Our Lenten Practice of Advocacy for Justice

by the Nourishing our Neighbors Now Ministry Team

Those who attended the 50501 Rally at the Capitol on Saturday, April 5 joined in a vocal demand for the release of Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez a dedicated and long-time farmworker leader and organizer from Sedro Worker. In March, Lelo was violently detained by ICE while driving his partner to her workplace. ICE agents broke his car window when Lelo tried to exercise his rights. He is currently detained inside an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington.

Lelo has been a farmworker and community leader in Washington since he was 12 years old. The Trump Administration’s mass deportation plan is not only harming individuals and families but being used as a tool to silence dissenting union and worker leader voices like Lelo’s, as well. ​ ICE may have targeted Lelo for his leadership in standing up for the rights of farmworkers and immigrants in his community.

Food Chain Workers Alliance has put together a petition demanding that Lelo be released immediately and connecting you to our U.S.Senators’ phone lines through this link: gsolympia.org/free-lelo.

We are calling on our elected national leaders, specifically U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, to do everything they can to get Lelo free now, and to investigate the potential political motivations for his detention.

You can send a person note through their websites.:

Senator Patty Murray: murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty/ | (253) 572-3636

Senator Maria Cantwell: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form | (253) 572-2281