New network for undocumented families

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, students from around Casa Grande High School, Petaluma High School, Hillard Comstock Middle School, Roseland University Prep, Elsie Allen High School, Sonoma Valley High School and Windsor High School distributed hot chocolate, pan dulce and informational cards about a new network for undocumented immigrants and their families.
The outreach was a mass effort to educate Sonoma County families of the North Bay Rapid Response Network, a 24-hour hotline and rapid response structure. The network officially launched Wednesday across Sonoma County to help defend undocumented immigrants from the increase of immigration enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and other attacks by the Trump administration.
“Our network provides a way for people of goodwill to bear witness, accompany and protect members of our community who are living through the increase in immigration enforcement and ICE raids,” according to a press release.
This endeavor consists of collaboration from more than 50 community groups and organizations and involves more than 600 individuals from all parts of Sonoma County. The network includes bilingual dispatchers, trained legal observers and accompaniment teams. Should an individual have an issue, a bilingual representative will answer the hotline and send trained legal observers to document ICE raids. The trained legal observation team is made up of MigraWatch-trained observers who respond directly to the site of an ongoing ICE raid. Observers bears witness to immigration enforcement actions, working to track, verify and document ICE raids that may take place in the workplace, homes, neighborhoods and checkpoints.
Accompaniment teams will provide additional support to families in need. These teams have made long-term commitments to be present for the victims of ICE raids. The teams will work to support victims with rides, connecting to social services, food, making appointments, housing and more.
Those who are interested in participating can still become involved. Information on upcoming legal observer and accompaniment trainings can be found on our Facebook page: www.fb.com/NorthBayRapidResponse/ for those that may want to get involved. The North Bay Rapid Response Network for Sonoma & Napa Counties is a network of various community groups and organizations in Sonoma and Napa Counties working to create a way for people to respond to fear and anxiety in our community as a result of the increase in immigration enforcement, ICE raids and other attacks against our communities.
— submitted by Susan Shaw