On Saturday, September 12, a #FreeThemAll caravan of more than 40 cars drove to the Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Michigan, chanting and cheering in solidarity with the people who are incarcerated there.

Although Guatemala recently reopened its borders, we continue to see more cases of COVID-19 every day, like most places around the world. Our country is facing the pandemic as we continue to struggle with a range of urgent issues affecting many in our communities, including violence, deep poverty, and a lack of access to adequate health care.  

And in recent months, the cost of basic grains has increased in Latin America, further threatening the health and food security of our community members as well as local economies. 

Javier Reyes is AFSC country coordinator in Guatemala.

Last month, I was invited to speak at a celebration hosted by the Indonesian community as part of a Day of Action for Immigrant Justice. I was glad for an opportunity to express gratitude and admiration for all that had come to life as we worked together over the past several years in pursuit of liberation, dignity, and well-being for all of our community members. I thanked our Indonesian friends for being our teachers and guides.

Pedro Sosa is the director of AFSC’s Project Voice Immigrant Rights Program in Oregon and Washington, where AFSC works with immigrant communities in organizing and advocating for policies that respect their rights and dignity. We talked with Pedro about supporting communities affected by wildfires in Oregon as they continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19 and immigration enforcement. 

Q: How have the recent wildfires affected the communities you work with?