Take Action: http://bit.ly/nogaban
For the past year we, as an immigrant rights community, have been on the defensive fighting back against legislation harming our communities. We have seen an unimaginable rise in deportations and enforcement efforts. Our “allies” in the Whitehouse have done nothing but encourage the behavior and, as a movement, we have yet to respond. At some point we have to realize that you do not kill an anti-immigrant bill by just having more rallies at which undocumented immigrants are shunned from even speaking.
As immigrant youth we have been feeling the tension for too long, we have been struggling to have a voice and, over the course of the last year, we have been finding that voice. Many of us in this movement are at a place where we recognize the fear that ICE tries to hold over us. We recognize that we can be detained and deported any day for doing nothing more than making a ‘wide right turn.’ We are tired of being scared, of having to censor ourselves in how we organize because “ICE might get you.”
Today 8 undocumented are challenging just that; Maria, Dulce, David, Andrea, Georgina, Viridiana, Jose Rico and Dayanna are in Georgia to take a stand. They will be occupying a portion of Georgia State University to send a strong message that education is a fundamental human right. They will be risking not only arrest, but also detention by ICE.
We want to send a very loud and clear message. As undocumented youth, we are no longer afraid. We will no longer allow for anyone to hold anything over us. We will take action. We will come out. We will take risks. We will intentionally put ourselves into deportation proceedings. All in an effort to show you that there is nothing that can stop us from gaining our freedoms, the same freedoms we learned about as school-kids growing up in this countries classrooms.
It is time for you, as an individual and as a nation, to take a side, to decide if you will continue to support the deportation of our talents, or will you embrace us and help us make America a stronger nation.
As undocumented youth it is our responsibility to recognize the privilege we have and to take action. Remaining silent and in the shadows is no longer an option. We have tried that for 10 years and look where it has gotten us. It is our responsibility to speak out for those in our communities who can’t. It is our responsibility to challenge ICE on their terms and show them they have nothing to hold over our heads.
Today, you need to take action too (www.action.dreamactivist.org/georgiaban/), pick up your phone and place a simple phone call. Call whoever you want, your legislator, your admissions office, your counselor, anyone who feels they can control how you live your life, and leave a simple message for them: “My name is ____. I am undocumented and no longer afraid and I will hold you accountable. Bye.”
It is going to be long, dangerous, empowering, challenging and exciting road ahead, but together we can pull through it. Will you join us?
Mohammad Abdollahi
co-founder of DreamActivist.org
P.S. On twitter / facebook? Update your status message with: “Today 8 undocumented youth occupy GA State Univ, risking arrest and deportation www.bit.ly/nogaban #refuseban Will you stand with them?”