There are millions of lives that have been put in immediate danger because of the illegal and illegitimate rise to authority of a white nationalist led GOP.

Organizers and participants must be able to comfortably acknowledge that communities are being targeted by race, disability, religious affiliation, sexual identity, class, immigration status and gender. Further, this attack is being led by a white supremacist network. Race cannot be eliminated from the conversation. Neither can other forms of discrimination.

Members of the Immigrant community, specifically people from Mexico, have been labeled as rapists and murderers under the illegitimate white nationalist president. This “alternative fact” is being used as an excuse to triple the number if ICE agents sent to detain and deport deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Trump’s attack on immigrants also includes deporting Muslims, under the rhetoric of the complete lie that these community members are terrorists. The indigenous tribes are also under attack at Standing Rock in direct danger of losing their sovereignty and land.

Ferrocarril: The Immigrant Underground Railroad

We can’t let Trump’s white nationalist soldiers tear our families and communities apart. While we work to stop Trump and the GOP in the long term, we also need to defend the individuals and families targeted by Trump immediately. The Strategic Institute of Intersectional Policy is calling for the revival of the spirit and strategic strength of the Underground Railroad in order to protect our undocumented community members. This Immigrant Railroad, or “Ferrocarril,” would be a network of people and organizations that will volunteer their services and resources to give legal defense, supplies and shelter to those fleeing Trump.

Religious organizations, immigrant advocacy groups and community social spaces should be at the forefront of providing spaces and references for communities targeted by Trump’s immigration policies and police. We request that they begin creating space and momentum for the Ferrocarril immediately.

We are also requesting that organizations that individuals volunteer space and services for this network; and that lawyers, community experts and direct service providers volunteer their time and resources to ensuring the safest and most effective functioning of this network.

Make your Place a SafeSpace

Under the illegitimate white nationalist government, minority communities are and will continue to be exposed to increased hate crimes and social violence.

The social safety for the most exploited underclass and lower class people and families is being rapidly eroded. The process to repeal the ACA has begun. The dismantling of HUD is in process. Police brutality continues to ravage low income neighborhoods and poverty is being increasingly criminalized.

Women are now considered assaultable property and our rights are positioned to be removed. The rights of people living with disabilities has been completely erased from the GOP’s agenda, while Trump himself openly mocks disability. LGBTQ rights are being left to the States. Hate crimes are on the rise, and people targeted by social violence and discrimination need a strong defense behind them.

The hate directed at these communities will come from general citizens of the United States, members of hate based organizations, and members of law enforcement. And their targets need SafeSpaces to run to in case they are being attacked. These spaces may be businesses, organizations, schools or homes.

We are asking people and professionals to publicly designate their homes and workplaces as SafeSpaces where people that are being targeted for social violence can go to for immediate assistance. Individuals, companies, schools and organizations can identify their location as a SafeSpace by downloading this Safe Space Identification Sign and placing it somewhere it will be visible to the public.

In order to ensure the safety of all those involved, we are asking lawyers, medical professionals, and defensive arts trainers to volunteer time, training and resources to SafeSpace participants.

Take the Individual Interference Pledge

The Strategic Institute of Intersectional Policy is also asking for people in every community to take the Individual Interference Pledge. Because of the increase in social discrimination and violence faced by targeted communities in the United States, individuals will also serve important roles in making sure that discrimination and violence does not go unchecked. We are asking people and professionals to pledge to interfere in the safest and most effective ways possible when witness to identity based discrimination and hate crimes. We are also asking for medical and self-defense professionals to volunteer expertise and resources to individuals that take the Individual Interference Pledge so that the safety of all parties remains the top priority.

It is up to the people to ensure we keep each other safe and well defended while we fight to remove the illegitimate President and his criminal GOP network from office. Please contact SIIP if you would like more information on how you can support the Ferrocarril, become or support a SafeSpace or get involved with the Individual Interference Pledge program.