Tonight is Yom Kippur, when we're called to recommit to our highest values. Instead, Republicans have shut down the government, putting food security at risk for tens of millions. Mothers, babies, SNAP recipients, 47 million Americans struggling with hunger are abandoned. What a disgrace.

“The travel ban will break our country’s promise for a safe future in the US for all Afghans who worked alongside and kept safe US military personnel in Afghanistan.” - Robin Mencher, @jfcseastbay.bsky.social My latest... kqed.org/news/12042983 @kqednews.kqed.org #TravelBan2025 #immigration

🚨 ICE activity is rising — do you know how to help? You can be an ally to your immigrant neighbors — legally, safely, and with real impact.

Private companies like GEO Group and CoreCivic run for-profit immigration detention centers — getting paid for every person they lock up. Congress just passed a bill funneling billions more to ICE — increasing the national debt by over $3 TRILLION — directly benefiting these private prisons.

Thousands of Afghans who risked their lives to support U.S. troops are now at risk of being deported back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This will take away a vital protection and puts our Afghan neighbors in danger. JFCS East Bay is mobilizing to offer legal support and advocate for justice.

42 million Americans rely on SNAP to feed their families — but House Republicans just advanced a bill to slash $290 billion from food assistance to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. We can stop this. 📢 Tell your reps to VOTE NO on this cruel bill.

This morning at Dulles Airport: 59 white South Africans—Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch colonists—arrived in the U.S. as refugees after just months of expedited processing. Meanwhile, a ban continues to block most other refugees from entry. Read this from our Executive Dir., Robin Mencher.

This Mother’s Day, honor the sacrifice and resilience of immigrant and refugee moms who fight every day to protect their children. 1️⃣ Call your reps — demand they restore refugee programs. 2️⃣ Tell Congress: protect immigrant children. 3️⃣ Donate to support mental health services for refugee moms.

May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth 💚 Too many in the East Bay are struggling. 🧠 1 in 5 Contra Costa adults face mental health challenges 😔 30% of teens feel persistently sad or hopeless 🏚️ 10K+ unhoused in Alameda Co, many with severe mental illness Mental healthcare is a right, not a privilege

Mexican immigrants build, grow, and fuel America. From farms to factories, kitchens to classrooms — they make this country stronger. 💪✨ They have built communities, fed families, and made this country home for generations. Today, we honor them. 🇲🇽❤️

Trump’s been in office for 100 days. Here’s your reminder: we have work to do. 📢 5 things to tell your representatives TODAY:

HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF? Trump is using the Alien Enemies Act — a 1798 wartime law used during the internment of Japanese Americans in WWII — to fast-track deportations, claiming a so-called “invasion.” Legal experts + civil rights orgs are calling out this abuse of power - you can do the same!

In the East Bay, 22% of Jewish households barely get by. Many earn under $50K a year. Those most impacted? Older adults. Immigrants. People with disabilities. Holocaust Survivors. Non-white Jews. We have already helped stabilize 40 people in crisis this year. Help us reach 60 more by July. 💪

Join @berkeleyca.gov, JCC East Bay, and @jfcseastbay.bsky.social at their 22nd Annual Holocaust Remembrance Day Virtual Program 🕯 Thursday, April 24 | 2 - 3 pm Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/city-of-be...

🚨 Afghan Families Are at Risk 🚨 Since 2021, JFCS East Bay has supported 2,300+ Afghan immigrants who came to the East Bay seeking safety. Many arrived under temporary status and are now at risk of detention or deportation back to danger. This is a moment for compassion. Stand with Afghan families. 💛

Meet Veronica Granillo, senior immigration attorney at East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. "We need U.S. citizens to step up. Protest. Protect your neighbors. Use your privilege to speak up—because undocumented people can’t always safely do that." (To read Veronica's story, see link in comments below).

The time to take action in NOW! JFCS board member, Stewart Florsheim attended and met with lawmakers—including Assembly members Buffy Wicks & Alex Lee and Senators Jesse Arreguín & Tim Grayson—to advocate for increased funding for immigration legal services. Get up, get out, stand up, speak out!

280,000 Ukrainians came to the U.S. seeking safety from war. Last week, hundreds received emails telling them to leave. The government says it was a mistake—but the fear remains. JFCS East Bay stands with Ukrainian refugees and all immigrant and refugee communities.

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is revoking the legal status of almost 1 million DOCUMENTED immigrants. This is more than a policy change—it’s a humanitarian crisis. The message is clear: immigration policy is shifting fast, and millions of lives hang in the balance.

House Republicans adopted a budget resolution requiring the Energy and Commerce Committee to find $880 billion in mandatory spending cuts over the next 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office says meeting these goals means there has to be cuts to Medicaid.