Thank you for joining with Democrats Abroad as we came together in support of the vigils held across the US on July 12. Lights for Liberty aims to shed light on what is happening at the US southern border and across the country: undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers being held in detention centers, facing inhumane conditions and continuing to be separated from their families.

Looking for other ways to get involved? 

Attend one of our in-person events.

On July 12, mass gatherings took place at detention centers and in local communities across the US, as part of the Lights for Liberty vigil to end human detention camps. Democrats Abroad and other organizations helped take this action global, holding events in dozens of cities and towns around the world.

Our virtual vigil.

Many thanks to the hundreds of people who joined our online vigil to stand with detainees, asylum seekers, and immigrant families. Find below our giant collage of Americans speaking out, from all over the world.

Here are the instructions that our participants used to join in: 

1. Use this sign [pdf] [doc], adding where you currently live and where you vote.

2. Light a candle.

3. Take a picture with your sign and candle. Be sure your face can be seen!
        - Photos of your kids holding signs is also powerful – if you are ok with their photos on the internet.

4. Send your pic to [email protected]

5. Post your pic on social media with the hashtags #LightsforLiberty, #ClosetheCamps, and #DAResists.
        - Including #DAResists and tagging @DemsAbroad in your posts will ensure we don't miss them.
        - Make your posts public so we can find them. Here’s how to do this on Facebook without impacting other privacy settings.

Looking for other ways to get involved? 

1. Spread the word before, during, and after Lights for Liberty events.

You can find sample social media posts here, or come up with your own using the hashtags #LightsforLiberty, #ClosetheCamps, and #DAResists. 

2. Call Congress

Use this script to contact your Senators and your Congressperson.

3. Speak Out

"As American citizens, we are horrified by the atrocities being carried out in detention centers across the United States," said Julia Bryan, Democrats Abroad Global Chair. “Millions of Americans live overseas and have been welcomed in the countries where we live today. I cannot fathom the response if American citizens were treated the way our government is treating people seeking a better life in the US."

You can speak out, too. Find talking points about this issue and our support for the Lights for Liberty events here.

4. Learn the facts and use the resources from journalists and ally organizations:

• In Photos: As Fury Grows, Tens of Thousands Rally Across US Demanding Immediate Action to #CloseTheCamps (Common Dreams)
• The horrifying conditions facing kids in border detention, explained (Vox)
• How a lack of personal care products contributes to harrowing conditions for detained migrants (Vox)
• Dedicated section to news about In-Custody Deaths, tracked and published by The New York Times 
• CBP & ICE Abuse Tracker, from United We Dream
• The Stories of Those Impacted, from United We Dream
• Detentions By the Numbers, from Freedom for Immigrants
  
  
• Trump administration still separating hundreds of migrant children at the border through often questionable claims of danger (Houston Chronicle)
• Federal judge orders prompt mediation to determine if detention facilities and child migrants are safe (CNN)
• 4 Severely Ill Migrant Toddlers Hospitalized After Lawyers Visit Border Patrol Facility (HuffPo)
• The Detention Camps at the Border Are a Crime (The Atlantic)
• These Nonprofits and Businesses Are Making Millions From Detaining Immigrant Children (Sludge Magazine)
• What I saw at the Dilley, Texas, Immigrant Detention Center (The Nation)
• Lawmakers, including Ocasio-Cortez, lash out over conditions following border facility tours (CNN)
• Ayanna Pressley Delivers Speech After Visiting Migrant Detention Facilities (NowThis)
• Migrant Mothers Separated From Their Newborns Before Returning Them to Detention (Rewire News)
• Detailed twitter thread outlining the atrocities currently happening at the camps.
  
  
• Feel Helpless Amidst the Horrific Immigration News? You’re Not. Here’s What To Do, a fantastic roundup from Together & Free
• Children Shouldn’t Be Dying at the Border. Here’s How You Can Help. (NYT)
• Attending an in-person event? Check out these posters from the American Friends Service Committee
• More posters can be found here (click to download).