Te Vemos Proclamation

WHERAS, on August 7, 2019, the Trump Administration organized the round-up of over 650 workers in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, this was done as part of workplace immigration intimidation and repression; and

WHEREAS, Richard Trumka, the President of the National AFL-CIO, stated that this activity was, "designed to spread fear and cater to some of the most divisive forces in our nation", and

WHEREAS, Trumka went on to express that those detained committed only one crime, coming into this country to, "work hard for a better life"; and

WHEREAS, those detained were members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), an important and large labor union.  The jobs they were doing in Mississippi are difficult and dangerous occupations; and

WHEREAS, labor unions have historically been in the forefront of the struggle for economic and social justice; and

WHEREAS, with Trumka, "We condemn these raids in the strongest possible terms and pledge our full support of the UFCW and working people of Mississippi as they work to win justice for all those who were unfairly targeted"; and

WHEREAS, teachers are unpaid crisis laborers in the wake of these raids in Mississippi and across the country and have been left to care for children outside of normal work hours, while also maintaining human dignity for children to which they have dedicated their lives; and

WHEREAS, thousands of immigrant children, primarily people of color, have been in custody of the U.S. Government in the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, many under appalling conditions that violate U.S. law and standards set up by the agencies responsible for the care of these children; and

WHEREAS, teachers are mandated reporters of abuse, and have the obligation to report situations in which the reporter has knowledge of, or observes a child being subjected to, conditions that would reasonably result in harm to the child,

THEREFORE, we denounce the current Administration as child abusers due to their separating children from their family of origin, denying basic care, and violating their human rights by indefinitely incarcerating them; and

THEREFORE, we further denounce the super exploitation and repression of the working class, whatever their nationality or country of origin.