On Friday, 1/23, union members and other members of the public have been called upon to not shop anywhere, and instead make our needed purchases today before 10pm or on Saturday. This call to boycott everywhere went out after we collectively witnessed the devastating murder of Renee Nicole Good, another US citizen shot and killed at the hands of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent while standing up for her Minnesotan neighbors.
Last week, members of our community were put on high alert by unverified reports of potential ICE activity near UW. Though these reports have ultimately not been confirmed, this incident highlights how we must prepare ourselves as a community to stand up and protect each other from the fear, anxiety, and violence that these kinds of actions can bring.
We as working people are unwilling to watch our tax dollars be funneled into a system that kidnaps, terrorizes, and kills our friends and neighbors. We as academic workers have already killed cuts to our life-changing research and education, and are continuing to organize against the federal administration that continues to fund ICE with an annual budget that is bigger than most nations’ militaries through massive cuts to healthcare and food assistance that our communities urgently need.
As union members, we are using our power to fight back and defend each other. Unions and community groups in Minnesota are strengthening rapid response networks, calling on elected officials, and organizing an all day shut-down to demand ICE out of Minnesota. As members of the UW community, we cannot wait until the next time we hear rumors to protect our non-citizen colleagues and students: the time to act is now. We must build from the ground up to drive ICE out of our campuses and communities for good. We demand that our University:
- Establish a legal fund to assist with immigration legal challenges.
- Require Know Your Rights trainings university-wide.
- Defend free speech.
- Maintain employment and student status for anyone detained.
- Do not collaborate with ICE.
Take Action Now:
- Sign on to the letter and build our union power to win these five demands.
- Join your union today. Signing up as a member is the most powerful way support your fellow workers and make UW a safer place for ourselves and our non-citizen colleagues.
- Attend the Monthly Membership Meeting tonight, Jan 22, at 5:30pm with others from your department to coordinate our campaign for these changes starting at the department/college-level and learn how to join a local rapid response network. RSVP here.
- Add your name in support of a DACA-mented ASE who was terminated from their Teaching Assistant position without a comprehensive support plan last week.
- Refuse to shop anywhere on Friday, 1/23, in solidarity with ICE out of Minnesota.
- Attend a Rapid Response Training on Sunday Feb 1 at 1:30pm hosted by UW community members to prepare you to respond effectively if ICE is present on or near campus. RSVP here.
- Attend a Rapid Response Training virtually on Friday Feb 6th at 6pm hosted by Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) to prepare to respond if ICE is present anywhere in Washington State. RSVP here, then set up a watch party with others.
- Join the #solidarity channel on the UAW 4121 Slack to keep up with protests and rallies you can attend with fellow members, including an ICE Out Rally on 1/31 at 1pm starting at Pine and Broadway in Capitol Hill.
Know Your Rights – Information to Keep You and Your Coworkers Safe:
- Protest safety: The right to protest is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It protects the rights of all persons, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.
- UAW Immigration Hotline: Our union has a team of immigration lawyers to quickly connect members facing immigration emergencies and who have change in immigration status questions with legal resources. Call: 888-416-2110.
- Know Your Rights (KYR) if you encounter ICE from United We Dream. To get physical KYR and UAW Immigration Hotline cards to share with your coworkers, come to the MMM or email the 4121 International Solidarity Working Group (intl-solidarity@uaw4121.org).
- As union-represented workers, we have protections under our hard-won Collective Bargaining Agreements: ASEs, Postdocs, and Research Staff.
In Solidarity,
International Solidarity Working Group
Soohyung Hur
Joice Tang
Nolawit Mulugeta
Samantha Borje
Gabriel Beuchat
Haruki Hasegawa
Natalie Wellen