FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE IMMIGRANT SUPPORT ACTION TEAM (ISAT) OF GREYLOCK TOGETHER
Who are we?
We are volunteers, mostly in Northern Berkshire County, who want to be informed and effective in supporting our immigrant neighbors, coworkers, friends and community members. We seek to educate ourselves and others, advocate for legislation and policies, accompany immigrants in their interactions with the US immigration system, create accountability and defense of our communities through ICE Watch, and support immigrants and their families affected by ICE detentions and deportations. We are one of the Action Teams of the Indivisible group Greylock Together.
Co-captains: Carrie Waara and Sabina Chen
What does ISAT do?
Since its inception in early 2025, members of our group have organized to:
Sponsor three public forums with Berkshire Interfaith Organizing in churches in Williamstown, North Adams and Lenox to discuss our Berkshire immigrant communities’ experiences and concerns, and to share how members of the public can help. We are happy to organize more! Let us know if your organization/church/ synagogue/temple would like to host a forum.
Raise funds to support Berkshire families whose breadwinners were taken by ICE and provide legal fees to secure legal representation.
Raise funds to increase effectiveness of the Family and Work Mobility Act and purchase and repair a car and insurance so that immigrants can take their driving test for licensure with an RMV-approved vehicle. (Middle hand brake required for passenger access.)
Partner with Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL/ESOL) programs in the county as volunteer conversation partners and work to grow our own Spanish language skills. We hope to create a regular Spanish learners group.
Launch Guardianship Through Encounter, a congregation-based, relationship-building effort to encourage trust among community members to serve as temporary guardians for children whose parents have been taken by ICE. We welcome your participation and support.
Train & organize for Bystander/Upstander witnessing, ICE Watch and Community Defense. This is an ongoing effort, both virtual and in person. Speak with Carrie or Sabina with your interest.
Met with local town government and police department leadership to discuss communication and policies around ICE and community defense.
Provide outreach to assist local businesses and employees to prepare for ICE encounters in the workplace, to prepare families of employees in the event of ICE detention, and to message strong support for the immigrant community through beautiful posters stating “We the Berkshires Stand with Immigrants.” We continue this outreach and welcome your help.
Accompany immigrants to scheduled interactions with our immigration system both in person and remotely. We continue training for accompaniment through ACLU-MA (Know Your Rights: LGBTQ Students in Massachusetts Public Schools) and BIJAN (Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network) at www.beyondbondboston.org and other organizations
Fundraise for the BASIC/Berkshire Taconic fund for immigrant support: The “We the Berkshires Stand with Immigrants” graphic has been printed on totes, window clings and posters for sale across the county. Greylock Together and some of our local businesses (Bear and Bee in N. Adams, e.g.) are selling the items. https://basicberkshires.org/fundraiser/
Partner with other local, Berkshire County, and statewide organizations like Berkshire Immigrant Center (BIC), Berkshire Alliance to Support our Immigrant Community (BASIC), LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) to raise awareness, understanding, and actions through advocacy efforts to pressure our governmental representatives to enact policies and legislation to support immigrants, for example the Dignity Not Deportations Act (H.1588 & S.1122) to end voluntary ICE contracts for detention beds in our state that facilitate mass deportations, and to pressure Governor Healey to enact stronger policies to support immigrants in Massachusetts and to end 287(g) contracts with ICE.
Sign on to our petition: https://www.greylocktogether.org/keep-our-communities-safe-end-287g-in-massachusetts/
LUCE statement on Governor Healey’s recent executive order
Material Support to Immigrants including expanding the availability of WebEx sites in Berkshire County where immigrants can attend immigration court hearings remotely,
and Fundraising Campaigns:
— for Massachusetts “bail funds” (In immigration courts, the entire amount of fees is required.)
Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network
— for the Pittsfield-based Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Emergency Fund for rent and utilities assistance, legal fees, medical emergencies, etc Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Inc.
— for the ACLU to enable it to provide qualified case lawyers for asylum seekers
— For a Minneapolis neighborhood mutual aid effort most recently
HOW DO I JOIN?
If you have ideas, time, and energy, and a compassionate commitment to celebrating and supporting in meaningful ways our local immigrant community in this challenging time, Contact Greylock Together greylocktogether@gmail.com and write “ISAT” in the subject line.
OR meet us at our in-person meetings of Greylock Together on third Mondays of each month at 7:00-8:30pm at the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WILLIAMSTOWN, 906 Main Street, and/or subscribe to the newsletter at Greylock Together.