Our Busy February: A Recap
Following are a grab-bag of updates from the Ohio Immigrant Alliance for February and March.
Being Creatively Brave
Creative people across the state are using their talents to raise money to support OIA and protect immigrants. Restaurants are putting their menus to work. Makers are raffling off prize baskets. Musicians are organizing benefit concerts. Read about it here, and consider how you can put your creativity to the cause!
Sponsor a Day, Week, or Month on the Hotline!
The Ohio Immigrant Hotline is a one-stop-shop for any Ohioan seeking information and help on immigration matters. Call, text, or email us at 419-777-HELP (4357) and hotline@ohioimmigrant.org. Our Hotline Manager calls it “the heartbeat of the organization” and says it has become a “lifeline” for people impacted by detention and deportation. Now, you can sponsor a day, week, or month on the Hotline! Read about our new sponsorship program here.
Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
We want to thank everyone who has been purchasing yard signs, shirts, notebooks, and more from the Ohio Immigrant Alliance online store. You are spreading the message that Migration Is Human and Ohio Is Home! We just launched our new Abolish ICE collection, which includes clothing, tumblers, and more. Check it out at bit.ly/OIAshirt.
Catch Up With Our Team
In case you missed us, you can hear a recording of Lynn at the Cleveland City Club’s “Happy Dog Takes on ICE” forum, and watch her testify before Columbus City Council; learn about the Iftar Demba attended with Rep. Munira Abdullahi at the Columbus Statehouse; and view photos of the Heights Resistance Fair with Maryam and her family. On March 23, Maryam will speak at a town hall hosted by the Cleveland Branch of the NAACP.
The True Public Safety Threat: ICE and the Border Patrol
The presence of ICE and the Border Patrol makes our communities less safe. See Lynn’s video about how immigration agents are using the tactics of criminals to harm us; our statement on the unecessary high speed car chase that killed Dr. Linda Davis in Georgia; and our blog post about the connections between the Border Patrol and Epstein Island. OIA has been tracking the number of people who work for ICE and the Border Patrol accused of violent and sexual crimes against women and children. The number is frightening, and continues to grow.
“There is a dangerous culture within these agencies, and that is evidenced by this horrifying list. Congress must stop giving ICE and the Border Patrol a blank check to commit crimes against the public. We cannot trust law enforcement agencies that employ so many dangerous criminals, refuse to police their own ranks, and use the tactics of criminals to enforce civil immigration laws. People are dying, and our leaders must stop funding these dangerous, unaccountable agencies,” said Lynn Tramonte, Executive Director of OIA.
Solutions For Safety and dignity
“Immigration laws should be enforced calmly and rationally, in court rooms and office buildings — not the streets of our communities. We don’t send IRS agents into the streets with masks and guns in unmarked cars for a reason. And we shouldn’t do that to enforce civil immigration laws. Common sense must prevail,” Tramonte added.
In this statement, OIA makes the case for a truly independent immigration court. We call on Ohio’s U.S. Senators and Members of Congress to enact permanent protections for Haitians in the United States and humane immigration reform. As Tramonte told the Columbus City Council during her testimony, “People navigating U.S. immigration laws deserve a chance to fix their status — not to be stalked by masked agents with guns. What ICE and the Border Patrol are doing is dangerous for everyone."
Civil immigration law enforcement must be reformed to align with the way other administrative law matters are handled. See Peter L. Markowitz’ paper for the Center for American Progress, “A New Paradigm for Humane and Effective Immigration Enforcement,” for a way to do this.
