Dear Friend, Like you, we are heartbroken and outraged at the cruelty and lawlessness by federal officials in Minnesota as well as other states across the country (including our own) where federal agents are stoking fear through race-based profiling, detentions, and brutal attacks on immigrants and citizens including children. We know immigrants make our society and our economy stronger. Although it has pained us this past year to leverage the economic argument—mass deportation would result in a loss of $41 million/year in state and local tax revenues—we did it because we thought common sense would speak to our better angels. Instead, pervasive division and hurtful othering have become normalized and in some instances rewarded. Friends are disappearing, Constitutional rights are being trampled, we are not safer.... This is what people are protesting. They have the courage to act, and they're demonstrating that courage. Now, to be clear, people of color and especially Black people have been protesting similar wrongs for decades but few have believed and change has been slow. As a result, the harm is now at a lot more people's doorsteps with communities being terrorized, 13 people have been shot by DHS since September and two lost their lives for simply standing up for their neighbors. We know that there are some that may disagree with the protestors. But protest itself is not a reason for government violence to say nothing of murder. Neither the color of your skin nor the primary language you speak should be reasons for being hunted on the streets, where you work, or in your home. Threading the needle of both sides won't keep the fabric of our democracy intact. It has been heartening to see so many people in every state come together and show the world that the U.S. is not without humanity. But there are too many who believe, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated at the World Economic Forum last week, that "nostalgia is strategy." Longing for a past that didn't work for a diverse people is what has led us to today's reality. This is a fight about political, government, and economic power. Therefore, the only path forward is action rooted in what is right rather than what is convenient or profitable. The leadership we need—from the kitchen table to boardroom, corner block to statehouse—is one that puts a multi-racial people first. There is no neutrality in this moment. Silence is complicity. So, speak up. Even if you were afraid or unsure to say something before, speak up now. This week, in Washington D.C., the U.S. Senate will take up a funding bill to grant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection even more money, which is in addition to the $170 billion they received as a result of HR1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). These bills fund the oppression we're witnessing and mass deportation efforts including detention facilities, weapons, and border walls. The centerpiece of HR1 is a massive tax cut giveaway to the richest and most powerful people and corporations in America. Both this and the aforementioned federal budget increases are at the expense of food assistance and access to health care coverage for millions of hardworking U.S. residents, including hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents. Life is getting harder and more expensive. It's not too late. Every deadline is an opportunity. January 30 is the deadline for another partial government shutdown. In addition, President Trump has threated to withhold all federal aid to "sanctuary" states, including Connecticut, starting February 1. February 4 is the deadline Governor Lamont can appropriate remaining dollars from the emergency fund before state lawmakers work on new protections, that are needed more than ever, this legislative session. At Connecticut Voices for Children, we believe every funding and every policy decision should lead us to the future we want, which is a just society where all children reach their full potential. We can build this better world. However, there is an urgency and a seriousness that must be embodied by all of us. We can fight back through a willingness to center love for people in our words and actions, a restoration of respectful dialogue and disagreement, and tax reform that's fair and resources an economy that works for everyone not just the lucky and privileged few. But the time to act is NOW. As we shovel our way through this weekend's winter storm, our partner, Leslie Blatteau of the New Haven Federation of Teachers, provided concrete guidance to community members: Use this snowstorm, she said, to forge and strengthen bonds with your neighbors. Check in on people and let them know you care. Build systems of support. We may need them. This is a good reminder that action starts at home. If you can, consider making a donation to one of our partner organizations working to protect immigrants:
Our children and grandchildren will ask about our role in this moment. If like us, you still have hope, if you believe dignity and prosperity for all are Connecticut values, and if you know that what happens at the state-level matters, join us in our fight for economic and racial justice. What we're experiencing in this moment is very likely the civil and human rights struggle of our lifetime. The good news is that we get to choose how this ends. We are the authors of history. If you're looking for a place to start, sign up for our newsletter or join a protest, boycott or strike. If you share our future vision, you can also call U.S. House and Senate members on the spending bills, or call on State legislators and the governor to protect Connecticut residents today and proactively pave the way for progress. In solidarity,
Emily Byrne
Executive Director
Connecticut Voices for Children |
