- Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance is a new, local activist group working to combat anti-immigration efforts.
- Neighbors united for the group's first meeting to establish a strategic plan of action.
- Watch the video to learn about the first short-term goals they agreed on.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A wall of protection for the vulnerable— that’s what a new local activist group hopes to be for the immigrant community amid tightening immigration measures. I’m neighborhood reporter Kenya Cardonne. I was there when the newly and organically organized Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance met for the first time to discuss ways to support immigrants in the Big Bend.
"El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!"
Sound familiar?
"Latinos unidos jamas serán vencidos!"
It means 'united Latinos will never be defeated,' and it's the chant that has soared outside The Florida Capitol several times since the Trump administration began its crackdown on immigration.
It was also the chant that capped off the first meeting of a new local activist group called Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance.
Their goal is to combat anti-immigration efforts.
Kaiden Rosa, Neighbor - “Any issue that affects any of us, affects all of us, and we have to unite to fight anything that is attacking our communities."
A diverse crowd of neighbors packed a meeting room at Unitarian Universalist Church on Sunday.
Robert Lee, Neighbor - “I just came out here to learn more about ways to advocate for the immigrant community and ways to take direct action to help people that are in need."
And that was the idea. Neighbors leaned on each other to understand what the main concerns are to strategize an action plan.
Isabel Ruano, Neighbor - “We had people come to respond. We have people crying, being concerned about parents being deported and children being left alone. People are hurting because of what's happening."
They set their first short-term goals through a two-prong approach:
- Members will work together to establish which proposed bills they feel are most necessary to protest against this upcoming legislative session.
- Members will train to understand immigrant rights and how to spread that education across our communities.
Rosa - “We're going to have to do the research. We're going to have to train ourselves and prepare ourselves, and first get our wins fighting these bills. Then, we can go on and take on other, more complicated actions."
That includes possibly establishing a network of people who are willing to give rides to those without a driver's license because they're undocumented.
Members say the first meeting was a success and they hope the traction they got Sunday will continue for as long as their mission does.
Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance plans to meet every second and fourth Sunday at 5 P.M.
