IL-9 Action Newsletter 5/24/17

5 Things To Do This Week to Resist from the IL-9

Boots on the Ground

Immigrant rights continue to be under attack due to the current presidential administration. Local governing bodies are taking steps to protect the rights of all their residents, however, including SB 31 in the Illinois House—legislation, called the TRUST Act, that would set sensible, constitutional limits on how local police forces in Illinois interact with federal immigration officials. Contact your state representative as soon as possible to ask for their support of the TRUST Act and in preserving rights of all residents of Illinois. The legislation will come to a vote sometime before May 31, so call soon.

Have you considered running for office? Working on a campaign you believe in? More and more people are interested in standing for elected office as the resistance continues, which means trainings are popping up to help equip those interested with the skills and strategies to be successful. Northside Democracy for America will host a two-day training on July 29 and 30, with registration now open. The training will take place at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago, and it will cover topics like planning, finances, messaging, and getting out the vote.

Add Your Name

Despite years of research demonstrating that mandatory minimums for drug offenses—a core tenet of the War on Drugs—is ineffectual, inequitably applied, and racist, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is doubling down on the problematic policy. A unilateral return to mandatory minimums would be catastrophic for Illinois families and communities. Add your name to this ACLU petition against Sessions’s plans to return the United States to failed drug policy.

Proposed cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency would include a reduction of the funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The GLRI, launched in 2010 with bipartisan support, is the major player in restoring and protecting the Great Lakes, which is the largest surface freshwater source in the world. Add your name to this petition to demonstrate the importance of the Great Lakes and the continued need to protect them through the GLRI.

Raise Your Consciousness

On June 19, cities across the country will participate in a Juneteenth Day of Action organized by the Black Land & Liberation Initiative and supported by the Movement for Black Lives. This event includes substantial planning and critical goals, as well as important historical context for understanding the action. Plan to join an informational call about the event on Wednesday, May 24, at 7 p.m., to get prepared for the nationwide Juneteenth Day of Action.