On January 25, 2017, Trump signed an executive order attacking sanctuary cities. Below is an updated statement on how Seattle must stand with our sisters and brothers, and fight back.

Today Trump signed an order to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities, which refuse to check for immigration status or to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants due to their immigration status.

As a workers’ representative, as a socialist, as an immigrant woman of color, I join with all my sisters and brothers in saying we refuse to be intimidated. My office and Socialist Alternative will stand shoulder to shoulder with all immigrants and all of Seattle’s working people against Trump’s anti-immigrant offensive.

The only way forward to defeat Trump is for us to build united defiant mass movements of the 99%, in Seattle and other cities, against all of his vicious attacks.

I want to thank the courageous immigrant rights activists who have been fighting for years, for the rights of the undocumented, including those held in the Northwest Detention Center. I have been inspired by the work we have done together since 15 Now.

Let’s turn May 1, International Workers’ Day and historically a day for immigrant rights protests, into a day of mass non-violent civil disobedience. In 2006, immigrants fought back against blatant anti-immigrant legislation with El Gran Paro Estadounidense, the Great American Strike, known to many as a Day Without an Immigrant. This general strike brought businesses to a halt, and forced the political aristocracy to back down and abandon the legislation. We need to carry out similar strike actions this year, with the full support of labor, social justice organizations, movements like Black Lives Matter, and environmentalists.

Our movement stands for:
No deportations!
Full legalization for all immigrants!
Tax the Rich to fully fund social services and mass transit!
Rent control to make Seattle affordable for all!

We must also demand that the City Council make sure that our city’s infrastructure isn’t used against Seattle’s working people. I’ve proposed legislation to have warrantless cameras by federal agencies taken down. I appeal to all activists to help build a campaign strong enough to force the City Council to pass the bill as soon as possible.

Trump has also signed an executive order to advance approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. Let’s fight him by demanding the City Council immediately divest from Wells Fargo, a prime financier of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Trump is seriously overstepping. The historic marches last weekend, coupled with the dismal outpouring of public support at the inauguration, prove his mandate is non-existent. Regular working people have the power to stop his bigoted, right-wing, anti-immigrant, anti-worker agenda. But this will require the 99% getting organized and building a sustained mass movement that bases itself in the tactics and strategy needed to defeat him, and that refuses to limit itself to what’s acceptable to the corporate Democratic politicians of this city.

Let’s get organized!
Solidarity!

Posted: January 25th, 2017 under Immigrant Rights, Women's Rights
Tags: Immigrant Rights, Trump