Hey, everyone. There’s been A LOT going on with immigration and immigrant rights lately. It’s our responsibility to cover the latest and most relevant news, and this is definitely it. So scroll down to hear about the start of nationwide deportation raids, undocumented YouTubers sharing their stories, and Vice President Pence’s visit to a border facility.

- Jackie

Young boy holding banner that says End Family Separation

ICE Raids Launch on a Smaller Scale Than Anticipated

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempted to arrest undocumented immigrants in a few different cities this weekend. This is following President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that large-scale deportation efforts were beginning this week. So far, few arrests have been reported, even though many volunteers were ready to disrupt raid activity. Studies have shown that harsh immigration policing has the potential to sow distrust of local law enforcement and cause a decrease in economic and social participation. So even if the raids are smaller than expected, their impact could be far-reaching for the communities they’re targeting. Nine major cities are slated for ICE operations, and about 2,000 people are expected to be targeted.

Take Action: Read and share this article about your rights during an ICE raid.

YouTubers Share Their Experiences of Being Undocumented

Online influencers are putting faces to the issues we’re hearing in the news and providing much needed representation for young people navigating immigrant identities. Mexican beauty YouTuber Daisy Marquez spoke in a video about her experience being undocumented and having to turn down opportunities like college acceptances and sponsored trips because of her status. Slovakian vlogger David Dobrik is vocal about being a DACA recipient and his risk of deportation. Their message is an important one: the folks affected by immigration policies don’t exist in a vacuum -- they’re our friends, neighbors, and even idols.

“Never Again Is Now”: People Around the World Are Standing Up For Immigrant Rights

Amid all the noise surrounding the threatened ICE raids, thousands gathered to make it clear that immigrant rights will not be forgotten. While massive raids have yet to take shape, a wave of protests have kicked off in the cities targeted, and people are showing up in full force. Over 700 cities worldwide participated in Lights for Liberty vigils to protest the conditions of migrant detention centers and reaffirm that immigrant rights are human rights. Expect to see more demonstrations in the coming days, with the Jewish advocacy group Never Again Action planning their largest protest yet.

Take Action: Call your lawmakers to demand dignity and basic rights for migrants. Call +1 202-335-8470. You’ll first receive tips on what to say, and then you’ll be directly connected to your lawmakers’ office.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed doubled down on the city's commitment to protecting immigrant communities.

Why aren’t more people talking about… the armed man who was killed by police as he tried to set an ICE detention center on fire?

Meanwhile, in Texas… Vice President Mike Pence visited a border facility, and he “was not surprised by what [he] saw.”

Just in time for Prime Day… Amazon employees are calling on the company to cut ties with ICE and stop providing the technology that already has 300 cities under surveillance.

My hero today is… the mother who recalled her daughter’s death to deliver a powerful testimony before Congress about the treatment of asylum seekers.

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