The Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network (TASSN)

The Trans Asylum Seekers Support Network (TASSN) is an all-volunteer revolutionary & justice oriented group that is dedicated to freeing transgender and queer asylum seekers from ICE detention and supporting them once they're in the US to lead thriving, joyful lives. On a micro level we devote ourselves to mutual aid, direct action, and deeply relational support, working to support our compañeras (compes) as they fight to win asylum, get their work permits and heal from trauma after crossing the border and being held in detention for it. On a macro level, we are abolitionist, believing that no cages should hold human beings captive anywhere, and no borders should arbitrarily decide where people can live or safely travel. TASSN tackles all the many issues we're up against with dedicated solidarity, fierce joy, and the foundational value that 'no one is free until we are all free.' We are a nonhierarchical collective of organizers/compañeres, and a widespread network of volunteers. We've existed since 2019, and currently support more than 30 compes seeking asylum through letter writing and commissary sending while they're in detention, direct actions/phonebanking to free them from detention, rent and monthly expenses support before they win their work permits, legal support to make their cases, lots of emotional and logistical support while they navigate new lives, and so much more. We did a lot more in person big-group stuff before the pandemic (like dinners, parties, karaoke, teach-ins, etc!) but we still have monthly council meetings in English and Spanish, movie nights, teach-ins, and all kinds of virtual events to both stay connected with each other and spread awareness/bring more folks in. Also, as a fun fact, our logo is the monarch butterfly over the trans flag -- the monarch to represent natural, free migration without borders, and the trans flag to celebrate, well, being trans!

Financiado pelo capítulo Awesome Without Borders (January 2022)