Immigrant Rights Campaign

IRC_2PhotoCMOur Immigrant Rights campaign work is a vital part of our organization’s work. Our focus is on grassroots organizing and leadership development of Latino immigrants to fight for and advance our rights. We do this through our immigrant rights campaign committee —  the body that decides on and advances the local policy fights we take on, through our alliance building and coalition work, as well as through leadership development of committee leaders. This grows our work, their leadership and power. Our policy fights at the city, county, state and national level have advanced the rights of immigrants as well as fought back against the ongoing criminalization of immigrants and entanglement of the criminal justice and immigration systems.

Rights Based Services

Another key area of our work is our Rights Based Services in which we focus on education and outreach to communities throughout Alameda and San Francisco counties. We work with schools, community centers and in multi-unit buildings to inform people of their rights and support them in being able to exercise them. Some of the workshops we offer include:

 

 

  • Know Your Rights When:
  • Encountering law enforcement
  • Applying for an AB60 california driver’s license
  • Applying for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
  • Exercising your rights as a tenant

POLICY VICTORIES:

Over the years our work alongside our allies has made possible groundbreaking victories. We have been successful in advancing our struggle for immigrant justice significantly at the national, state and local levels.

  • In 2014, we were successful in permanently ending S-comm in Alameda and San Francisco county jails.
  • In 2008, we ended the fast track deportation of undocumented youth by making sure San Francisco ended its juvenile justice collaborating and turning over youth to ICE post adjudication.
  • In 2013, after a three-year campaign, we successfully passed the Trust Act in California, setting the baseline for how counties could disentangle their jails and law enforcement from S-comm.
  • In 2008, we secured the end to the practice of car impoundment of people driving without a license by the San Francisco police department, and ensuring they would allow for someone to assist in picking the car up and not imposing a mandatory 30-day hold as they used to do.
  • In 2007, we were successful in securing the first city ID in San Francisco, making it possible for all people to have an ID stating their residence of that city and county irrespective of immigration status

OUR WORK IN 2015IRC

Informed. Prepared. Engaged.

President Obama’s executive action on administrative relief left an approximately 7 million people out while also starting a new Priorities Enforcement Program that we are calling PEP-Comm. This year, our Immigrant Rights Campaign will focus on our rights based services, leadership development work and continuing the fight to end the deportations by disentangling local law enforcement from ICE. This focus we hope will ensure that with the new changes in California law regarding drivers licenses as well as with the expansion of DAPA and DACA, our communities are both informed, prepared and engaged in the fight to advance the rights that are still needed and to end PEP-Comm in our communities.


The High Court’s Egregious Public Charge Ruling

This ruling is an attack on our immigrant communities and rooted in hate. This act of hypocrisy is an effort by the administration and its nativist policies to limit immigration by any means necessary.

Urban Shield No More!

The end of Urban Shield is a monumental victory and testament to a vision of Community Defense beyond policing.

No Human Being is Illegal :: Ninguno de nosotros es prescindible

The removal of Temporary Status Protection is yet another strike against our community.

Sanctuary For All: Building a Path Toward Grassroots Democracy

Español sigue Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty. – Father Oscar Romero, […]

Defend DACA and Beyond – Continuing to Organize and Dream Transformatively

As our immigrant communities reel from the announcement that the Trump regime ended DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – we commit even more deeply to organizing.

DACA-Eligible Activist Targeted by ICE

Overview of May 18 Border Patrol Operation: On Thursday, May 18, Border Patrol went into Los Angeles area Boyle Heights communities, knocking on doors to try to locate 22-year-old DACA eligible Cal State LA student Claudia Rueda, ultimately arresting and detaining her with significant federal resources and no justification. In the days prior to her […]

Usted Tiene Derechos | You Have Rights

 Lista de contenido // List of contents Tiene el derecho de permanecer en silencio // You have the right to remain silent ICE viene a su hogar // ICE comes to your home Hay una redada // There is a raid Si esta manejando // If you are driving Siente que sus derechos fueron violados […]

#Stopthehate

SF City Supervisors Defend Undocumented Cancer Survivor By Maria Poblet In late May, an incident at San Francisco City Hall showcased both the worst – and the best – of the immigration debate. That day, scores of undocumented community leaders were supporting “Due Process“ legislation to keep law enforcement out of painful deportations. With the […]

SF Due Process For All Ordinance is strengthened — SF Ends All Unconstitutional ICE Holds

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi announced yesterday (May 29) that the county jail would  stop responding to unconstitutional ICE hold requests altogether. His announcement comes in the wake of a major federal court decision that has spurred more than 70 counties in several states to completely end the unconstitutional practice of holding immigrants in jail […]

Alameda County Halts ICE Holds

The backlash against the draconian and inhumane administration of disastrous federal deportation policies is growing. In a complete turnaround, Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern announced last week (May 21) that he would stop holding people in jail for extra time under unconstitutional and unjust immigration “hold” requests.  Before the announcement, any immigrant in Alameda County […]