What We Do:
Education and Outreach
Educational Events for the General Public
We provide education to the general public about the complexities surrounding immigration issues and explore the historical context in order to deepen people's understanding of the root causes of migration.
Past events have included:
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A slideshow presentation: “Asylum Seekers: What’s Happening at the U.S-Mexico Border and Beyond?”: This presentation discusses root causes of migration and current U.S. immigration policy and practice. A handout with actions that people can take is always presented.
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The viewing and discussion of the film "Harvest of Empire".
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An opportunity to write letters to people being held at the Mesa Verde Detention Center.
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Upcoming events will be posted on our website, on our Facebook page, and also in our newsletter.
Learn About Immigration Detention and
Visit Immigrants Being Held in Detention
Mesa Verde (Bakersfield), and Golden State Annex (McFarland) are private-for-profit detention facilities in Kern County where asylum seekers and people contesting their deportation orders are detained. A volunteer group, called Kern Welcoming and Extending Solidarity to Immigrants (KWESI), runs a volunteer-based visitation program offering people friendship and a connection to the outside world.
On this trip, you will learn about the immigration detention system, and what advocates are doing to close down these detention centers. Someone from KWESI will meet with the group and share about the work they do. If visitation is possible the day you make the trip, you will have the opportunity to visit someone who is in detention.
If you are interested, you can send a message to Jan Meslin. You do not need to be able to speak Spanish in order to visit.
You can also learn more about the immigration detention system by visiting the Freedom for Immigrants website.