MANOLO'S STORY OF DETENTION AND DEPORTATION
As we make signs and rally downtown to abolish ICE, petition our legislature to pass the NY4ALL act and get set to lobby in Albany (check for the three opportunities to catch free bus transport in the upcoming calendar!), you may be wondering what this story looks like from the other side. There are so many people being detained and deported despite our best efforts. Here is the story that one man, Manolo Lopez, shared with Doug Noble through a friend, with the request that it be shared.
Manolo was a happy newlywed working in a rural area of Guatemala with many dreams and plans for his life. Several Canadian and US corporations moved into the area, buying up farms and properties, not only displacing people but also putting locals out of work. Ultimately, there was no work to be found, and the crime rate was so extreme that he decided to leave Guatemala.
Read the rest of Manolo's story here.
OUR NEWSLETTER IS GROWING
Here’s how good things keep going! Flynn Herron, David Merkel, Doug Noble and Xanthe Plymale, members old and new, have joined Alice Carli in creating this newsletter, which means it’s on its way to becoming more robust and sustainable. And perhaps a little less idiosyncratic, but that remains to be seen. If you are interested in helping with the newsletter (or any other aspect of communications) click here! We will soon be adding other volunteer opportunities in a new “Big Ask List” but it’s not quite ready for prime time today. Look for it next week!
HISTORY OF THE METRO JUSTICE ANNUAL DINNER - STORIES WANTED
We’re gearing up for our Annual Dinner, this year to be held on Saturday evening, May 9th! It would be fun to share memories of earlier dinners - we have programs going back to 1991, but the tradition of gathering annually to celebrate with a spaghetti potluck seems to go back further. Who has stories to share? Click here to get in touch!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday (TOMORROW), February 24 4:30-6:30 Enjoy making friends and chatting with like-minded people? Join the Metro Justice phone bank to touch base with other members
Tuesday (TOMORROW), February 24, 4-7pm RG&E will be hosting open hours at the Gates Town Hall. This is an opportunity to ask questions and directly express concerns regarding their rate increases, “cold snap” related or otherwise. (Newsletter staff have not found a link to verify this event.)
Wednesday, February 25, 7-8:30 pm Community Defense and ICE Watch 90-minute training: Register here.
Wednesday, March 4, 8pm May Day Strong network is building for a national strike - no work, no school, no shopping - for this May 1st. Register for the national call to learn more about our demands and support our strike infrastructure.
Tuesday, March 10, 5 am-8 pm Join a huge cross-movement action at the New York State Capitol supporting immigrant rights, housing, and climate action. RSVP here if you can help represent Rochester! Free bus transportation and lunch provided.
Thursday, March 12, 7 pm Town Hall discussion of the New York Health Act in Geneva, NY. More details next week!
Sunday, March 15, 12:30-2 pm Metro Justice new member orientation in the MJ office and on zoom. Learn more about how Metro Justice works, and how you can plug in to help!
Monday, March 16, 7-9 pm March Council meeting at the Metro Justice office
Tuesday, March 17, all day Huge healthcare coalition Lobby Day in Albany for the New York Health Act! Please sign up by March 11. Bus or carpool seats will be provided.
Saturday, March 21, 6-9pm Fundraiser concert in Newfield, NY with 100% of proceeds going to legal fees to oppose an AI Data Center on Cayuga Lake.
Saturday, May 9, 5-8 pm Metro Justice Annual Dinner, AFSCME Hall, 1956 Lyell Ave (just east of 390 Lyell Ave. exit)
DESKTOP ACTIONS
Can’t support immigrant rights by heading to Albany? Tell Governor Hochul to pass NY4All another way with this one-click email tool. And call her office regularly at (518) 474-8390. NY4All would prohibit both formal and informal collusion between local police and ICE/CBP in perpetuity. Hochul has proposed her own legislation which only covers formal collusion for the next 3 years: Hochul’s proposal is weak and irrelevant, New York must pass NY4All into law.
The Campaign for New York Health is doing ongoing work with collaborators to push for passage of the New York Health Act, the best response our state could make to the disastrous healthcare cuts by the Trump administration. Sign our petition to legislative leadership here, and use this tool to email your Senator and Assemblymember.
Governor Hochul wants to roll back critical parts of NY’s climate law. But you can’t change the rules because you’re losing the game. We know that weakening the law will undermine our climate commitments and force New Yorkers to pay higher and higher energy costs. NY Renews has provided a 1-click letter to State Senate and Assembly leadership demanding that they hold firm in protecting the climate law and New York communities!
Do you know where your birth certificate is? Three voter suppression bills (the SAVE Act) in the federal House and Senate would force Americans to present a passport, birth certificate, or other citizenship papers in order to register to vote in federal elections, and are clearly designed to deter millions of people from casting their ballot in our democracy. Click here to send an email to your federal representatives.