This past September, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its policy for how ICE will conduct immigration enforcement in our communities. Though the new prosecutorial discretion memo (PD Memo) falls short of centering a protection-based framework, there are key opportunities for organizers and advocates to use in pushing back against abuses of power by ICE and engaging in deportation defense.
We must recognize that in removing categorial criminal convictions as a basis for deportation, the memo reflects the hard-won efforts of organizers and advocates to shift towards more protections of the last 10 years. With this, there is space for organizers to stay in the fight.
Deportation defense cases have been an effective organizing tool to get our people free, strengthen campaigns by building relationships with allies and targets, and create the pressure needed to improve federal policy by exposing deportation patterns and the impacts of what’s actually happening on the ground.
That’s why we created the Deportation Defense Toolkit in collaboration with Just Futures Law.
The new PD memo goes into effect Monday November 29, 2021, and it is one important tool we can use to stop deportations and keep our communities intact. We’re sharing these resources widely to help organizers and grassroots advocates identify opportunities for public deportation defense campaigns and have the tools to win.
What is included in the Toolkit:
- Tips on determining the intervention based on the case
- Gathering relevant case information (and sample intake form)
- Gathering letters of support (with templates for different types)
- Planning and organizing a public campaign
The following templates are available in the Toolkit Appendix:
- Prosecutorial Discretion Request
- Mass Personal Letters Of Support
- Family Member Letter of Support
- Letter of Support from Teacher or Counselor of the Children of the Person
- Faith Leader Letter of Support
- Organizational Letters Of Support
- Email of Support from Congressional Representative
- Script for Congressional Contacts for Calls with ICE Field Offices
To access the Deportation Defense Toolkit click here: mijente.net/defend
