ICE Nationally and Locally
ICE Update
PROBLEM: ICE is still regularly taking our neighbors from the greater Kennett / Oxford areas.
Many of us have not seen ICE or been impacted personally. Our families are intact and we are not at risk of the income-earner in our family being taken away by our government at a moment’s notice, with little knowledge of where they have been taken and if we will ever see them again. Conditions in detention facilities are cruel and inhumane and designed to force people to self-deport and increase profits for private prisons. We must not look away. Fresh Air / NPR: Investigative journalist reports on the abuse inside ICE’s largest detention facility
Our neighbors, in the greater Kennett / Oxford areas, are living in fear – only venturing out of their homes to go to work or school – but otherwise staying out of sight.
It is also hard to find information on ICE activity and the resistance efforts, locally. Please read on to find out about some of the important work going on in our area..
Thank You For Caring
Abolish ICE
AMAZING NEWS: Nelson was released
Hello everyone. We got the most incredible news yesterday morning–ICE decided to release my husband Nelson! They responded to a release request from our lawyers and coordinated with me yesterday morning to schedule a time when I could come pick him up.
None of us knew this was going to happen. Nelson called me at 7:48am to tell me that they said he was being released. We both didn’t believe it until he was walking out of the gate at 2pm.
Nelson and I had almost given up. He was ready to sign the voluntary departure form. It has been increasingly hard for Venezuelans to get their asylum applications approved based on political persecution. We were already preparing for Nelson to be sent out of the country by the end of the month and for us to start a new life outside of the US. Life has other plans for us now.
I truly believe that we would not have been able to accomplish this without your support, whether financial, emotional, legal, or moral. We truly cannot begin to express our gratitude to you all for the kindness you have given us.
The fight is not over yet. Nelson now has an ankle monitor and stricter surveillance. We have more time to strategize and understand the next steps in his immigration case. We are not returning to the life we had before. We are now in a new chapter of life, one of unity, love, and freedom.
We both feel a responsibility to help others who have not been so fortunate to receive news such as this. Please keep supporting other community members, like Lucy Zavala, whose husband has been detained for over 400 days. Her GoFundMe can be found here: https://gofund.me/d0b3d0e22
Thank you all so much.
HONOR LORENZO and JOHAN
Our government has killed two men who were loving fathers and loved by their families. They are not the only ones. We must ask ourselves what can we do stop ICE. What can we do to honor Lorenzo and Johan.
In Nov, we must be part of a massive voter turnout.
Now, we must act with our time and our dollars to make at least a small difference to those who are being targeted and attacked. People should not be killed for driving to work and having brown skin. We must not go on as if this is normal.
Watch Solidarity recording in their honor.
Go to justice4lorenzoandjohan.org to find all the resources you will need, along with a petition to sign and GoFundMe links.
Help Our Kennett Square Neighbors
Help keep hope alive for Jose Miguel Zavala’s family
Their oldest son, Kevin, is studying Computer Science at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has three semesters left to graduate. He even took a semester off after Miguel’s detention to work, help his mom, and care for his younger brothers. The family is now trying to cover Kevin’s room and board, meal plans, rent, and the $1,600 in legal fees needed to continue fighting Miguel’s case.
The fundraiser has already received support from 53 donors and is nearly a third of the way to its $16,000 goal, which can help Kevin stay in school while the family works toward bringing Miguel home. Thank you for taking the time to read about the Zavala family. If you’re able, please donate through the GoFundMe page or share the page with someone who may want to support Kevin’s education and Miguel’s legal case.
Help Elder
We are asking for your help for Elder. He is an 18 yr old young man being held at Winn Correction Center in Louisiana. Carlos Della Valle, of Downingtown, was held in the same unit and tried to help keep Elder’s spirits up while they were held in detention together.
Carlos, grateful to be recently released, is worried about Elder. Carlos and his wife Angela and others here in PA are working desperately to build a coalition of people trying to get Elder released. Please read more here in this Propublica article about Elder and Carlos.
Please consider donating to help Elder. ALL FUNDS will support Elder’s legal fees and commissary account (for phone calls and food). Thank you for your compassion and generosity.
Learn more at FreeElder.net
We must not look away. Fresh Air / NPR: Investigative journalist reports on the abuse inside ICE’s largest detention facility
Your Voice Matters. Your Vote Matters. Be part of the massive voter turnout in NOV to start reining in the destructive actions of ICE.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING LOCALLY TO HELP?
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- Education – a five-part Lenten series attended by over 60 people each week was held at local churches to provide education about immigration actions here in Southern Chester County. Additionally, a monthly rapid response training has been critical for connecting with volunteers. Contact KAD for more info.
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- Courtwatch – ICE has been recorded during multiple detentions monthly at the Kennett/Oxford courthouses. Dedicated volunteers can tell you what it is like to see our government treat immigrant neighbors and US citizens as the enemy. As a direct result of the work of volunteers, families of those taken are quickly notified and in several instances same-day filing of Habeas Corpus petitions have resulted in two people being recently released. All the commitment to helping is making a difference to our neighbors.
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- Mutual Aid – supporting families, who have had a loved-one taken, with food, diapers, legal support, transportation to check-ins, etc.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
★ Express Gratitude
Thank the person fixing your roof, cutting your grass, and cleaning your home. Due to our broken immigration system there are not enough work visas available for people without money or professional degrees. There is a good chance the person working for you is undocumented. Thank them for their hard work and dedication. Listen to this WHYY report on the Kennett mushroom industry and how it is impacted by immigration policy.
★ Get Educated, Volunteer and Raise Awareness
Contact KAD for more information. Wonder what it is really like in a detention facility? Read daily journal updates of local Downingtown man’s life in a Louisiana former prison (scroll down to “Updates” section).
★ DONATE
Money is needed to help stabilize families left in distress by our government. Intact, functioning families with a responsible, hard-working wage earner are being torn apart and left vulnerable. Please donate to Kennett Friends Funds for Immigrants (if donating online, make sure tip = $0 to ensure all money goes to help our neighbors).
Thank your for all you do. We need your help and your compassion.