“We cannot tie immigrants, tie the value of immigrants, to their utility to us. … [They], first and foremost, are people, and the fact that there are people is enough to advocate for them.”
Category: Social justice
Posted inSocial justice
Local attorneys spread awareness about increase in scams targeting immigrants
Immigration attorneys in the Roaring Fork Valley are spreading awareness about a recent rise in scams and extortion targeting immigrants in Colorado and across the country. An increase in federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration this year has resulted in heightened fear and insecurity for many immigrants, which can make people more vulnerable to […]
Posted inSocial justice
Advocates and attorneys see uptick in community reports of ICE activity, but caution the spread of misinformation
Aspen Public Radio’s All Things Considered anchor Halle Zander spoke with Social Justice Reporter Eleanor Bennett about the latest reports and her conversations with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), local law enforcement agencies, immigration attorneys, and advocacy groups.
Posted inSocial justice
Schools partner with nonprofit Response to teach consent and prevent sexual violence
To try to prevent people from becoming victims and perpetrators, Basalt-based nonprofit Response is partnering with local schools to teach students about consent and healthy relationships in the age of smartphones and social media.
Posted inSocial justice
Carbondale nonprofit ‘a second home’ for growing number of immigrant students, expands Spanish-language services
“We have observed a significant increase in youth experiencing housing instability, as well as an increase in the proportion of Spanish-speaking newcomers, immigrants and refugees seeking assistance within our bilingual centers,” Greener shared in an email.
Posted inSocial justice
Local parents urge Polis to sign bill requiring social media crackdown on illegal activity after losing kids to overdoses
A report found that although most platforms already have policies banning illegal drug sales and have made some efforts to work with law enforcement to address the issue, companies’ responses to such activity on their platforms have had limited effectiveness.
Posted inSocial justice
COVID-19 was ‘the great accelerator.’ Its impacts are still rippling out.
“It’s convenient for people not to think about the pandemic, and sometimes you sound like a bit of an oddball when you talk about it,” said Katherine Sand, director of the resource center Aspen Family Connections. “But I think it’s a defining moment in our lives.”
Posted inSocial justice
‘Our teens need us’: Local mom spreads awareness about fentanyl and encourages creative outlets after losing her daughter
While Adams wants students to understand the dangers of fentanyl, she also wants to help them address the underlying causes of drug use and addiction by seeking mental health support and finding sources of meaning in their lives.
Posted inSocial justice
Garfield County commissioners pick former City Council member Tony Hershey to fill library board seat
Although the commissioners thanked former trustee Use for her service, they also expressed disappointment that she and other members had not made certain changes in response to a citizens petition led by two local residents to restrict or remove books with parental advisory warnings.
Posted inSocial justice
Long-COVID patients seek awareness and understanding for a still-enigmatic condition
They have told this story before, to doctors and specialists and holistic medicine professionals and family and friends, and they have told it again and again until they could find somebody to believe them — somebody, at least, to listen.