So! I have some additional news about the ICE Enforcement & Removals Operations office in Ferndale. It’s been known that such Immigration and Customs Enforcement locations exist in our local communities but it is challenging to find out where they are. Community members learned about an address in Ferndale and showed up there today for a Dignity Vigil to say we want ICE OUT of our Whatcom County communities!
Click the graphic to access the July 15, 2017 Bellingham City Council Justice Committee meeting on YouTube
July 17, 2019 Dena Jensen
On Monday, July 15, 2019, Bellingham City Council’s Justice Committee met in Council Chambers at City Hall, with their one focus being, “Deliberation Regarding Work-Plan Items Related to Immigration.” I will work on publishing notes on this meeting soon. But first, I did want to draw people’s attention to a particular statement of City Council Member April Barker’s at that meeting. Council Member Barker serves on the Justice Committee, with Council Member Pinky Vargas, along with Council Member and Justice Committee Chair Hannah Stone.
“If the person you are voting for does not have a very specific way of how they are going to implement the Keep Washington Working Act at the local level; if they are not in absolute agreement that they will fight for a sanctuary ordinance in Whatcom County; if they are not very, very clear that they will support sanctuary for undocumented families, they are not a progressive candidate.” – Rosalinda Guillen
Excerpt from the March 6, 2019 “Open letter to Bellingham City Council” by Victoria Matey and Maru Mora Villalpando
March 6, 2019 Victoria Matey and Maru Mora Villalpando
On February 25th, 2019 the City of Bellingham, in Washington State, reviewed the ordinance–#2017-02-008 and BMC Chapter 2.25 regarding immigration matters in the city. Two years ago, undocumented students and community members advised the city not to collaborate with federal immigration officials in order to make Bellingham a safer city for everyone by addressing racial profiling. Instead, the city passed an ordinance that not only dismissed everything the undocumented community was collectively working towards, but also passed an ordinance supposedly to protect the undocumented community with zero enforcement and accountability, and with no promise of keeping our community safe from immigration enforcement families being torn apart.
Screen shot of the 10/25/18 letter from the Public Health Advisory Board to the Whatcom County Health Board proposing the resolution for which PHAB was seeking support from the Whatcom County Council on 11/07/18
Vicky Matey and Olga Araceli sit beneath an antler chandelier at the Cabin Tavern in downtown Bellingham, drinks and bright purple on-brand stickers in hand, and pose for a photo. The red light from a neon sign behind them frames their heads like a halo. Continue reading →
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