Janize Hernandez spent her Saturday morning driving 40 minutes from her hometown of Plainville to Danbury’s Kennedy Park. There, she grabbed pamphlets, flyers and red cards that detail constitutional rights, and distributed them to inform immigrant families.
“I'm a little nervous because it's my first time,” Hernandez said. “I want to make sure that I'm doing this right, but I'm also pretty excited to be able to do something, especially with others that have this experience.”
Danbury Unites for Immigrants, a local pro-immigrant advocacy group, launched the canvassing campaign Saturday.
The “Families Belong Together Days of Action” campaign aims to protect immigrant families by building the community network of support in Danbury. That involves weekly canvassing efforts from advocates and volunteers through the end of November.
“Honestly, I could be in this position,” Hernandez said. “Genuinely, ICE does not care who you are.”
Hernandez is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. She said though she and her family members are documented, it’s upsetting for her to see fellow Latinos and other immigrants living in fear because of the federal crackdown on undocumented immigrants locally and in cities like Chicago.
ICE activity reportedly picked up in Chicago around the time the Supreme Court made a temporary ruling in September that federal immigration officers may consider race and other factors when deciding to detain someone.
“It doesn't matter who you are,” Hernandez said. “We're all in this together. So, I can take a little 40 minute drive out of my Saturday morning to come and canvas for two hours.”
Seeking community in times of uncertainty
The launch brought together about 80 people who divided into small groups, each with at least one Spanish speaker, that were sent off to canvas designated neighborhoods populated with immigrant families or that were heavily targeted by reported ICE surveillance, according to Danbury Unites members.
Angela Cusicanqui stood among the group of Spanish-speaking volunteers Saturday morning, holding a clipboard of information as she waited to be paired with non-Spanish speakers before canvassing.
“I feel moved and excited,” Cusicanqui said in Spanish about canvassing for the first time. “It’s more than a campaign. I think building community support is about checking in, connecting with neighbors one-on-one and asking, ‘How are you? Are you doing ok? How can we support each other?’”
As an immigrant herself, Cusicanqui said she felt a need to support the people of her community.
“I feel like it’s an injustice and of bad taste, everything that’s happening,” Cusicanqui said. “It leaves a very bad taste in my mouth with this country and how immigrants are currently being treated here.”
Cusicanqui said it’s especially important for her to come out and support because many people can’t, but as a naturalized citizen, she can.
“It’s important for citizens, like me, I am now a citizen, to exercise my right of being against [these actions],” Cusicanqui said.
Danbury Unites has launched a help line as part of the canvassing campaign that can provide resources and support to those in need.
For the safety of the advocacy group and the community it serves, Danbury Unites co-founder Juan Fonseca Tapia asked to not share the help line number. Rather, he said he encourages local residents in need to reach out to Danbury Unites directly for more information.
Learn more
Canvassing for the “Families Belong Together Days of Action” campaign runs every Saturday through November 22.
Danbury Unites for Immigrants can be found on Instagram and Facebook for ongoing updates.
