Call to Action
American democracy is under attack.
As writers and citizens, we cannot stand by and see our institutions dismantled. Please join us in the battle of our lives.
Call, email, write, and show up at the offices of your elected officials. Remind them government is by the people, for the people.
Register to vote and show up at the polls, especially in special and runoff elections. Find out if there’s an election near you and vote prepared and informed at vote.org.
Consider writing an OpEd for one of our nation’s online or print publications (see guidelines below) or submit to our Substack page.
Join Writers for Democratic Action. We’ll keep you informed of specific campaigns and opportunities to volunteer locally.
Don’t have a state WDA chapter? Form one. Contact us, and we’ll get you started.
Stand with The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights!
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) published a new rule that gives Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) broad access to the immigration status of sponsors and families of unaccompanied children for enforcement purposes and removes safeguards against release denials based solely on a sponsor's immigration status.
This rule went into effect on March 25, 2025 (the same day the Rule was published) and comments are due May 27th. The Rule eliminates a provision of the ORR Foundational Rule that includes critical protections for unaccompanied children and their families. The deleted provision states that “ORR shall not disqualify potential sponsors based solely on their immigration status and shall not collect information on immigration status of potential sponsors for law enforcement or immigration enforcement related purposes. ORR shall not share any immigration status information relating to potential sponsors with any law enforcement or immigration enforcement related entity at any time.”
Federal law requires federal agencies to consider public comments submitted about these kinds of rules. That's why we need as many people as possible to send in unique comments opposing this rule. You can use our template language, set up in the form by clicking below. You can also submit a comment directly through the government website. (One note: while we encourage you to share personal experiences that are relevant, please do not share any names or identifying information about clients.)
Thank you for standing with immigrant children and their families!
NO KINGS’ DAY
JUNE 14 — NATIONWIDE
Organized by 50501 Movement
Writers for Democratic Action mobilized on Saturdays, April 5th and 19th to stop the MAGA assault on our country and Constitution. Now, once again, on Saturday, June 14th, we will as a nation, take to the streets to peacefully defend our freedoms, our rights, and our future. When those in power try to silence us, we rise louder. When they attack our communities, we fight back—together. Join us on June14th!
New York City
Chicago
Wisconsin
North Carolina
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New York
New York
New York
New York
New York
New York
North Carolina
Washington DC
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
See our DEMOCRACY THEATER PROJECT page for details on our April 19th event:
Paul Revere Resists
“Reimagining Paul Revere’s ride to address Trump-era threats” by Renée Loth, April 17, in The Boston Globe!
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See our DEMOCRACY BOOK CLUB page for details on our March 30th event:
Seeking Sanctuary: Refugees, Migrants, Immigrants and the Protection of Human Rights
Drawing by Laurent Corvaisier @lemondefr
A Reflection on the Neofascist Character of the Trump Administration & the MAGA Movement
By Siri Hustvedt
Published in Le Monde
April 9, 2025
We Stand with Mahmoud Khalil and Condemn the Criminalization of Constitutionally-Protected Activism.
Writers for Democratic Action condemns the illegal arrest and attempted deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student activist and legal U.S. resident. The disappearance of Khalil from his Columbia University housing, in front of his pregnant wife, at the hands of unnamed plainclothes agents, is a chilling escalation of state repression—one that evokes the darkest chapters of history, where unaccountable forces abduct dissenters under the cover of “un-American activity.” The constitutional right to protest is at the core of what it means to live in America.
This is not just an attack on Khalil; it is a warning to all who dare to speak out against injustice. It is an act of intimidation meant to silence those who stand for Palestinian rights, for justice, for freedom. We refuse to be intimidated. We refuse to be silent.
These are dangerous times, in which Gestapo-style tactics are being normalized in the United States. If we do not resist, if we do not demand accountability now, then we accept a future in which no one is safe from the State’s unchecked power. We demand Mahmoud Khalil’s immediate release. We demand transparency, due process, and the protection of all those targeted for their political beliefs. And we demand an end to the criminalization of constitutionally-protected activism.
Consider writing an OpEd for one of our country’s prominent online or print publications!
See The OpEd Project guidelines here.
Oppose the Attack on Education!
Donald Trump and his administration have drafted an executive order to eliminate the US Department of Education, which was created in 1979 to coordinate most financial assistance to education. The Department's mission is to serve America's students by ensuring equal access. Make no mistake: this is an attack against the marginalized. This is an attack against literacy. This is an attack against our fundamental rights.