Originally posted by Yakima Herald-Republic / Written by Sara Rea Shields
Chatter was loud and enthusiastic as small groups of people gathered in Yakima on Saturday to assemble whistle kits to draw attention to immigration enforcement in the community.
More than 100 volunteers came together on the third floor of Glenwood Square to assemble the kits. Some people placed whistles on key rings or lanyards, while others placed whistles or printed information into plastic bags. The event was organized by the Yakima Immigrant Response Network and Yakima Indivisible.
The information in the packets said whistles are simple, loud and recognizable, and turn silence into community action.
Some of the 3D printed whistles had a phone number for the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network printed on them. The deportation defense phone hotline can be used to support Washington residents regardless of immigration status, according to the group’s website.
More than 4,000 whistles were donated for the packets that will be distributed to community members to alert neighbors to Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the area.
“In the right hands, at the right time, these whistles are a great safety alert system,” Danielle Surkatty with Yakima Immigrant Response Network said in an interview. “We don’t want to harass ICE agents or impede. We do want our concerned neighbors to stay in their homes to be safe.”
ICE arrested more than 950 people in Washington state between July 29 and Oct. 15 — far outpacing the roughly 1,000 arrests made over the previous seven months, according to government data provided by ICE in response to a FOIA request, processed by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the Yakima Herald-Republic.
Putting together the kits
Bags were filled with 25 whistle kits, and Surkatty encouraged volunteers to take some to distribute to friends, family and neighbors. Kits will also be distributed to other local organizations.
Everything included in the whistle kits came from donations. Whistles were donated by a Seattle-area whistle group and produced through local 3D printing efforts.
Zillah resident Morgan Humes created 1,300 3D-printed whistles for Saturday’s event and has donated more than 3,500 since last October.
“I’ve been printing whistles since ICE agents started the invasion of streets across the country,” Humes said. “Some people want to help but don’t know how. This impacts the community; every small thing goes a long way and can be empowering.”
Each sheet consists of 50 to 100 3D printed whistles, costing about three to eight cents each, depending on the style.
“It’s nice to see everyone coming together. All the people here are involved,” Humes said. He was printing another 120 more at home as he attached whistles to key rings.
Alma Cervantes of Wapato and her sister, Angelica Cervantes of Yakima, attended the whistle kit party with children in tow.
“I want to support the cause and fight the injustice of what’s going on,” Alma said. “It’s good for us and the kids to stand up for what’s right and to know that there are always good people to help in bad situations.”
Martha Ramirez of Yakima Indivisible shared the no-fear sentiment.
“I’m overjoyed to see how many people showed up to help today,” Ramirez said. “ICE feeds on fear, and we need to replace our fear not with hope but with purpose. We’re networking and creating connections in our communities.”
Events Sunday
After volunteers finished assembling the whistle kits, some stayed to create picket signs for an ICE Out Now protest planned at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Yakima Indivisible, YIRN and Englewood Christian Church expect to draw hundreds of protesters at 40th and Tieton avenues to protest against ICE and remember ICE victims nationwide, a news release from Yakima Indivisible stated.
Following the protest, a community vigil will be held from 3-4 p.m. at Englewood Christian Church, 511 N. 44th Ave., where hot chocolate and coffee will be served.
“The vigil offers a space to grieve for our nation, those impacted by immigration enforcement, and the erosion of values like decency and fairness,” the news release stated. “Our democracy and our Constitution are being trampled in Minneapolis and other cities. We will not let it happen here in Washington state.”
More information on YIRN and the whistle kits is available at YakimaResponseNetwork.org, or by emailing YakimaResponseNetwork@gmail.com.
