September 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
Stop Detention Centers in Dublin & Gilroy: Together we can make a difference!
Urgent: Lawyers and Law Students Needed to Help with Habeas Appeals
(From Centro Legal de La Raza)
Centro Legal is receiving an unprecedented number of asylum interview notices for our clients who came to the U.S. as unaccompanied children, and we believe this is part of a coordinated effort to place as many of these clients as possible into removal (i.e. deportation) proceedings.
We'll be presenting a 90-minute virtual "Asylum 101" training on September 8 at 1 pm, which also will be recorded. We will then send additional materials for self-study after the training.
If you're an attorney or law student interested in participating in this project, please complete this survey no later than September 3.
Please share this information with any attorneys and/or law students who may be able to help!
Update on Maureen Wanjiru Ngure
Thank you to everyone who has made calls and sent email on behalf of Maureen Wanjiru Ngure, a nurse from Contra Costa County, who was detained by Homeland Security on 8/14/26 after she went to an ICE check-in at 630 Sansome St. in San Francisco.
DHS attempted to deport Maureen to a third country, which was halted at the last minute. Maureen is still being held in the Richwood Detention Center in Monroe, LA. Her wallet, ID and phone were all “lost” by DHS.
Maureen’s lawyer in Louisiana has submitted an official request to DHS to release Maureen on her own recognizance for voluntary departure from the U.S. Additional lawyers across the country are providing information and counsel to Maureen's lawyer in Louisiana.
As a result of the numerous calls and letters they have received, staff members working for Sen. Schiff and Rep. De Saulnier’s office have expressed concern for her case and have initiated a search for Maureen’s belongings which were “lost” by DHS.
Please continue to call and e-mail Sen. Padilla, Sen. Schiff, and Rep. De Saulnier requesting their support for Maureen’s immediate release. For more information on Maureen’s case, see our Urgent Action appeal 8/26/26.
Thank you again for joining in this effort to free Maureen.
Senator Alex Padilla padilla.senate.gov
D.C. (202) 224-3553
S.F. (415) 981-9369
Senator Adam Schiff schiff.senate.gov
D.C. (202) 224-3841
S.F. (415) 393-0707
Union Nurses are Activated for Maureen!
National Nurses United for Maureen Wanjiru Ngure. Our Urgent Appeal letter is being distributed NOW to thousands of Kaiser Nurses on Kaiser picket lines across California. Nurses are being asked to call and write their elected officials and to share with colleagues and other nurses. Thank you National Nurses United!
Support Immigration Bills in the CA State Legislature (From Bay Resistance)
ICE is quietly expanding its deportation machine, and it is happening at a staggering scale. Last month alone, ICE abducted nearly 50,000 people, more than any other month under this regime.
California has the power to make it harder for corporations to profit from separating families.
Urge your legislators to support critical bills in the We Are California 2026 Policy Platform, including:
AB 1633: Imposes a 50% tax on private detention centers, undermining their ability to operate in California.
AB 2465: Stops California taxpayer dollars from flowing to companies that profit from detention and family separation.
Contact your legislators today and demand they support policies that prioritize people over billionaires, protecting our freedoms, and keeping families together.
Email your legislators through our state partner, We Are California
Canvassing in Dublin
IF THEY BUILD IT, ICE WILL FILL IT (From Bay Resistance)
ICE detains more people in the areas where they have detention centers. If we let FCI Dublin reopen as an immigrant detention center or Gilroy as a processing center, ICE will escalate its violent arrests and family separations in our neighborhoods.
Canvass with the ICE Out of Dublin Coalition on September 5 and September 12, from 3–6 PM.
We'll talk with Dublin neighbors and businesses about the proposed ICE detention site at the former FCI Dublin Women’s Prison, listen to the people closest to it, and organize together to stop it from opening.
Once you RSVP, you'll receive meeting location and logistics details.
Stand with Gilroy against ICE by Participating in These Actions:
Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
Rally at the Federal Courthouse in San Jose, 280 South 1st Street
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County have filed litigation against the federal government over environmental and zoning violations in an attempt to halt the construction of the proposed Immigration Detention Processing Center. The case will be heard on Sept. 8.
Sunday, September 27 from 3–4 PM 7240 Holsclaw Road, Gilroy
Join the ICE Out of Gilroy Freedom Vigil to protest plans for a new ICE facility and stand with our neighbors facing detention and deportation. The vigil takes place on the fourth Sunday of each month at the site where the proposed Detention Center will be located.
A report from Gilroy vigil against proposed Detention Center
On August 30, over 60 faith leaders and community members gathered under a large shade tree in front of the site where ICE plans to build the proposed Gilroy Detention Processing Center. The 26-acre site, which is blocked off by chained-link fencing and keep-out signs, is located among fields of garlic, cabbage, peppers, and corn on unincorporated agricultural land on the outskirts of Gilroy, a town with a majority Latino population.
One of the speakers read a letter from a Gilroy resident describing how residents are living in fear and are afraid to take their children to soccer games, go to the grocery store, or go to doctor appointments. They fear that if the Detention Center is built, they will be in even greater danger.
Then the organizers read the names of everyone who has died in ICE custody since the beginning of the Trump administration while community members placed flowers on the altar. Community members pledged to do everything they can to stop the Detention Center from being built.
The event was sponsored by Santa Cruz Interfaith Network, PACT (People Acting in Community Together), ICE Out of the Bay Coalition, Santa Cruz Welcoming Network, and Your Allied Rapid Response.
Join Interfaith Court Vigils At ICE - SF & Concord
Date & time: Recurring Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; specific times via link below
Locations: SF: 100 Montgomery AND 630 Sansome Street;
Concord: 1855 Gateway Blvd
ICE Immigration Courts have become sites of fear and danger for many immigrants simply trying to access due process. Join us in creating a sacred corridor of hope, connection, and beloved community, right outside the courtroom doors. Join the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and others to provide comfort, song, presence and support. Various roles are available to participants..
Use this link to get more information, sign up & view calendars.
VOLUNTEER Opportunities with North Star Network: Quaker-run organization assists individual immigrants living in the U.S. to emigrate to Canada or Spain. Long waiting list of immigrants wishing to receive this free legal support and choice. Founded by Quaker Immigration lawyers who provide training, counsel and mentoring to Counselors.
Counselor training includes weekly follow-up sessions. Counselors meet immigrants 1:1 on zoom, to assess eligibility for specific legal pathways to Canada or Spain. If you are interested in becoming a NSN Counselor, complete Volunteer application on website: https://thenorthstarnetwork.com
Become a FLPIR volunteer! Help us protect our neighbors and make a difference!
Give out and explain Know Your Rights cards
Outreach to businesses
Join “Court Watch” and “Welcome Navigator” programs
Adopt a Corner
Help with FLPIR events
Summons
Last night I dreamed
ten thousand grandmothers
from the twelve hundred corners of the earth
walked out into the gap
one breath deep
between the bullet and the flesh
between the bomb and the family.
They told me we cannot wait for governments.
There are no peacekeepers boarding planes.
There are no leaders who dare to say
every life is precious, so it will have to be us.
They said we will cup our hands around each heart.
We will sing the earth’s song, the song of water,
a song so beautiful that vengeance will turn to weeping.
The mourners will embrace, and grief replace
every impulse toward harm.
Ten thousand is not enough, they said,
so, we have sent this dream, like a flock of doves
into the sleep of the world. Wake up. Put on your shoes.
You who are reading this, I am bringing bandages
and a bag of scented guavas from my trees. I think
I remember the tune. Meet me at the corner.
Let’s go.
-Aurora Levin Morales
Please share this newsletter with a friend (or 10!) Together we can make a difference!
Urgent Action Appeal
Dear Friends,
We have received this request from a FLPIR member, on behalf of a Bay Area nurse detained at 630 Sansome Street in San Francisco on Friday 8/14/26. Maureen Wanjiru Ngure studied nursing in the U.S, and has worked 8 years in local hospitals. She also is a community volunteer and on the Contra Costa County Covid Team. Her husband and 2 young children are U.S. citizens. She recently was nominated and chosen for employment in British Columbia, Canada. This is an Occupational Pathway program to Canadian Citizenship for her and her family. Her work authorization is in process to become a Canadian registered nurse.
With 2 days notice, Maureen went to a mandated appointment on August 14, 2026. Maureen never missed a DHS appointment or phone call in 20 years living in the U.S. This time Maureen was served a 3rd Country Deportation Order. She was unable to see a Contra Costa County Rapid Response lawyer who came to assist her. Over the next 4 days, Maureen was transferred to 3 different detention centers in California, Arizona, and Louisiana. She slept on floors in rooms and halls with strangers. Her ID, phone, wallet were 'lost' in transit.
Maureen became lost in the DHS Data System on her 5th day. Without identification, money, or phone, she was driven in a van to an unknown airport. Maureen was slated to fly to an unnamed developing country. Just before boarding, a last minute Deportation HALT moved her back into custody at Richwood Detention Center in Monroe, Louisiana.
Maureen’s attorneys are asking for her immediate release. Maureen is a woman of deep faith and she is not a flight risk.
Maureen'slawyers encourage community members to contact Elected Officials.
PLEASE REQUEST THAT DHS WORK WITH ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES TO RELEASE MAUREEN QUICKLY ON HER OWN RECOGNIZANCE TO CALIFORNIA.
• Allow Maureen to see her children in California, pack her bags, complete work authorization to Canada.
• Then, voluntarily depart with dignity, paying her own passage to Canada or her country of origin, Kenya. Unshackled.
Please Call or Write to the following members of Congress:
California
Senator Alex Padilla
D.C. (202) 224-3553
S.F. (415) 981-9369
Senator Adam Schiff
D.C. (202) 224-3841
S.F (415) 393-0707
Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Dist. 10
D.C. (202) 225-2095
Antioch (925) 754-0716
Louisiana:
Congresswoman Julia Letlow
D.C. (202) 225-8490
Monroe, LA (318) 570-6440
Senator Bill Cassidy
D.C. (202)224-5824
Monroe, LA (318) 324-2111
August 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
Take Action Now to End Ice Killings
We cannot be silent.
Sign the “Hugs Beyond Bars” Petition
From the Interfaith Movement for Human Dignity
Cal Cities Detention Center, which is run by the for-profit company Core Civic, is the largest detention center in California, with a capacity of 2,500 detainees, located in a remote area of the Mojave Desert. People detained in Cal Cities are denied in-person contact visits with their loved ones in violation of ICE detention standards. Families travel long distances only to be separated by glass, and forced to talk with their loved one over the phone. Detainees are unable to embrace children, parents, or spouses.
Please add your name, sign and share the petition calling on ICE and CoreCivic to allow contact visits at California City Detention Center. Petition signatures will be delivered to local, state, and federal officials.
A report from California City’s Detention Center
By Cathy Mahoney
I recently traveled to California City together with FlIPR member Vicki Van Steinberg, Rev. Deborah Lee, and members of the Interfaith Movement for Human Dignity to speak out against the Cal City Detention Center at the City Planning Commission. Over 150 people from Kern County and beyond spoke out against the facility at the meeting, including former detainees and family members of people currently being held there.
The next day, I had the opportunity to visit with several detainees currently being held inside Cal City Detention Center. As you drive on an unmarked road in a remote part of the Mojave Desert, you suddenly see a surreal vision on the horizon—a giant detention center surrounded by multiple layers of razor wire rising up in the middle of the desert.
After passing through multiple gates and being cleared by security guards, we were led into a large visiting room. Although the room had many picnic tables—clearly designed for friendly in-person visits with family members—the detainees are only allowed to visit through a glass wall using a telephone.
The first detainee I met was Carlos Mendoza, a young construction worker who had been shot multiple times by ICE agents when he was driving to work early in the morning in April 2026. ICE agents fired 14 bullets at his car, 7 of which entered his body in his head, chest, and arm. Because of his injuries, he can only eat liquids and very soft foods. He has already lost 15 pounds since his detention. He is currently being charged with federal crimes and is being held in a separate area for the most “dangerous” criminals.
Carlos told us that he had just heard about the ICE murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo the day we visited. Carlos said he believed it was a miracle he survived his shooting by ICE and that he survived because God wanted him to get out and help other people. His biggest concern was worrying about his wife and young child.
Another detainee I visited had just been detained a week earlier, also while driving to his job as a roofer. He was still in shock. His biggest worry was what would happen to his wife and four children (all US citizens), especially his youngest child who has a disability and needs to be on oxygen continuously.
Other detainees talked about the lack of medical care and their poor nutrition. One detainee said they were only fed carbohydrates, with almost no protein, fruits, or vegetables, and milk only once a week.
It was a heartbreaking experience visiting with these young men who have been ripped away from their families and are now being locked in cruel conditions, hundreds of miles away from their families, making visits extremely difficult.
As we said good-bye, we promised the detainees we visited that we will continue to fight to end this cruel system of detentions and deportations, to shut down all the detention centers, abolish ICE, and establish a clear pathway to citizenship, so we can end this reign of terror.
A look at recent actions
FLIPR members join the Abolish Ice Vigil in Oakland on July 25.
Photo credit: Nora Goodfriend Koven
An ofrenda honoring people who have been killed by ICE or died in ICE custody. Photo credit: Karen Colaric
More opportunities to take action
Attend the “Know Your Rights Business Outreach” Training
Date & time: Monday, August 24, 11 a.m.
Location: Virtual
Support your community with business outreach education and support in San Francisco or the East Bay. You will develop relationships with business owners, managers & employees and help those impacted prepare in advance for encounters with immigration enforcement. Join Karen C and Sherry V, who have been doing this outreach steadily for a year. At this 1-hour zoom training, you will learn how to approach your contacts and will be granted access to continually updated materials to share with businesses.
Join Interfaith Court Vigils At ICE - SF & Concord
Date & time: Recurring Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; specific times via link below
Locations: SF: 100 Montgomery AND 630 Sansome Street; Concord: 1855 Gateway Blvd
ICE Immigration Courts have become sites of fear and danger for many immigrants simply trying to access due process. Join us in creating a sacred corridor of hope, connection, and beloved community, right outside the courtroom doors. Join the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and others to provide comfort, song, presence and support; various roles are available.
For more information, sign up & view calendars:
Become a FLPIR volunteer! Help us protect our neighbors and make a difference!
Give out and explain Know Your Rights cards
Outreach to businesses
Join “Court Watch” and “Welcome Navigator” programs
Adopt a Corner
Help with FLPIR events
July 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
Defend TPS for Haitian and Syrian Immigrants Now!
Demand Congress pass protection for TPS Holders Now
On June 25, the Supreme Court issued a devastating 6-3 ruling allowing the Trump administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian residents. This ruling leaves over 350,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians without work permits and vulnerable to deportation. This means that Haitians and Syrians with TPS can be separated from their families and forced to return to their home countries, where they face extremely dangerous conditions. This ruling also puts more than 1.3 million immigrants from 15 countries at risk.
We demand that Congress take immediate action to protect all TPS holders. The House of Representatives has already passed HR 1689 which extends TPS protection for Haitians until 2029. The Senate has introduced S. 4814 which would also extend TPS for Haitians until 2029.
So far, neither Sen. Schiff nor Sen. Padilla have co-sponsored this bill. We need to deluge their offices with letters and phone calls to demand their support for TPS for our Haitian and Syrian immigrant neighbors now!
Tell the Senate: Co-sponsor S. 4814 and protect Haitian TPS now.
Email your senator: Email Sen. Schiff and Sen. Padilla and urge them to co-sponsor S. 4814, which would extend Haitian and Syrian TPS through 2029. Send your letter now via Action Network.
Call your senator: Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, ask to be connected to your senator’s office, and use this script to urge Sen. Schiff and Sen. Padilla to co-sponsor S. 4814, which would extend Haitian and Syrian TPS through 2029.
“Hello, my name is _______ and I am a constituent from _____ (city). I am calling to urge Senator ______ to co-sponsor S.4814 to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. Time is of the essence: The lives and families of 350,000 Haitians are at risk. Haitians are valuable members of our community. I am asking Senator ______ to join 19 of his colleagues and co-sponsor the bill as soon as possible. Thank you for your consideration.”
Celebrating Solidarity
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our June 14th event, Disappeared in Detention, at La Peña Cultural Center. We were so honored to have our expert panelists:
Stacy Suh, Program Director at nationally acclaimed Detention Watch Network
Natalia Santanna, founder of Santanna Law Offices
Deacon John and activist and former detainee, Jose R of SJRaise.
Stacy Suh described the trend towards the indefinite warehousing of humans in both mentally and physically abusive situations and how activist organized resistance has made a difference. Natalia Santanna shared how the frequent changes to immigration law has created heartbreaking obstacles for immigrants and their families. Deacon John and Jose shared their work providing direct support to detainees in California detention centers. Jose provided riveting testimony about his own experiences in detention, including organizing a labor and hunger strike. He continues to recover both emotionally and physically.
After our second panelist, we took an “action break.” We invited attendees to visit the ofrenda (altar) which was set up in the entryway. This beautiful altar, created by FLPIR member Karen Colaric and members of All Rise Alameda, honors and mourns each of the 30 people who have died in 2026 during detention or at the hands of ICE and related agencies. Attendees wrote their own personal butterfly messages and added them to the altar.
We also tried something new! We invited attendees to participate in “action tables” including:
Filling “welcome home” backpacks for people released from detention with hygiene supplies and food, generously donated by attendees. We filled 50 backpacks and gave them to Deacon John to distribute!
Notes of Comfort: Each backpack included a handwritten note of love and support on beautiful cards with sewn designs by artist Lisa Kokin.
Petition signing / letters to electeds to make our voices heard
Whistle alert kit assembly (bilingual) to use to alert neighborhoods of ICE presence
Sign ups for vigils and other immigrant support actions
Habeas Petition volunteer sign ups to facilitate the release of detainees.
Thanks to our hardworking organizing committee and our FLPIR volunteers for helping to make this such a powerful and meaningful event!
Karen Colaric, Disappeared in Detention Chair
Actions you can take
Oppose Corecivic Detention Center
Date & time: July 7, 2027 from 5 - 8 p.m (press conference from 5 -6 p.m. and site plan review appeal from 6 - 8 p.m)
Location: City Hall of California City (21000 Hacienda Blvd)
Support a collective of over 20+ organizations working together to shutdown the California City ICE Processing Center. They have an appeal hearing on Tuesday, July 7 at 6 p.m. To follow their livestream of the action & press conference, please visit the Shut Down Cal City.
Tell Congress no more money for ICE and Border Patrol
In 2026, Congress passed a reconciliation bill that provided ICE and CBP with $70 billion to carry out Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation agenda. Now Congress is debating whether to give these same agencies an additional $30 billion to carry out the administration's anti-immigrant agenda through the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations process. We are demanding that Congress:
Provide NO funding for ICE and Border Patrol in FY 2027 appropriations;
Redirect taxpayer dollars away from the bloated budgets of ICE and Border Patrol to fund health care and other human needs;
Restrict the use of funds for further ICE detention expansion, including the construction or renovation of warehouse detention facilities.
Join Interfaith Court Vigils At ICE - SF & Concord
Date & time: Recurring Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays; specific times via link below
Locations: SF: 100 Montgomery AND 630 Sansome Street; Concord: 1855 Gateway Blvd
ICE Immigration Courts have become sites of fear and danger for many immigrants simply trying to access due process. Join us in creating a sacred corridor of hope, connection, and beloved community, right outside the courtroom doors. Join the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity and others to provide comfort, song, presence and support; various roles are available.
Become a FLPIR volunteer. Help us protect our neighbors and make a difference!
Give out and explain Know Your Rights cards
Outreach to businesses
Join “Court Watch” and “Court Navigator” programs
Help with Asylum Applications
Adopt a Corner
Help with FLPIR events
June 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
On Sunday, June 14 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Friends of La Peña Immigrant Rights (FLPIR) will host a free community workshop at La Peña Cultural Center focusing on ICE detentions and what we can do to end ICE detention now! Join us for a deeper dive into this complex topic with expert panelists who will share up-to-date information from a legal and activist perspective.
Speakers:
Natalia V Santanna, Esq., Founder of Santanna Law Offices, PC
Stacy Suh, Program Director at Detention Watch Network
Rev. Canon Anna Carmichael, Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin Detention Ministry
Jose R., former detainee, SJRAISE
We will also have action tables set up to make whistle kits, write letters, and fill backpacks for immigrants in detention.
Please bring the following items to the event to help fill backpacks: travel-size toothpaste, shampoo, and lotion; toothbrush, soap, deodorant, comb/brush, bottle of water, granola/protein bar, dried fruit, socks, small notepad & pen.
Registration is required; space is limited.
Event is free. Suggested donation to be made at the door: $5.00 - $20.00.
A Huge Thank You to the Art Without Borders Team!
Photo credit: Lia Roozendaal Photography
The art sale went beyond our wildest dreams…there was a huge turnout; at one point the line to get in stretched down the whole block. Together we raised around $15,000 for the Multicultural Institute to support their work on behalf of day laborers and immigrants in the Bay Area! There was amazing energy in the room, the music was fantastic, everyone there contributed to a feeling of love, unity and solidarity.
Many thanks to event organizers Lisa Kokin, Marcy Goot, Aram Hodess, Dobee Snowber and Kathy deRosas; musicians David Shakiban and Friends; and everyone who helped to make this event a success! A huge thank you from the bottom or our hearts to the over 130 artists who so generously donated their art to make this happen.
“Art Without Borders” continues for two more weekends!
The sale will continue for the next two weekends at the open studio of Dobee Snowber (Lisa Levine's studio in the Ford Building) in Jingletown in Oakland. The Jingletown Art Walk will be held June 6-7 and June 13-14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you will have an additional chance to purchase some of the incredible artwork from “Art Without Borders.” Please pass the word! We hope to sell even more art to a different audience during the four days of open studios.
Take action: Upcoming opportunities
Art by Rachel Liebman, who accompanies immigrants during court hearings and ICE check-ins with Faith in Action and court observers who work in conjunction with the Attorney of the Day program.
Volunteers Needed to Observe Immigration Court Proceedings with Concord Court Watch
Observe hearings to help assure due process rights in the courtroom are respected. A minimum commitment of 4 daytime hours, once per month is required. To sign up and receive training, email immcourt@gmail.com.
Request a “Know Your Rights in Healthcare” workshop
Do you work in healthcare? Would you like a “Know Your Rights in Healthcare” presentation at your work location? We can provide a one-hour training for your staff and colleagues or tailor the presentation to your needs.
Contact us via this Know Your Rights Training Request Form.
Welcome Navigator Program at the Concord Immigration Court
With the expansion of the Concord Immigration Court, there is a growing need for additional Spanish speaking volunteers for the Welcome Navigator program. Welcome Navigator volunteers provide non-legal, compassionate support to people attending immigration court, especially those who are unrepresented by an attorney. This is an extremely impactful and rewarding volunteer opportunity The role focuses on:
Welcoming individuals and families to the court
Sharing resource packets and basic information
Explaining what community resources may be available
Helping collect basic information for follow-up support when requested
Offering presence, dignity, and calm in an often overwhelming environment
After watching on-line training, volunteers get an in-person orientation at the court. Then they sign up for shifts that fit their schedule. Generally the shifts are about 3- 4 hours, either mornings or afternoons. To sign up and receive training, email immcourt@gmail.com.
Assist immigrants with Habeas Corpus
Volunteers are needed to join a pro bono Habeas Corpus team of lawyers, paralegals, translators, intake interviewers, proofreaders, and people with tech skills (who convert courtroom audio files to text) who together prepare and file legal pleadings in federal court to seek the release of detained immigrants. No immigration law experience is required. Lawyers can be practicing or retired. Volunteers with no paralegal experience can be trained. Both Spanish speaking and English speaking volunteers are needed. While the majority of applicants are from Latin America, we are also getting appeals for help from detainees from Africa and Southeast Asia. Mentorship for all volunteers is provided as needed. All work is done online, so volunteers can live anywhere.
Due to the time and training that goes into preparing volunteers, please only sign up if you have serious interest.
More ways to get involved:
Give out Know Your Rights cards
Outreach to businesses
Help with Asylum Applications
Adopt a Corner
Help with events
CALL NOW: Stop your tax dollars from funding family separation
First, we asked you to email your Assemblymember in support of the No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act (AB 2465) - and more than 1,000 of you stepped up.
Then, the bill cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Now, AB 2465 could be up for a full Assembly vote any day, and we need to turn up the pressure.
The next step is simple: Call your Assemblymember today and tell them to support the No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act!
Also call: Assemblymember Anamarie Avila Farias, District 15
📞 (916) 319-2015
Support the No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act
Call Script: (Leave a voicemail if closed!)
Hi, my name is [first_name]! I am joining with Faith in Action East Bay, PICO California, The California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPIC) & SEIU California to ask for your support of AB2465: The No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act.
Additional Talking points:
Companies tied to detention and deportation receive millions in California tax breaks, grants, and other public benefits - while families are torn apart and our communities live in fear.
AB 2465 will CUT OFF state benefits and $$ to corporations that profit from detention and enforcement activities.
At a time when families are being torn apart, our faith and our shared humanity calls us to stand with the vulnerable and affirm that Families are Sacred.
When the time comes, please support your community, support AB 2465: The No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act.
Right now, companies profiting from the detention of our immigrant neighbors still receive millions in California tax breaks, grants, and public benefits, while families are torn apart and communities live in fear.
Every day we stay silent, our tax dollars help fund that harm.
That ends with AB 2465 - but only if our leaders hear from us now.
Please, use your voice now: Call your Assemblymember. Tell them to support the No Taxpayer Dollars for Family Separation Act.
In faith, love, and solidarity,
FAITH IN ACTION EAST BAY
late May 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
Bushra Gill working in her studio (Photo credit: Maria Del Monaco)
Here’s a sneak peak at some of the amazing artwork that will be featured at “Art Without Borders,” an art sale benefitting immigrant families. The sale will be held on Saturday, May 30, from 2 to 5 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center (3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705).
Artist: Maritza Ruiz-Kim / Title of work: We Are Home / Medium: stencil/painting
We recently interviewed artist Lisa Kokin, one of the organizers of “Art Without Borders,” about the event.
Artist: Elizabeth Addison / Title of work: Between Heaven & Earth / Medium: digital collage
FLPIR: Lisa, what inspired you to organize this amazing event?
Lisa: The idea for this event came from a local artist Angela Luna, who approached FLPIR and offered to donate her art for sale. We loved the idea and broadened it to the wider Bay Area artist community. The response has been overwhelming. Over 130 artists have donated more than 300 pieces of original art, because they care deeply about what is happening during this horrific period of repression against immigrants and people of color in this country. Many of the artists thanked us for organizing something they can be involved in to help support immigrants in our community.
Artist: Susan Working / Title of work: Untitled / Medium: monoprint/collage
FLPIR: What kind of art will be for sale?
Lisa: The art in the sale is incredibly wide-ranging in both media and style, including drawings, paintings, printmaking, collage, and photography. Prices range from $15 to $200. In many cases, the artists priced their work well below market rate in order to make the work accessible to a broad range of people.
Artist: Katie Gilmartin / Title of work: Trancestors Walk With Us / Medium: linocut
FLPIR: Where will the proceeds from this event go?
Lisa: All of the proceeds will go to the Multicultural Institute, a non-profit organization that offers a variety of resources to immigrants including GED training and job placement assistance. They also help day laborers obtain work at a living wage and sponsor the “adopt-a-corner” program to help protect people against ICE.
Artist: Juan Fuentes / Title of work: Paz / Medium: linoleum cut
FLPIR: Will any of the artists be present at the sale?
Lisa: Yes, many of the artists will be present at the sale. There will also be music by David Shakiban and Friends and refreshments. So come join us for a fun afternoon of art, music, and food and help support the Multicultural Institute at the same time!
Artist: Dan Danzig / Title of work: City Motion / Medium: photography
May 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
On March 24, Berkeley residents and advocates packed City Council chambers to oppose a new contract with Flock surveillance that would put our immigrant community members at increased risk. In a marathon session, residents voiced their concerns until 1:30 a.m. – so long that it delayed the vote. The final vote has been rescheduled for a special session on May 7 at 5:00 p.m. at 1231 Addison Street in Berkeley.
There is still time to make an impact. Here's how you can help:
Sign and share the letter campaigns for the City Council and specifically for District 6 and District 8.
Join phone-banking and canvassing efforts happening in the next couple of weeks. Email ncac@indivisible-berkeley.org to get involved.
Attend the May 7 meeting and voice your opposition to Flock surveillance.
Visit the Indivisible Berkeley webpage to learn more about why this contract threatens the safety and privacy of Berkeley residents.
Upcoming events, trainings, workshops:
ACILEP Know Your Rights Virtual Workshop
Wednesday, May 6, 5:30 p.m., online
Join attorneys from Alameda County Immigration Legal Education Partnership (ACILEP) for a free virtual Know Your Rights workshop. This training will help you understand your risk of being arrested by ICE, make a plan to follow in case of an arrest in your family or community, and understand the current situation regarding ICE activity in our county.
Art Without Borders, an art sale benefitting immigrant families
Sunday, May 31, 2:00-5:00 p.m., La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA.
Join us for this amazing, one-of-a-kind event. Original artwork from over 100 award-winning, established, and emerging artists will be sold at special accessible prices from $15 to $200, with all proceeds going to the Multicultural Institute, an immigrant advocacy and support organization. Artworks include diverse forms of printmaking, photography, collage, drawings, and paintings on paper. The event will feature live music from David Shakiban and Friends and refreshments.
Panel Discussion: Disappeared in Detention
Sunday, June 14, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m, La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA .
Join us for a deep dive into the complex topic of immigration detention with expert panelists who will share up-to-date information from a legal and activist perspective. Visit our action tables during the break to take some immediate steps to fight back and support our neighbors and loved ones to stop the deportation machine.
Speakers will include Natalia V Santanna, Esq., founder of Santanna Law Offices, PC; Stacy Suh, program director at Detention Watch Network; Rev. Canon Anna Carmichael, Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin Detention Ministry; Jose R., former detainee, SJRAISE; and others.
Take action: Upcoming opportunities
Request a “Know Your Rights in Healthcare” workshop
Do you work in healthcare? Would you like a “Know Your Rights in Healthcare” presentation at your work location? We can provide a one-hour training for your staff and colleagues to assist you in protecting the rights of immigrant patients and clients and providing increased safety when they come for their appointments or health services.
Contact us at FLPimmigrationrights@gmail.com.
Assist immigrants with Habeas Corpus
Volunteers are also needed to join a pro bono Habeas Corpus team of lawyers, paralegals, translators, intake interviewers and people with tech skills (who convert courtroom audio files to text) who together prepare and file legal pleadings in federal court to seek the release of detained immigrants. No immigration law experience is required. Lawyers can be practicing or retired. Volunteers with no paralegal experience can be trained. Intake interviewers and translators should have Spanish proficiency to communicate with most detainees and their relatives. Mentorship for all volunteers is provided as needed. All work is done online, so volunteers can live anywhere.
Due to the time and training that goes into preparing volunteers, please only sign up if you have serious interest.
More ways to get involved:
For more information, go to FLPIR.org
Give out Know Your Rights cards
Observe court proceedings Court Watch
Help with Asylum Applications (Spanish fluency required)
Adopt a Corner
Help with events
Thank You La Peña Community Chorus!
Thank you to the La Peña Community Chorus for an inspiring evening of music and resistance. The standing-room only concert raised over $3,000 for FLPIR to continue our work of defending immigrant rights! Thanks to the Chorus, La Peña Cultural Center, all the volunteers who helped organize the event, and everyone who attended for helping make this such a successful event!
April 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
On March 28, FLPIR volunteers joined millions of people across the US to say “No War With Iran, No ICE, and No Kings!” We need to continue to oppose the Trump/MAGA agenda in every way that we can. On May 1, we will join the May Day Strong “No Kings, No Billionaires!” campaign by not going to work or school or shopping (see below).
Meanwhile, we will continue organizing locally to defend our immigrant neighbors and oppose Trump’s cruel immigration policies. Last year, 32 people died in DHS custody – the most in over 2 decades. So far this year, at least 11 people have died in ICE custody. Thousands of people have been deported or are being held in ICE detention centers and thousands of families have been separated due to Trump’s cruel and unjust immigration policies.
This newsletter contains many ways you can join in the struggle for justice for immigrants – from city hall and courthouse vigils to music and arts events, and of course, the many ways you can volunteer!
Thanks for your support! Gracias por tu apoyo!
La Peña Community Chorus Presents: ¡SIN FRONTERAS!
A Benefit Concert for Friends of La Peña Immigrant Rights
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA
Call to artists: Donate your work to support immigrant families
Deadline to respond: April 17
FLPIR is sponsoring a one-day print, collage, and photography exhibition and sale to raise money for the Multicultural Institute, an immigrant advocacy and support organization in Berkeley. The event will include a reception and live music.
We are inviting artists to donate works to be included in this show. 100% of the proceeds of works sold will be donated to the Multicultural Institute. The deadline to respond is April 17. For more details about this exhibition and how to submit works, please contact lisa@lisakokin.com.
Stand together: Collective Actions
Keep ICE OUT of Dublin
Oppose the immigration center at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Vote
Tuesday, April 7, 1-3 p.m.
1221 Oak Street, 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612
The fight to permanently shut down the federal prison in Dublin continues. So far, the sustained community pressure has prevented the reopening of FCI Dublin as an immigration detention center thus far, and we need your continued support.
On Tuesday, April 7 at 1 p.m., the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution to oppose the reopening of FCI Dublin as an ICE detention center or other correctional facility.The resolution is co-sponsored by Supervisors David Haubert and Elisa Marquez.
Please take action:
Attend the Board of Supervisors meeting in-person or online. See our toolkit here for guidelines on public comment.
Not able to attend? Submit written comments via email by Monday, April 6, 3 p.m..
Sign up here with the ICE out of Dublin Coalition so we know that you are participating!
If you have questions about public comment, please email Marla Kamiya at mrlakam@gmail.com or Amanda Berger at ajberger84@gmail.com.
Stop Flock Surveillance in Alameda County
Oppose Flock contract expansion at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting
Tuesday, April 21, 3 p.m.
1221 Oak St # 536, Oakland, CA 94612
On April 21, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will resume deliberations on a $854,200 contract extension with Flock. The County just voted to strengthen its sanctuary policy with ICE-Free Zones, voting “yes” on this contract would completely contradict its reasoning as ICE digs into Flock cameras to kidnap undocumented neighbors. Contact the District Supervisors before April 21 and show up online and in-person at the Board of Supervisors meeting; tell them to vote NO on the Flock contract. Find the Supervisor's contact info here.
May Day Strong: No work. No school. No shopping.
Friday, May 1
This May 1st, we will be flexing our collective muscle in a tremendous day of people power – showing our unity and strength through a day of no work, no school, no shopping.
Get Involved: Volunteer today
Support Immigrants with Asylum, Pretermission Responses, and Habeas Corpus
There is a critical need for bilingual volunteers to assist with helping asylum seekers in completing their asylum applications and pretermission forms. Volunteers must be proficient in English and another language, Spanish being in the highest demand.
Volunteers are also needed to join a pro bono Habeas Corpus team of lawyers, paralegals and intake interviewers who prepare and file legal pleadings in federal court to seek the release of detained immigrants. No immigration law experience is required. Lawyers can be practicing or retired. Volunteers with no paralegal experience can be trained. Intake interviewers should have Spanish proficiency to communicate with most detainees and their relatives. Mentorship for all volunteers is provided as needed. All work is done online, so volunteers can live anywhere.
Due to the time and training that goes into preparing volunteers, please only sign up if you have serious interest.
Stand in solidarity at Interfaith Immigration Court Vigils
Help create a sacred space and corridor of community welcome outside ICE immigration courts in SF and Concord which have become sites of danger and fear for immigrants accessing due process. Sponsored by Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HI).
Observe Immigration Court Proceedings with SF Court Watch
Observe hearings to help assure due process rights in the courtroom are respected. A minimum commitment of 4 daytime hours, once per month is required.
To sign up and receive training, email immcourt@gmail.com.
Join the North Star Network
Become a counselor in training for immigrants seeking to go to Canada through the North Star Network. Weekly trainings & mentoring are offered by immigration lawyers and Quaker counselors. For more information, contact: CollaborativeAction@proton.me
More volunteer opportunities
For more information, go to FLPIR.org.
Adopt a Day-Laborer Corner
Give out red “Know Your Rights” cards & yellow “Rapid Response Network” cards
Support Local Businesses: Canvass with KYR Toolkit
Mid March 2026 FLPIR Newsletter
Immigrant Rights Sundays: Know Your Rights Now Workshop
Things have been changing so fast on the ground, it's time for a new Know Your Rights Now Workshop. We've gathered our experts to tell you what's happening now: How is ICE operating? What did we learn from Minnesota? What can you do to safely support immigrants?
We are very fortunate to have Marisa Almor as our presenter for this event. Marisa has given dozens of workshops in the Bay Area, training thousands of immigrants and allies on how to protect our community.
The workshop will be held on March 22, from 2 - 4 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center. See you there!
Show up:
Upcoming events and marches
Oakland No Kings March
Saturday, March 28, 1- 3 p.m.
Sign up to support the march as a Indivisible East Bay volunteer.
San Francisco No Kings March
Saturday, March 28
11:30 a.m.: Gather at Embarcadero Plaza – Bring flags, wear costumes, make noise!
12 p.m.: March to Civic Center Plaza
2 p.m.: Rally at Civic Center Plaza and tabling fair at neighboring Fulton Plaza
La Peña Community Chorus Presents: ¡SIN FRONTERAS!
A Benefit Concert for Friends of La Peña Immigrant Rights
Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m.
La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA
Art Without Borders: Supporting Immigrant Families Through Art
May 31, 2:00 - 5:00 pm. La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA
Invitation to Artists: FLPIR is sponsoring a one-day print, collage, and photography exhibition and sale to raise money for the Multicultural Institute, an immigrant advocacy and support organization in Berkeley. The event will include a reception and live music. We are inviting artists to donate works to be included in this show. 100% of the proceeds of works sold will be donated to the Multicultural Institute. The deadline to respond is April 17.
For more details about this exhibition and how to submit works, please contact lisa@lisakokin.com. For more information about the Multicultural Institute, go to www.mionline.org.
Get involved: Ongoing actions
Time sensitive: Say NO to Flock surveillance in Berkeley
Tell our city council members that we oppose expanding the Flock contract and want them to prioritize community trust, civil liberties, and compliance with California’s privacy protections. Flock’s poor track record with data privacy has allowed ICE to access local data to target immigrants.
Contact your city council representative before the vote on March 24. DISTRICTS 1, 5, and 6 ARE HIGH PRIORITY because these council members are on the Public Safety subcommittee.
Look up your representative and find phone and email scripts at Indivisible East Bay.
Volunteer
Here are some of the ways you can volunteer:
Volunteer to Support Immigrants with Asylum, Pretermission Responses, and Habeas Corpus
Give out red “Know Your Rights” cards & yellow “Rapid Response Network” cards
Adopt a Day-Laborer Corner
Support Local Businesses: Canvass with KYR Toolkit
Observe Immigration Court Proceedings with SF Court Watch
Observe hearings to help assure due process rights in the courtroom are respected. A minimum commitment of 4 daytime hours, once per month is required.
To sign up and receive training, email immcourt@gmail.com.
Join the North Star Network
Become a counselor in training for immigrants seeking to go to Canada through the North Star Network. Weekly trainings & mentoring are offered by immigration lawyers and Quaker counselors.
For more information, contact: CollaborativeAction@proton.me