Recorded back in 2019 in Pasadena California And MARIO IS STILL IN DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS!!! He has had NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE.

I sat down to hear Mario Perez's story, and one of the organizers, Janneya Dunlap, supporting him, and I learned so much! Mario has been defending his dignity not only infront of judges, but infront of community members who don't quite understand how immigration laws criminalize people. Mario knows about the good vs bad narrative too well.

We hear about the struggles in the Inland Empire and how communities there are facing deportation even as dreamers, how they are organizing and strategizing to win cases and building power by centering the leadership of formerly incarcerated people facing deportation. We talk about ICE's landscape and how law enforcement agencies and tactics work to make it extremely difficult for people to win their cases or get out of deportation proceedings. 

There is no “rehabilitation” available that can help him, it doesn't matter. The "double punishment weighs heavy" Mario shared with us. People w/ convictions who are not U.S citizens have to fight extra hard to move on in their lives. Mario speaks to us about the strategies they are focused on in order to keep him safe from deportation, even as the STATE has him under surveillance. Mario is one of thousands who check in constantly through a phone app with a case manager and he has a Deportation Officer. 

Mario and Janneya also shared about the joy they both get from pushing back at harmful narratives about what cages should be abolished and what “good immigrants” should be advocated for. Join me as we hear directly from activists and organizers sharing resources and trainings on how to talk about la migra, how to spot them and how to organize yourself.

visit keepalefree.org