National purpose with local action
Next meeting: August 31, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Christ Lutheran Church
1701 Arroyo Chamiso Road, Santa Fe
Mayor Michael Garcia and Ivan Cornejo, the chair of the city's Immigration Committee, spoke to ISF on Monday, August 24. They answered a host of questions, most of which centered on what the city and its residents can do to protect Santa Fe's immigrant community from ICE. Many thanks to both!
If you were unable to attend in person, a recording of the livestream is available on Facebook. It's well worth watching.
About 1 hour, 25 minutes into the recording, an attendee asked about the most important things we, as Santa Fe community members, could do to help our immigrant community. Here are a few of the responses.
- Make sure everybody understands their rights concerning interactions with ICE.
- Stay engaged in policy-making. At the beginning of September the city will be working on legislation to prevent ICE from using city property to stage actions and to strengthen the requirement that they notify businesses before conducting I-9 audits. The city needs citizens to advocate for that legislation, because they know there will be people opposing it.
- Consider volunteering at the Food Depot, or Gerard's House, or any place where your particular skills might be helpful to the city's immigrant community.
We can't keep ICE from operating in Santa Fe, but we can help keep our neighbors safe.
Protests, Rallies, and Events
Showing up with the Body Politic
Voter Registrar Needed 🗳️📒
A voter registrar is needed to help with voter registration, one day a week, at the Santa Fe Community College. For more information please email Beth Hollingsworth.
Reclaim Our Vote / Postcards to Swing States 📫
Thank you to all who attended the postcard event August 16 and/or took packets for Reclaim Our Vote and Postcards for Swing States! A quick reminder, please bring finished packets back to Tina M or Georgia S when you are done! They will be mailed in October! By the way, we still have three packets available!
Thanks again for helping! If you have any questions, please contact Georgia S or Tina M.
This Land is Whose Land?
On August 27 at 6:30 PM at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, 505omatic will host the next edition of The Living Room. Devon Ludlow will lead a live panel discussion, with a Q&A, about the threat to New Mexico’s public lands. Guests to be announced. Suggested donation $10.
Drinking Liberally 🍷
September 1, 5:00-7:00 PM, at Boxcar SF, 133 W. Water Street.
Fundraiser for Bill Peifer for Torrance Co. Commissioner
Torrance County is at the geographic center of New Mexico. Its population is small. A shift of a few hundred votes can transform the political conversations about water, jobs, and ICE.
Bill Peifer is running for County Commissioner in Torrance County District 2. The district encompasses all of the eastern rural part of the county, making door-to-door contact impractical. Yet Bill is reaching out, building a web of support among Democrats, Independents (DTS), and even some open-minded Republicans. Personal networks and small community meetings are the heart of his campaign.
Frank B is hosting a fundraiser on September 12 at 2:00 PM, at 404 Vista Chamisa Lane in Santa Fe. Please come meet Bill Peifer, and contribute what you can. Join us to show that Santa Fe Democrats can help our neighbors and promote our strong progressive values at the same time.
RSVP by September 5, either via email to fblechma@aol.com or by calling (571) 238-1402.
Roadless Rule Comment Period ✍️
The U.S. Forest Service has opened a 33-day comment period on a proposal to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The rule has kept 1.6 million acres in New Mexico free from industrial logging and permanent road construction. The comment period ends on September 21.
Multiple conservation groups including New Mexico Wild and the Sierra Club have posted additional information about the proposed rescission. They are urging the public to submit comments. Please add yours!
Info
Regular protests & events
- Speakers' Corner - August 29, 10:00-11:00 AM, on the sidewalk between Sky Coffee and Nuckolls Brewing Company, in the Railyard. Look for people wearing signs that say Speakers' Corner and shirts bearing the ISF logo.
- Banner Drop - September 1, 8:00-9:00 AM at La Cienega. RSVP to Linda F.
Guest post
Donovan Kolbly
Guest post
In the News
What folks are saying, of interest around here and elsewhere
Land of Action is Taking Action ✊
Land of Action and Rural Indivisible New Mexico are ramping up both their Election Watching program and their efforts to inform and motivate New Mexico voters. Find out more here.
Land of Action
End Dark Money in New Mexico Politics 💰
The citizen-led effort to curb corporate money in politics now has a website. Check it out!
Money Out of Politics New Mexico
Project Jupiter Delays and Stays 🤖🛑
On August 23 the New Mexico State Supreme Court granted two stays affecting Project Jupiter, the AI data center project in Doña Ana County.
In response to a petition filed by New Energy Economy, the Court paused the project's air quality permit application because of allegations that the hearing officer had made public participation exceedingly difficult.
The Court also stayed the October 2025 emergency drilling authorization that permitted the use of water from a new well for the construction of Project Jupiter. A petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity argued that the authorization had been made without following the legally required process.
Attacks on Mail Voting Continue 📪
Recent days have brought updates to two court cases concerning the Trump administration's executive order that limits voting by mail and the USPS rules issued to implement that executive order.
On August 21, despite a preliminary injunction that barred the federal government from changing mail-in voting rules before the midterm elections, USPS released a final rule that will require federally regulated mail-in ballot voting envelopes and submission of state voter-roll data.
On August 23 the League of Women Voters led several voting rights advocacy groups in filing an emergency motion, to request an order enforcing the preliminary injunction.
Separately, on August 24 the U.S. Supreme Court paused a lower court ruling that blocked parts of the executive order in 23 states and Washington, D.C.
Steve Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University, has posted a detailed explanation.
Steve Vladeck
From the Desk of Indivisible Santa Fe
Fair Trade?
Gary Kowalski
Stay in touch with us
Check out our resources page with lots of links to useful information, constantly being updated as we find new web resources to help fight for democracy and the rule of law.
You can help our effort to expand our digital presence, including social media on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram by following us and liking and re-posting our messages, or sharing our website with people who might be interested – they, too, can sign up and get this newsletter! 🎉 Help us get the word out!
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Indivisible National
As we exit primary season and head into the general election, what's the role of Democratic Party leadership? Some developments over the last week made clear that not everyone agrees. So I thought I'd write down the two things I think we need to be demanding of our leaders:
1. Big Tent Unity. Primaries are essential for building a strong political party, but they’re by definition divisive -- they’re choices between options. Whether because of mudslinging, or ideological division, or just honest heartbreak from a clean loss, it’s natural to get upset when your side loses.
It’s party leadership’s job after primaries to celebrate the big open family disagreement, and then get everybody to shake hands and move forward together. You do this by encouraging winners and losers alike to be gracious, and by emphasizing that every faction that won its primary is welcome in this big, diverse party.
2. Clear Opposition. This general election, we’re up against the least popular and most corrupt President in American history. That’s a big opportunity for a unified Democratic Party to present itself in stark contrast to a malevolent regime.
It’s leadership’s job to make clear that voting for Democrats will result in real, noticeable changes from the status quo.
Getting it right. Doing this well is really just a matter of being clear on the strategic imperatives, and then saying them out loud a lot. And many Democratic leaders have been succeeding at this!
- After a bruising Michigan primary, Mallory McMorrow stood on stage with primary winner Abdul El-Sayed to unify their coalitions, and runner-up Haley Stevens endorsed him and defended it on Fox News: "That's called democracy." Gracious winners and losers all around!
- When asked if there’s a place in the Democratic Party for democratic socialists, Senator Chris Van Hollen gave a straightforward answer -- “Yes.” We’re a big tent, so go show up and vote for us in November regardless of which wing you support.
- New reporting shows Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin -- the future chairs of powerful committees should Democrats win the House -- are deep into planning an aggressive investigation strategy. What clear opposition! What clear contrast with this corrupt, rubber-stamping MAGA Congress!
Getting it wrong. When asked where the big tent includes democratic socialists who won their Democratic primaries, Hakeem Jeffries couldn’t bring himself to say yes, instead reciting a list of that faction's sins. It’s fine to oppose a faction -- nobody thinks Jeffries supports this one. But as House Democratic Leader, he should be the biggest cheerleader for big tent unification now. We need every faction acting like it’s their job to elect Democrats and defeat MAGA this fall.
Then news broke this weekend that Jeffries had been secretly keeping in touch with Jared Kushner, recently meeting in person to discuss areas of mutual agreement should Democrats win the House. I was shocked -- this is miles away from what any rank-and-file Democrat wants to see from congressional leadership, and something that seems designed to send a George Carlin-style message to voters: “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.”
I’m with Mehdi Hasan who quickly said Jeffries should have one message for Kushner: get ready for a subpoena and criminal investigation for corruption.
Jamelle Bouie has a more sympathetic but still critical take. I agree with his conclusion -- if we want Jeffries and other leaders to shift loudly into opposition and hold these criminals responsible, we’re going to have to organize. The last decade has taught us we cannot just assume Democratic leadership will hold members of this regime accountable -- we have to demand it.
That’s what we’re going to do -- this week and every week until justice is done.
In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible
Your weekly to-dos
- Next Wednesday, September 2, join our GENERAL ELECTION KICKOFF call feat. Ezra Levin to learn how YOU can be part of Indivisible’s plans to flip the House and Senate and hold this corrupt regime accountable (8pm ET/5pm PT). Our primary program comes to a close next Tuesday, and we aren’t wasting any time as we switch gears to organize to win Democratic majorities in Congress. Winning these races -- and protecting the results -- will take commitment from each and every one of us as we approach Election Day on November 3. While we can’t share all of our general election target races just yet (you’ll have to join us next Wednesday for that!), we promise this is a call you won’t want to miss.
- THIS Wednesday, August 26, join the second Hands Off Our Vote election protection training to learn how to defend the vote and take action to block election interference from Trump and his Big Lie cronies (8pm ET/5pm PT). In this training, we’ll focus on hands-on tools for rapid response and sustained mobilization that you can deploy in your communities when the regime tries their dirty tricks. We’ll be joined by guest speaker Cliff Albright, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Black Voters Matter, and we’ll also carve out dedicated time to discuss Trump’s threat to send ICE to the polls and how we can protect our neighbors and loved ones. Nearly 6,000 Indivisibles joined last week’s training -- don’t miss out!
- Join our FINAL Immigrant Justice Summer training call this Thursday, August 27 to learn how to use Signal for rapid response organizing when ICE surges in your community (8pm ET/5pm PT). Together, we’ll explore how to build a nimble communication infrastructure that will enable you to activate on the ground as soon as ICE shows up in our neighborhoods. We’ll discuss what makes Signal the right tool for these moments and examine how organizers used it during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis to coordinate in real time.
- This Friday, August 28, join the King family and Rev. Al Sharpton in Washington, DC to defend the sacred right to vote and honor the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington (the program begins at 9 AM ET at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, and we recommend arriving at 8 AM). As civil and voting rights erode before our eyes, we are called to carry the torch of justice forward to fight for our vote, our families, and our communities. March on Washington: Defend the Vote is co-convened by our partners at the National Action Network and the Drum Major Institute. (If you plan to attend and want to deepen your involvement with the march, sign up to volunteer here.)
- TODAY, Monday, August 24: With just over a week until his primary, phone bank for Indivisible-endorsed candidate Patrick Roath (MA-08) (5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT). Roath is facing thirteen-termincumbent Stephen Lynch, whose MAGA-aligned voting record (including voting to thank ICE for its service and for the Laken Riley Act, which turbocharged Trump’s detention and deportation machine) is wildly out of step with his constituents in MA-08. In sharp contrast to Lynch, Roath will bring his experience as a pro-democracy lawyer and advocate to Congress to fight for all working families. We need a strong showing of people power to get him across the finish line. Paid for by Indivisible Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.
- And speaking of phone banks, sign up to receive our general election volunteer digest for additional opportunities to canvass, phone bank, and more as we approach Election Day in November. Every other week, we’ll send you a roundup of Indivisible’s priority actions to help elect midterm candidates. Whether you have an hour to give or can help out every week, you can play a vital role in securing wins across the country for progressive fighters.
P.S. Six Indivisible-endorsed candidates on the ballot won in August alone -- and on September 1, we’re fighting to bring home one more win. Before we turn all of our attention toward the general election, we’re organizing Indivisibles in MA-08 and across the country to get out the vote for Patrick Roath, a pro-democracy lawyer and advocate facing off against a notorious, MAGA-friendly, thirteen-term incumbent. If you can chip in today, your donation will help us organize to get Roath across the finish line andcatch up to our August fundraising goal so we can dive headfirst into general election work in September.
Good News for a Change
Last week, thanks to massive public outcry, the Trump regime paused construction on their border wall expansion in Big Bend National Park.
When footage surfaced online showing excavators and bulldozers tearing apart the park -- the latest example of Trump’s heinous desecration of public lands in service of anti-immigrant cruelty -- a flood of opposition forced CBP’s hand.
Unsurprisingly, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tried to take credit for the pause, but we know this victory belongs to a broad bipartisan coalition of local activists, conservationists, landowners, elected officials, and more.
While this is great news for now, the fight to protect Big Bend isn’t over. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott paused further construction so he could visit the park and talk to stakeholders himself (seems like that would have been a good idea before destroying public land), but advocates won’t rest until the contracts are canceled and the project is scrapped for good.
Upcoming events + Election shifts
These nationwide events, calls, training sessions, and electoral volunteer opportunities are coming up soon. For even more Indivisible happenings, check our national calendar and get in touch with Indivisible groups near you!
Indivisibles On the GroundSpotlight of the Week: Indivisible Memphis and the Immigrant PantryNearly one year ago, the Trump regime launched a full-fledged federal occupation of Memphis, sending masked ICE agents and National Guard troops to flood the streets. Since that time, organizers on the ground have built mutual aid and support networks, including Indivisible Memphis’ Immigrant Pantry, which deliversfood and household supplies to immigrant families facing food insecurity, family separation due to ICE raids and deportation, and other barriers to accessing groceries and essential items. Doubling down on their cruelty, earlier this August, the Department of Justice announced a grant program that would split hundreds of millions of dollars among four cities that follow the “Memphis Safe Task Force” model of aggressive policing. Memphis organizers have built a robust infrastructure that activists in other cities facing federal assaults can adopt and adapt -- including Indivisible Memphis’ work to create and sustain the Immigrant Pantry. Here’s what Indivisible Memphis members and pantry volunteers had to say about their work: “What started with a few people, some groceries, and a determination to help has grown into something far bigger than I ever imagined. We’ve now made thousands of deliveries and provided food and basic necessities to thousands of our neighbors. Behind every one of those numbers is a family, a parent trying to keep food on the table, a child who deserves to feel safe, or someone trying to get through an incredibly uncertain moment with a little dignity… Indivisible taught so many of us that democracy isn’t something we simply defend at the ballot box. It is something we build in our communities. To me, this pantry is part of the same work. We are building the kind of community we want to live in, one where fear doesn’t get the final word, where nobody is considered disposable, and where we refuse to abandon one another.” -- Jessica Miller “I hoped the effort would show support and solidarity with a community in crisis. What I didn’t know is how deeply it would affect me, or how many people would be moved to volunteer. Mutual aid brought hundreds of new faces into our orbit, giving a productive outlet to our rage by turning it to community-focused love.” -- Sandy Edwards Want to get involved in your own community? Find a local Indivisible group here, and join this Thursday’s final installment of our Immigrant Justice Summer virtual training series. |
Follow Indivisible National on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to their text messaging program, where they send rapid response actions a few times a month.
