We Stand with Immigrant Families

Here at Groundswell Center Local Food and Farming we have been devastated and outraged during the past weeks of the Trump Administration’s barbaric attack on immigrant families. We stand with all people crossing the border for safety and opportunity, and honor and acknowledge the incredible contributions that immigrants and refugees make in this country, including as the backbone of the US food system. We demand human rights for all immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, an end to the criminalization of immigrants in US policy, and immediate family reunification.

 

Our local Farming for Justice Discussion and Action Group held its June session on the role of small farmers in immigrant rights work, hosting a lively and powerful discussion between local farmers and members of the Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition. If we care about food, farming and land, we must also fight for the rights of immigrants and those whose labor keeps our entire food system functioning. We are continuing to figure out how our farmer and food producer network can plug into immigrant justice work and the steps we can take to support each other to do so. Please join us for the next session on July 11th for the continuation of this conversation either in-person or over the phone.

 

Please also join us at the Ithaca Welcomes Refugees Community Picnic on Saturday, July 14th at the Groundswell Center Incubator Farm! This is a chance to celebrate our diverse community, welcome new neighbors and connect with each other over good food, music and farm tours.

 

Finally, we want to share this compilation of action steps from our local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice. There are so many ways to show up right now at many levels, from phone calls and volunteering to donating, protesting and more. We all have a role to play. Collective action is a balm to the soul in these trying times and we have already succeeded in ending family separation. But detaining families together indefinitely is NOT a solution and we must continue to push for family reunification and just immigration policy. Let’s keep the pressure on!

 

With Love and In Solidarity,
Groundswell Center Staff

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