CAIR-NY to Co-Sponsor #ClosetheCamps Rally, Vigil in Foley Square Against Detention of Migrant Children, Family Separation
MEDIA ADVISORY
CAIR-NY to Co-Sponsor #ClosetheCamps Rally, Vigil in Foley Square Against Detention of Migrant Children, Family Separation
(NEW YORK, N.Y., 7/12/2019) – Later today, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will co-sponsor a rally and vigil in Foley Square to call on Congress to denounce the continued operation of immigrant detention camps and the rampant abuse of migrants seeking help at the border and inside the country. The event is being co-hosted by CAIR-NY, NYIC, New Sanctuary Coalition, and Lights for Liberty.
WHO: New Sanctuary Coalition, Lights for Liberty, NYIC, CAIR-NY, and Others
WHAT: #ClosetheCamps Rally and Vigil
WHEN: Friday, July 12, 7 – 9 p.m.
WHERE: NYC Foley Square (Lafayette Street Worth Street, Centre St, New York, NY 10013)
CONTACT: CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, anasher@cair.com, 917-669-4006
CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher stated:
"The shameful conditions experienced by those being held in detention centers is an unacceptable tragedy that no human being should suffer. Irrespective of one’s ethnic, racial or religious background, fleeing from vulnerable situations should not be criminalized. Being human is never ‘illegal.’ We should be horrified and furious to know children’s human rights are violated by the Trump administration as they are forced to sleep on floors in overcrowded and unsanitary facilities, unsure if they will ever be reunited with their families. We ask all people of conscience to stand with us and join in the fight for the inviolable dignity of every life."
Eyewitness accounts last week revealed that children in the camps have been denied soap and toothbrushes, crowded into unsafe conditions, separated from their families, and subjected to harsh treatment that can lead to trauma.
Two weeks ago, images of a father and daughter drowning in the Rio Grande brought close to home the extent and severity of the crisis.
SEE: The father and daughter who drowned at the border were desperate for a better life, family says
SEE ALSO: CAIR Issues Immigrant Community Advisory Ahead of Anticipated ICE Raids on Families
The civil rights organization has released a Know Your Rights guide to encounters with law enforcement.
SEE: CAIR ‘Know Your Rights During Encounters with Law Enforcement’ Guide
CAIR offers free know your rights, anti-bullying and bystander intervention workshops, as well as a series of guides to explain relevant Muslim religious practices to employers, educators, healthcare providers, and law enforcement and correctional facility agents.
SEE: Guides to Muslim Religious Practices
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos
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CONTACT: CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, anasher@cair.com, 917-669-4006