“The message from the Trump Administration to the American people and the world could not be clearer: combating human trafficking is no longer an American priority under the Trump White House.”
— Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
Opening statement in closed-door Congressional hearing on Thursday, February 26th (Clinton built the Trafficking in Persons Office, gutted by the Trump Administration)
(source: PBS)
TONIGHT: Discuss What Massachusetts Can Do
How can Massachusetts provide security and ensure meaningful representation when the federal government seems to have gone rogue?
Join us in the FUUSN Alliance Room, 1326 Washington Street, Newton, on Tuesday, March 3rd at 7:30 p.m., to explore this important question. Jonathan Cohn, Policy Director of Progressive Massachusetts, will speak and take questions. Cohn has helped expand Progressive Massachusetts’s legislative agenda and represent that organization in statewide advocacy coalitions focused on voting rights, immigrants’ rights, and economic justice. This is a great opportunity to jump in, learn more, and meet each other. Register here.
Auchincloss Action Team
We had a great turnout at Jake Auchincloss’s office yesterday, and the media were present. Participants left a letter demanding that he reject future Palantir money and donate contributions at Auchincloss’s office, and we’ll follow up with an email/call to his staff tomorrow.
If you would like to help pressure Jake Auchincloss to do the right thing on critical issues, including ICE, political contributions, domestic surveillance, free speech legislation, and more, please join the Auchincloss Action Team.
State-level Opportunities for Action
Newton Indivisible is collaborating with the Progressive Massachusetts Community Coalition (PMCC) and the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) to advocate for statewide legislation to strengthen protections for immigrants from harmful changes to immigration enforcement.
- Register for phone banking with MIRA on March 5th and/or March 12th at 6 p.m. here. We will be calling constituents in districts where State Reps and State Senators have not officially endorsed pro-immigrant legislation.
- Attend MIRA’s annual Immigrant Rights Conference at Boston University on March 13th. The conference will provide a broad overview of how to talk about immigrant rights, the state-level framing of the immigrant rights landscape, the PMCC’s priorities, and more. The cost of attendance is $75.
- Join the Legislative Effectiveness and Accountability Partnership (LEAP) on Tuesday, March 17th, at 11:00 a.m., at the Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions for a hearing on the ballot initiative to reform legislative stipends. LEAP will present the case for reform: 149 out of 200 legislators receive taxpayer-funded stipends controlled entirely by leadership, costing $5.4 million a year. Sign up here to let LEAP know you can attend.
- Join MIRA for the 30th annual Immigrants’ Day at the State House on March 18th. The day includes a meeting with State Senator Cynthia Creem at 11:45 am to discuss their legislative agenda.
Get ready for No Kings Day on March 28th!
Speakers for the Newton Centre No Kings Day event will include City Councilor Cyrus Dahmubed; MIRA Political Director Maroni Minter; Rev. Eric Jackson, Eliot Church of Newton; Martha Durkee-Neuman, LUCE; Summer On, Newton North High School student.
Invite your family and friends to join millions of others in showing the world that this nation belongs to its people, not to kings. Register here(through Mobilize) to attend.
Volunteer to help make the third No Kings Day in Newton a huge success. For ideas on what you can do, fill out this form, and the planning committee will get back to you on opportunities.
Join Us to Leaflet. We want volunteers to hand out flyers at Newton T-Stops. Sign up by emailing our Rallies Action Team at rallies@newton-indivisible.org. Handouts from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. are planned for the Newton Centre and Highland T-Stops on Wednesday, March 18; Thursday, March 19; Friday, March 20; and Tuesday, March 24, through Friday, March 27.
Coffee Hour Conversation with Community Members
Join us at Sandwich Works, 827 Beacon St, Newton Centre, Saturday at 1:00 p.m., after our standout in Newton Centre, and on Tuesday, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Please join your community and Newton Indivisible Executive Committee members to share your thoughts, connect with others, and make plans as we navigate these turbulent times. Contact info@newton-indivisible.org for more information.
Learn Why Bailouts for Farmers Weaken Our Food Supply
Sarah Taber, a long-time farmer and farm-worker, explains the problems with our agricultural system (YouTube) and why bailouts for farmers actually reduce our food security. There used to be a way for poor, young people to work their way up to owning a farm. Now, the way you become a farmer is … mostly just be wealthy. Bailouts incentivize the wealthy to hold arable land that could be farmed by skilled farmworkers who want to be farmers. Today’s political and economic problems have all been played out before—in farm country.
We are in the News: The Power of Protest
Chop Wood/Carry Water highlighted the success of our planned protest outside the National Development (ND) headquarters, which convinced ND to ban ICE from using its parking lots.
Rein in ICE
Tell your federal representative to defund DHS because we cannot afford it, and DHS is eliminating its own popular programs, like Coast Guard rescue. And as proponents of democracy we demand that: (1) DHS agents clearly identify themselves and reveal their faces; and (2) the Bivens Act of 2025-36 be enacted so that federal agents can be held liable for any constitutional violations. Our demands enable victims to hold federal agents accountable because Trump’s DOJ will not.
Read Why Congress’s ICE “Reform” Proposals Won’t Work by deray and Campaign Zero to learn why some ideas for reform are unlikely to be effective.
Elections Action Team
This week, we are learning to connect with voters through Deep Canvassing. Visit the Elections Action Team Webpage to learn more and find our weekly list of actions you can take.
Be Heard by Mayor Laredo
Attend Mayor Laredo’s last listening tour event on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at Newton Community Stage at Lincoln Eliot Elementary School. Ask Mayor Laredo how Newton will protect the demonstrators who protect our First Amendment rights. Registration is requested, but not required, to attend.
Rallies Action Team
Join us for our 51st RESIST standout in Newton Centre Green on Saturday, March 7th, at the intersection of Beacon and Center Streets from noon to 1:00 p.m. We encourage photographers to show their solidarity before taking any pictures. Bring your own signs. Take a look at The Big List of Protest Signsfor ideas. Contact us at rallies@newton-indivisible.orgfor more information.
Next week: The standout on March 14 will be our first anniversary, and the singing group BVocal will join us!
Bridge Brigades around Boston
There are numerous Bridge Brigade efforts throughout the Boston Metro area. Newton has three active groups. Visit our Boston Bridge Brigades Action Team page on our website for dates, locations, and how to join one of the local Signal chats to stay up to date on these actions.
Listen to Rick Steeves
Historian and travel guide writer, Rick Steeves, speaks out against MAGA’s ongoing destruction of our society. “Hey, if it’s courageous for me to be speaking out, that’s reason enough, right there, to speak out.” After producing PBS’s The Story of Fascism in Europe(2018), Steeves reflects on what’s going on here today and what we can do.
Please share photos and videos with our Storytellers Action Team
If you have photos or videos related to Newton Indivisible activities that you are willing to share with our Storytellers Action Team, please use our upload linkto share them for use in our newsletter and social media channels.
More opportunities to take action
Please visit the Opportunities to Take Action page on our website for a listing of important ongoing initiatives. The list is updated weekly along with our newsletter.
Donate to Newton Indivisible
You can donate to Newton Indivisible to defray our operating expenses.
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To submit items for inclusion in our Newsletter, please send them to newsletter@newton-indivisible.orga nd include an image if possible. Submissions will be edited for brevity and clarity.
Brought to you by the Newton Indivisible Executive Committee: Kia, Rachael, Larry, Pat, Erica, Karen, and David. To send a message to the leadership team, use our Contact Formo r email info@newton-indivisible.org.You may unsubscribe to stop receiving our emails.