BIJAN is a network of faith communities, individuals and other activist groups working to reduce the escalating harm of our immigration system in the current political context.
They are all volunteers and we work closely with immigrant communities and immigrant-led organizations to support those impacted by our racist immigration system.
They provide accompaniment, which can include support in court or at ICE check-ins, legal referrals, fundraising for bond or legal fees, letters of support from the community, rides for families to visit loved ones in detention, and logistical assistance with paperwork or bond payments. We also help with housing, transportation, and other immediate needs of people released on bond who have no other resources in the community.
This network started after BIJAN reached out to Rev. Jordinn Nelson Long at the Fairhaven Unitarian Church looking for some spiritual guidance for an immigrant in detention in Bristol County.
Cosecha is a nonviolent movement fighting for permanent protection, dignity, and respect for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Our name, "harvest" in Spanish, honors the long tradition of farmworker organizing and the present-day pain of the thousands of undocumented workers whose labor continues to feed the country. Committed to winning real victories for our community, Cosecha believes in using non-cooperation to leverage the power of immigrant labor and consumption and force a meaningful shift in public opinion.
In February of this year, Cosecha Massachusetts (MA) launched its driver licenses campaign with statewide assembly in Boston. Although Democrats in the state always promise us that they will give our community licenses, they have never put it up for a vote, and this is why we decided to launch the campaign “Licenses For All”. We have Cosecha groups in 6 cities; they are organizing massive forums with hundreds of people coming together for a statewide pilgrimage at the end of April that will end in the City of Boston. It is time for the immigrant community in the state to rise up and that together we demand “Licenses for All”.