October 27, 2016 by Jake Crowther
Hilda Ramirez is finally able to leave St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church after she and her son Ivan spent the past 8 months in sanctuary there. Hilda and Ivan were granted deferred action of one year by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which means they are not at risk of deportation for the next year. [node:read-more:link]
October 20, 2016 by Bob Libal
The following is an excerpt of Dr. Satsuki Ina's letter to top officials at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services last December as the agency moved forward a proposal to license controversial family detention centers in an effort to keep them open. We thought this was timely to repost because litigation brought by detained moms and Grassroots Leadership to prohibit the state from licensing family detention centers as childcare facilities may be decided later this month. [node:read-more:link]
October 12, 2016 by Bethany N. Carson
As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigates its use of private prisons, women currently and formerly detained in two CCA-operated immigrant detention centers in Texas are speaking out against abuses in the facilities.
Their letters from inside are exposing grossly inadequate medical care and health conditions; unsanitary facilities; sickening food; verbal abuse & harsh, punitive treatment; re-traumatization of survivors of violence; interference with phone conversations.
October 7, 2016 by Bethany N. Carson
Private immigrant detention facilities are notorious for their long list of abuses: inedible food, inadequate medical treatment, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, lack of due process, death due to denied medical treatment, poor hygiene, unsafe living conditions, etc. Last month the Bureau of Prisons announced they will be phasing out private prisons within their department. [node:read-more:link]
September 27, 2016 by Holly Kirby
One year ago today we celebrated the announced return of in-person visitation to the Travis County Jail here in Texas. The news came after a nearly 2-year fight led by those who had experienced video jail visits first-hand, and not only brought in-person visits back to Travis County, but also passed state legislation that will prevent other counties from replacing in-person visits with video chats.
Though we are happy that we could celebrate a victory in Travis County and Texas, we know this company continues to reap massive profits while countless individuals across the country are denied access to see their incarcerated loved one face-to-face. [node:read-more:link]
September 13, 2016 by Rebecca Sanchez
Last week, the New York Times ran a story about how Charles and David Koch, the notorious billionaire brothers and funders of many right-wing causes, are starting an organizing training of conservative community activists who reinforce ideals including a reliance on fossil fuels. The name of that training? The Grassroots Leadership Academy.
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September 9, 2016 by Holly Kirby
Cate Graziani, our mental health campaigns coordinator, will be completing a Fulbright fellowship in Portugal from September 2016 to May 2017. Though we will miss her over the next eight months, we are excited to see what she uncovers! Here is a brief description of her project: [node:read-more:link]
September 8, 2016 by Rebecca Sanchez
Victoria comes to Grassroots Leadership with a passion for social, economic, and racial justice. Originally from Miami with family from Peru, she studied Biological Psychology at New College of Florida, where she was the President of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and organized around impacts of the war on drugs. [node:read-more:link]
September 8, 2016 by Holly Kirby
We ask our supporters to raise their voices and notify prison officials to recognize the right of incarcerated individuals to assert their humanity and for prison officials to not retaliate against individuals whose non-violent protests demand an end to prison slavery. [node:read-more:link]
September 7, 2016 by Rebecca Sanchez
Jake comes to us as a Young Adult Volunteer. Originally from Clemson South Carolina, Jake studied Spanish and International Health at Clemson University. During this time, he gained a great appreciation for community development, and the desire to work with individuals who have been marginalized by our society. While at Clemson, he began to explore and learn more of the pain and issues that U.S. policy had caused both in Latin America and among Latino communities in the U.S. [node:read-more:link]