Report on New Haven Immigrants Coalition
by Susan Bramhall, NHIC
On Saturday, Feb. 7, one of the coldest days of our current snowy winter, the New Haven Immigrants Coalition (NHIC), with support from 8 other organizations – C4D, CT Tenants Union, PSL CT, New Haven Federation of Teachers, Artists Against Apartheid, Yalies for Palestine, and Greater New Haven Indivisible – invited groups and community members who want to engage more actively in support for immigrant justice to a gathering at the First Presbyterian Church. The crowd of 210 that responded to Break the ICE! filled the sanctuary! The incredible turnout showed our shared enthusiasm to expand and strengthen our community in response to authoritarian and racist threats. A primary goal of the organizers was for everyone to meet and get to know each other and the organizations they work with and to learn about the many aspects of the NHIC work. I can testify that the initial “ice breaker” challenge to talk to three people you haven’t met before during a 5-minute period was inspiring and gave me a sense of how diverse the gathering was.
NHIC organizers gave brief overviews of the current NHIC working groups including the rapid response and hotline team, the family solidarity group providing direct aid for families with members who have been detained, the group doing outreach to communities and businesses to prepare for anticipated ICE activity, court accompaniment, food solidarity supporting families who can’t risk shopping or are food insecure. After the gathering in the sanctuary, people were treated to a delicious dinner from Mazorca and hangout sessions to connect with working groups and organizations. It was an exciting warm event, truly Breaking the ICE on a freezing night.
FUNDRAISER in April – stay tuned for the date. To learn more, apply to volunteer, get trained or donate, visit the NHIC linktree at https://linktr.ee/NHVimmigrants.