Hello Alamo!
It’s been a hot minute.
I consciously decided to make this blog focus on local rather than national for a reason. We can get a lot more done in our area of proximity, and it’s been really good! We have three thriving community gardens, a well-used labor hub, they even swore in Alamogordo’s first Black female mayor last night. I’m quite proud of us.
Unfortunately, I need to focus more nationally today. When trends are relevant, they’re relevant. Sorry.
So, we all can acknowledge that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been deployed around the country. So far it’s only been bigger cities, but being so close to the border, I think it’s pretty naive to assume they won’t be here eventually. In fact, there have been possible sightings, one in Tulie and the other I believe heading out toward the base.
They are, in fact, doing their jobs. As a very proud Mexican, luckily shielded by having some genes from a white dad, ICE has been harassing and terrorizing my larger community (along with others) since they were created in the 2000s. So yes. Their job. Since day 1. According to a study by Berkeley in 2011, ICE had already detained 3,600 US citizens.
CBS reported that as of June of last year, ICE had detained 59,000 people, only half of whom actually had any kind of criminal record.
I am part of your community. Other immigrants are part of your community. Those of us who care about our neighbors need to prepare for how we are going to protect them, now while we have quite a bit of breathing room to do so.
According to one of the organizers of the weekly Saturday protests, KD, the ICE Out For Good protest over the weekend brought out 74 community members. That is inspiring. I would love to get connected with some of those folks, as well as anyone who want to get involved, to harness that energy. Whoever suggested getting a whistle system in place, email me here or through the blog FB page!
Let’s continue to take care of each other!
Salud.
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