Summit Debrief
Summit Debrief: Report on Discussion with Congresswoman Ramirez
The summit focused on the critical need for inter-organizational collaboration (“Stop operating in silos, we need to connect!") to create effective strategies. Key themes included civic engagement, the defense of due process rights, and the mobilization against the current administration's use of targeted labels against activists. Congresswoman Ramirez closed with a powerful call to action centered on commitment, nurturing community, and demanding collective change.
Panel Discussion & Key Takeaways
The discussion underscored two primary areas for immediate focus:
Civic Engagement: A strong commitment to mobilizing and registering as many community members to vote as possible.
Defense of Due Process: A clear directive to actively oppose attacks on due process and to fight against the dangerous labeling of activists as "terrorists."
The consensus was that successful strategy creation requires a unified front: "We are either in this together, or we're not.
Breakout Group: Legal & Political Context
The breakout session, featuring the NLG (National Lawyers Guild), focused on providing legal support and sourcing the community. A critical point of discussion was the potential legal risks faced by those providing on-the-ground support to individuals at risk of involvement with ICE.
Specific federal statutes were noted as potential charges that the current administration could leverage against community supporters:
● 18 U.S.C. § 111: Assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers.
● 18 U.S.C. § 119: Protection of officials (often related to threats or harassment).
● 18 U.S.C. § 372 and 18 U.S.C. § 875 (likely related to conspiracy and interstate communication of threats/extortion, respectively).
The group emphasized the political dimension, asserting that the administration is using "conspiracy theory" and terrorist-related labels to target and suppress individuals involved in resistance efforts.
Congresswoman Ramirez's Closing Remarks: Call to Action
Congresswoman Ramirez's closing remarks served as a direct mandate for continued engagement:
● Be the Light on Darkness: A personal and professional commitment to bringing clarity and action to challenging situations.
● Stay Committed to Nurture: Focus on sustaining and building up the community and organizational infrastructure.
● Demand More Together: A call for collective power and unified advocacy to build a shared future where all members of the community can thrive.
Policy and Organizing Associate
Power of the people summit was a very much needed opportunity to re-ignite the will of the people to use their voice to effect change. With the current administration there is additional need to search for candidates and vote for the person who has our best interests at heart. As Congresswoman Remierez spoke she showed her confidence and love of people, and made it clear to us in the audience that she is willing to fight for the people consistently. Something that stood out to me was on the panel where a panelist mentioned that we don’t always need 100% of something to make a big difference, even 3% is enough to get the ball rolling. Starting somewhere is better than making no movement at all. Another thing that stood out was the fact that the summit made a point to respect and shout out organizations that helped create the event but even more amazing was after the end of the summit they even introduced organizations in the audience too. It felt very validating to see how many other organizations are constantly working hard to better the community as a whole and that felt very inspiring.