Plea for Rapid Response: Call interventions needed today. Now if possible

Mary, our allies are explaining and asking:

Last night, Senate Republicans reportedly got approval from President Trump on a deal to fund all of DHS with the exception of $5 billion for ICE's enforcement and removal account (about half of ICE's appropriated budget). Politico reporting here. 

  • This offer is likely to include few or no policy reforms, and hands billions more to ICE and CBP, i.e., it's a failure to respond to the core demands of our communities for ICE Out!
  • The White House initially rejected this proposal from Senate Republican leadership because it did not include the SAVE Act, but has now reportedly bought in.

ASK: We need to make some noise. Make some calls!

  • Senate outreach will be most helpful today, this morning, mid-day, and certainly by close of buisness. 
  • Senate dems will be deciding today whether to accept or negotiate on this offer.  Evaluation will be starting sometime today during normal business hours.
  • They need to hear from us -- NOW --  that this deal is a non-starter for our communities.

- All of us at Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

Engagement List: 

  • Senators Cortez Masto, King, Schumer, Murray (at the negotiating table); and,
  • Senators Coons, Fetterman, Hassan, Kaine, Kelly, Ossoff, Peters, Rosen, Shaheen, Slotkin, Warner, Warnock (the moderates).

   Tools:

Prompts for what you might say (but always feel free to use your own words and passion):

Messaging Points:

  • Any deal that provides a single dollar to ICE and CBP without meeting our demands is unacceptable.
  • Congress must look for a deal that provides substantial, permanent reforms to ICE and CBP while cutting their annual and reconciliation funding.
  • While looking for this deal, Congress should fund non-immigration agencies within DHS like TSA and FEMA.
  • Any funding deal must continue existing guardrails and reporting requirements for immigration enforcement agencies, including extending these protections to operations funded by the reconciliation money.
  • It is unacceptable for Congress to appropriate a single dollar annual funding to ICE or CBP until a final deal has been reached.

Drill-down Points:

  • This deal, as reported, will have little to no impact on ICE and Border Patrol’s overall ability to spend on detention and enforcement, with no meaningful guardrails on lawlessness and violence.
  • The deal appears to include few, or potentially no, policy reforms at a time when the American people overwhelmingly understand ICE to be making our communities less safe.
  • Any deal that would hand CBP another $20 billion – unconscionable after the agency’s outsized role in the violence and chaos in Minneapolis and other communities.
  • Any deal that contemplates providing billions more to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a part of ICE that has been deeply complicit in abuses, is morally bankrupt.
  • This deal does nothing to cut the reconciliation slush funds, leaving ICE and CBP with more money than most countries’ militaries.
 

Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
7750 16th St NW  | Washington, District of Columbia 20012
202-600-9132 | [email protected]

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