Justice Begins at Home: How Collective Governance Builds Movements That Can Withstand Anything
Published in The Forge (January 2025).
“One evening in mid-2017, a client of mine called in tears: “ICE followed my brother from our house on his way to work,” she said, trembling. “They arrested him. I’m scared they’ll take his DACA away. What can I do?”
We were a small team back then at Pangea Legal Services ––– about 10 full-time staff ––– scrambling to respond. Hundreds of calls flooded in each day, filled with fear and urgency. “¿Qué hacemos si hay una redada de ICE? ¿Qué pasa si la migra viene a mi casa?” (What do we do if there’s an ICE raid? What happens if immigration comes to my house?) These were not theoretical fears. They were immediate, real, and deeply unsettling.
Trump had just begun his presidency, and the effects of his campaign’s rhetoric were rippling across immigrant communities. Policies were already stripping away rights, pushing communities into panic. But in these moments of crisis, there was also a spark –– an opportunity to organize and build power through collective action.
[…] At Pangea, we leaned into collective power. With our partners, we developed promotora training programs that focused on community self-defense and equipped undocumented leaders to organize against ICE raids within their own neighborhoods. Together with Migra Watch –– modeled after Cop Watch –– these programs trained thousands of undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizen allies to document ICE actions and build rapid-response networks. This collaborative effort transformed fear into actionable solidarity, empowering entire communities to stand together.
One promotora said it best, “This isn’t just about protecting my family—it’s about changing the system for everyone.” Her words stayed with me because they capture the heart of what we were building: a movement rooted in care, accountability, and shared power.
Collective Governance: Resilience From Within
Amidst the external challenges, we also turned inward. We asked ourselves: How can we reflect the community justice we advocate for in the way we run and manage our organization?
This was where collective governance came in.[…]”