Category: Immigration

May Day march & rally!

By rachael_decruz | Published April 30, 2012

May 1st. is a day that reminds us of our country’s rich history of standing up for workers rights and is an opportunity for people to come together and stand up for human rights for all.

This year, it’s more important than ever for us to join together as a community. On April 3rd, “Secure Communities” became mandatory in Washington state. This program allows local and state police to check the fingerprints of an individual they are booking into a jail against DHS immigration databases. If there is a “hit” in an immigration database, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is automatically notified, even if the person hasn’t been convicted of a crime

“Secure Communities” erodes the trust between local law enforcement and immigrant families and leads to racial profiling. It tears families apart and wreaks havoc on our communities.

Join us on Tuesday, May 1st as we stand up and fight back!
Meet at 4:30pm at St. Mary’s Church (611 20th. Ave. S, Seattle)
Look for the Washington CAN! banner
Email Chris@washingtoncan.org to register or with question

In addition to protesting “Secure Communities,” this year’s May Day march and rally will target Wells Fargo for their investment in for-profit immigrant detention centers. Wells Fargo is one of the largest investors in Geo Group, Inc — the second largest private prison company in the world contracted by state and federal government agencies, and the company that owns the detention center in Tacoma. With “Secure Communities” now mandatory in Washington – profits for both Geo Group and Wells Fargo will increase as more families are torn apart.

Stand up for immigrant rights and workers rights by joining us on May 1st!

Also posted in Economic justice, Events, Featured, Social justice, Take Action | | Leave a comment

We’ve come a long way, but still have a long way to go

By rachael_decruz | Published March 15, 2012

47 years after the historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, we are still marching for justice. Last week Washington CAN! participated in a historic march in Alabama to call for justice for communities of color, a message that resonates here at home as well.

MarchThe march was coordinated by the NAACP and organizations in labor, immigrant rights and civil rights. Thousands of people from across country marched together on March 8th, the day dedicated to immigrant rights. The crowd told the story; over 1,000 diverse people marching to overturn the attack on communities of color.

Last year Alabama passed the toughest law in the land that has separated thousands of undocumented and mixed-status families. It criminalizes immigrants’ access to education, electricity, water, housing, wages, transportation and basic necessities. The state also recently passed a law (HB 56) that would require only certain forms of IDs at the poll, many of which require fees and time out of work to obtain. This is a direct attack against immigrant voters and advocates joined together to call for the law to be repealed.

Continue reading »

Also posted in Economic justice, Social justice | | Leave a comment

Caring Across Generations

By rachael_decruz | Published March 12, 2012

In early February, over 200 care givers, care recipients, families and community members joined together at a town-hall style event to discuss the lack of affordable quality care options for older Americans and people with disabilities, and the struggle of caregivers for respect, support, and training.

The Seattle meeting was the local launch of a national grassroots campaign to transform America’s long-term care industry, called Caring Across Generations.

The campaign, made up of over 70 organizations nationally, aims to protect what we have—Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security—while creating what we need: two million new care giving jobs, training and protection for care providers, new paths to citizenship for immigrant care providers, and measures to make care more affordable for struggling families.

The event featured testimonies of seniors, family caregivers, home care and domestic workers as well as the opportunity to take action together and vision the transformation of care nationally through our Seattle Care Council. Next steps for the campaign include introducing a Seattle City Council resolution in the values of CARE.

Continue reading »

Also posted in Economic justice, Education, Events, Health Care, Social justice, Take Action | | Leave a comment

Hundreds rally to protest Wells Fargo’s unfair tax breaks

By rachael_decruz | Published February 7, 2012

Last week we joined together with Working Washington to make sure that Wells Fargo knows EXACTLY what we think about the fact that they pay more in lobbying than they do in taxes (which isn’t too hard, considering they spend $0 in federal taxes)!

We gathered at Westlake Park where there was a rally featuring stories of community members impacted by the recession and where we highlighted the bad practices of Wells Fargo. In addition to the fact that they spend more on lobbying than they do on taxes, Wells Fargo invests money in GEO group, which owns the Tacoma detention center. They’re imprisoning and breaking up families and actively lobbying against the interests of our communities.

We wanted them to know that we think it’s time they pay their fair share! After the rally in Westlake, we marched over to Wells Fargo (see pictures on our Facebook page!) An inside team sat down in the middle of the Wells Fargo lobby and started a teach-in on the impact of the recession on our families. Needless to say, we were kicked out pretty quickly! They locked down the entire Wells Fargo building because they know that when we join together we’re a powerful force!

After the inside team got kicked out, we played a game show highlighting who pays more in taxes: low and middle income families, or Wells Fargo. Can you guess the answer? The action made the Seattle Times and was also covered on KIRO 7.

Thanks to all our members who joined us and thanks to Working Washington for a fun action!

Also posted in Economic justice, Events, Social justice, Take Action | | Leave a comment

A potential step towards a more just immigration system

By rachael_decruz | Published January 6, 2012

Today the Obama administration proposed a rule change that would allow spouses and children of U.S. citizens to stay together in the United States while family members work to gain permanent U.S. residency. Washington CAN! supports the Obama administration’s proposal to keep families united. 

Currently, when the spouse or child of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents file for a visa petition, upon approval of the petition the spouse or child has to travel to a U.S. consulate in their home country to be interviewed. Departure itself triggers a 3-or-10 year bar to re-entry to the U.S. for many applicants and creates a situation in which families are torn apart.

The change proposed would allow spouses and children of U.S. citizens to file their waivers in the United States. It’s believed that the change will have an impact hundreds of thousands of individuals.

If approved, this change is a step towards a more fair and just immigration system that values the importance of keeping families together.

Washington CAN! is a member for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). For more details, visit the FIRM website.

Also posted in Social justice | | Leave a comment
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