On April 30, our Immigrant Justice Committee joined with JALSA, Bend the Arc, and others as part of the ‘Jews Against Ice National Day of Action’. Together, in Brookline and in JP, we called on Citizens Bank to stop funding the private prisons where detained immigrants are held illegally and in inhumane conditions. 

Every day, IJC members continue to support our neighbors. In addition to helping a Haitian couple with legal fees and a woman from South America with rent and legal fees, we recently began helping a disabled woman from Central America, whose husband was detained by ICE for months and then deported earlier this year. Since she became disabled, she has relied on her husband for care and to support their family. Without him, she has fallen behind in rent and utility payments, and we have stepped in to provide help.

As a result, we are launching a new spring fundraising campaign. Please consider making a donation today! Our goal is to raise $7,800 by July 1. This will allow us to continue offering rental assistance to both households for the upcoming year. Your donation will help keep these two women safely housed while we work with them to access other resources. 

In addition to directly supporting these families, the IJC is part of a growing group gathering at the Burlington ICE office, where protestors have now been Bearing Witness for over a year. Protests occur weekly on Wednesdays at 11 AM; we are urging BWC members to attend the protests on the third Wednesday of the month, where we will stand together. If you are interested in joining us at Burlington, or in any of our efforts, please let us know: ijc@circleboston.org