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No Human Cages: VIP Demands Bipartisan Action After Surprise Visit to Phoenix ICE Facility

Valley Interfaith Project (VIP) held a press conference with Congresswoman Yasmin Ansari following a surprise oversight visit to the ICE Holding Facility in Phoenix, demanding accountability for immoral conditions facing detainees, overridden holding times and capacity limits, and how immigration enforcement is harming people in their own pews.

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Five Years In, COPS/Metro Fights to Protect SA Ready to Work From Budget Cuts

After Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones released a memo that suggested killing SA Ready to Work to solve a budget shortfall, COPS/Metro began working with city and business leaders to defend the largest workforce development program ever attempted by a major U.S. city. 

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Pop-Up Misas del Barrio Turn Solidarity into Public Action with Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good

[Excerpts]

One Saturday a month, in a central Silicon Valley neighborhood, residents stop to read handmade signs taped to poles: "Misa del Barrio. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! Neighborhood Catholic Mass. You are very welcome."  

These posters advertise outdoor pop-up Masses, known as Misas del Barrio, which pair the liturgy with community listening sessions….

The Misas, which existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, relaunched following the tragic death of an 8-year-old in 2022, which brought community concerns to city leaders through an organized March for Safety [by Silicon Valley Allied for the Common Good (SVACG)] ...Successful neighborhood improvements so far include the installation of crosswalks, streetlights, stop signs, renter protections and assistance for low-income essential workers. 

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Valley Interfaith and Allies Advance Moratorium on Data Centers in Brownsville

At the urging of Valley Interfaith and allies, the City of Brownsville agreed to vote on a 90-day moratorium for all data center projects. Leaders are now pushing for more. 

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A Year Into Saving a Mobile Home Park, MVP Shares Strategies to Take On the Valley’s Housing Crisis

[Excerpts:]

A growing effort to preserve mobile home parks as affordable housing was praised by local leaders at a recent public forum co-hosted by the Aspen Jewish Congregation, Snowmass Chapel and Mountain Voices Project (MVP) at the Aspen Chapel as an example of public-private, cross-sector collaboration that could help solve wider housing challenges….

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TNO Wins $30M to Create the Largest Community-Based Virtual Power Plant in the Deep South

The New Orleans City Council unanimously approved the Neighborhood Power Plan - a $30 million proposal by Together New Orleans (TNO) and allies to strengthen the local power grid by installing solar batteries at over 1,600 homes, community facilities and businesses.

Funded with Entergy settlement dollars, the plan will not increase utility rates.

According to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, New Orleans Mayor Elect Helena Moreno called the endeavor "the largest single investment in community-led sustainability the city has ever made."

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EPISO Halts the Nation's Largest Proposed ICE Detention Center

After extensive organizing by EPISO to block the largest planned ICE detention center in the nation, the Trump administration is now abandoning its proposal – a major victory for leaders who’ve fought for decades to protect local water and the dignity of their neighbors. 

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'Who Is My Neighbor?': VOICE Turns Truth into Action for Immigrant Families in OKC

"Who is My Neighbor?" Civic Academy Leadership Team

Advancing a future based on truth and the dignity of their neighbors, VOICE gathered over 250 leaders for a civic academy — busting myths about immigrants, and preparing to turn what they learned into direct support for families who need it.

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EPISO's Parish-Led Fight Against $123M ICE Facility in Texas Draws National Attention

The Rev. Loyd Divinagracia encouraging parishioners with EPISO after meeting with Lower Valley Water District Board in Socorro, Texas

In their town of 30,000, EPISO leaders from Socorro, TX learned that ICE bought three warehouses for $123M to create one of the largest immigrant detention centers in the country, threatening to detain 8,500 people. Refusing to accept this, they organized hundreds of residents, ultimately scaling back detention center plans and postponing the construction start date.

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Calgary Alliance for the Common Good Wins Zoning Changes to Protect and Expand Affordable Housing

At the urging of Calgary Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) and allies, Calgary City Council approved zoning changes that remove red tape, and protect and expand affordable housing options citywide. 

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