Juneteenth

Show Me The Meaning of #Juneteenth
Show me that you support $22 to $24 per hour minimum wage so people don’t have to reside in substandard housing and can actually have healthy meals for themselves and their families, show me that you support a better healthcare system like Medicare for all because people like my friend Ms. James who is black and have serious chronic health complications suffers not only from her illness but also suffers immensely from broken American healthcare system, show me that you care about affordable housing for black and people of all backgrounds by not allowing corporations and real estate monopolies to take over black neighborhoods, show me that you are in support of the end of gerrymandering that is designed to undermine black voices, show me that you seriously support police accountability and transparency because the treatment of black and brown people from the law enforcement state and federal is bias and brutal which is detriment to a just society, show me that black and brown people are treated as equal human beings like white people by you as a white person speaking out, show me that you care with your voice and with your acknowledgement of forced slavery and labor of black people and the centuries of hardship they endured, show me that you are speaking out and voting for better tangible policies that will make people’s lives better as an elected official and as a constituent because if you are not then you are not serious about dismantling the systemic racism in our institutions that are undermining and hindering a better quality life for all black communities across America.
May be an image of 2 people, people standing and outdoors
(Photo: Steven Whitsitt)

‘Show me the Meaning of Juneteenth’—Faisal R. Khan

Show Me The Meaning of #Juneteenth
Show me that you support $22 to $24 per hour minimum wage so people don’t have to reside in substandard housing and can actually have healthy meals for themselves and their families, show me that you support a better healthcare system like Medicare for all because people like my friend Ms. James who is black and have serious chronic health complications suffers not only from her illness but also suffers immensely from broken American healthcare system, show me that you care about affordable housing for black and people of all backgrounds by not allowing corporations and real estate monopolies to take over black neighborhoods, show me that you are in support of the end of gerrymandering that is designed to undermine black voices, show me that you seriously support police accountability and transparency because the treatment of black and brown people from the law enforcement state and federal is bias and brutal which is detriment to a just society, show me that black and brown people are treated as equal human beings like white people by you as a white person speaking out, show me that you care with your voice and with your acknowledgement of forced slavery and labor of black people and the centuries of hardship they endured, show me that you are speaking out and voting for better tangible policies that will make people’s lives better as an elected official and as a constituent because if you are not then you are not serious about dismantling the systemic racism in our institutions that are undermining and hindering a better quality life for all black communities across America.
(Photo: Steven Whitsitt)

Press Release on Israeli Attacks on Palestine

Press Release:
By: Ajah Harold
Carolina Peace Center Joins Boycott of White House Eid Celebration in Response to the #Biden Administration’s Defense of #Israeli Attacks on #Palestinian Civilians and no condemnation of the violence that has been perpetrated against Palestinians. We cannot in good conscience and in the spirit of celebrating the end of Ramadan celebrate Eid with the Biden Administration while it literally supports and justifies the Israeli apartheid government’s indiscriminate bombing of innocent men, women and children in Gaza. President Biden has the political power and moral authority to stop these injustices including the storming of Al Aqsa Masjid during Ramadan which is the one of the holiest sites for Muslims.

The Landscape is Shifting

Faisal R Khan of Carolina Peace Center co-authored this article with Nadia B. Ahmad.

 

Read the attached link to learn about the influx of people who rallied for Palestine in D.C during Memorial Day Weekend: https://mondoweiss.net/2021/05/the-landscape-is-shifting-over-35000-rally-for-palestine-in-dc-on-memorial-day-weekend/?fbclid=IwAR2jibxp6JMh_okbZenKF4AYfAfGBBI1WYLM4JWHoBURbK6JqA60-LusrFs

CPC Supports Nikole Hannah-Jones

By: Faisal R. Khan
Carolina Peace Center supports Nikole Hannah-Jones who has earned and deserves tenured position.
Please reach out to board of trustees and demand a tenured position for her.
Racism has no place anywhere.
“The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation issued a statement Thursday asking the UNC Board of Trustees to approve tenure for Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist hired as the school’s Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism.
As Policy Watch first reported this week, Hannah-Jones was pursued for a tenured position but after objections from conservative groups and members of the school’s board of trustees, was instead offered a fixed five-year appointment.”

Press Release on Israeli Attacks

Press Release
Carolina Peace Center Joins Boycott of White House Eid Celebration in Response to #Biden Administration’s Defense of #Israeli Attacks on #Palestinian Civilians and no condemnation of the violence that has been perpetrated against Palestinians. We cannot in good conscience and in the spirit of celebrating the end of Ramadan celebrate Eid with the Biden Administration while it literally supports and justifies the Israeli apartheid government’s indiscriminate bombing of innocent men, women and children in Gaza. President Biden has the political power and moral authority to stop these injustices including the storming of Al Aqsa Masjid during Ramadan which is the one of the holiest sites for Muslims.

Call to Action: Reps and Senators

Call To Action:
Please call your Reps and Senators
For the last four to five years there have been numerous protests and rallies all across the country. Faisal R. Khan with Carolina Peace Center organized number of events on cruel immigration policies and its direct impact on most vulnerable people who are seeking safety and security in the US. Without meaningful policy change nothing will change. Many thanks to Justice Security for leading initiatives on policy change. Please raise your voice and advocate for these policies. Thank you.
The President Joe Biden administration is faced with a choice of maintaining its vision and promises of more just and lawful immigration policies or, instead, bowing to pressures and taking more politically expedient paths that revert to xenophobic and exclusionary policies.
President Biden must take bold action to protect people and comply with international law and best practices. A few steps that must be taken immediately include the following:
* Ensure that all unaccompanied minors and detained asylum seekers have meaningful access to adequate legal counsel at every stage of the process, and endeavor to ensure government-appointed counsel in the long-term to those who cannot afford it. Currently, there is no right to government-appointed counsel for persons in immigration proceedings under U.S. law.
* Revoke proposed policies and regulations that contravene the government’s obligation not to return people to situations where they face torture, ill-treatment, or other irreparable harm, and provide training regarding such obligations to all Border Patrol and ICE officers. The United States is a party to several international conventions that contain the obligation of non-refoulement— a prohibition on returning people to a country in which they are likely to be subjected to torture or persecution. These include the Refugee Convention and its Protocol, as well as the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
* Eliminate the backlog in asylum adjudications by dedicating sufficient resources and eliminating harmful and duplicative policies designed to slow the process and violate due process, giving particular focus to people in detention. Article 9 of the ICCPR prohibits arbitrary detention. Yet, U.S. law allows — or, in some cases, requires — detention of people in immigration proceedings, including those who are exercising their lawful right to seek asylum. Pursuant to both international and U.S. law, people have the right to seek asylum and should not be criminalized for doing so.
* Ensure that those who must, under exceptional circumstances, remain in detention are held in facilities that comply with all international human rights standards with regard to conditions of detention. The primary source of international human rights standards for prisons and jails is the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the “Mandela Rules” in honor of Nelson Mandela, who spent nearly 30 years in prison because of his democracy and anti-apartheid activism in South Africa. These standards are based on the requirements, found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, also sometimes called the International Bill of Rights), the ICCPR, and the CAT that everyone be treated with the inherent dignity of humankind, and that the right to life and the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment be respected.
* Continue to rescind harmful and unlawful policies and regulations of past administrations while quickly proposing and implementing policies, regulations, and legislation that bring U.S. immigration policies in line with international practices. The Biden administration made an admirable start by quickly rescinding some of the worst of the Trump administration policies, such as the “Muslim Ban” and the “Remain in Mexico” (MPP) policy. But to the horror of immigration advocates, the administration has continued to rely on a misguided application of public-health law, the so-called “Title 42 expulsion policy,” that bars people, including asylum seekers, from crossing the U.S. border from Mexico or Canada if they would be held in a congregate setting by U.S. authorities. While this rule is purportedly justified due to COVID-19, its alleged necessity is created only by the fact that the United States continues to detain asylum seekers en masse.
Please join or message us to get more involved. Thank you.

Call to Action: Face Recognition

***Call to Action***
To President Biden
Carolina Peace Center is calling on DHS and CBP to withdraw a proposed regulation that would dramatically expand the use of face recognition technology at airports. This rule would allow CBP to require all noncitizens entering or exiting the US to submit to face recognition, and would allow CBP to collect “faceprints” for future use. DHS can store these faceprints for up to 75 years and law enforcement can use them for unrelated purposes.
“This plan is unjustified, unnecessary, and dangerous. Once the government acquires a person’s faceprint, it creates a risk of an unprecedented form of persistent surveillance. Our faces can be monitored covertly, at a distance, and without our consent, ACLU”
If President Biden wants to uphold his commitment to racial equity and civil liberties for all, then he must take immediate action on this issue in his first 100 days. That is why we are urging him to impose a federal moratorium on face recognition technology and prevent state and local governments from using federal funds to purchase it.
Please call and write to your your elected officials to reach out to President Biden and TELL BIDEN: HALT DANGEROUS FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGIES
“Face recognition technology is a threat to all our civil liberties and exhibits significant racial, gender, and other biases. I’m urging you to immediately impose a federal moratorium on face recognition technology and prevent state and local governments from using federal funds to purchase it.”
Sincerely,
[First name] [Last name]

Call to Action

***Call to Action***
To President Biden
Carolina Peace Center is calling on DHS and CBP to withdraw a proposed regulation that would dramatically expand the use of face recognition technology at airports. This rule would allow CBP to require all noncitizens entering or exiting the US to submit to face recognition, and would allow CBP to collect “faceprints” for future use. DHS can store these faceprints for up to 75 years and law enforcement can use them for unrelated purposes.
“This plan is unjustified, unnecessary, and dangerous. Once the government acquires a person’s faceprint, it creates a risk of an unprecedented form of persistent surveillance. Our faces can be monitored covertly, at a distance, and without our consent, ACLU”
If President Biden wants to uphold his commitment to racial equity and civil liberties for all, then he must take immediate action on this issue in his first 100 days. That is why we are urging him to impose a federal moratorium on face recognition technology and prevent state and local governments from using federal funds to purchase it.
Please call and write to your your elected officials to reach out to President Biden and TELL BIDEN: HALT DANGEROUS FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGIES
“Face recognition technology is a threat to all our civil liberties and exhibits significant racial, gender, and other biases. I’m urging you to immediately impose a federal moratorium on face recognition technology and prevent state and local governments from using federal funds to purchase it.”
Sincerely,
[First name] [Last name]

Call to Action: Immigrants and Refugees

**Call to Action***
To President Biden
Carolina Peace Center is calling on DHS and CBP to withdraw a proposed regulation that would dramatically expand the use of face recognition technology at airports. This rule would allow CBP to require all noncitizens entering or exiting the US to submit to face recognition, and would allow CBP to collect “faceprints” for future use. DHS can store these faceprints for up to 75 years and law enforcement can use them for unrelated purposes.
“This plan is unjustified, unnecessary, and dangerous. Once the government acquires a person’s faceprint, it creates a risk of an unprecedented form of persistent surveillance. Our faces can be monitored covertly, at a distance, and without our consent, ACLU”
If President Biden wants to uphold his commitment to racial equity and civil liberties for all, then he must take immediate action on this issue in his first 100 days. That is why we are urging him to impose a federal moratorium on face recognition technology and prevent state and local governments from using federal funds to purchase it.
Please call and write to your your elected officials to reach out to President Biden and TELL BIDEN: HALT DANGEROUS FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGIES
“Face recognition technology is a threat to all our civil liberties and exhibits significant racial, gender, and other biases. I’m urging you to immediately impose a federal moratorium on face recognition technology and prevent state and local governments from using federal funds to purchase it.”
Sincerely,
[First name] [Last name]
(If you are interested in supporting immigrants and refugees rights then please contact us)

Children Crisis—Help the Children

Refugee children Crisis at US/Mexico border
The number of detained children has “tripled in the last two weeks” climbing to 3,200 unaccompanied kids. Nearly half — 1,400 — are inside iceboxes with no beds. They are small concrete rooms only with metal benches. Additionally, nearly 170 of the unaccompanied children are under 13 yrs. old.
Government data reviewed by NBC News show the overall number of unaccompanied migrant children who crossed the U.S. border in February spiked to roughly 9,000.
Carolina Peace Center will be holding a press conference soon. Please stay posted and if you want to help then please contact CPC.

Call to Action: Undue Racial Policies

Call To Action:
The Biden administration has made clear that their administration is going all-in undoing the horrors of the trump administration’s racist and cruel immigration policies.
But already Senators like Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton are feverishly working to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment for cynical political reasons.
It’s a first sign of the opposition we’ll be up against to not just rebuild but re-imagine America’s cruel immigration system, and the key will be Congress. That’s where you come in.
It is a BIG deal politically that Biden announced reuniting families and overhauling our immigration system as a major priority. It gives hope that Trump’s sadistic attacks on children and families will end. But the incredible pain so many families have suffered is still overwhelming and heartbreaking.
We are fiercely determined to reunite all separated children with their families and forever turn the page on this nightmare.
Restoring our moral standing in the world starts with doing right by those we have wronged and revamping our immigration and asylum system so no family lives in fear of being separated ever again. We have to seize this opportunity to fundamentally reshape our immigration system.
Every single voice of public support can help tip the balance, so we’re asking:
Add your name right now to join Families Belong Together, a project of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Let your representatives in Congress know there is huge public support for not just rebuilding but re-imagining America’s cruel immigration system.

Call to Action: Genocide Amendment Bill

***Urgent Call To Action***:
If you are in United Kingdom then please ask your MPs to support the inclusion of the revised Genocide Amendment in the Trade Bill 2019-2021.
The Chinese Government has committed grave human rights abuses and reprehensible acts of oppression against the Muslim Uyghur people. Since 2017, more than 1 million Uyghur and Kazakh people have been extrajudicially detained in internment camps.
This past week, the BBC released reports of systemic rape conducted at these internment camps. The Chinese Communist Party have pursued policies of mass internment, arbitrary detention, familial separation, forced labour, and systemic rape.
The inclusion of this amendment in the Trade Bill will ensure that human rights and British values are reflected in the economic associations Britain makes with other nations.

“We the People Should Stop the Border Crisis”—By: Ajah Harold

HEADLINE: We the people should stop the border crisis 

SUBHEAD: The lack of effort towards the border crisis has an influx of migrants helpless 

By: Ajah Harold 

 (This, in no way, is a news article. This strictly with the Carolina Peace Center. Sources from other articles were used within this story.)

Imagine the terror that’s coursed through migrants who are expelled back to Mexico with shelters unable to admit them. A crisis that’s unfathomable and inhumane yet there’s little being done to address such issues. Children are being put in detention facilities and are separated from their families. To exacerbate the situation, sobbing families back in June were walking back to Mexico after their shoelaces were confiscated with other personal belongings (Habib 2). The insurmountable number of migrants at the boarder has increased, placing more than 180,000 of migrants at the border (“Number of migrants at U.S. border hits new record high” 1). Although the number of children unaccompanied at the border has decreased since May, there are roughly 16,200 migrant children being held by the U.S. Health Department (“Number of migrants at U.S. border hits new record high” 1).  

Separation in drastic cases such as the border crisis are detrimental not only for adults, but for children who are not fully developed. This treatment should be put to a halt and should never resurface as an issue in society. Efforts should be taken by the administration at all costs to alleviate the border crisis issue, today. Sobbing families who don’t stand a chance against U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency should not be treated in such a way. Rather, policies that are placed to help migrants should be enforced and migrants should be granted access to the U.S. without any added turmoil. As the U.S. constitution starts with, “We the People”, we the people should join and make an effort to stop the border crisis today in America. 

 

Sources:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/14/world/americas/mexico-border-biden.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57422618

 

Honoring MLK: We Appreciate Dr. King

Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
He was profiled for his devout persistence and resistance against institutionalized racial injustices against black and brown communities. He was under constant FBI surveillance that monitored his civic duty to fight for his people and uphold the principles of justice and peace. He was one of the most hated men in America. He was arrested and constantly harassed as was his community. His voice was suppressed and oppressed as was his black community from the beginning of the colonization of North America. Nevertheless, he stood high on the moral ground with courage and tenacity fighting nonviolently for justice and civil rights for African Americans and minorities. He never lived in fear and never allowed the tactics of intimidation of white supremacy and structural racism of the people and the government to stop him from speaking the truth. He addressed the harsh policies and behaviors affecting marginalized black and brown communities with his civic engagement and galvanizing a movement to dismantle the structured cruel racism that existed and still does in all levels of our society. He was a determined radical who with his powerful words and his nonviolent civil disobedience wanted to arouse the individual conscience mobilizing in nonviolent boycotts, marches and peaceful demonstrations to bring meaningful changes in healthcare, voting rights, equality and security in the socio economic that was and still is designed to reward only the few. You can not live his legacy until you have truly come out of your comfortable bubble of financial and status privilege showing solidarity and true commitment to back and brown communities by speaking out against the systemic institutionalized racism. Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. on the day of January 18th, 2021.

America’s search for a COVID-19 vaccine is led by Muslims

America’s Search for a Covid-19 vaccine is led by Muslims
 
By Faisal R. Khan
 
 
The Covid-19 vaccine breakthroughs at Moderna and Pfizer are one more examples of how immigrants including Muslims have been driving billions of dollars in American innovation and advancement from medicine to technology for decades. Moncef Slaoui, head of Operation Warp Speed, Muslim Moroccan born, Belgium/American immigrant. Ugur Sahin and Oclem Tureci, scientist couple leading vaccine for Pfizer, Muslim Turkish born, German immigrants. Noubar Afeyan, an immigrant from Lebanon, is the co-founder and chairman of Moderna.
 
 
This is not about their religion but rather how Muslims and American Muslims of Arab, African, Asian, Latino and Hispanics, and South Asian descent have been vilified, profiled and marginalized by trump and previous administrations for decades but continue to play a huge positive role on many frontiers including coming up with vaccination in the US.
 
 
This is my message to all young immigrants, black, white and brown, Muslims, Latinos and Hispanics, Sikhs: Never ever give up on your dream of who and what you want to become. Never let anyone make you feel worth less and weak. You are strong, resilient and capable of achieving anything you put your mind and heart into it. You have to work hard, make sacrifices and in the end you will become victorious. Love yourself and know that you are worthy of love and respect. Always drive your ambitions with empathy and compassion. The world is yours as long you believe in yourself.
 
 

Call to Action: Deportation Crisis

***URGENT CALL TO ACTION***:
There are 48 people facing deportation today from Prairieland Detention Center, including 37 Cameroonian asylum seekers. Families say that asylum seekers were either violently forced to sign their rights away, or they haven’t been given any legal rights at all. Several people were deported back to Cameroon when this happened a few weeks ago, and many went missing while Cameroon is in a violent civil war.
THERE’S STILL TIME! AND THESE EFFORTS ARE WORKING!
Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter earlier: https://twitter.com/TheBlackCa…/status/1326200851820650496
About 10 of the asylum seekers have civil rights cases filed. Last time, some asylum seekers with pending cases were kept in the US after protest videos went viral and people called the targets demanding that the deportations stopped.
Staffers need to start work tomorrow morning with their voicemails full of demands to stop the deportation! Make calls tonight!
Call list
Rep. Van Taylor, Plano, Texas (202) 225-4201
Rep. Jackie Walorski, Indiana (202) 225-3915
Rep. Ron Wright, Texas (202) 225-2002
Rep. Tim Walberg, Michigan (202) 225-6276
For a suggested script for the call: https://hrionline.org/urgent-calls-to-prevent…/
LET’S HELP THE VULNERABLE!

*Call To Action* – Stop Deportation of Refugees

There are 48 people facing deportation today from Prairieland Detention Center, including 37 Cameroonian asylum seekers. Families say that asylum seekers were either violently forced to sign their rights away, or they haven’t been given any legal rights at all. Several people were deported back to Cameroon when this happened a few weeks ago, and many went missing while Cameroon is in a violent civil war.

THERE’S STILL TIME! AND THESE EFFORTS ARE WORKING!

Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter earlier: https://twitter.com/TheBlackCa…/status/1326200851820650496
About 10 of the asylum seekers have civil rights cases filed. Last time, some asylum seekers with pending cases were kept in the US after protest videos went viral and people called the targets demanding that the deportations stopped.
Staffers need to start work tomorrow morning with their voicemails full of demands to stop the deportation! Make calls tonight!

Call list
Rep. Van Taylor, Plano, Texas (202) 225-4201
Rep. Jackie Walorski, Indiana (202) 225-3915
Rep. Ron Wright, Texas (202) 225-2002
Rep. Tim Walberg, Michigan (202) 225-6276
For a suggested script for the call: https://hrionline.org/urgent-calls-to-prevent…/
LET’S HELP THE VULNERABLE!

Activists Protest Police Brutality in Alamance County

Alamance County, North Carolina


A Press conference held today by Rev Greg Drumwright and activists at Tucker street apartments in Burlington, NC. The cruelty and subjugation of peaceful black community and voters and people of all background by Graham, Almance County, NC law enforcement yesterday was unwarranted and divisive and those police officers who pepper-sprayed on marchers including children must be held accountable for their unjust actions as members of the police force. A peaceful and nonviolent march to vote is planned for Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 PM. The courthouse in Alamance County where yesterday the Graham police pepper sprayed people participating in a march to the polls is the same place where the KKK in 1870 hanged Wyatt Outlaw, the first Black elected official in Graham. A confederate monument stands there today.

Our America

Faisal R. Khan


White men can walk around the state Capitol and in downtown with guns exercising their second amendment rights terrorizing people and no one stops them to question their intentions but a group of peaceful black and multi cultural people who want to exercise their first amendment, fifteenth amendment rights and nineteenth amendment rights by marching to show solidarity to uphold their constitutional right to vote are pepper-sprayed by the police. For those and especially people of Caucasian background who have been living under amnesia need to wake up and accept and acknowledge that this is what institutionalized and structural racism looks like. This is the crux of what we have been fighting against that is entrenched and carefully hidden for hundreds of years in the American fabric. The oppression and suppression of black voice and marginalization, dehumanization and subjugation of black and brown people in the American society who have been systematically enforced and reinforced for centuries here and abroad. The State of North Carolina has a long history of Ku Klux Klan and racist policies against black communities to socially and economically restrict and disparage them and undermine their voices at the ballot box. Let this be a reminder to those who support white supremacy that America is transforming and shifting to a mult-color, multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-race nation and any injustice committed on the people of diverse background of this republic will not go unpunished. I demand from the attorney general of North Carolina to take necessary steps for a swift justice and hold those men responsible who carelessly and willingly pepper-sprayed on the peaceful men, women and children yesterday in Graham. Our America is inclusive, respectful to all people of all backgrounds, compassionate and caring to people who have struggled for freedom, equality and justice for centuries and out America is a nation that accepts and embraces all people of all races, colors, ethnicities, religions, non religious groups, sexual orientation, genders and rights of people that are enshrined in the US Constitution.

“We Need To Take Away Children”

“We Need to Take Away Children”,  said US Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Faisal R. Khan

The inhumane US policies to separate children from their parents at the border and keeping them in horrid and abysmal conditions have been one of the darkest and gruesome mark on US soil. Those behind such atrocities must be held accountable beginning of next year on hopes that Democrats take the presidency, House and Senate in this coming election. This can not be ignored and I hope that our liberal friends and establishment don’t become complacent.

We can not become a nation of peace and justice unless we hold those responsible for breaking the law of the land and infringe the principles of human rights and violate the dignity of people. What we need to take away is racist and fascist ideology that is danger to our democracy and threat to the stability of our nation.

Stephen Miller, the chief architect of racist and neo-fascist immigration policies, former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, former Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, and others under trump administration who directed to imposed zero tolerance policy must be held accountable. A federal investigation must be launched after the election hoping that Mr. Biden gets elected.

An investigation must take place from the US Justice Department looking into trump administration’s 2018 family separation policy that was carried out by U.S. Customs and Border Protection—an agency with a long and documented history of impunity. According to none account my Immigration Impact, from detention, a father named Josue recounts when U.S. Customs and Border Protection dragged his screaming 3-year-old son away from him. Children who are suddenly separated from a parent are at greater risk of developing chronic mental health or serious physical conditions.

Citizens of Charlotte, North Carolina fought back against their police department’s collaboration with ICE through a 287(g) agreement. This program allows the Department of Homeland Security to deputize state or local law enforcement officers to perform the functions of federal immigration agents. This allows any interaction with law enforcement, including a traffic violation, to turn into potential deportation and can lead to bias-based policing.

Last year the lawyers who recently visited the facility near El Paso told The Associated Press that three girls, ages 10 to 15, said they had been taking turns watching over a sick two-year-old boy because there was no one else to look after him. When the lawyers saw the boy, he was not wearing a diaper and had wet his pants, and his shirt was smeared in mucus. They said at least 15 children at the facility had the flu, and some were kept in medical quarantine.

The children told lawyers that they were fed uncooked frozen food or rice and had gone weeks without bathing or a clean change of clothes at the facility in Clint, in the desert scrubland some 40km southeast of El Paso.

I encourage you to read the entire New Yorker piece about the conditions at Border Patrol facilities in Texas. Here is a part of the paragraph: bit.ly/2xaCOpI

Save The Court Rally

Monday, September 28, 2020 at 5 PM EDT
Bicentennial Plaza
Public · Hosted by Faisal R. Khan

Join Carolina Peace Center, MoveOn, and other grassroots organizations on Monday, September 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Bicentennial Mall to hold a rally and march and send a message to Senator Tillis: We will honor Justice Ginsburg’s lifelong fight for us with action. We will not allow Trump, McConnell, and the GOP to sneak through a Supreme Court appointment with a little over 40 days left until the election. Masks are mandatory. Signs are welcome.

In her final days, Justice Ginsburg shared this message: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” The election is already underway, with people voting in key swing states. Republicans held open the Antonin Scalia seat for more than a year when he died in 2016, arguing that it would be inappropriate to confirm a justice in a presidential election year. At least four Republican senators have already said publicly they would not fill this vacancy until after the inauguration. We must hold them to that commitment.

We can win this fight.

We are committed to maintaining public health measures to practice safe protesting during the pandemic. All event participants are expected to wear a mask, maintain social distancing, and follow all local safety guidelines. Individual hosts are responsible for compliance with their own local laws and event requirements (including orders limiting the sizes of events).

Additionally, a core principle shared by supporting organizations is a commitment to nonviolent, peaceful actions. All actions that are sponsored or organized on this page are intended to be nonviolent and peaceful. We expect all participants to act lawfully at all times and to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

Disclaimer:
This is a peaceful and nonviolent rally and march. This is a peaceful event to shed light on SCOTUS. We ask all citizens and participants to follow the rules and laws of city, state and country. We ask all attendees to be peaceful and respect the law. Please observe 6-9 feet of social distancing. Please wear mask and bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

No Justice For Breonna Taylor

No Justice For Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor, Rest In Peace, deserves justice and officers who shot her 8 times must be held accountable and brought to justice. This case is twisted with racism and hate from top to bottom. Today a grand jury has indicted one of three police officers with charges of “wanton endangerment” in connection with the murder of Breonna Taylor six months after Taylor was fatally shot by police in Louisville, Kentucky. This is travesty of justice and charges do not go far enough. The justice system has failed Breonna and the community who have been waiting for a just indictment.

“Shortly after midnight on March 13, Louisville police officers, executing a search warrant, used a battering ram to crash into the apartment of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old African-American emergency room technician. After a brief confrontation, they fired several shots, striking her at least eight times.

According to The Louisville Courier Journal, the police were investigating two men who they believed were selling drugs out of a house that was far from Ms. Taylor’s home. But a judge had also signed a warrant allowing the police to search Ms. Taylor’s residence because the police said they believed that one of the two men had used her apartment to receive packages. The judge’s order was a so-called no-knock warrant, which allowed the police to enter without warning or without identifying themselves as law enforcement.” – NYT
No Justice For Breonna Taylor

Illegal Hysterectomies Performed On Immigrant Women

ICE whistleblower: Nurse alleges ‘hysterectomies on immigrant women in US’

These are crimes against humanity. This forced sterilization and genocidal approach will not and can not be tolerated. We call for an immediate government investigation into the disregard of humanity and violation of the rights of women and those behind these violations and crimes must be held accountable.

According to the report, which cites detainees who came forward to Project South but remain unnamed:

“A detained immigrant told Project South that she talked to five different women detained at ICDC between October and December 2019 who had a hysterectomy done. When she talked to them about the surgery, the women ‘reacted confused when explaining why they had one done.’ The woman told Project South that it was as though the women were ‘trying to tell themselves it’s going to be OK.’ She further said: ‘When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they’re experimenting with our bodies.’”

According to a statement from the Government Accountability Project:

“Ms. Wooten’s disclosures about gross mismanagement include:
  • Deliberately denying or delaying medical care for detained immigrants both before and during the coronavirus pandemic, including immigrants symptomatic for Covid-19
  • Refusing to test symptomatic detained immigrants for Covid-19
  • Failing to use two rapid-response Covid-19 testing machines
  • Prescribing over-the-counter cold medications to detained immigrants with Covid-19 symptoms instead of proper treatment
  • Failing to isolate detained immigrants who had confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19
  • Failing to quarantine detained immigrants who had close contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases
  • Failing to maintain hygiene and sanitation standards for medical exam rooms and equipment, which includes often leaving blood on the floor
  • Failing to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical and correctional staff who have close and prolonged contact with detained immigrants with confirmed cases of Covid-19
  • Failing to enforce or encourage CDC social-distancing practices among detained immigrants and staff
  • Reprimanding staff who encouraged others to follow CDC’s mandatory social-distancing practices
  • Requiring symptomatic staff to continue to work in the facility and threatening staff with discipline if they refuse to work in dangerous conditions
  • Violating CDC rules concerning the transfer of immigrants with confirmed cases of Covid-19
  • Systematically undercounting and underreporting Covid-19 cases at ICDC.”

Religious Oppression At Miami ICE Facility

Today Rep Ilhan Omar, Rep Rashida Tlaib, and Rep Andre Carson & 26 other members of Congress sent a letter asking DHS to investigate reports of an ICE facility in Miami feeding pork to Muslim detainees. They join tens of thousands of people across the country demanding an end to this abuse. Carolina Peace Center did reached out earlier to Congressman David Price addressing the abuse.

Call to Action: No more Muslim or Black Hate

Call To Action:
President Trump has nominated one of the most brazenly anti-Muslim and anti-Black nominees in recent memory to the third highest office at the Pentagon — and we need your help to stop him.
Tomorrow, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) will join a committee hearing to determine whether this nominee, Anthony Tata, will become the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Military leaders have already been disavowing Tata and GOP senators have been raising concerns. Senator Tillis can help stop this nomination in his committee.
Click here to demand that Senator Tillis vote NO on Anthony Tata’s nomination.
Tata has a jaw-dropping record of bigotry, racial epithets, and hostility toward racial and religious minorities:
He called Islam the “most oppressive violent religion I know of.”
He’s a birther who called President Obama a “terrorist” with “Islamic roots.”
He literally wrote the plan to resegregate a southern school system!
Can you imagine how damaging it would be if Tata were in senior leadership at the Pentagon?
Click here to tell Senator Tillis to vote NO on Tata. Prefer to pick up the phone? You can contact his DC office at (202) 224-6342. If you do, email us back and tell us how it went.
Thank you for taking action!
Scott Simpson
Public Advocacy Director
Muslim Advocates

List of Demanded Changes to NC Policy

On Monday, the Carolina Peace Center, as part of a coalition of social justice groups, addressed North Carolina state and municipal leaders in response to the failure of the local, state, and federal governments to end police brutality in Black and Brown communities.

Our community is still reeling from the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, and that trauma has been compounded by the disproportionately violent response by Raleigh police to protestors on Saturday. Furthermore, this trauma is grounded in centuries of legally-sanctioned subjugation that are reflected in a long history of marginalization of communities of color in North Carolina and the nation as a whole.

In response to this chronic injustice, our coalition — made up of representatives from the Carolina Peace Center, Emancipate NC, Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services, and Young Americans Protest — has put forward a list of demanded changes to North Carolina policy:-We demand that North Carolina state government either creates legislation, or enacts executive action, giving police oversight boards the subpoena power, in order to redistribute power between locally elected officials, law enforcement, and the people;

– We demand the immediate removal of Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown, because of her silence in the face of misconduct and violence perpetrated by Raleigh police officers;

– We demand a halt to the militarization of police and the over-policing of communities of color, particularly in that no new police stations should be built in Black and Brown neighborhoods;

– We demand that the state of North Carolina puts pressure on local communities, city councils, and town councils to force police departments to require that officers must intervene when a fellow officer is using unjustified force, especially against a person who is already detained, on pain of firing; and,

– We demand investments in community-led health and safety strategies in Black and Brown communities, rather than continuing to invest in the police.

Ending police brutality in communities of color requires a multi-pronged approach. We must address the injustice entrenched in our social, economic, and legal systems – such as violent gentrification and a dearth of economic opportunities for people of color – as well as the horrific violence to which that underlying injustice gives rise.

We believe that we will accomplish this goal by lifting up the voices of people of color in peaceful protest and direct dialogue with political leaders. We condemn the use of violence and vandalism in attempting to achieve our aim of making our community safe

Freedom Day: The Beauty of Juneteenth

Juneteenth
The legacy of slavery and oppression of over 400 years in America is far from over. Saying you are not racist is not enough. Being anti racist is not enough. We as a nation have not broken the shackles of prejudice and racism against black peoples until we dismantle the structural institutionalized mechanisms of racism in America.
On June 19th, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, the last enslaved black people were freed from slavery but in reality they never were. The ending of civil war didn’t end racism. The signing of Emancipation of Proclamation did not get rid of racism. For centuries the black communities endured one of the harshest inhumane brutalities ever recorded in the history of mankind from the time they were forced into chains and enslaved by white colonists. Black men and women were lynched, dehumanized and psychologically paralyzed but their spirit never broke. Black women were repeatedly raped and treated in most disgust manner but they never surrendered their dignity and self respect. The historical aspect of Juneteenth is an emotional and significant date in our tainted history and it is absolutely morally reprehensible and historically unacceptable if we don’t recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Since the abolishment of the slavery, the black and brown people have countinued to face slavery that was less distinctive and more subtle in its planning on how it impacted black communities across America. Gentrification, discrimination at jobs and and schools, terrorism on black financially thriving communities such as Tulsa and Wilmington, prejudice at various governmental and private entities are some of the structures of institutionalized racism.
What will it take to crush this awful disease of racism that in reality has not freed America as it claims to be the land of free? People like you and me coming together with courage and compassion standing up against racist oppression and subjugation in political landscape and at every level of your and my life from work place to classrooms. It will take strong brave men and women and more particularly the white women and men showing visibility in events on streets and meetings in the halls of chamber where decisions are made. White men and women are not responsible what happened in the past but are responsible for taking some extension of ownership of their ancestral atrocities and benefiting from it currently. The white voice and white people at the forefront are needed and must be present if America is ready for the systematic racism to fade away.
There is no more tomorrow but there is only today. Today I urge you and implore to make a conscientious decision to make part of a mission of your life that you solemnly and sincerely will undertake the task that you will confront racism in all facets of your life and will stand shoulder to shoulder with your black and brown brothers and sisters across the very earth you stand on today where once not too long ago black people did not experience the luxury and comfort you are blessed with and till this day vast majority of them still don’t. The struggle and fight continues.

Tell Your MoCs to Stand Up for Childhood Arrivals and Co-Sponsor S.1615 and H.R. 3591

One of the most important programs created under President Obama was the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The program has allowed close to a million immigrants who arrived in the U.S. at a young age to live and work in the U.S. lawfully. It is one of the most celebrated programs under President Obama—and now Trump is dead set on getting rid of it, and then deporting those who have benefited from it. Here is what you need to know about it.

What is DACA?

In 2012, President Obama created the DACA program to grant relief from deportation to individuals who came to the U.S. as children, if they met a number of requirements (like background checks). The Obama Administration recognized that there were millions of undocumented young immigrants who grew up in the U.S., who thought of the U.S. as their home, and who were essentially American in every sense, except on paper. The program has allowed approximately 800,000 young people the opportunity to live and work lawfully in the U.S. It does not provide a path to citizenship.

Obtaining DACA has proven to be transformative. A 2016 study revealed that DACA has improved the lives of its recipients and their families, showing that, among DACA recipients:

  • 95% are currently working or in school
  • 48% got a job with better working conditions
  • 63% got a better paying job
  • 90% got a driver’s license or state ID
  • 54% bought their first car
  • 12% bought their first home

The DACA program is under imminent threat

Although the DACA program has wide-ranging support from elected officials across the political spectrum—including House Speaker Paul Ryan, and even (at times) from Donald Trump, the Trump White House is now standing idly by as a vocal minority of anti-immigrant state officials threatens to unravel the entire program in the courts. Led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, there are 10 states (TX, AL, AR, ID, KS, LA, NE, SC, TN, WV) that are calling for an end to the DACA program. The have given the Trump Administration an ultimatum: get rid of DACA or they will make sure a judge does.

Eliminating DACA would devastate nearly a million people and their families

Removing DACA protections from these hundreds of thousands of young people would turn their lives upside down, and harm the communities where they live, work and study. The only beneficiary would be the for-profit private immigrant detention complex and Trump’s runaway deportation machine, which would embark on a new taxpayer-funded mission to apprehend, process, detain and remove these young people.

What can you do to protect DACAMENTED youth?

Like so many other issues, Congress has the power to remedy this situation. Congress doesn’t have to—and should not—sit on the sidelines. Congress can pass legislation protecting these immigrant youth.

  • Call your Senators and tell them to co-sponsor the bipartisan Durbin-Graham “DREAM Act” (S. 1615) to create a legislative fix to the predicament of these young Americans, and take their future out of Trump’s hands.
  • Call your House Representative and tell her/him to co-sponsor Rep. Gutierrez’s American Hope Act (H.R. 3591) give those with DACA and others who arrived in the United States as children a path to permanent legal status and eventual citizenship.  

Created in partnership with National Immigration Law Center and United We Dream. See more at standup.indivisibleguide.com.

https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/tell-senator-defend-daca-support-durbin-graham-dream-act/

To: Attorneys General and Members of Congress
Keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program!

Campaign created by Adrian Reyna

Members of Congress and Attorneys General,

My name is Adrian Reyna, and I am protected from deportation because of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. My sister has DACA, as well as many of my friends and family members.

Nearly 800,000 people with DACA without the risk of deportation have been able to stay with our families. We provide critical income for our families. We’ve made a living, bought new homes, started new jobs, gave our mothers and fathers the support they’ve given us. You have the power to ensure this doesn’t happen and the program stays in place by speaking up publicly about DACA.

Keeping DACA and protecting immigrants from deportation is important to me because we deserve a life of dignity and respect. Holding up Donald Trump’s promises is an act of hate and strips immigrants from our humanity.

We ask that you publicly defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) from recent attacks with a statement about how it benefits your state.

Why is this important?

This is important, because hundreds of thousands of workers, families, and immigrants depend on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. If enough of us demand that General Kelly take a stance in favor of keeping the program, we can be a step closer to protecting nearly 800,000 people from deportation.

Sign the petition

Our gratitude for those who attended Wednesday’s rally!

Hundreds of North Carolinians — including native-born and immigrant Americans as well as undocumented — gathered in Bicentennial Plaza in Raleigh Wednesday afternoon in protest of the Trump Administration’s policy directing families to be separated at the border. A policy that has also led to the caging of migrant children.

         IN THE NEWS: “Families Belong Together” Rally Draws Raleigh Crowd Despite Executive Order

Although President Trump signed an executive order temporarily ending the separation of families just hours before the rally’s start, the protest continued as planned. It was not lost on those in the crowd that the president could have pushed through such a measure much earlier, and there remains still much to change.

Carolina Peace Center Founder and Executive Director Faisal Khan stated, “We as a people have a duty. It’s incumbent upon us as citizens of the United States to stand up and speak out and keep calling our legislators, keep writing them, keep visiting them, and keep reinforcing it.”

          IN THE NEWS: Raleigh events protest Trump’s immigration stance

In his remarks, Khan also noted the importance of the upcoming elections, reinforcing a message many carried at the rally: REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER.

Many of the hundreds who attended the event expressed concern with Trump’s temporary fix. Lourdes Arenas, a local immigration attorney, expressed gratitude for the executive order but concern over the existing law. “Every individual who arrives at the border undocumented will be charged and they still have to go through the whole process of hopefully finding an attorney that will represent them.”

          IN THE NEWS: Hundreds rally for immigration reform in downtown Raleigh

Among the speakers was 12-year-old Urial Rodriguez. His mother immigrated to the United States with her elderly father and young daughter while she was pregnant with Urial. He spoke to the crowd first in English, saying it is “impossible not to cry” when he remembers the story of his mother’s journey to this country, “and more so that my sister could have been torn from my mother.” He said that to immigrate to the United States is to leave one nightmare for another.

He then spoke to the Hispanic immigrant community in Spanish. The young, aspiring politician said to them, “we that live with the reality of being immigrants and undocumented know the pain and fear of living with the possibility of being separated from our families. You did not leave your countries to be singled out. You migrated in search of a better life and to live your dream. Let’s make that dream a reality.”

          IN THE NEWS: Protestors in Raleigh speak out against separating families at the border

Since Wednesday, news stories have continued to document atrocities happening to children and other migrants at the US-Mexico border. Carolina Peace Center will continue to organize opposition to these barbaric policies. Stay tuned for our next call to action!

URGENT Call to Action: 10,773 Children Held

Please read this post in detail and take action by calling and visiting in groups to your congressional leaders and senators. It’s imperative you take peaceful legislative action to ensure safety of migrant children who are being separated from their parents at the border and oppose the separation of children from their parents.

You must demand the following:

My name is [Your Name] and I reside at [Your address and District]. I’m deeply concerned and ashamed to be an American today witnessing such draconian and inhumane polices towards migrant children. It’s unacceptable to take children away from parents and imperative that such practices are suspended immediately. It’s also imperative that migrants and children held in the detention centers across the country are given proper medical care, food, privacy, protection from any type of abuse that includes verbal and physical, and are not subject to any sort of harassment. I strongly demand that migrants and minors have access to legal counsel who will be able to better assist the detainees.

On Tuesday, United Nations human rights office urged US an immediate halt to the practice of separating children from parents saying it violates human rights and international law. We must respect laws of International community.

A federal judge in San Diego on Wednesday refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, suggests the court would be open to considering a claim that taking children away from parents who are legally trying to seek asylum in the United States constitutes a violation of the family’s rights to due process. The judge said that the allegations in the suit “sufficiently describe government conduct that arbitrarily tears at the sacred bond between parent and child, and is emblematic of the exercise of power without any reasonable justification in the service of an otherwise legitimate governmental objective.” I am asking you to act to ensure that human rights principles and laws are upheld and children are not separated from their parents.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
[Your name]

Contact your Senators:
https://www.senate.gov/…/contact_informati…/senators_cfm.cfm

Contact your Congressional leaders:
https://www.house.gov/representati…/find-your-representative

Additional information:

Based on recent reporting by Washington Post the number of migrant children held without their parents by the US government has surged 21% since last month to 10,773 children. It’s still unclear exactly how many of the 10,773 children being held in government custody were actually forcibly separated from their parents — a Customs and Border Protection official told lawmakers at a hearing last week that 658 children had been separated from 638 adults between May 6 and May 19 under the new zero tolerance policy.

The increase comes after Trump administration imposed a new “zero tolerance” policy to prosecute migrants who cross the US border illegally. The policy means that migrant parents who cross the border with their children are forcibly separated while they await criminal prosecution.

According to immigration justice center unaccompanied immigrant children face many challenges navigating the immigration system alone, including:

  • No right to court-appointed counsel. Unless they can afford attorneys or secure pro bono counsel, they appear in court without legal representation.
  • A confusing and complex court system. Deportation proceedings against children often begin in the jurisdiction where the child is placed in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Once a child is released from an ORR shelter to a sponsor or to foster care, it is the child’s responsibility – regardless of age or legal representation – to submit paperwork to inform the court that he or she has moved and to file a formal motion to change venue if the new address is under the jurisdiction of a different court. If a child does not properly update his or her address, he or she could be ordered deported in absentia for failing to appear in court.
  • Lack of clear guidelines to grant relief. DHS has yet to provide clear guidelines on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion (PD) as it applies to UICs. Expanded exercise of PD would help provide relief for many UICs with strong ties to the United States who are not a priority for deportation.
  • Absence of legally binding regulations to protect children in DHS custody. Upon apprehension, UICs are held in DHS custody. Although there are standards to guide the treatment of UICs, DHS lacks appropriate legally binding regulations to protect children in their custody. Currently, little oversight exists to ensure that UICs are treated humanely and cared for according to child-appropriate protocols while in DHS custody.

BREAKING: Court Denies Trump Admin Request for ACLU Case Dismissal

The Southern District Court of California has denied the Trump Administration’s request to dismiss the ACLU’s class-action lawsuit on behalf of parents and children brutally separated at the border.

US District Judge Dana M. Sabraw wrote, “The government actors responsible for the ‘care and custody’ of migrant children have, in fact, become their persecutors.” #FamiliesBelongTogether

Vigil for Victims of Santa Fe Shooting

Raleigh, NC | Community members gathered Wednesday for a candlelight vigil, prayers, die-in, and Chinese lantern send-off for each one of the victims of the #SantaFeShooting.

A gathering to remember the victims of Sante Fe and all other acts of gun violence. The event was organized in collaboration with the Carolina Peace Center, March for Our Lives, Triangle Daily Call to Action, and Students Demand Action. Let the pictures speak for themselves:

        

Customs and Border Patrol Accused of Severe Abuse

We are deeply troubled with reports of immigrant children being abused by the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). The reports show evidence of CBP holding migrant children in excess of the 72-hour maximum period permitted by law, as well as officials’ efforts to deport children without due process and via coercion.

Examples of the documented alleged abuses by CBP against children include:

  • Punched a child’s head three times
  • Kicked a child in the ribs
  • Used a stun gun on a boy, causing him to fall to the ground, shaking, with his eyes rolling back in his head
  • Ran over a 17-year-old with a patrol vehicle and then punched him several times
  • Verbally abused detained children, calling them dogs and “other ugly things”
  • Denied detained children permission to stand or move freely for days and threatened children who stood up with transfer to solitary confinement in a small, freezing room
  • Denied a pregnant minor medical attention when she reported pain, which preceded a stillbirth
  • Subjected a 16-year-old girl to a search in which they “forcefully spread her legs and touched her private parts so hard that she screamed”
  • Left a 4-pound premature baby and her minor mother in an overcrowded and dirty cell full of sick people, against medical advice
  • Threw out a child’s birth certificate and threatened him with sexual abuse by an adult male detainee

The ACLU is gathering signatures to petition Kevin K. McAleenan, Commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection, to stop the government from abusing immigrant children. We the citizens of United States are asking our government to stop subjecting children in custody to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. Hold the responsible agents accountable and make it impossible for any future abuse to occur. Please sign the petition.

[Update: May 27, 2018]

You can contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directly. Write to them here or call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. Please share.

Sample Script:

I am [Your name] and I reside in [city/town/district]. I am outraged by how our government is treating children at the border. It is the responsibility of your agency to provide adequate protection to minors and children from abuse and exploitation. I am shocked by the abuse and neglect these children were subjected to at the hands of U.S. officials. The fact that these children were already so vulnerable — most traveling alone in hopes of escaping violence and poverty in their home countries — made the unlawful and inhumane actions reflected in the documents even more distressing.

Following examples of the documented abuses include allegations that CBP officials:

  • Punched a child’s head three times
  • Kicked a child in the ribs
  • Used a stun gun on a boy, causing him to fall to the ground, shaking, with his eyes rolling back in his head
  • Ran over a 17-year-old with a patrol vehicle and then punched him several times
  • Verbally abused detained children, calling them dogs and “other ugly things”
  • Denied detained children permission to stand or move freely for days and threatened children who stood up with transfer to solitary confinement in a small, freezing room
  • Denied a pregnant minor medical attention when she reported pain, which preceded a stillbirth
    Subjected a 16-year-old girl to a search in which they “forcefully spread her legs and touched her private parts so hard that she screamed”
  • Left a 4-pound premature baby and her minor mother in an overcrowded and dirty cell full of sick people, against medical advice
  • Threw out a child’s birth certificate and threatened him with sexual abuse by an adult male detainee.

The report also shows evidence of CBP holding migrant children in excess of the 72-hour maximum period permitted by law, as well as officials’ efforts to deport children without due process and via coercion.

I urge you to take necessary steps to stop the inhumane treatment of minors. I request for an immediate independent investigation to bring those to justice who are responsible for these horrible and criminal practices.

Thank you,

[Your name]

The Democratic Party & the Future

Faisal Khan spoke at the Democratic Party town hall this evening in Dare County, Outer Banks, addressing the challenges in the party and strategies moving forward. He was also asked to talk about Carolina Peace Center and the work we do.

Carolina Peace Center works to cultivate justice and peace across diverse social and political groups by building grassroots networks to educate and advocate for systemic change.

Mr. Khan covered a number of issues, such as economic injustice, rising poverty, high tuition, stagnation inwages, corporate domination, institutionalized racism, hate and bigotry. He discussed how the party is out of touch with working class and minorities. A new set of strategies and an optical change are needed. It is time for young people to run for office. He also addressed how we need more outreach in rural areas and farming communities.

He also brought attention to the fact that more and more young voters are discouraged with the current state of politics. His recommendation is for communities to focus within and provide tangible support for poor areas; organized groups and learn about their candidates, then educate others; and encourage young people to participate in political activism and civic engagement. He stressed that we need to work together in coalition partnering with groups and organizations that are active.

A great turnout with a lot of meaningful discussion. The work (and struggle) continues.

Khan to join ACLU-NC’s Board of Directors

Carolina Peace Center is delighted to announce that Faisal Khan has been elected to a three-year term on the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina’s Board of Directors. His aim is to represent his community of all religions, secular, color, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender, and background. We are grateful to all who voted for him and trust in his social justice activism and organizing.

On Justice in Islam and Being Muslim American

Faisal Khan of Carolina Peace Center spoke at an event Saturday afternoon by invitation of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Outer Banks. He spoke to what Islam says about justice, and he discussed his personal experience living as a Muslim in America.

   

His talk included the emphasis Islam puts on justice from a theological point of view and Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) sayings on working towards justice and peace. Khan also focused on the rise of Islamophobia and how people are being falsely conditioned by various entities to look at Islam and Muslims in a negative context. He shared his experience growing up in the US as a Muslim and how his faith expects him to stand up for justice and peace. That work (and struggle) continues.

Outer Banks Organizing

Dare County | Carolina Peace Center is delighted to announce that Faisal Khan has been invited to an Outer Banks (Eastern shores of North Carolina) meeting of people who are politically active and interested to learn more about community organizing and political engagement. His invitation is to teach just that.

   

Wonderful hospitality from people here who have been sensitive to his fasting and supportive in making sure that his stay is comfortable and convenient.

On Saturday he met community activists to discuss on strategies how to better organize groups and how to go about on effective advocacy strategies. In between he went to the beach holding hands with members of the community to protest ocean drilling. Great to meet Jen Alexander who is running for Board of Education in Dare County.

North Carolina Teachers Rally

Great turnout of teachers, students, parents and activists to support and show solidarity to our NC teachers and education in Releigh. Carolina Peace Center supports for a better pay for our teachers and more funding for a quality education.
North Carolina ranks 37th in teachers pay in the U.S. and $9,600 below the national average. According to the NEA report, the average teacher salary in North Carolina has risen 5 percent since 2009 but, when adjusted for inflation, the amount has dropped 9.4 percent.

   

Our teachers and education is a national priority and necessary legislative actions are needed to improve our education system and teachers pay. Keep lobbying and keep working with advocacy groups and legislators for our teachers. In solidarity with our teachers and for quality education. #RedForEd

URGENT Call to Action: Tennessee Sanctuary City Bill

Tennessee #HB2315 is a mass deportation bill. It would force local law enforcement to comply with ICE. It would violate both the federal and TN constitutions.

Please call Governor Haslam of Tennessee to VETO HB2315. He has until May 22 to veto the bill.
Please call: (615) 741-2001 and ask the Governor to veto this unconstitutional bill.

On April 25 House Bill 2315 and companion Senate Bill 2332 passed 64-to-23 in the House of Representatives and 27-to-5 in Senate. If this bill becomes law, it could have serious implications for public safety and future economic opportunities for the state.

Here’s what it does:

  • Prevents cities and counties from enacting sanctuary city policies to protect undocumented immigrants from detention by federal officials
  • Would have allowed residents to file complaints about real or perceived lack of enforcement to the Attorney General’s Office (the final legislation made it a chancery court process)
  • Cuts off state economic and community development money from local communities that enact sanctuary city policies
  • Would have required local law enforcement agencies to sign memorandums of understanding with federal immigration officials and obligated them to enforce federal law (the final bill eventually cut the MOU).

Please make the call and share with your family and friends. We must stand up for our at risk communities and our Constitution.