“The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today [is] my own government.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Same Guns Are Killing Us All: Open Letter in Solidarity with People of Conscience and All Those Affected by Violence
We, organizations and allies working to prevent gun violence in the United States, and their allies, stand in solidarity with all people harmed by gun violence—wherever it occurs.
Our mission is grounded in the belief that no one should be shot in their home, their community, or during encounters with authorities. This principle applies to victims of gun violence in the United States, including migrants and border communities, and to civilians in Mexico, Venezuela, and elsewhere who have been harmed during armed operations and incursions.
We reject policies and practices that expand the use of firearms and military-style force in civilian contexts. Armed enforcement strategies—whether domestic or abroad—consistently place civilians at risk and deepen cycles of violence.
The murders and disappearances of our loved ones – whether by ICE agents in Minneapolis, in community violence in our towns and cities, in military attacks in Venezuela, or on civilian boats in the Caribbean – are committed principally with firepower made or sold in the United States. ICE has recently purchased millions of dollars’ worth of firearms from Georgia-based Glock and New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer, including Glock purchases as recently as January 20. Glock also sells more guns traced to crimes by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Similarly, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security rely heavily on corporations like Amazon Web Services, Palantir, Cisco, and Google for surveillance to detain and deport people.
As gun sales within the United States have fallen, the gun industry seeks continued expansion of its markets through gun exports, which the Trump administration further loosened in September. The administration’s measures to dismantle and reassign ATF agents have hobbled efforts to reduce firearms trafficking. The resulting cross-border gun flows continue to exacerbate violence in Mexico, Haiti, Canada, and other nations.
Gun violence is a public health and human rights issue, and it is increasingly transnational. Firearms originating from the United States contribute to harm far beyond our borders, underscoring the need for accountability, restraint, and responsible gun policy.
Our solidarity with victims of gun violence does not stop at national boundaries. We recognize that these are extraordinary times that require us to push beyond our usual boundaries to address the threats our communities face, both within and outside the United States. Preventing harm and protecting life must remain our shared priority.
We call on international civil society, labor unions, immigrant rights organizations, the gun violence prevention movement, and human rights defenders to clearly name these connections and act together.
As we build solidarity and unity across our struggles and movements, we invite you to join our calls to:
- Respond to the calls from U.S civil society leaders urging a NO vote on legislation for additional funds for ICE / DHS surveillance, intelligence, and enforcement operations. A vote on this funding is expected by the end of this week. See these resources from Indivisible and Community Justice to make calls to stop this funding.
- Urge Congress to pass comprehensive gun reform packages, including the ARMAS Act, which would control the sale and flow of U.S weapons to other countries in this hemisphere. Take action here.
- Demand accountability and a fair investigation into federal immigration agents who have caused harm or death to our community members. This includes the killing of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, two of the nine ICE-related deaths in 2026 alone, as well as other shootings by Border Patrol and ICE agents.
- Urge Congress to oppose the widespread federal occupation of U.S communities. See more information and possible actions by 50501 here.
- Support communities on the ground through mutual aid, legal support, and translation services. For example, a list of resources to support Minnesotans here.
In solidarity and mourning,
- Al Otro Lado – Binational Organization
- Api-Nahu
- (Shelter) Casa Tochán – Nuestra Casa
- Ceasefire Oregon
- Ceasefire Oregon Action Fund
- Centro de Atención al Migrante Exodus (CAME)
- Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Francisco de Vitoria O.P.
- Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos
- Change the Ref
- Charles W Reid Community Help Center
- Club Unidos por Vicente Guerrero
- Colectivo de Federaciones y Organizaciones Mexicanas Migrantes (COLEFOM)
- Consultora Solidaria
- Derechos de la Infancia y la Adolescencia
- Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
- EcoTienda la Chiwinha
- Dominican Sisters of Peace
- Enough of Violence: Non-Violence Is Life, Inc.
- Faith Community of St. Sabina
- Festival Internacional Esaú
- Franciscan Peace Center, Clinton, Iowa
- Freedom Writers Collaborative
- Frente Amplio de Mexicanos y Migrantes
- Global Exchange
- Grandparents Uniting for Gun Safety
- Grassroots4GVP
- Gun Sense Vermont
- Huntington Beach Huddle
- Indivisible Marin
- Indivisible West Side Los Angeles
- Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti
- Japanese American Citizens League
- Justice4Ellis
- Leadership Team of the Felician Sisters of North America
- Lift Every Voice Oregon
- Lila Latinx LGBTQ Inc.
- Lives Robbed
- Lock it for Everyone (L.I.F.E)
- Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
- Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence
- Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP)
- Mothers United Against Violence
- Newtown Action Alliance
- Nosotrxs
- Nuns Against Gun Violence
- Protect Minnesota
- Grupo de investigación y Editorial Kavilando / Red InterUniversitaria por la Paz
- Quixote Center
- Remembering Darien Victims Foundation
- Rocky Mountain Hye Advocates
- SAC Consultoría para la Construcción de Paz
- Safer Communities for Justice
- Safer Country
- San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention
- Santa Fe Survivors
- Seminario sobre Violencia y Paz del Colegio de México
- Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
- Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston
- SPATIUM Libertas A.C.
- State Ambassador for Giffords
- Stop US Arms to Mexico
- Survivors Empowered
- Survivors Lead
- Taylor Lee and Associates
- United Playaz
- Violence Policy Center
- WAVE Educational Fund
- Witness at the Border/Testigos en la Frontera;Tribunal Internacional de Conciencia de los Pueblos en Movimiento;Int’l Tribunal of Conscience of Peoples in Movement
- World Without Hate
