Monday, February 10
Resistance is not for the faint of heart.
Editor’s note: In better years, I’ve written small pieces about the Holocaust — and how anti-semitism is becoming more socially acceptable in the US. I’ve written about Black History (especially in 2020, after George Floyd’s murder-by-police). I might even have written about the Girl Scouts! February is such a full month of remembrances. We should not forget our faults, or our successes. But this year, this year something is wrong with me, and I cannot do justice to our history. As Trump2.0 wants to welcome White Afrikaners but not Black or Brown anybody into our country; as he negotiates deporting US born convicts to other countries; as we wait to see how well the Judicial wall will hold against his unconstitutional acts — I am all too aware of the divisions that separate us, and how foolish they are.
Fair warning, gentle readers
By Sabra Briere, editor
This newsletter contains both the personal viewpoints of the various authors and — most importantly — ways you can take your concerns and feelings about the direction our country is headed and turn those feelings into actions.
If you’ve been a long-time reader, you know that action is the most important thing you can do. But if you are new to Indivisible Sonoma County, please also know that the opinions of the editorials and guest editorial authors are, well, both personal and reflective of Indivisible National’s general positions on issues.
We have a lot(!) of new readers here. Some come for righteous opposition; some come for solidarity; some come seeking a way to find middle ground with the nearly 90 million eligible voters who did not vote in 2024. And of course, some have other reasons — including perfectly valid ones that aren’t connected to political action at all.
Indivisible is not a Democratic Party group. And clearly it’s not a Republican Party tool, either. It’s both a lobbying mechanism to address elected officials as a group, to ensure our voices are heard. And because we have learned to do that, we are very successful. The New York Times reported on Friday that the congressional phone system has been jammed with tens of millions of calls from outraged constituents contacting their representatives to demand that they stand against President Donald Trump and his sidekick Elon Musk as they unilaterally dismantle the United States government and gain access to Americans’ private information. The Senate phone system usually gets about 40 calls a minute; now it is up to 1,600.
It took a while for the outrage some of us were feeling to turn into action. We talk about how everything 2.0 does is unprecedented, and without guardrails, and yet we don’t truly know how to react to the insanity. It doesn’t just take Congress time to find the right ways to react, it takes all of us to find our voices and stop expecting normal to return.
It certainly took me a while. And when I did confront that truth, I felt — I feel — betrayed. Betrayed by friends and neighbors and relatives who downplayed, or ignored, or even worse, embraced the insanity.
What we are facing in our government is acquiesence by the elected Republican (and some Democratic) leaders in a hostile takeover of our institutions. Elon Musk and his minions entered Federal offices and told employees that their jobs were no longer needed. They accessed information about US citizens — you and me — that is supposed to be secure.
They may have done more before a Court told them to stop. They may have stopped. They may have destroyed the data they took.
We don’t know. We don’t have any easy way to find out. They are unaccountable.
This is a coup, without guns, without violence. It’s a constitutional crisis.
The good news is — you called. You went to Congressional offices. You’re still calling and writing (please call every day!). And that is important, because it tells members of Congress that we are watching and holding them accountable. And our Senators are finding their backbones. And our Members of Congress are speaking up.
Everyone doesn’t need to do this — but this is what we do.
According to Anat Schenkar-Osorio,
… [A] mere 3.5 percent of the people need to get involved. It turns out that no autocracy in the world has withstood that sliver of a population, engaged in active, ongoing, IRL resistance, refusal and ridicule.
That means you can do everything from learning and spreading Know Your Rights to stop ICE in their tracks, calling Dem lawmakers with concrete and specific demands to grind Congress to a halt, organizing very localized actions (think about your next school board or city council meeting) to beat down bad bills and demand good ones, just to name a few. This current administration of the bullies for the billionaires is hellbent on sweeping shock and awe — but what actually happens in our country comes down to what we do together in the places where we live.
For the person who asked if there’s a master list of the agencies facing hostile takeovers/takeover attempts by DOGE. This one is the best I’ve found so far. Gift link for WaPo source article: <https://wapo.st/42HPk02>. And this is the NYT’s master list of Executive Orders: <https://www.nytimes.com/.../us/trump-agenda-2025.html...>
I believe in the vision behind the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence — that all (people) are created equal, that the rule of law applies equally to everyone, and that our elected officials are and must be responsive and responsible to us. I believe you share these values. Whether we’re on the phones or on the streets, we are stronger when we are together.
And together, we are INDIVISIBLE.
Photo by Jesse Kornblum. Courtesy of ProbonoPhoto.org
We’ve Got Work to Do
By Tom Benthin, Indivisible Sonoma County
5, 5, 3
I’ll make it quick this week, because the main thing I want to do is to ask you to please make a simple commitment. Take 5 minutes, 5 days a week, and make 3 calls each day - to your senators and congressperson. We need every member of Indivisible Sonoma County on this to embolden Democrats and turn them into a fighting party. Trump and Musk are rapidly dismantling our federal government and causing terrible harm. One of the key things we can do is get Democrats to oppose them strongly, which they - infuriatingly - are only just starting to do. Calls alone won’t be enough, but they are one thing we can all do right now and we need all of us on it.
I’d also like to recommend, when you have the time (that is, after you’ve made your now-daily phone calls ;) ) taking a look at The Reframe, by A. R. Moxon. He’s one of the best writers I’ve seen for not only understanding this moment, but for approaches for what we can do about it. A good place to start is with his article “Demolishing the Billionaire Scam”. I’d then follow it with “The Bishop and the Billionaire”. If you do read him, let me know using our Substack comments what you think.
Photo by Rachel Podlishevsky. Courtesy of ProbonoPhotos.org
“We Choose to Fight”
Last week’s Indivisible rally in San Francisco
Last Wednesday Indivisible groups from all around the Bay Area mobilized to rally in San Francisco in front of the offices of our senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. Over 900 people attended, starting at Senator Padilla’s office, where we were met by his state deputy director, Daniel Chen. We then marched over to Senator Schiff’s office. Here is a video of our opening speech with our demands; and here is Daniel Chen’s response.
The following day, 30 Indivisible leaders met with Daniel to discuss our asks. Chen assured us that the senator is on our side and committed. However, we’ve only just begun to see actions that match his words (Wednesday night, both Padilla and Schiff spoke as Democrats extended debate overnight on the nomination of Russell Vought to leaddismantle the Office of Management and Budget. Using the full 30 hours allowed for debate is exactly the kind of tactic that Indivisible is advocating.) We will continue to meet with Senator Padilla’s staff as well as establish a relationship with Senator Schiff’s staff. (Unbelievably, Schiff only has one person hired for northern California and his SF office is in flux). We will keep up the pressure, as well as thank them when they step up. We need your help with daily calls to reinforce this effort!
Here’s the full text of our opening address to Senator Padilla:
We’re here today because we, like Americans everywhere, are watching our country be dismantled by a dictatorial president and his fascist party. How I wish that were an exaggeration. It’s not. The Nazi salute is coming from behind the seal of the president of the United States.
These fascists are shredding our federal government, threatening the lives and well-being of millions who rely on it to make sure it’s safe to fly, that you get your social security check on time, that your kids can go to school. They’re stripping what is ours and selling it for parts, intentionally breaking it for the benefit of the billionaires who control them. And they’re playing for keeps. They don’t intend to give anything back.
We are fearful, sad - and angry. Because - you’ve surely heard everyone saying it - in this hour of greatest need, Senate Democrats have been missing in action. We’re here to ask why.
We’re asking Senate Democrats:
We can see that Trump, Musk - and the Republicans across the aisle from you - are looting our government and placing us in danger.
Senate Democrats, why can’t you?
We can see that collaborating with them in any way helps them consolidate power, which they will use to harm all of us.
Senate Democrats, why can’t you?
We can see that the only hope for our country is to block them, slow them down, make everything harder for them until we can find a foothold.
Senate Democrats, why can’t you?
We can see that you, Senate Democrats, are uniquely positioned to use Senate rules to slow the fascists to a crawl by maintaining a blanket opposition.
Senate Democrats, why can’t you?
And we can see that when you fight, you can win; but when you don’t fight, you will surely lose.
Senate Democrats, why can’t you?
We are also here today to make a plea, to Senator Padilla:
We need a senator with courage to step up and oppose this fascist attack not only on our government, but on our lives.
Senator Padilla, will you be that champion?
We need someone courageous enough to stand alone, if necessary, and lead the way, because opposition doesn’t come naturally to those trained to write laws.
Senator Padilla, will you be that champion?
And we need someone courageous enough to do this not only in the face of violent Republicans, but also of complacent Democrats, someone who will rally our troops by their example.
Senator Padilla, will you be that champion?
Senator, we pray that you will. Our nation needs you to. And so do we all.
These are our specific asks, ones that our fellow activists around the country are making of their senators as well. We hope you’ll step up and take the lead.
1. Deny a quorum
2. Block unanimous consent
3. Max out debate time
4. Delay and disrupt
5. Keep a blanket opposition
6. No business as usual
7. No on all nominations
We ask again, Senator: will you be that champion?
Our calls matter. Yes they do.
By Sabra Briere, editor
When Democrats are in the minority, showing up matters; maybe it’s all that matters.
Over the past week, Democrats' offices have been flooded with calls from constituents demanding the party, which holds a minority in both chambers, do more to push back against the Trump administration. And it’s working.
Democrats have protested the Trump administration's sledgehammer to federal agencies in several ways, from an overnight filibuster to multiple rallies in front of agencies that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has looked into.
So this week, as Musk and his minions rampaged through Federal computers and tried to force Federal employees to resign (although those efforts are most likely unfunded, illegal, and would leave the employees without their pensions, insurance, or jobs), Members of Congress attempted to enter Federal departments. The Treasury. The Department of Education. Homeland Security. USAID.
Blocked. Denied. Prevented — by uniformed security NOT US governmental staff. I wonder who authorized that?
The budget has a hard deadline of March 14. If there’s no budget agreement by then, the House will have to try to pass a continuing resolution. Otherwise, the government is out of money — and no one gets paid. Historically, this has been the blackmail card played by the Republicans. This year, will the Democrats use it?
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reaffirmed that Democrats have a red line in the upcoming spending talks: No more federal funding freezes.
And he took it a step further, saying in a press conference Tuesday that “we will insist that there be certain changes that undo these bad things” — a reference to recent Trump administration moves like the now-paused funding freeze.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said Sunday that he's open to joining Democrats in shutting down the government to protest the Trump administration's upheaval of federal agencies and funding.
Both Senators Padilla and Schiff participated in an all-night filibuster (which can only last 30 hours, per Senate rules) to stall the approval of Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
We need more of this, please!
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/09/trump-government-shutdown-andy-kim
Guest Editorials
Two things are happening at once. Both are true. They are in opposition.
Thing one: Democrats are gaining a foothold in opposing Trump's coup—through the courts, through public opinion, and through legislative stalling tactics. Those are not complete defenses, and they take time. But they are the tools we have.
Thing two: Musk and Trump are accelerating their efforts to infect the federal government with AI computer viruses to assist in making drastic workforce and budget cuts in intelligence, law enforcement, health, science, and foreign aid. The sting of thing two is compounded by the complicity of congressional Republicans and the willingness of Trump supporters to lie with aplomb and feigned indignation
Thing one—the resistance—is trailing behind thing two—the pillaging and burning. To be sure, the resistance is catching up to the vandals. But playing “catch up” feels bad. It feels like we are losing and that there is no accountability. The sense of being “behind” is a temporary illusion created by the First Law of the Universe: It is easier to break things than to fix them.
Robert Hubbell has been writing about this phenomenon in his Substack. Read more his suggested approach for dealing with the news here.
THE SURVEILLANCE OF ROSA M.
By Roxanne Goodfellow
“THERE ARE NO MORE FISH IN THE LAKE, NO RAIN IN THE SKIES AND WE ARE LEAVING.” And so…Rosa M., her mother and her aunt begin to prepare to leave the only home they had ever known in Sonora, Mexico. Before leaving they go to Mass, pack small backpacks with water & power bars and then set off on foot. For 4 days they make their way north through the Sonoran Desert to the border town of San Luis, AZ.
Rosa doesn’t remember much about the trip except it was very hot and long, and that she was very sad to leave her little sister; she remembers hearing her mother crying every night in the darkness.
When they arrive at the Mexico/Arizona border, they unknowingly become part of one of the largest single group of asylum seekers ever to cross into the U.S. They arrive in Arizona via a tunnel dug by smugglers. 179 of the record 376 people who crossed with them were children, including over 30 unaccompanied minors -- children under 18 traveling on their own. All surrender immediately to Border Patrol agents in order to begin the asylum process.
Due to the high number of asylum seekers with families, Rosa and her mother are transported to the now closed Adelanto Detention Facility’s Family Residential Center (FRC) near San Bernardino, CA owned by GEO Group, Inc., the 2nd largest private prison company in the world.
Adelanto FRC becomes their home for two years until Adelanto is closed because of COVID-19. Rosa, now 17 and her mother are released into the desert community of Hesperia, CA where they are placed into GEO Group’s Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) surveillance program.
ISAP uses technology such as ankle monitors and phone apps to surveil immigrants instead of keeping them in custody. Originally, this program was designed to help cut down on detention in private prisons, however it didn’t take long for it to migrate to the immigration detention sector.
According to the Tucson Sentinel newspaper as of 2023, funding from ICE makes up nearly half of GEO Group’s total revenue, according to the company’s latest annual report. Of the approximately $1 billion in revenue GEO Group gets from the agency, about $337.8 million is related to the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP).
Under the Trump administration’s new “mass deportation scheme” stock for GEO Group has soared. Additionally, ICE is now looking to add to its six detention facilities in California including a new one in the Bay Area. We know that GEO Group, Inc. cannot be far behind.
“An expansion of ICE detention operations within the Bay Area and Northern California is going to be part of a reign of terror on our communities the Trump administration is threatening,” said Bree Bernwanger, a senior staff attorney on the Immigrants’ Rights team at the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. “We already know from existing facilities within California that ICE does not and cannot maintain safe and or healthy standards of confinement for people inside.”
As witnessed by over 7,000 detainees, GEO Group is in the business of people detention and tracking. Five years later they are still surveilling Rosa and her mother as they wait for asylum approval or deportation.
Note: The ACLU is suing ICE to learn more about the federal agency’s expanded detention plans. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-foia-litigation-reveals-ice-actively-considering-proposals-to-expand-immigration-detention-nationwide
Note: Adelanto Detention Facility is about to reopen in 2025 after being closed since 2020; prior to closing it was considered one of the worst detention centers in the Country for human rights abuses.
Actions
IndySoco General Meeting
Mon, Feb 10, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm | US/Pacific
Feb. 2025 General Membership Meeting
Come join us for our February general meeting, where we'll talk about moving from resistance to defiance, give you important updates on current organizing and actions - including the "Senators - Fight Back!" rally last week - and more.
photo: Jesse Kornblum / ProBonoPhoto.org
For new, continuing, and returning members.
If you’re a new member, this meeting will give you a chance to meet others and find actions that are the best fit for you.
We hope you will be a part of it.
Scripts
We Need YOU to Take Action
5 minutes, 3 calls, 5 days a week
Our phone calls, as AOC said recently, are how members of Congress measure enthusiasm - how much people are mobilizing around a particular issue. And, she adds, the more our representatives see that mobilizing, the more careful they will be about not making people upset.
The calls constituents are making are starting to have an effect, but we need to dial them up and then keep them going. We’re asking each of you - every member of Indivisible Sonoma County - to commit to taking five minutes every weekday and making three calls: to your senators and your congressman.
If you’re shy about talking to someone, don’t worry. Most often, you’ll reach voicemail. When you don’t, you’ll just be talking to a junior staffer who will note your comments. (If you definitely want to leave a VM, just call after office hours).
We’ll keep call scripts as up-to-date as we can, given the firehose of bad stuff Trump and Musk are doing, but the main message will stay the same: we need our elected officials to oppose Republicans on literally everything. Total opposition. You may have noticed that Republicans are not interested in governing. They just want Trump to rule. There’s no compromise to be made with that.
Did I mention that AOC said Republicans call more often than we do? Let’s change that!!
Let’s make some calls!
CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: OBSTRUCT EVERYTHING
Both the Senate and the House run on many fairly complicated rules. In an emergency, those rules can be used to slow or stop an opposition party by a minority. We watched Mitch McConnell do that for years, while Democrats tried to turn Republicans around by playing nice. It didn’t work. We need all Democrats to play “procedural hardball”. A few have begun. We need it from everybody.
(To learn more about what Senate Democrats must do, read about our asks to them here).
Please call your senators and say:
I’m calling to ask the senator to delay and deny Trump’s agenda in Congress by playing procedural hardball. Trump and Musk are illegally dismantling our federal government. I’m asking you to fight for us. Oppose, oppose, oppose.
Senator Alex Padilla
DC phone: 202-224-3553
SF phone: 415-981-9369
Senator Adam Schiff
DC phone: 202-224-3841
Please call your congressman and say:
I’m calling to ask you to obstruct and sabotage everything that House Republicans attempt to do. Trump and Musk are illegally dismantling our federal government. Please fight everything that comes in your path, using every procedural tool you can to delay and make legislating excruciating for the majority. Oppose, oppose, oppose.
Congressman Jared Huffman
Phone: (San Rafael) 415-258-9657
Congressman Mike Thompson
Phone: (Santa Rosa) 707-542-7182
Brainstorming Get Together/Activist Support Group
Wed, Feb 12, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm
Location: RSVP for location
Come to one or all of these meetings to gather with a community of progressive folks active in grassroots actions.
Each of us has something to contribute to this existential responsibility that rests on all of us.
We will be there and hope you will be too!
Bluesky Training - Beginning
Wed, Feb 12, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm |
Excited about what you’re hearing about Bluesky? Over 25 million people are already using it!
Join us to build awareness for Field Team 6’s Voter Registration efforts all from the comfort of your own social media account!
We’ll cover -
*How to create your new Bluesky account
*How to set up your Bluesky profile
*Finding your first followers
*Sharing Field Team 6 ready-made posts
*Tips & Tricks for using and enjoying your Bluesky experience!
If you're ready for more, check out our Advanced Bluesky session
Bluesky Training - Advanced
Wed, Feb 12, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Advanced Bluesky Skills for Social Storming with Field Team 6! · Field Team 6
You have a Bluesky account and want to learn more about it? Join us to build awareness for Field Team 6’s Voter Registration efforts all from the comfort of your own social media account!
We’ll cover:
Sharing Field Team 6 ready-made posts
How to tweak your Bluesky settings
Feeds vs. Lists vs. Starter Packs - what are they?
How to create your own lists and Starter Packs
Tips & Tricks for getting the most out of Bluesky
If you’re new to Bluesky, check out the Bluesky Basics session
Protect Democracy! Phone Bank with Common Cause! Virtual Training!
Thu, Feb 13, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm
READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN 2025?
Join Common Cause for an important phone bank as we mobilize voters to take action against the dangerous SAVE Act and advocate for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The SAVE Act threatens to make it harder for millions of Americans—especially students, seniors, and veterans—to cast their ballots. We need your help to ensure voters across the country call their representatives and demand they protect the freedom to vote.
No prior experience is necessary—our team will provide full training at the start of each shift!
To be clear the time for this event is 3 pm (PST) / 5 pm (CST).
Thanks so much for all the commentary , but particularly thank you for all the actions people can take. We are not powerless!!
The 50501 Movement, which stands for “50 states, 50 protests, one day,” has announced plans for another nationwide demonstration on Monday, Feb. 17, coinciding with Presidents’ Day.
Related Story: Fresno Students Walk Out of Class to Protest Deportations
The protest is aimed at opposing the Trump Administration, with organizers calling for a resistance against “fascism.”
In a post on their subreddit, the group shared a message: “President not King,” accompanied by an image of President Donald Trump.
https://gvwire.com/2025/02/10/protests-planned-in-all-50-states-for-presidents-day-against-trump-administration/