As has been predicted by many of our presenters over the past several months and discussed during our election preparation calls and email exchanges, the collaboration and mutually reinforcing actions and calls by the federal government and ultra/alt-right forces is becoming more explicit and exposed (including fascist, white nationalist and christian fundamentalist). 

Trump deflected questions about his position on white nationalists onto his call for strong action against “Antifa” (anti-fascists), following his statement during the debate that the Proud Boys should stand back and stand ready. The Proud Boys are explicitly gearing up for “civil war”, as described by a Latino member of the group, comparing the group to the Marines, “If Trump doesn't get re-elected, there's going to be a riot. If he doesn’t get re-elected, this is when you will see civil war.” The man went on to say, “Stock up on ammo.” And, Breitbart is once again rearing its ugly head, fueling right-wing civil war impulses. 

In keeping with Trump’s calls for violence and uprising against “radical Democrats” and carelessness around COVID (including his own infection and contagion of others), the FBI intervened in a plot to kidnap Democrat Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. There was a similar plan against Democrat Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. Both targeted for their attempts to curb COVID through restricting public contact. 

Trump is setting a tone, as expressed by a representative from Northam’s administration, "Here's the reality: President Trump called upon his supporters to 'LIBERATE VIRGINIA' in April — just like Michigan," she said. "In fact, the President regularly encourages violence against those who disagree with him. The rhetoric coming out of this White House has serious and potentially deadly consequences. It must stop." 

Finally, there’s private security and surveillance firms and the collaboration of corporations like Zoom, Google and other tech and security megacorporations. This Tuesday, October 13th, counter-protestors defending a Planned Parenthood clinic against anti-abortion protestors were pepper-sprayed by a private security guard.

So, what are we going to do! We are going to be at the polls and ballot boxes, we are going to support the efforts of those demanding the right to vote and defending the results, we are going to join forces with lawsuits against constitutional and civil rights violations, we are going to defend those who protest against attempts to shut-down or steal the election, intimidate voters, respond to federal and local repression and against fascist and ultra/alt- and Christian right forces. 

We are gearing up our Federal Defense Committee work and partnering with those mobilizing for and following the election. 

Join us for our Election Forum to find out how you can get involved! 

Sara Kershnar, Interim Executive Director

From now until the election, we will be posting news links and opportunities for NLG-SF members to get involved and informed in electoral work - whether electoral defense or voter mobilization and protections. Please send action and organizing opportunities to sara@nlgsf.org.

Seeking:

1)  An attorney to consult with and represent fourteen organizers who were arrested at Governor Newsom's house on Monday, July 27. The  #FreeThemAll14 recently published a report about their incarceration in Sacramento County Jail.  In arresting the organizers, CHP circumvented Sacramento County's emergency bail schedule, which should have resulted in a cite-and-release. CHP sought a bail increase for the misdemeanor charges, which led organizers to be incarcerated for 16 hours, during which they were denied food and water.

 We are looking for attorneys who can assist organizers in filing a claim against CHP, as well as consult with them about the potential risks, strategy, and timing of a complaint. Organizers hope that their case can leverage media attention and lift up the demands for release of people from detention centers. Volunteer attorneys will join a legal team consisting of SFBA and Sacramento NLG members.

 2) Lawyers and law students willing to advise prisoners on the process of filing and drafting pro se claims.

Please contact srjhotline@nlgsf.org.

Link to Weekly SRJ Updates on conditions related to COVID based on calls to the hotline.

CARES Act Stimulus Checks

On September 24, 2020, Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued an Order certifying a nationwide class of people incarcerated in state and federal prisons, and granting the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction requiring the U.S. Department of Treasury, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, and the United States of America (“Defendants”) to stop withholding CARES Act stimulus funds from plaintiffs or any class member on the sole basis of their incarcerated status.

The Judge’s preliminary injunction further ordered the defendants to reconsider their prior denial of advance refund payments to any person based on incarcerated status within 30 days, whether the denial was based on a 2018 or 2019 tax return, or on claims filed through the IRS’s online “Non-Filer” portal.

A Treasury Department Inspector General report confirms that, as of early May 2020, the IRS had determined that at least 80,000 incarcerated people were eligible for payments of over $100 million. The Judge’s order will thus result in desperately needed economic assistance of over $100 million to be delivered to members of the Class.

On Monday, October 5, the NLG-SF Santa Rita Jail Hotline mailed self-help guides to hundreds of prisoners in Santa Rita Jail to assist them in filing claims for their stimulus checks.

The deadline to file a claim by mail has been extended to October 30. Please contact srjhotline@nlgsf.org with questions, or to request that the Hotline mail a copy of the guide to a prisoner.

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The Santa Rita Jail Hotline works directly with prisoners to determine how they were exposed to Covid-19 and whether the care they are receiving is adequate. The content of hotline calls can suggest a very different reality than what is being presented to the public. If you are interested to become a hotline worker, please fill out this form.

Demonstrations in the Bay Area

On Thursday, October 8, Legal Observers mobilized at the Alameda County administration building in Oakland for a Labor & Community Rally for Public Health hosted by SEIU 1021, CNA, Gabriela Oakland, and East Bay DSA. Healthcare workers went on strike October 7 against mismanagement and austerity policies. Organizers called on the Board of Supervisors to disband the Board of Trustees and take over responsibility of the Alameda County public healthcare system.

On Friday, October 9, Legal Observers attended Death to India, Death to the Casteist Brahmanical Terror State, a demonstration against the Indian state’s oppression of Dalit, Adivasi and Bahujan people. There were no reported arrests.

On Saturday, October 10, the Armenian Youth Federation organized a march on the Golden Gate Bridge in support of Armenia and Armenian civilians. There were no reported arrests.

Also on Saturday October 10, Legal Observers mobilized for a protest organized by United Front Against Displacement and residents of the Wood Street encampment. The protest was a response to recent Homeless Encampment Policy changes, which would define so-called "sensitive areas" from which unhoused persons could be excluded. Protesters met at Oakland City Hall and then traveled to the Public Works Department for a 'garbage dump.’ There were no reported arrests.

UFAD and NLG-SF Legal Observers were also present at the Wood Street encampment on Tuesday, October 13, where residents and supporters have called for defense after the Alameda County Sheriff issued an eviction notice.

Also on Saturday, October 10, Legal Observers traveled to San Quentin for Recognizing Prison Resistance: From George Jackson to Attica to the Agreement to End Hostilities, hosted by No Justice Under Capitalism and the California Coalition for Women Prisoners. The march and vigil marked the anniversary of the Agreement to End Hostilities, a historic document written by prisoners that called for an end to all racial hostilities in order to promote the unification required to dismantle the carceral system.

Also on Saturday, October 10, Legal Observers traveled to Walnut Creek for a march to demand the abolition of Walnut Creek Police Department and to protest the racism and gentrification in the area. There were no reported arrests.

On Monday, October 12, Legal Observers traveled to Morgan Hill for a rally and march to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to bring awareness to the injustices suffered by people in ICE detention.

Also on Monday, October 12, Legal Observers mobilized in San Francisco for a march to demand justice for a fatal shooting by SFPD committed on October 10 at Otis and Gough. SFPD has not yet released the identity of the person who was killed. Protesters marched to the Tenderloin police station. There were no reported arrests.

Advanced Legal Observer Training

The NLG-SF offered an Advanced Legal Observer Training on the evening of Wednesday, October 7 for Legal Observers who have attended at least 3 demonstrations. The Advanced Training aims to prepare Legal Observers to respond to the presence of right-wing counter-protesters and violence by both state and non-state actors. Many experienced Legal Observers from the SF Bay Area chapter attended, as well as NLG members from Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Texas.

The training was recorded and can be provided on request to Advanced Legal Observers who were unable to attend on October 7.

Please contact demonstrations@nlgsf.org with questions.

After postponing all immigration hearings for non-detained persons for the past six months because of the pandemic, the San Francisco and Sacramento Immigration Courts have been open again for hearings of non-detained immigration cases. NLG-SFBA’s collaborative court watch program--in partnership with Freedom for Immigrants, Kehilla Community Synagogue, and other community partners--sends volunteers to observe immigration hearings, document failures of due process, support immigrants in court, and raise awareness about US immigration proceedings. While the courts were not conducting hearings for non-detained immigrants, they have continued to hold hearings for those in immigrant prisons--despite the greatly reduced access to legal help and community support. We adapted to conduct court watch remotely, telephonically, for these hearings. 

Now that non-detained hearings are happening once again, we are looking for community members to observe more immigration hearings and help hold SF Immigration Court accountable. If you are interested in becoming a court watch volunteer, please complete the form at bit.ly/courtwatch1 and we will contact you about a training session. 

Learn how attorneys, organizers, and community members can work together to support pro se applicants for asylum and other types of immigration relief. The panelists will share insights on their pro se legal clinics, including strategies to center immigrants in their fight to remain, tactics to mobilize and sustain volunteers, and ways to provide relevant and timely information to immigrants navigating the system. 

The webinar is part of the Justice Power’s teachout series on legal empowerment. Justice Power uplifts the work of immigration organizations who partner with communities to know, use, and shape the laws that impact their lives. Register here.

Immigration Nation, a six-episode docu-series on Netflix, provides a rare view of the internal workings of immigration enforcement. Join the American Immigration Council for a virtual panel discussion with the filmmakers behind the docuseries.

The panel will explore what Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz witnessed while filming and provide exclusive insights into what you may not have seen on camera. This discussion will also enhance your understanding of the immigration policies highlighted in the film and unpack the human impact of our immigration policies.

Register Here

- Dr. Oscar Guerra, University of Connecticut and Guerra Production, filmmaker
- Sr. Norma Seni Pimentel, Catholic Charities Rio Grande Valley
- Dr. Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, University of San Francisco, ALAS, and Bay Area Border Relief
- Rodrigo Cervantes, KJZZ / Arizona NPR station

The Tenderloin Housing Clinic is hiring an attorney and paralegal for its law office. 

 Here are links to the jobs posted directly on their website:

- Paralegal
- Staff Attorney