Who is SNAP?

The Sanctuary Now Abolition Project (SNAP) struggles alongside transgender and queer immigrants to liberate themselves, so they may begin to heal by engaging in joyful, creative activism for abolition across the South. SNAP is a grassroots community project founded by Arely Westley and Mich González in late July 2024, in order to fill a dire gap in community outreach and organizing needs for their community. SNAP is fiscally sponsored by Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA) with the support of the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition. SNAP facilitates visits to the detention centers in the region where disparately impacted transgender and gender non-conforming immigrant community members are held, forcing them to survive systemic violence and compounded trauma, including harassment, assault, prolonged detention and coerced solitary confinement. SNAP also provides wrap around support to pregnant people in detention and mothers of children ages 0-5. SNAP aims to create healing spaces for systems-impacted folks to connect, where they will have the opportunity to participate in and learn to lead meditation, yoga, community workshops, know your rights programming, skills-sharing, cultural organizing, performance art, and abolitionist actions. This aspect of the project is crucial because it centers harm reduction and preventative advocacy  for our communities through increased connection and the power of our collective joy.