We Stand with Survivors
Content Warning: The following statements discuss allegations and experiences of sexual abuse, rape, grooming, and exploitation of minors, as well as failures of accountability by powerful individuals. These topics may be distressing or triggering, particularly for survivors of sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised, and we encourage you to engage with this content at a pace and in a way that prioritizes your well‑being.
As our community listens to Dolores Huerta and acknowledges the survivors of abuse linked to César Chávez, alongside the 1,000 survivors named and implied in the Epstein files, we are reminded that reckoning and justice cannot be partial or selective.
At this moment of collective reckoning, Immigration Counseling Service (ICS) stands unequivocally with survivors and affirms their courage, dignity, and right to be heard and believed. We call for accountability for all perpetrators without exception because justice is not selective and cannot depend on legacy, wealth, or power. As these voices remind us, our society moves swiftly to condemn people of color but too often allows rich, privileged, white people to evade scrutiny and continue operating with impunity.
True justice demands the same rigorous standards, transparency, and consequences for everyone, and an unwavering commitment to ending the culture of silence that has protected abusers for far too long. We support and uplift the voices of survivors and Latina leaders calling for accountability:
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From civil rights leader Dolores Huerta:
I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for…
I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let César or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.
I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control…
The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. César’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.
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From Former California Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo:
The Latino/Chicano community is reckoning with the historical realities of a beloved labor and civil rights leader. We are also setting the example of what swift accountability looks like. Take note, America. Release the Epstein files.
If we are willing to reckon with César Chávez—who is no longer alive to be held accountable in a court of law—then we must also reckon with those who are still living. Those tied to the Epstein files - including the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, and others, must face the same level of scrutiny. Justice requires full, transparent investigations and, where warranted, arrest and prosecution. No excuses.
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From journalist Teresa Puente:
As a young journalist, I covered the funeral of César Chávez in 1993 and have interviewed Dolores Huerta several times over the past 30 years…
Reading this week in The New York Times the allegations that Chávez raped Huerta and groomed and assaulted minor girls was devastating. My heart felt like it split open knowing one of our greatest civil rights leaders was capable of such evil.
For too long we haven’t believed women or offered them protection from predators. This has created a culture of silence.
In the case of Jeffrey Epstein, an estimated 1,000 girls and young women were trafficked. Besides Epstein, who died in prison, and Ghislaine Maxwell, sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to sexually abuse minors, nobody else has been charged.
We know the names of other men in the files from former President Bill Clinton to current President Donald Trump, the latter mentioned at least 38,000 times. They and other men in the files should be investigated.
It is unconscionable the U.S. is not investigating the men in the Epstein files. The accountability for the victims is nonexistent.
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From U.S. Representative (D-Arizona) Adelita Grijalva:
To the survivors: estamos con ustedes – we are with you. We hear you, we believe you and we admire the immense courage it takes to speak out. I know that there is a profound sense of grief in our community today that may bring mixed emotions. The betrayal of trust by a leader who had such a significant impact on our community is difficult to comprehend. We still have more questions than answers. However, it is important to remember that one person does not define a movement. We, the people, are the movement.
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For support, these organizations are here to help:
RAINN – Free, confidential support, services, and information to survivors of sexual violence, available 24/7 by phone, chat, or text.
National Sexual Assault Hotline – Phone, live chat or text hotline with a trained support specialist.
1 in 6 Hotline – Support for men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences.
Survivor Space – Technology-based resource offering a safe space for adult survivors of child sexual abuse.