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Recent Executive Orders against immigrant, refugee, and Muslim communities have caused increased fear within many of our Disciples families-and challenged us all to deeply consider how we continue to live out God's calling to show hospitality to the stranger among us. As communities of faith, we are committed to uphold community safety, but believe bridges of relationship rather than walls of separation best strengthen our security. And for our nation, as well as for our families, we uphold that our budgets are moral documents which communicate our deeply held values and priorities.
The weeks ahead are an urgent time for budgeting decisions in our nation. The Administration has just submitted a supplemental appropriations request the first three billion dollars of taxpayers' money to fund a southern border wall and to greatly expand detention and deportation efforts to include 1,000 more ICE agents and 500 more border patrol agents.
Further, for the remainder of this year and for FY 2018, the Administration is asking Congress for an additional $7.5 billion over and above last year's funding for even more immigration enforcement.
Funds are being sought in order to implement the Administration's recent Executive Orders, despite the fact that our nation's federal immigration enforcement agencies already receive more funding than all other federal enforcement agencies combined, and that border apprehensions are lower than they have been for decades.
As the Trump administration moves forward with its plans to build a border wall, increase detention of asylum seekers, and expand a mass deportation force targeting our undocumented community members, we call upon you to consider raising your voice to your national leaders. Congress has an opportunity to protect our tax dollars and ensure billions of dollars don't go toward expanding immigration enforcement, separating families, or detaining children--at the expense of vital education, housing, and nutritional assistance programs that promote public safety and alleviate poverty.
URGENT CALLS NEEDED: Tell Your Members of Congress to OPPOSE Funding for Additional Deportations and Expedited Processes, for the Border Wall, and for Detention Centers
*Please call this line 3 times to be connected with your 1 Representative and 2 Senators
Sample Script: "
I'm your constituent from [City, State, Zip], and I urge you to NOT use taxpayers' dollars to fund a southern wall, deportation force and detention centers. Instead, we urge you to do everything in your power to rescind the Administration's immigration and refugee executive orders. Our tax dollars should be spent alleviating poverty and investing in our future - not rounding up our refugee and immigrant neighbors who contribute to the strength of our churches and communities. My faith leads me to welcome refugees and immigrants-and my community is ready to do so."
Please also share a personal story about why welcoming immigrants and refugees is important to you, your community, etc. Let them know the specific ways that immigrants and refugees contribute and are welcomed in your community.
You can also tweet @ your
Senators/Representatives
with these messages:
- .@HANDLE, show that #AmericaWelcomes. Refuse to fund Trump's wall, deportation force & detention centers #NoBanNoWallNoRaids
- .@HANDLE, stop Trump from targeting refugees and immigrants. Don't fund his deportation force. #NoBanNoWallNoRaids
- .@HANDLE, Don't fund Trump's morally reprehensible EOs. Stand against them & refuse to fund them. #NoBanNoWallNoRaids
- .@HANDLE, $6.6 billion on immigration enforcement, or 121K new elementary school teachers or nearly 100K new middle-class jobs.
Here are some additional actions you can take:
(1) Sign the Petition! Sign on to tell Congress to stop Trump from building a wall and increasing detention & deportations.
(2)
Rapid Response Toolkit
: The Refugee Ban in the 2nd Executive Order has been held up by courts in Hawaii. U
se this toolkit to join together with refugee resettlement agencies, refugee leaders, faith leaders and community members to join or host a mobilization at your local airport or other locations now and in the weeks ahead to bear witness in opposition to the refugee and Muslim ban. Visit CounterAct.blog and
getgroundgame.com/airportprotests.html
to find events happening near you. We want to highlight all events on a map so that community members will be able to get your event details and join you in action. Click to add your events:
http://bit.ly/RWEventReg
.
(3) Tell President Trump to Support Refugees: Tweet
@realDonaldTrump
&
@WhiteHouse
& send the same message to
whitehouse.gov/contact
and
Facebook.com/WhiteHouse.
(4) Reach out to your partners in the business, health, educator, law enforcement, and faith community! Urge them to sign onto these sector-specific letters supporting resettlement and opposing discrimination:
Please spread the word and encourage all in your networks to share in acting for justice for refugees and immigrants!
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