Thread by @KristinMinkDC

When #LightsForLiberty was an idea a few of us activists were batting around, we never dreamed hundreds of thousands would mobilize worldwide. I’m awestruck.

But I’ll still consider it a failure if ppl go home & think they’ve done enough just by showing up tonight. /1

My greatest hope is that every person who showed up at @Lights4Liberty tonight left ready to absolutely THROW DOWN in the fight against current US immigration policy and practice.

And that ppl left with tangible plans for how to do so.

I have some suggestions. /2

Here are some @Lights4Liberty action steps. Cuz tonight wasn’t the action. It’s what comes next that matters.

1) Find local immigration rights orgs near u. Follow them on social media, join their email list, donate $. I guarantee they need $ & know how to use it well. /3

2) Volunteer w/ a local immigration rights org. Donate time. Build relationships.

3) Engage in nonviolent civil disobedience at detention camps (they’re in ur state). Have white privilege? Citizenship privilege? Class privilege? Get over ur fear, grab friends, shut shit down. /4

4) Pressure congresspeople. Daily calls. Show up at local offices. Push policy hard left. Tell them to #CloseTheCamps, abolish imprisonment of migrants, abolish ICE & CBP, repeal 1996 IIRIRA laws, recognize identities of trans migrants, hold public trials of govt officers /5

5) Huge opportunity to push immigration policy left with 2020 election cycle.

Go to candidates’ town halls, email & tweet at them to demand they agree to #abolishICEandCBP, & to the rest of the @Lights4Liberty demands, which u can download at lightsforliberty.org/downloads
/6

6) Get engaged in campaigns. The days of “I voted!” being a brag are over. Time to vote Dem AND GET OTHERS TO VOTE DEM.

We need to keep the House, take the Senate AND the presidency. 2 outta 3 ain’t good enough. And it’s DOABLE. Get involved. Start at swingleft.org /7

So there you go. As a @Lights4Liberty cofounder, my greatest fear has been that it makes anyone think turning out for a vigil *is* the action needed.

I’m hugely excited tonight bc I think ppl get it. Tonight was abt empowerment, motivation, ppl power, community support. /8

There are definitely people who want the thousands in *every* state who turned out for @Lights4Liberty tonight to go home & back to their normal lives.

We won’t. We’re at a crisis point, and we’re going to fight until we win. /end