For the past 6 months, our Nashville Community Defense (NCD) campaign has been knocking on doors across the city talking to workers about HB2315, the “show me your papers” law expected to go into effect in Tennessee on January 1st 2019. With less than a month to go before the implementation of HB2315, NCD is at a critical moment for organizing our communities across Nashville to resist expanded racial profiling and the prison-to-deportation pipeline.
If you are not yet familiar with HB2315, it is an anti-sanctuary law which will mandate government agencies across the state of Tennessee to ask community members about their immigration status and report suspected undocumented individuals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Workers’ Dignity recognizes HB2315 as an expansion of the oppressive police state in which we already live. This law is a product of the increasingly bold anti-immigrant and racist sentiment we’re seeing across the country. We also know Nashville is no stranger to anti-immigrant policies and massive racial profiling, with nearly 10,000 Nashvillians deported (mostly due to minor traffic offenses) during the 5 year period from 2007-2012 when 287g was in effect.
This time around Workers’ Dignity, along with many ally organizations, are standing up to say ¡Ya Basta! and organize to oppose the new HB2315 law. When this law was introduced, it was referred to as “an anti-sanctuary bill with teeth.” Can you support us during this fundraising season so that come January, we can show the entire state of Tennessee that our communities have teeth to “bite back?”
If you are unable to donate at this time but would like to become involved with Nashville Community Defense, you can reach us at 615-378-7419 or info@workersdignity.org