Canadians can resist Donald Trump and support marginalized communities south of the border
By: A Dashing Young Queer in America
I’m writing today to ask for your help. It is hard to convey just what it is like to be in the United States right now. Terror, uncertainty, and violence are daily upon racialized, legally precarious, impoverished, or otherwise marginalized communities. As the new regime governs by fiat, families who have resided in the US for years — decades or longer — are being torn apart; mothers and fathers barred from returning to their children, scholars and students blocked from returning to their studies. Refugees are being detained at US airports and denied admission to international flights — they are being trapped in shattered war zones, exposed to the worst excesses of state violence.
But I can also tell you that the spirit of resistance is stronger, more vibrant than I’ve ever seen. The work of building coalitions has always been, and remains, tremendously difficult. However, it is remarkable to watch those who’ve never considered activism in their life take to the streets with thousands — sometimes hundreds of thousands — of others. It is impossible, and dangerous, to believe that this will not make a difference. I still believe that we all, together, possess the power to resist and build alternatives.
But we will need help. As a Canadian on a student visa, I have struggled to think of ways to help my American colleagues and allies, as I risk removal if I am arrested in a protest, march, or blockade. What I think I can do — and what I am asking you to consider doing as well — is support organizations actively engaged in formulating legal challenges to the regime’s Executive Orders and providing safety and assistance to vulnerable and/or targeted populations. I know there is remarkable organizing skill and political commitment back home, and I am telling you in no uncertain terms that your allies in the United States need your help.
Below is a list of organizations that you, as a Canadian, can support by making a financial contribution, and if you so choose, by signing up for alerts and notifications that tell you how you can help in future. If you have the means, please consider contributing. Many of these organizations currently have guarantees for matching funds from larger donors, so everything helps. I have no personal ties to any of the organizations listed here, beyond making my own financial contributions over the last few months.
Finally, please, please, please pressure Prime Minister Trudeau and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair to take a strong stand against the violence of the Trump regime. Demand that your elected representatives refuse to collaborate with authoritarianism. Do not allow Kellie Lietch or Kevin O’Leary a hearing. Call your MP and demand the repeal of the Safe Third Country Agreement. Organize and lobby locally with migrant justice groups to increase the number of sanctuary cities and towns across Canada. Call offices. Deliver petitions. Delete your Uber account. I know many of you are already involved in this kind of work, and I thank you so sincerely for it.
Updates:
First: the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers has put together a great, short backgrounder on the Safe Third Country Agreement as part of their call for action on the matter. It’s helpful to take a look at how they’re responding, particularly since during an emergency debate in the HoC this week, the government essentially affirmed their commitment to the SATC on the grounds that the immigration ban doesn’t have any bearing on Canadian asylum policy. This is a seriously flawed position. Trump’s executive orders as a whole — not just the travel ban, but also his recruitment of an additional 10,000 Immigration Control Enforcement officers and border agents, his threatening of cities and states that promise to implement sanctuary provisions, his posturing against universities that pledge to protect undocumented students — pose a demonstrable threat to the safety and well-being of refugees, immigrants, and asylum-seekers. It is important that Canadians keep pressuring the Trudeau government to suspend and/or fully repeal the SATC. If you want to go beyond donations, there’s no harm in contacting the CARL or Canadian Council for Refugees directly to ask how you can help/volunteer.
Second: In response to their amazing work during the airport protests that followed the implementation of the travel ban EO, the ACLU has been flooded with donations over the past week. They have raised nearly $20 million this week alone, which is record-shattering. This is so amazing, but it’s also important that the wealth get shared, and that donations also get directed to organizations doing work that’s just as important. Here are some recommendations straight from an ACLU lawyer:
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center
The National Immigration Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center
I know these are trying times, and that the demands on our attention and philanthropy are multiple. But honestly: every bit helps. No one person can possibly respond to everything, but we can all contribute something, somewhere. Pick an issue or an organization, and and make it yours!
Thank you, friends. We’re in difficult days. Stay alert and nimble. Listen carefully. Love lavishly.
