Oppose Immigration Enforcement Increases in the Budget Deal; Trump Continues to Threaten Calling for a National Emergency

As expected, within the 1,000+ page appropriations deal are troubling increases for immigration enforcement, including $7.6 billion for ICE ($512 million over FY2018) and $14.9 billion for CBP ($942 million over FY2018). $1.375 billion is allocated towards border barriers, mainly defined as levees and pedestrian barriers in the Rio Grande Valley. ICE detention beds would increase by almost 5,000 beds to 45,274 for the average daily population.

These increases in enforcement funding play to the false narrative of an immigration and border crisis as flaunted by Trump and the Right — and if approved, will contribute the human rights and humanitarian crises in our immigrant communities and at the border.

If the funding package is passed by the House and Senate, Sen. Mitch McConnell has just announced that Trump will sign the bill AND declare a national emergency in order to get the money he wants and is not getting in the bill. Legal action is expected against such a declaration.

We are urging legislators to reject these increases, and have sent a brief letter to Congress leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Kevin McCarthy and Senators Mitch McConnell and Charles Schumer. We thank those who in less that 24 hours, joined the letter sent earlier today.

The sign-on letter states that the increased immigration enforcement funding “will cause more harm to immigrants, asylum seekers, immigrant communities and families, and the environment. This funding and accompanying practices will not alleviate the driving factors for migrants and asylum seekers, nor provide avenues for immigrants working and living in the U.S. to adjust their status and continue to live productive lives.”

The letter calls on legislators to “reduce the enforcement and detention budgets for ICDE and CBP, reject the funding for border barrier construction, and disallow the transfer of funds from other accounts to expand these budgets”.

Act now to voice your opposition to punitive and harmful funding that adds to the criminalization of immigrant communities, fuels family separations and further militarizes our border!

If you have yet to voice your opposition, please make a call now! 

Click here for contact information for your congressional representatives.

Here’s a sample message:

“Hello, my name is__________. I am calling to urge you to reject increased funding for ICE and CBP,  for new border barriers, and for what will be an increase in the number of detention beds in the conference budget. These increases harm immigrant communities, asylum seekers and the environment, and will contribute to even more family separations. Hold the line on these funding increases and restrict the transfer of funds to prevent an expansion of immigration enforcement.”

#DefundHate   #NoWall   #EndBorderMilitarization 

Thanks for adding your voice!!