Staff members of AFSC’s Immigrant Rights Program in Newark joined advocates from across the nation in a protest against the family detention policies of the US government on May 1 in Dilley, Texas.  The Corrections Corporation of America, a for-profit company, runs the largest immigrant family detention center in the United States in Dilley that will detain up to 2400 mothers and children.

Mich P. Gonzalez joined the Immigrant Rights Program in Newark in February 2015 to provide legal services to immigrants in detention facing deportation. Ms. Gonzalez is working with AFSC’s new public defender model project for indigent immigrants, Friends' Representation Initiative of New Jersey (FRINJ).  FRINJ is the first program of its kind in New Jersey and only the second in the country. Since March 2015, the initiative has helped over 370 immigrants in their deportation defense.

Saul Aleman is the American Friends Immigrant Services intern at the AFSC Miami Office. Saul works collaboratively to engage the broader community in education forums, expand access to immigration clinics for young people in South Florida, and create platforms for storytelling to lift up the voices of the migrant community. Saul co-founded Homestead Equal Rights for All (ERA) and organizes in his own community of Homestead, FL.

Note: Lucy Duncan came back from visiting Quaker meetings in South Florida with Saul Aleman really excited about his energy for the migrant rights movement, for using nonviolence as a tool for change, and for telling stories and bringing forward migrant voices to change the narrative around immigrants in this country.

Note: Sahar Vardi serves as Coordinator of AFSC's Israel program working with refusers to military service and against militarism within Israel. She attended a recent protest focused on recent killings and abuse of Ethiopian Jews in Israel. This is her reflection on it and its connection to the movement against police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement, in the United States. - Lucy

Pablo Paredes is a Conscientious Objector to war in all forms.  In 2004 Paredes made headlines as US Navy Sailor who refused to board a naval vessel with a mission to ferry 1000+ marines to Iraq.  Paredes was then court-martialed and eventually discharged from the Navy after serving a sentence of 3 months hard labor, 2 months restriction, and reduction in rank to the navy's lowest pay grade.  Since obtaining his freedom from the armed forces Pablo has dedicated himself to building youth power in communities of color to challenge militarism, racism and xenopho

Note: Ericson Amaya and Pablo Paredes of AFSC's 67 Sueños Program wrote this poem on the occasion of the unveiling of the Black/Brown Unity Mural in Oakland, Califormia. Recently they read it at the AFSC Corporation meeting. The video of that reading is below.