On Wednesday night, UndocuMedia co-founder Justino Mora went on Facebook to share the news that he was terminated from the nonprofit organization. In the video, Mora calls for the resignation of president Francisco J. Barragán, revealing more about the history of how the organization became a nonprofit, how it is being funded and how it has completely ignored UndocuMedia’s original history, when the collective was just that—a collective.
Mora also stated the following on his Facebook page:
Exactly one week ago today, Francisco J. Barragán TERMINATED me from UndocuMedia. I’m making this public, because people need to know.
Was this unilateral action & the way it was done ETHICAL? … Definitely not.
Is it ILLEGAL? … Most likely YES because the Bylaws are confusing and contradictory, and his reasons for terminating me are vague and have no ground. This just shows how desperate Francisco is to get rid of me and restrict any access to the intricate and sophisticated digital platform I helped build.
Yesterday, Francisco, Ivan and I met with one of our funders AND for the first time since the platform was incorporated into a non-profit, I was given our organization’s Bylaws. I had never seen or read them. If Francisco’s unilateral action is legal, then that means that he is the ONLY member/director in the organization. This would also mean that the organization is NO longer undocumented immigrant-led and working to represent the best interests of the undocumented community.
While we figure out whether my termination is legal or not, I encourage y’all to ask Francisco to move out of the way and allow progress and change to take place. Someone created this petition, I encourage y’all to express your support: https://actionnetwork.org/…/undocumedia-belongs-to-the-peop…
On August 3, UndocuMedia co-founder Iván Ceja resigned from the organization after allegations of improper behavior towards women colleagues, as well as as anti-blackness. Emails for comment from Barragán —who is listed as the President, Founder and Incorporator of Undocumedia, Inc.— have not been returned.
The first allegation came from Karla Estrada, and on July 29, Latino Rebels spoke with Estrada about it:
After Estrada’s first allegations came out, others, including Yadira Martínez and Denae Joseph, shared their allegations against Ceja.
On Wednesday night, Estrada posted this on her Instagram:
Let me remind the public that WOMXN (myself, Yadira Martinez, Denae Joseph, and Ivonne Franco) started this accountability process, WOMXN held Ivan accountable in public, WE put our bodies on the line for progress. Yet, Ivan Ceja and Francisco Barragan are focusing on Justino Mora, a MAN. Both figures are expressing that Justino is the mastermind of their downfall, Francisco is hinting at a legal action against Justino for “defaming” the organization and Ivan. Excuse me? Initially, Justino just shared our stories like a decent human being would and tried to internally fix things on OUR behalf. How did this effort become “Justino Mora vs. Ivan and Francisco”? How did OUR efforts become all about Justino by Ivan and Francisco, and even the public?
Once again, womxn labor is co-opted, taken and morphed.
The dismissiveness of our truth by Ivan and Francisco is another example of their sexism and misogyny. Apparently, my voice and my story is not enough nor powerful, it had to be Justino Mora’s calculative manipulation.
GET THE FUCK OUT. Your downfall is because of YOU and your sexism, anti-blackness, and power hunger that cannibalized your own people. WE, THE WOMXN, unmasked you.
P. S. I demand to see those by laws, make them public on the UndocuMedia website.
