are in touch with the family and helping them search for the injured person.
DURHAM / CIS Office: We can confirm at least two arrests at the CIS (Citizenship & Immigration Services) office today, 12/4, and yesterday, 12/3. In one instance, it was the supposed to be the last appointment before receiving citizenship.
WHAT THIS MEANS: We believe this means ICE agents have arrived from out of state to conduct arrests for an unknown period of time. We do not know if the operation began today or earlier in the week. We do not know if they are targeting specific people who might have final removal orders or another specific legal status. We do not have any evidence that they are conducting widespread, indiscriminate racial profiling arrests. But we still do not have a clear enough sense of who they are targeting to identify a pattern.
Durham needs more help.
Consider signing up at siembranc.org or for a safety patrol or a school based care and protection team (greet students at drop off and pick up)
Safety Brigade volunteers help immigrants get to school and work safely by observing federal law enforcement activities to guard against violations of the 1st, 4th, and 5th amendments. There are zone leads in each group who are coordinating in-person orientations so you can get brought into a dispatch team as soon as possible. If you have questions, please reach out.
Connecting the dots:
Gerrymandered districts = no accountability for elected officials=MAGA/authoritarian rule…ICE raids…no health insurance…no reproductive freedom…voter supression…destroying the social safety net of the past 80 years…
How to get fair maps? Take back our Supreme Court. Elect as many Democrats in every district in NC as we possibly can. Take back the US House and Senate and begin accountability. For that we will need everyone involved in getting out and protecting the vote next year.
Calls:
Tillis is speaking up a bit more. I now give him a three vertebrae rating, up from two a few weeks ago. His spine is growing, albeit slowly. He spoke out against the pardon of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, and about Hegseth. Keep calling.
1. Re: ICE in NC CALL
Thom Tillis: D.C. (202) 224-6342
Ted Budd: D.C. 202-224-3154
NC House Speaker Destin Hall 919-733-3451
This is (name) from (zip). I want ICE and Border patrol out of North Carolina. They are bringing violence and destruction to innocents, not violent criminals. Kids aren’t going to school. People are going hungry. There was a bipartisan immigration bill last year that then-candidate Trump destroyed. Remember, in most cases, even if people are in the US illegally, it is a civil, not a criminal offense. Being detained by masked men throwing you in the back of an SUV is not due process. Defend all your constituents and call for them to leave immediately.
Re: War Crimes: call Senators
Suggested Script: “This is (name) from (zip). I was glad to see that Senators Wicker and Reed are launching a bipartisan inquiry into probable war crimes committed by Pete Hegseth in the Carribbean. I want the Senator to support this fully; the actions of the United States targeting innocent civilians without due process has to end. I want a full investigation. If we are to be at war, it must happen only with Congressional authorization. Thank you.”
For other calls, use 5calls.org or Jessica Craven’s ChopWood Carry Water.
Actions
For a huge, detailed list of actions, check out Marilyn Hartman’s excellent “Everyday Election Activism: The Opportunities.”
1.Help register new voters at Riverside High School every morning next week. Sign up here.
Riverside High School Democrats want to register every graduating senior before spring break! Please only sign up if you have been trained on voter registration before.
2. Voter Registration event TOMORROW Dec. 6. Sign up here volunteer organized with Field Team 6
It’s time for us to defend our democracy – by expanding it! It’s time to take a stand against the cruelty, the fascism, the oligarchy. It’s time to hold a voter drive!
Every Democrat we register breathes new life into our dreams for a better world. And all it takes is talking to people and filling out a short form.
No experience necessary. We’ll meet at Cocoa Cinnamon at 2013 Chapel Hill Road, and start with an inspiring 20-minute training. We’ll have clipboards, forms, pens, and stickers!
3.Thursday Dec. 11 In person or virtual C2C+NoC Party with a Purpose. More info and register here
This organization is great! Help elect Democrats to the NCGA in neighboring swing districts. Check them out at this event.
We’re a volunteer-fueled organization dedicated to helping Democrats take back the state legislature in North Carolina. We do this by partnering with candidates for office, and also by partnering with local county parties to help strengthen critical infrastructure and build coalitions. Join us at venues across the Triangle to express our gratitude to the wonderful NCGA legislators, candidates, and stalwart county party chairs who have connected with us this year. We’ll write thank-you notes over snacks, drinks and chit chat and enjoy the company of special guests.
4. Cancel Spotify
Indivisible is calling for a nationwide boycott of Spotify. Corporations understand one thing: profits. Let’s help them understand our thoughts and feelings about masked men in tactical gear kidnapping innocents.
New Opportunities with Durham Dems
1.HELP WANTED: Merch Manager.
Not a door-knocker? But you want to help the Durham Democrats? THIS is the job for you. We will be selling our new t-shirts and hats online and are looking for someone to manage and fill the orders. It involves trips to your nearest post office and some, but not a ton, of extra room to store the shirts, etc. We will supply all of the shipping mailers. If you are interested, please email Charlotte McGee at secretary@durhamdemocrats.org.
2.Support Anita Earls on Monday!
Join us at Monuts on Monday, December 8 at 6pm for a fundraiser in support of Anita Earls’ reelection campaign. While this is a fundraiser, we want everyone who wants to be there to be able to come, so contribute what you can at the bottom of this page. See you there.
Support our Democratic Judges.
Durham Dems are also invited to a fundraiser in support of Judge Christine Walczyk’s race for NC Court of Appeals. Join Representative Marcia Morey on December 10th to learn about her race. In addition to our support of Anita Earls, a win on the Court of Appeals would be huge for North Carolina. Learn more here.
Finally…pick your lane:
Have you enjoyed the benefits of living in a democracy: roads, bridges, schools, scientific resesarch and evidence based medical care, for example? Everything is at risk now. How can you respond, in a way that works for you? This graphic leaves off all the electoral work we will have the opportunity to do next year, but I still liked it anyway.
The story about agents ramming a vehicle near 4th and Sullivan is pretty disturbing. When enforcement looks more like a car chase scene than actual due process, something's off. The lack of transparency about who they're targeting makes it even worse since nobody knows if they're going after specific removal orders or just doing random stops.