Background: This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a proposal that would balloon an already irresponsible immigration detention and deportation force that separates families and destroys communities. House leadership is voting on this proposal (called the FY18 “minibus”) that would significantly increase funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by $1.6 billion to hire additional Border Patrol agents and begin construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall. This funding comes at the expense of vital community programs that promote public safety and alleviate poverty. Walling off America, reducing community safety, and turning our back on those in need are not the answer and violate our values of family unity, fairness, and equality. An additional $1.6 billion for DHS is as wasteful as it is morally reprehensible. The United States already spends more than $18 billion on immigration enforcement every year. Any efforts to expand the border wall and further militarize immigration enforcement would be government waste. It is critical that Representatives hear from us as constituents who stand with immigrants. Tell your Representative to oppose any budget that would expand the border wall, further militarize our borders, and hurt our community members.
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY: 202-224-3121 Click here to find your Representative
Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and my community stands with immigrants. I urge you to vote NO on the FY18 “minibus” that would provide $1.6 billion for a morally bankrupt, wasteful border wall, which only militarizes our border and tears families and communities apart. Instead of investing billions of dollars into walling off America, we should invest in our communities and reflect the best of our American values of compassion, hospitality, and welcome.” Feel free to share a personal story about standing in solidarity with refugees and immigrants. You can also tweet at your Representatives:- .@[REPRESENTATIVE] Welcome #refugees & #immigrants. Protect refugee resettlement $ & reduce deportation $ #RefugeesWelcome #NoBanNoWallNoRaids #GreaterAs1
- .@[REPRESENTATIVE] Cross-border commerce fuels jobs across America. Build bridges, not walls & Vote no on 1.6B #NoBorderWall
- .@[REPRESENTATIVE] $1.6B #BorderWall mini-bus will threaten world-renowned wildlife refuge. #VoteNo
- .@[REPRESENTATIVE] Daily commerce btwn San Diego, Tijuana = $2.1M. Better ROI to build bridges, not walls. Vote #NoBorderWall https://goo.gl/41JitF
- .@[REPRESENTATIVE] Roughly 55k HP computers imported daily in Santa Teresa, NM. #VoteNo on #BorderWall & invest in ports https://goo.gl/AC9TQx
- .@[REPRESENTATIVE] A #BorderWall is an un-American symbol of division in a nation of immigrants. #VoteNo on House minibus
Please spread the word and send this alert to your networks! Please tell us if you take action (opens a new webpage)! Follow @CWS_global on Twitter and “like” CWS Immigration and Refugee Program on Facebook for up-to-date alerts.
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