 What’s happening in Minnesota is shocking. Every day, we are seeing videos of ICE agents, masked and not identified, grabbing people, often U.S. citizens, and simply dragging them away. Some are later released without explanation. Others are detained or disappear. This is illegal, immoral, and a violation of our country's founding ideals.
This Friday (tomorrow!), people across the country stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota and against the actions of ICE and the Trump administration. Here are some actions you can take this Friday to support Minnesotans: Tell our senators to rein in ICE right now! Congress has to pass an appropriations bill by January 30 to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded, giving Democrats significant leverage to rein in ICE and limit its budget. Call our senators now and demand they use the appropriations bill to protect our communities from ICE. (More info here) Donate to the many heroic efforts supporting the people and communities ICE has besieged. These organizations provide food and diapers, help with rent, and assist with other concrete needs. Check out the list here and pick a cause or two that speak to your heart. Share your support for Minnesota. Change your profile picture on Friday and/or post this graphic on whatever social platforms you use. Put a sign in your window, in your yard, or on your car. Let your friends and family know that what is happening is not acceptable. Contribute to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. This non-profit provides free immigration and legal representation to immigrants and refugees. Reach out to friends and family in Minnesota. Make that call this Friday and tell them you support them and are thinking of them during this horrible time. Write a letter to the editor. It might seem old-school, but these printed letters are a tangible way to de-normalize what is happening. ACLU offers these guidelines for writing a letter. Speak from the heart, and people will listen. Submit your letter to the paper of your choice including Whidbey News Times, Seattle Times or even the Minnesota Star Tribune. How great would it be for people in Minnesota to see support from Whidbey in their paper? Read more ideas for supporting Minnesota from Whidbey Island. It’s easy to feel helpless during this traumatic time. Take at least one action this Friday as we continue to stand in solidarity and demand an end to the assault on Minnesota. Use Your Voice via TAN As the Washington Legislative Session continues, the Take Action Network (TAN) is your window to what is happening in Olympia and your opportunity to speak out. Join TAN Here are a couple of things to weigh in on this week: Are you concerned about large data centers and PSE driving up your electric bill due to high energy consumption? Take action and support a bill to protect energy affordability for consumers, ensure grid reliability, and prioritize sustainability by selecting Pro! Pro for SB 6171 Are you upset that guilty January 6th insurrectionists are being paid restitution with your tax dollars? Contact your members of Congress to support denial legislation by clicking here. Unsure how to use TAN? The Whidbey Island Democratic Club is hosting a Coffee and Conversation on Friday, January 30, 10:30 am at the Coupeville Library. Indivisible Whidbey’s Brian LeVere will give a demo of TAN and help you get up and running with this powerful tool. At this meeting, Diana Sandoval, a leader from Solidarity Over Supremacy on Whidbey (SOS), will lead a discussion on conversation tools that might work when discussing politics with our neighbors and families. Membership Meeting THIS Saturday Our all-island membership meeting is Saturday, January 24, at 1:30 pm at Clinton Hall. Sign up here This meeting will focus on how we, as Indivisible Whidbey, can influence the all-important 2026 mid-term elections. We need everyone involved! Please grab a friend and come to this meeting to learn how you can be part of it. Community Socials Meet your neighbors, share ideas, and build community at our monthly community socials: South End: We’re working towards regular meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The next meeting is on February 19 at the Freeland Library. Coupeville: 4th Tuesday of every month, 6–7:30 pm. Next meeting: January 27 at the library. Oak Harbor: CHANGE: 1st Wednesday of the Month in February and March. Next meeting February 4 at the Oak Harbor Library. In solidarity, Indivisible Whidbey Steering Committee P.S. Feeling overwhelmed? Musician and Licensed Social Worker Barbara Dunn is leading a six-week session to help us navigate these challenging times. The group starts on January 27 and meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, in person, in Langley. Email [email protected] to learn more and join the group.
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 Thanks to everyone who showed up at Bayview, Coupeville, and Oak Harbor last Saturday to protest the brazen actions of ICE and to honor the life of one of ICE’s latest victims. These gatherings are important because they prevent the regime’s actions from becoming normal, send a message that we want something different, and remind us we are not alone.
Protesting is essential, but it’s not enough! In this week’s newsletter, we offer three challenges:
Run for Something Now more than ever, we need qualified people who will fight for our democracy in office. That starts with finding and encouraging people to run for office. Public office isn’t for everyone, but it’s also not as hard as you might think! Run for Something offers support and a rich toolkit for anyone considering running for office. In addition, Indivisible Whidbey is committed to providing hands-on support to qualified candidates. Wondering what to run for? Here are some of the upcoming races on Whidbey Island. It’s a big list, but many of these positions are modest in their demands and require minimal specialized experience. Not interested in running but still want to help? We are looking for a lead or leads to help identify and support candidates on Whidbey Island. Please email us! Volunteers Needed Last week, we put out a call for volunteers and leaders to help us achieve our 2026 objectives. Thanks to all who responded! If you haven’t volunteered yet, there are still plenty of opportunities. To reiterate: Our objective for 2026 is to leverage the strength of Indivisible Whidbey membership to influence the 2026 Legislative Session and mid-term elections on the island, in the state, and around the country. Here’s an update on what we need and what we’ve covered since last week.
Ready to jump in? Let’s talk! Don’t want to do it alone? Recruit a friend! Grab your calendar — There’s a lot coming up! January 20 Nationwide Walk Out Free America is calling for a nationwide coordinated walkout on January 20 at 2 PM local time. The call is to walk away from authoritarianism in partnership with Women’s March. You can participate rural style: Join us next Tuesday as we send emails to our elected leaders at exactly 2pm. Be part of this virtual mass action by setting your alarm for 2pm and contacting Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representative Larsen. Here’s a suggested message (or write your own!) . My name is ___________ . I live and vote in Island County, WA. I am among the 52% of Americans who believe that President Trump is a dangerous dictator.( Source: Public Religion Research Institute, October 2025) Today, I stand with the Free America Walkout. We walk away from fascism. We walk towards a Free America. We fight for a future that belongs to all. Everybody in, nobody out. Thank you for all you do to protect democracy. To send to all three representatives at once, go to democracy.io. Share your passion more widely with these email addresses: President and Vice-President Department of Justice Homeland Security While spread-out Whidbey Island isn’t ideally situated for a walk-out, these actions are meaningful as we join the national movement in our own way. Lobby Day in Olympia. FairVote Washington is hosting a lobby day in Olympia on January 23 from 8:30 am to 5 pm. This event offers an opportunity to rally with others to meet with Legislators about ranked-choice voting. Learn more and register here. Indivisible Whidbey Membership Meeting Saturday, January 24, at 1:30 at Clinton Hall. Sign up here Learn how you can make a difference in the all-important 2026 midterms! Navigating the Chaos Musician and Licensed Social Worker Barbara Dunn is leading a six-week session to help us navigate these challenging times. The group starts on January 27 and meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month, in person, in Langley. Email [email protected] to learn more and join the group. League of Women Voters Kick-off The League of Women Voters Whidbey is hosting a New Member Welcome and Orientation: Defending Democracy in 2026. Saturday, January 31, 11-1, Greenbank Progressive Club. You can join LOWV here. Community Socials Our monthly community socials at three locations across the island are a great way to connect, share ideas, and get to know like-minded neighbors. South End: We’re working towards regular meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The next meeting is on February 19 at the Freeland Library. Coupeville: 4th Tuesday of every month, 6–7:30 pm. Next meeting: January 27 at the library. Oak Harbor: CHANGE: 1st Wednesday of the Month in February and March. Next meeting February 4 at the Oak Harbor Library. Ditch Facebook! Most of us joined Facebook to connect with family and friends. Unfortunately, Facebook (or Meta, which includes Instagram) is no longer a force for good. Their algorithms, bots, and fake news have proven dangerous to democracy. Consider joining BlueSky and following Indivisible Whidbey. BlueSky is very easy to use and doesn’t show you any false information or spam. It might not work for keeping up with family and friends, but it’s a clear, easy way to stay up to date with the world. Here’s a training to get you started. Once you are logged into BlueSky, take a look at our list of people and organizations we recommend you follow. Hope to see you on BlueSky, at our Membership Meeting, and around town! In Solidarity, Indivisible Whidbey Steering Committee  The latest ICE atrocity has us stunned and deeply saddened. Wednesday's shooting is not the first time ICE has brutally murdered someone without provocation. Seeing the video of this latest killing brings home the violent and lawless nature of this agency and of the Trump administration. It’s shocking, disturbing, and angering!
Now more than ever, we must stand together and fight back. Locally, please consider joining one of these regularly planned protests this Saturday morning: 10 am, Bayview Corner 11 am, Highway 20 at the overpass in Coupeville 11 am Beeksma Park in Oak Harbor Bring a sign demanding accountability and an end to ICE. Please also contact Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representative Larsen to demand the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. As we take time to process this horrific event, let’s use it to come together as a community, fuel action, and demand better. Unmask Ice There is more we can do to hold ICE accountable, something that seems even more important this week: ban ICE agents from hiding behind masks. Use the Take Action Network (TAN) to encourage Washington State lawmakers to pass a bill requiring ICE personnel to show their faces. If you’re not yet on TAN, sign up on our website. Our 2026 Focus and How You Can Help Our objective for 2026 is to leverage the strength of Indivisible Whidbey membership to influence the 2026 Legislative Session and mid-term elections on the island, in the state, and around the country. There are many ways to help and to make an impact, so no matter your passion, skills, or available time, there's a role for you! We also need leadership in many of our focus areas. While stepping up to lead can be challenging, you won't be alone! We formed the Indivisible Whidbey Steering Committee a year ago when outgoing leadership asked for new energy, and many of us learned as we went. We're eager to welcome new leaders and support them as they build their teams. If one of these roles speaks to you and you feel the call to lead or co-lead, let's talk!
Read more about each of these areas and the opportunity to lead or support. If you are interested but not ready to lead, don’t worry! We also have lots of supporting roles and need many hands to be successful. We’ll be sharing more in these emails and at our membership meeting on January 24. All-Island Membership MeetingWe come together as an island on Saturday, January 24, at 1:30 at Clinton Hall. No matter where you live on Whidbey, we hope you’ll join this important meeting! Sign up here At the meeting, we’ll detail our plans for 2026 and how we, as Whidbey Islanders, can make a difference in the all-important mid-term elections. This is your opportunity to be part of this critical work. Community Socials Our monthly community socials at three locations across the island are a great way to connect, share ideas, and get to know like-minded neighbors. South End: Thursday, 1/15, at 6-7:30 at The Fireside Room at the Langley United Methodist Church at 301 Anthes Ave., Langley. (Please note the change of date!) In the future, we aim to hold socials on the south end of the island on the third Thursday of each month, though the location may vary. Coupeville: 4th Tuesday of every month, 6–7:30 pm. Next meeting: January 19 at the library. Oak Harbor: The days and location of these may change due to meeting space availability. Stand by for an update shortly. Making Your Voice Heard in Olympia. FairVote Washington is hosting a lobby day in Olympia on January 23 from 8:30 am to 5 pm. This event offers an opportunity to rally with others to meet with Legislators about ranked-choice voting. Learn more and register here. Got passion for another issue? Why not testify? This video explains how you can participate in public testimony. Here’s the link to register to testify! No War in Venezuela Last week's attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of a foreign head of state were a shocking breach of both domestic and international law and a dangerous precedent. We need to make it crystal clear to Congress: This lawless violence must stop. We must not allow the administration to feel emboldened to attempt other reckless interventions. First: Use our scripts and call tools at the links below to call your Members of Congress. Trump must not be allowed to drag the country into yet more chaos. The military strike may be over, but Trump is talking about keeping US forces on the ground in Venezuela indefinitely, and explicitly threatening other countries in the Western Hemisphere. Click here to call your senators, and click here to call your representative. Next: Use our email tool to drive the point home. Click here to email your Members of Congress to demand an end to military action against Venezuela. Thank you for being part of this vital movement and for ensuring we have an impact in 2026. In Solidarity, Indivisible Whidbey Steering Committee Dear Friend,
We hope you're staying dry and warm through the winter weather over the past couple of weeks. We're grateful for the utility crews who have helped restore electricity and phone/internet service to our neighborhoods. For information about flooding in Skagit and Whatcom Counties, including where to find food, shelter, and resources, as well as how to help, visit Community Action of Skagit County and Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group. Skagit County and Whatcom County also maintain helpful websites. Here on Whidbey Island, call 911 for any life, environment, or property emergencies. Visit Puget Sound Energy's site to report outages and view an outage map. Visit the Island County Department of Emergency Management website here. We will be taking a couple of weeks off from compiling and sending this email. We wish you a joyful holiday season, however you celebrate. We'll be back in your inbox in 2026, ready to continue the effort to protect our democracy and communities! National Action The president continues to amass warships in the Caribbean and bomb small vessels. The administration has declared fentanyl a "weapon of mass destruction." It's not clear whether this is to justify increased use of force. However, Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves. We've seen this before, and it didn't go well. Over nearly a decade, nearly 4,500 American service members died in Iraq. More than 32,000 were wounded. Approximately 200,000 civilians died. The US spent more than $2 trillion, all on the false premise of WMDs in Iraq. We cannot allow this morally bankrupt administration to lead us down the same path. We expect the House to vote this week, and the Senate shortly after, on legislation to block the use of US forces in Venezuela. Use the email tool at this link to tell our Members of Congress to vote yes. Governor Ferguson Meeting Recap Indivisible Representatives from Northwest Washington recently met with three members of Governor Ferguson's staff. The governor, understandably, could not attend due to the ongoing flood response. The meeting included the following topics: Department of Justice Lawsuits While the Washington Secretary of State works independently of the governor's authority in administering our elections, the governor's representatives reassured us that the State of Washington will aggressively resist attempted federal interference. Our Attorney General (AG) is working closely with his peers from other states and is proactively filing amicus briefs in cases where Washington lacks standing. Protecting Immigrants The governor's staff works on this issue every day. Although the Department of Licensing (DOL) had information-sharing agreements with federal agencies, those agreements specified that those agencies could not use the data for immigration enforcement. When the federal agencies' violation of the agreement became apparent, Washington ceased sharing some information. The state also increased the data-sharing agreement stipulations. The governor signed an executive order directing state agencies to review data-handling and creating an immigration subcommission. Washington's robust public records laws, however, require a careful approach so that correspondence cannot be misused. Redistricting Our state's constitution does not allow for redistricting like California will undertake. The governor's representatives appreciated some of the suggestions and agreed to share them with our Congressional delegation. Federal Accountability for Unlawful Conduct This is a complex issue requiring close consultation with the AG. Nevertheless, the governor's representatives encouraged witnesses to document events, as long as they stayed safe. Litigation The AG has brought 46 lawsuits, including one against a Washington county. His office maintains an online tracker. The state is trying to use its public health authority to inspect detention centers, but the suit is still pending. Many bills will emerge in the coming days for the upcoming session, including one that limits law enforcement's use of masks (which the governor supports). What We Can Do We can advocate for bills. After a bill's introduction, citizens can sign up to testify. Overwhelming support is very meaningful. Indivisible Whidbey is hoping to lead at least one trip to Olympia to support important work. Continue to share concerns at all levels of government; one staff member emphasized the importance of local (city/county) government. Continue to organize in the community. Reach out to family and neighbors. We are grateful to the governor’s staff for their time and attention! Building Community, Taking Action Our community socials are a great way to interact with like-minded neighbors. At our next few socials, we will also help people get up and running on the Take Action Network (TAN), which makes it easy to advocate for or against legislation. Bring a laptop if you have one and would like help! We will also share plans for 2026, with an eye toward how you can get involved and have an impact. Coupeville Community Social (4th Tuesday of every month, 6-7:30 pm). Next meeting: December 23rd. Oak Harbor Community Social (1st Monday of every month, 6:00-7:30 pm). Next Meeting: January 5th. Skagit Valley College Whidbey Campus, Oak Hall, Classroom A306 (third floor, there is an elevator). This is the building beside the library and shares the same parking lot. Our first South Whidbey Community Social drew a great crowd. We will gather again on January 22nd, 6-7:30 pm. We plan to hold these on the third Thursday of each month. Mark your calendar and look for details on the location shortly! Our next All-island Membership Meeting is on Saturday, January 24th, 2026, at the Clinton Community Hall at 1:30 pm. These meetings are an important opportunity for us to come together as an island. At the January meeting, we will share our work on the 2026 Washington Legislative Session and plans for the midterms on Whidbey Island, in the State, and in the Nation. We have ways for everyone to be involved and have an impact, so please come! Check out the civic calendar at the end of this email for ways to have your eyes and ears on local issues and leadership. As we move through the longest nights of the year, we look forward to lighter, brighter days ahead and a year full of resistance, good trouble and a growing community. Happy New Year! Indivisible Whidbey Steering Committee Civic Calendar Events Dec 18, 2025 11:00 am: Whidbey Island Public Hospital District Board Meeting Dec 23, 2025 01:00 pm: Port of Coupeville – Board Meeting Service Opportunities The City of Langley is looking for a new member of their Civil Service Commission. The Town of Coupeville is looking for a volunteer for their Historic Preservation Commission. Dear Friend,
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