Dear friends,
This week we continue to hold the complex balance of exhaustion and stress with feelings of appreciation for all the incredible work that is happening to support one another through this crisis. We wanted to share updates on two issues that remind us that we mustn’t underestimate the power of our collective efforts.
The Passing of the Oregon Worker Relief Fund (OWRF)
Last Thursday the emergency board of the legislature passed the Oregon Worker Relief Fund and agreed to allocate $10 million to immigrant Oregonians! These funds will make a big impact in communities gravely affected by covid-19 and shows that, in the face of Federal policies that seek to divide us, states can choose to care for all in these times. We wanted to thank everyone who called, emailed, and organized to ensure the passing of this initiative.
While we are celebrating this first win, we also recognize that the money allocated by our legislators is not nearly enough to cover the 74,000 immigrants deserving of financial relief. We still have much work ahead of us. For next steps, we will let you know of opportunities to advocate for more funding at the state and local levels. You can also help raise funds for the OWRF by contributing to our Leap of Faith campaign, which divides funds to IMIrJ, the OWRF, and organizing led by people affected!
We understand that many people are eager to connect immigrant community members to these funds. Our partners are still working on implementation, but we will let you know as soon as people can apply. We are a part of a coalition that honors equity, and as such we will ensure that as many communities as possible have access to financial relief and resources they deserve.
The Expansion of the Courthouse Rule
Back in March we asked the community to let the Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee (UTCR) know that they should expand the ICE courthouse rule and make it permanent. The rule currently prevents ICE from arresting community members in and around courthouses and, if expanded, would also allow people to travel to and from courthouses without fear. We asked people to say: 1. Make the rule permanent and 2. Expand the rule to include 'to and from' courthouses.
The UTCR met at the end of March to discuss the expansion of the courthouse rule. As part of the agenda for the meeting, we saw a huge packet of comments, many from IMIrJ community members asking for the expansion. As of now, the committee has invited the lawyers who crafted the expansion to present it at the next meeting and discuss what this extended rule would look like in practice!
We heard back from the lawyers present, that the stack of letters was incredibly moving. Overall, the letters showed the UTCR that the community cares strongly about this expansion.
We wanted to highlight these two campaigns amidst all the COVID-19 news to say thank you to everyone who participated and honor that your work is making a difference!
May Day Event
Lastly, we wanted to remind everyone that tomorrow (May 1st) is May Day, otherwise known as International Workers Day! This May Day, we will be joining our partners digitally as a result of Covid-19. As a community, we will be demanding that Congress and the state of Oregon provide protections for those on the front-lines. We will also be rallying with immigrant workers left out of the federal stimulus packet who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and have no access to unemployment benefits.
We encourage you to join us! Click the links below for more information:
Link to the Facebook Live Event (goes live May 1st)
Link to the Facebook Event Page
Thank you for your continued work in these times. Take care of yourselves and each other.
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