This campaign focuses on uplifting immigrants in our communities. Specifically, the Safe Communities Act statewide and ordinances of the like are policies we stand behind. Using our police forces to track down undocumented immigrants creates a safety issue in our communities since any crime witnessed or committed against undocumented immigrants will go unreported. So far, we have coordinated a campaign to prevent Sheriff Hodgson from collaborating with ICE (federal immigration authorities) on its deportation policy.
In the News: Southcoast voting districts in play with eye on racial equity
Read the article at: https://thepublicsradio.org/article/new-bedford-voting-districts-redrawn-to-shift-power-toward-black-and-hispanic-voters CSJ has been working on helping to draw more equitable districts and the ideas is gaining traction. New Bedford is served by...
Driving Families Forward Script
Hi [Rep/Senator] _____________, My name is _______________, and I am a constituent of yours that lives in [town] calling about important state legislation to support immigrant rights. The Driving Families Forward coalition is working to pass the Work and Family...
Progress on Immigrant Rights!
Our campaigns address the underlying root causes of economic inequality. These causes include discrimination and exclusion, and deeply affect the Gateway Cities we work in. This is why we have been part of two campaigns that would significantly improve the lives of...
Southcoast Residents Talk Immigrants’ Rights at Capitol
CSJ's Immigrants’ Rights Day at the State House This originally appeared in the Standard Times on July 24, 2019 Boston- Wednesday, dozens of Southcoast and Brockton residents attended the Coalition for Social Justice’s Immigrant’s Rights Day at the State House....
Residents stand up for immigrants with ‘Lights for Liberty’
This article originally appeared in the Standard Times By Aimee Chiavaroli FAIRHAVEN — By a peace pole outside of the Unitarian Memorial Church, more than 40 people, with candles and some umbrellas in hand, began singing “We shall overcome.” The rain came down harder,...
How much is MA spending on housing immigrants facing deportation?
Thank you to the volunteers from Bristol County for Correctional Justice for keeping an eye on the legislation that would hold elected leaders accountable. County jails in Massachusetts are believed to reap millions from the federal government to house immigrants...
Driving Families Forward
The Coalition for Social Justice supports the Driving Families Forward effort, which is working to grant legal driving licenses to undocumented immigrants. This form of ID would give undocumented immigrants a legal right to drive themselves to work, school, appointments, and errands, protecting their right to thrive in the United States. In addition, making it a legal right for many immigrants to drive themselves would improve the relationship between law enforcement and these vulnerable communities. The majority of immigrants in MA are black – either Brazilian, Cape Verdean, or from the Caribbean Islands. Lack of access to transportation is an economic and health barrier. Our region also has a growing Hispanic population and this issue keeps families together by improving the relationship between law enforcement and communities that have a negative history with the police.