As usual when Black History Month comes around, there are articles and programs on the struggles and victories of people of African descent in the USA. Most extol the great names and good deeds of Black folks, but there is a gap on Black immigrants and Black immigration. Thankfully, the development of the Black Immigration Network (BIN) is working to address some of the current gaps. Families For Freedom is proud to be a member of BIN.

On December 13, 2012 Families for Freedom, immigrant rights advocates, local prison abolitionists, and Enlace, the national coordinator of the Private Prison Divestment Campaign, protested outside Scopia Fund Management to demand the company stop investing in private prisons. The demonstration was part of a national Day of Action of the Private Prison Divestment Campaign.




For more than ten years Families for Freedom has been on the frontline of fighting for human rights. We are current and former detainees, deportees and their loved ones. We address the unjust systems that criminalizes us because we are poor, that incarcerates us because we are people of color and forces us to migrate back to plundered lands. As federal deportation programs continue to proliferate in every jurisdiction in the country, our fight has become increasingly critical and relevant to our lives, our families and our communities.
 
Under the current administration we endure record breaking deportations. In the last four years the U.S. has forced close to two million people out of the country. President Obama’s iron fist approach to aggressive policing targets poor communities of color through programs such as “Secure Communities”, 287g, and local NYC enforcement programs like Stop and Frisk. In the wake of reignited talks around Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), a proposal spearheaded by our New York Senator Schumer that aims to increase the unprecedented levels of deportations. The proposal tenets also include but are not limited to: increase border and interior enforcement, an expanded skilled guest worker program, an English proficiency requirement and a national ID card that threatens civil liberties and human rights.