On October 6th, the Kehilla Immigration Committee participated in a statewide action to protest the 68 deaths from COVID that have already occurred in California’s jails, prisons and ICE detention centers and demand that Governor Newsom use his authority to prevent the further unnecessary outbreaks and deaths. Faith communities and many organizations displayed banners and spoke via live social media to demand immediate action to save lives.
Thank you to Nancy Feinstein for the beautiful banner!
Watch at the link below as Penny Rosenwasser reads Kehilla’s statement at minute 16:59.
https://www.facebook.com/im4humanintegrity/videos/362690614919611
“We are members of Kehilla Community Synagogue in Oakland, California. We are raising this banner to demand that Governor Newsom act immediately to address the risk of COVID to those under his care in jails, prisons and ICE detention centers in California.
We are horrified by the outbreaks of COVID in these facilities, the many needless deaths, and the terrible effects of these deaths on families and communities. We are angry and saddened that so much of this harm disproportionately and unjustly affects brown and black communities.
As Jews, our scriptures teach us that every life is valuable. We pray for Governor Newsom to use his executive power to release the vulnerable, to stop transfers from prison to ICE detention, to stop the expansion of ICE detention, and to hold the detention industry accountable for its poor care.
We call for Communities Not Cages!
Let Our People Go!
Free Them All!”
Other media that included Kehilla’s participation:
Demonstrators Call for Release of Those Being Held at California ICE Facilities [Border Report]
