Dear Friends,
Here we are once again asking you to make a call and sign a petition. It probably feels like a lot, and you might be questioning at this point if it really makes a difference. (At times, we’ve been right there with you.) Lots of feelings surface for us all with every piece of disheartening news. Remember that being overwhelmed is a sign that your heart is in good working order!!
So, from our own overwhelmed hearts to yours, we offer these two reflections on what keeps us going:
Acts of resistance are a way to bear witness to the injustice without succumbing to despair. There is power in hearing our own small voices out loud. Think of it this way: Every time you hear yourself on the phone, talking to a staffer or leaving a message, the sound of your voice is vibrating through your body, reminding each cell: “I will not be silent.”
An essential element buoying our spirits right now is you all, and the sense of shared care and commitment that exists collectively amongst all brave little voices. We’re here to encourage you on, and to remind you that we’re all in this together. Let’s try not to be alone with these feelings of overwhelm. Ideas we’ve had for ourselves include sharing a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with a friend and calling or writing together; joining a local activist group; or, finally, emailing folks in our communities to organize a group discussion about what we can do together. Also, please also feel free to write to us anytime. We love hearing from you!
In the meantime, here’s the latest:
A few days ago, the US Border Patrol violently detained two of Vermont’s human rights leaders and beloved community members. Governor Phil Scott has stayed silent, which is all the more conspicuous given the recent legislation he signed into law: two bills that these detained leaders helped bring about. Let’s call on the Governor to speak out.
WHAT’S going on and WHY it’s important:
On Saturday morning, Jose Ignacio De La Cruz—known as “Nacho”—and his step daughter, Heidi Perez, 18, were delivering food to farm workers in northern Vermont. Agents pulled over their car for an unknown reason. When De La Cruz asked why they were pulled over and was given no reason, he invoked his right to remain silent. Agents then smashed the driver’s side window and “forcibly detained” the pair.
De La Cruz and Perez are now being held at separate prisons in the state. Because they are Mexican nationals with undocumented status, they are at risk for imminent deportation.
A leader of the Vermont-based Migrant Justice advocacy group, De La Cruz has been a prominent spokesperson for migrant rights and social justice. He also is a part-owner and team leader of New Frameworks, a cooperative construction company in Essex, Vt. “He is just a beloved member-owner of our company,” CEO and cofounder Ace McArleton told The Boston Globe. “He is a treasured friend and neighbor and community member. I’m furious at how ludicrous this is and what a waste of resources this is. It’s appalling and it’s offensive and it’s counterproductive and it’s detrimental to the American people.”
De La Cruz’s stepdaughter, Heidi Perez, graduated from high school last week and is planning to attend Vermont State University in Castleton in the fall. She has been a migrant justice leader in her own right. At a press conference at the Vermont Statehouse last year, she spoke in favor of a bill that would give undocumented college students access to financial aid and in-state tuition rates. Shortly after, Governor Scott signed the bill into law. “She was about to be one of the first students to benefit from that law,” Will Lambek, a Migrant Justice Organizer, told The Globe. “Now she’s being detained and threatened with deportation. It’s just an unbelievably cruel way of cutting off this dream she’s been working toward.”
In addition to speaking out for migrant justice, De La Cruz has advocated for other issues around the state, including policing reforms, climate justice, and improved working conditions. “In January, he testified in favor of legislation that would prohibit landlords from requesting Social Security numbers from those seeking housing, an impediment for undocumented renters,” The Globe reported. At a press conference at the State House in May, De La Cruz described living with his family—inlcuding his one-year-old son—in a hot and cramped attic with no electricity for two years while he looked for housing. “It’s unjust that the state relies on our labor to be building these things, but doesn’t allow us to live in the houses that we build,” De La Cruz said. Scott signed the legislation into law last week, just two days before De La Cruzn was detained.
WHAT we can do:
Sign this petition, calling for the immediate release of Nacho De La Cruz and Heidi Prez.
Contact Governor Phil Scott and urge him to speak out on behalf of Nacho and Heidi: 802-828-3333 (sample script below).
Support these groups that are tirelessly fighting for Nacho and Heidi’s rights, and the rights of immigrants across Vermont:
Sample Script:
Hello, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to urge Governor Scott to speak out against the violent detainment of Jose Ignacio De La Cruz (known as “Nacho”) and his stepdaughter Heidi Perez. Nacho and Heidi are beloved members of our Vermont community, and have courageously put themselves into the public spotlight to advocate for critical state reform. I want to remind the Governor that last year, at age 17, Heidi spoke at the State House to champion the Education Equity Act—which the Governor signed into law shortly after. And that Nacho recently testified in favor of the Housing Access for Immigrant Families proposal, which was signed into law by the Governor last week—two days before Nacho was taken into detention.
Nacho and Heidi have worked to make Vermont a more resilient and vibrant place for us all. They are beloved, and they are brave. Two people who have continuously shown up at Vermont’s capital are not a flight risk. I am calling on Governor Scott to publicly condemn the violent way in which they were detained, and to advocate for their release as their cases proceed.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
[IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.]
Photo Credit: Vidar Nordli Mathisen
Final Note:
"Yes, we become stronger when men and women, young and old, gay and straight, native-born and immigrant, fight together to create the kind of country we all know we can become."
~ Senator Bernie Sanders
Braver Together,
Liza and Lorni ♡
Liza and Lorni, thank you so much for doing this SubStack. Today I made my FIRST EVER CALL to an elected official—I called Gov Scott. Thank you for your dedication and generosity.