The Resistance Committee met on April 7 to hear reports from our newly formed subcommittees. Our Committee has been dedicated to expanding NLG-MA capacity to fight Trumpism since January. In recent weeks, our subcommittees have allowed us to tackle a range of pressing issues, incorporate new voices, and maintain momentum. Four of our five subcommittees met since our last meeting, so we had plenty to discuss!
The Trans Community Support subcommittee is watching both state and federal legislation to prepare responses if MA protections weaken. The subcommittee is also working on collecting available Know Your Rights materials to help brainstorm for a potential workshop on the rights of trans community members, de-escalation strategies, and other safety tips. They may also try to plug into clinics helping trans people with legal issues like name changes. Contact Agripino Kennedy (agripinokennedy@gmail.com) or fill out the subcommittee sign-up form to join.
The Immigration subcommittee has been working on building capacity for speedy habeas filing. We developed a resource bank of habeas corpus templates to support cases of unlawful detention by ICE or CBP. Many of our members are also attending the AILA habeas training on Tuesday, April 15 to help expand habeas filing capacity beyond our strained (but awesome) immigration attorneys. NLG-MA members are translating resources related to rights information and safety planning, which will be available soon. Our partnership with MIRA has allowed us to build KYR workshop capacity quickly. MIRA has trained over forty NLG-MA members, and we scheduled over a dozen KYR workshops so far. Finally, the Immigration subcommittee is encouraging NLG-MA members to put up KYR flyers, soon to be added to the NLG-MA website, in their neighborhoods on April 19, 2025. Contact Asad at akhimani5@gmail.com for more information on the flyering project, and contact Emma Knight at e.reece.knight@gmail.com to get involved with other Immigration subcommittee projects.
The Speech, Suppression, and Communication subcommittee met to discuss potential Guild action in response to the Trump administration’s violent attacks on dissenters. Subcommittee members are tracking advocacy and legislation related to speech protections in MA. The subcommittee is also exploring partnerships for litigation around protest-related immigration enforcement. In addition, the Speech subcommittee is thinking about how to educate activists on cybersecurity and other Know Your Rights information. Join the Speech subcommittee by filling out the sign-up form.
The Education and Employment subcommittee also met briefly to discuss possible interventions around constraints on special education funding, ICE in schools, and threats to academic freedom in higher education. The Housing subcommittee, intended as a watch committee to monitor looming challenges, has not met yet. Though all five subcommittees are open to new members and projects, EdEm and Housing are in the earliest stages. If you are interested in either of these topics and would like to help with coordination, please let Emma (e.reece.knight@gmail.com) know as well. Coordination is a great role for an organized non-lawyer or lawyer who wants to help get things done!
With several active projects and dozens of committed Guild members involved, the Resistance Committee is a space to channel despair into action. We encourage you to join our efforts to resist a federal government that is untethered by rules or customs. As the Trump regime continues to threaten, endanger, and kidnap our neighbors, the Resistance Committee will find new opportunities to fight back. Regardless of your professional background, your skills, ideas, and energy will be put to work. Please fill out the subcommittee sign-up form and join us!
