Luis Cortes

Maybe I should have worn a suit... naaaah.

*drops la croix* 😮

As ICE threatens 700,000 undocumented residents, @luiscortes emerges as a fearless champion, making history as the first undocumented immigrant to argue a case in the U.S. Supreme Court. @fromherefromtherefilm Premieres Tuesday, July 9 on PBS, PBS.org, and the @PBS App. A presentation of @LatinoPublicBroadcasting ’s VOCES. Director & Producer - Marlene “Mo” Morris Producer - Sasha Alexander Producer - Jed Riffe Editor - Manuel Tsingaris Consulting Producer - Carlos Sandoval #VOCESPBS #FromHereFromThere #DACADreamers #Undocumented #UndocuLawyer #LuisCortesRomero

How did we end up here? 🥹 I still can’t believe that @fromherefromtherefilm was nominated for best documentary in the big leagues. And y’all really helping get it there 😭. We’re really out here doing it 🙏🏽. I’ll do a story-time on this soon 🫠

Last week I had the privilege and honor of collaborating with @evasantosveloz and Nicole Solis in a screening of @fromherefromtherefilm . It was a packed room, and the panel discussions went way past the ending time. It was such a blessing to be in community with amazing students and organizers (including finally meeting @evasantosveloz and @askangy in person) in one of the most vibrant places in the world, the Bronx 🙅🏽‍♂️. I also stumbled upon @thelitbar where I found a book about the historical intersection of Black and Latino organizing 🤓✊🏽. Please follow and support the @undocufc , a group of amazingly creative undocu-folks in the film making space. Lastly, I want to give a heartfelt shoutout to Nicole Solis, who has been a tremendous partner in crime in continuing the community organizing work the last few years, and being a big source of inspiration. I feel so lucky I can continue to work with her in trying to organize our communities, and setting up spaces to be able to have important conversations. Thank you everyone who continues to invite me to be and share space with your students and communities. I am deeply honored and privileged to do this work across the country. Un muy fuerte abrazo. 🩵

Last week, I moderated a screening and panel for @fromherefromtherefilm at @hostoscollege alongside Luis Cortes Romero @luiscortes and producer Nicole Solis-Sison. A film that tells a story so many of us know too well. Fear, sacrifice, family, resilience, and what it means to keep going while navigating a system that constantly tries to make us feel invisible. Thank you to everyone who came, shared space with us, and asked questions during the panel. Watch the film. Bring it to your city. Start the conversation where you are. ✨ 🎥: @gaffitas_

📣UPDATE ON DACA: The Trump admin just made it harder for DACA recipients to fight their deportation cases. Here is what you need to know 👇🏽 On April 24th a new precedent decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) a court controlled by the Attorney General just ruled that having DACA is NOT enough to stop deportation. This is a wake-up call. Renew your DACA on time—do not miss deadlines. Get legal advice on your case so you understand your options and protections. If you are in removal proceedings, seek legal support immediately to protect yourself. We need more than DACA and not just for DACA recipients

When I was about 14, I snuck out of school in the middle of the day, and went across the street to catch the KX bus from downtown Redwood City to San Francisco, took the 19 Muni Line, and eventually made it to Bayview/Hunters Point to the infamous The Pound venue. It was my first time there. Taxis openly refused to take people to that neighborhood and venue, because it was a rough area where the misfits and troublemakers were. So I had to walk a big part of the way. I trekked it over there to see NY-based @thecasualties_official for the first time, and it changed my life. Their aggressive music and lyrics about distrust in the systems of power, unity among the working class, and belonging to a community who embraced those who were rough around the edges, grew up troubled, or otherwise just felt out of place/rejected. The pit was where we took out our angst, but also where we picked each other up if we fell down. I was hooked. 24 years later, and I’m still catching @thecasualties_official every time I get the chance, and still get very emotional each time I see them. 24 years later, and I still try to carry that ethos with me: Unapologetically working towards dismantling systems of oppression, advocating for the working class within the immigrant community, and still feeling the angst against a culture that normalizes the pain and suffering of everyday people. [P.S. I had spent all my money to get into the show at The Pound, and didn’t have a way to get back. A group of strangers I met outside the venue offered me a ride, but their car was already full of people, so I had to ride in the trunk of their car. They dropped me off in San Mateo, and I still had a 3 hour walk back home; getting home in the middle of the night. My mom was hella mad, and I got into a lot of trouble. But it was so worth it.]

Via @nbcnews : “President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would send ICE agents to airports around the U.S. on Monday amid an ongoing standoff between Senate Republicans and Democrats over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “If the Democrats do not allow for Just and Proper Security at our Airports, and elsewhere throughout our Country, ICE will do the job far better than ever done before!” he wrote in one of several posts on Truth Social, adding later, “I look forward to moving ICE in on Monday, and have already told them to, ‘GET READY.’” The move came hours after the president first threatened to move ICE agents to airports, writing in a post on Truth Social earlier Saturday, “If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before.” In the first post, Trump also said ICE agents’ work in airports would include “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country.” His comments come as Senate Republicans on Saturday blocked a Democratic effort to pass a stand-alone bill to fund TSA in a 41-49 vote and a day after Senate Democrats voted down Republicans’ efforts to pass a bill to fully fund DHS, which has been partially shut down since mid-February. Following the rare Saturday vote, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a key negotiator for Democrats on making a deal to end the partial shutdown, accused Republicans of tying TSA funding to ICE funding.

One deep breath, and one deeper exhale ❤️

Feeling very privileged to get to do this work with and for the community. And feeling even more privileged to work alongside inspiring and brilliant people this past week like @ytienepapeles @el_profe_sanchez , and @undocuprofessionals , and be able to call them friends ❤️ Also feeling very grateful to be able to take a brief moment to feel the heartbeat of the community before getting back to the grind against the Feds for terrorizing our immigrant community members. People often assume que me gusta el desmadre, but I don’t know where they get that from because yo siempre me porto bonito 😇 I realize I owe many homies a call or reply message, I promise I haven’t forgotten about you. Un fuerte abrazo a todos ❤️

Join us tomorrow for an IG LIVE while we pause to talk about DACA. My guest is @luiscortes Luis Cortes who is part of the community and an immigration lawyer. We will be reviewing updates on DACA and most importantly how we can continue to empower and move forward together. This will be a brief session so hope you can join us ✊🏾📣🫂