MLK’s Fight for a Better Dream Lives On
Today, Americans celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man known most for his leadership during the Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s, a movement of everyday people who organized and took action tirelessly.
MLK’s words live on, imploring us to fight for justice and equality for all, not just the few. This is a mission embodied by Indivisibles everywhere, and put to the test these past 9 years, but especially in 2025, as we’ve faced the call to not just use our voices, but also our bodies, our privilege, and our resources to fight for the most vulnerable people in our communities.
So this MLK day, take heart in knowing we’re on the right side of history, then get back out there to keep fighting the good fight to protect our democracy from those who want to demolish it.
Constituent Letter to Rep. Schrier
Many thanks to the 1,300 constituents that signed onto our letter to Rep Schrier last week. She was in town last Friday and met us, along with her congressional staff, when we delivered the letter. We appreciated the opportunity to speak with her directly again about our concerns over ICE’s lawlessness, what we are facing as a nation, and her record as our representative in Congress on these issues.
Twenty IndWA8 members packed the office lobby. We thanked Rep. Schrier for her work fighting for Medicaid and health care and contrasted that public stance and fighting spirit with her silence and inaction as immigrants living in Issaquah have been abducted by masked men, sometimes violently, including in the past week. This is not immigration “enforcement.” It is a violent campaign.
With the federal budget running out at the end of this month we outlined that Democrats must use the Appropriations bill as leverage. We expect Rep. Schrier and every Member of Congress (but particularly Democrats, who should be leading this fight) to:
- Reject increased funding for ICE or Border Patrol: The budgets for ICE and Border Patrol have already skyrocketed. Every Member of Congress should refuse to give another penny to these agencies as they tear apart our communities.
- Restrict ICE and Border Patrol’s ability to conduct dragnet arrest operations and target people based on their race, language or accent, place of employment, or location at the time of the apprehension. These agencies have secretively created a mass surveillance apparatus that uses dragnet techniques to forcibly collect and track biometric data on American citizens and immigrants alike without any legislative, judicial, or public oversight.
- End Border Patrol deployments to our cities and reject its ever-expanding mandate in immigration enforcement. Trump’s DHS has been deploying Border Patrol in complex immigration enforcement campaigns in cities far from any border, harassing communities, and refusing to communicate with local law enforcement.
- Limit DHS’s reprogramming and transfer authority, including specifically preventing reprogramming and transferring funds for detention. This prohibits DHS from continuing to move money around to fuel ICE and Border Patrol lawlessness.
Rep. Schrier spoke for some time about the Appropriations Bill, and shared that Democrats are looking at provisions to require body cameras and not allow masks and unmarked vehicles, among others. She noted that the Republicans need Democrats to pass the bill and outlined some scenarios that could play out in budget talks stressing that she does not know how she will vote.
Rep. Schrier noted that she has signed on to three bills requiring more accountability from ICE: H.R.4176 – No Secret Police Act of 2025, H.R. 3368 Born in the USA Act, and H.R. 3473, Humane Accountability Act, but believes that Republicans have made Congress “irrelevant” and hopes Americans are waking up and will vote to give Democrats the majority in the midterms. We stressed that we cannot wait until then to curb ICE/CBP lawlessness. The appropriations vote at the end of this month is key. In explaining why she has not spoken out about ICE abuses, she talked about how her office cannot assist an individual’s case or speak about an individual without authorization from the person. We again urged her to speak out against the lawlessness and abuses in general. We asked if she would visit the ICE detention center in Tacoma (a request we made formally in August, along with all 14 Indivisible chapters across CD-8). She expressed concern about engaging in performative actions rather than acting strategically. She supports our protests and actions and will join us at a protest if she can when in town. She encouraged us to be loud and public.
You can read the Cover Letter and Sign-On Letter here.
While Rep. Schrier was generous with her time and quite open with us about the situation in Congress as she sees it, it is clear that our calls and emails to Rep Schrier and Senators Murray and Cantwell need to continue. Use the links below to contact them.
Call Senators Cantwell & Murray
IndWA8 Continues to Protest
We know this is not a time for silence and Indivisibles continue to peacefully protest the injustices and lawlessness of this administration. Thank you to everyone who devoted time Saturday afternoon to stand together for freedom, and a new and better America.
Join us every Saturday from 12:30-1:30pm at Pickering Barn in Issaquah.
Sign up for Reminders and Updates
Join us for our next Whistle Kit party!
Thursday, January 22nd, 12 P.M. – 2 P.M.
Issaquah Library – 160 NW Gilman Blvd
Join us for our next Whistle Kit Party! We’ll put together whistle kits to help our neighbors stay safe. Each kit will have a red know-your-rights card in English and Spanish, an explanation for the kit, and a whistle to help people draw attention to themselves if they see something they’re concerned about.
Indivisible WA8 is committed to peaceful protests and de-escalation is at the heart of that. Please join us for these trainings to learn how to keep yourself and our protests safe!
The 101 class is geared toward those who have not attended a training before or a refresher for those that have. It will be followed by a lunch break where we will provide pizza and coffee (but bring your own drinks).
The 102 class will begin at 1pm and is a great follow up for those attending the 101 class or those that have already had basic training.
We invite you to join one or both! Please register for each one separately.
Minnesotans are doing valiant work standing up to the occupation by federal agents from ICE and CPB in their city.
Click on the website below to find a directory of places to donate to activists on the ground, plugged into the situation. Everything is vetted. (with the exception of individual GoFundMes.)
If you don’t have resources to give, please amplify what you are hearing and seeing about Minnesota, across social media, but also to your networks, friends, and family offline.
