Visit Your Legislators Now thru Sept. 1

Can You Visit Your Legislators NOW thru Sept.1, and

Raise These 5 Issues to Support Refugees, Immigrants, & Farmworkers?

National legislators will be in their state and district offices the final half of August and will likely base their priorities on what they hear from constituents during this time. It's a critical time for refugees, immigrants, faith groups, and community members to visit our Senators and Representatives to urge them to support refugees, immigrants, and farmworkers by protecting DACA, supporting refugee resettlement, opposing funding for excessive deportation, detention, and border militarization, rejecting the RAISE Act, and supporting the Agricultural Worker Program Act of 2017.

ARE YOU ABLE TO LEAD OR JOIN A FAITH TEAM IN-DISTRICT VISIT WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OFFICES?

Please contact Rev. Sharon Stanley-Rea at [email protected] or 202-957-7826 as
soon as you can if you are willing to make a visit!

ALL offices are helpful to visit - but each legislator listed below is a member of key budget, appropriation, and/or security committees that will make critical decisions soon regarding support for refugees and immigrants:

Richard Durbin IL	Bernie Sanders VT	Patty Murray WA
Kamala Harris CA	Chuck Schumer NY	Patrick Leahy VT
Jeanne Shaheen NH	Tammy Baldwin WI	Joe Manchin WV
Jon Tester MT	Chris Van Hollen MD	Jeff Merkley OR
Claire McCaskill MO	Mitch McConnell KY	John Cornyn TX
Orrin Hatch UT	Lindsey Graham SC	Mike Enzi WY
Thad Cochran MS	John Boozman AR	John Neely Kennedy LA
Richard Shelby AL	Lisa Murkowski AK	Ron Johnson WI
James Lankford OK	John Hoeven ND	Steve Daines MT
Dianne Feinstein CA	Chris Murphy CT	Tim Kaine VA
Bob Menendez NJ	Michael Bennet CO	Tammy Duckworth IL
Catherine Cortez Masto NV	Elizabeth Warren MA

PRIORITY ASKS FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS NOW INCLUDE:

1. Protect DACA and Support The DREAM Act

Quick Facts

August recess is the longest amount of time Members of Congress are in their home offices.
House of Representatives members are in district offices July 31-Sept. 4.
Senators are in state offices Aug. 14-Sept. 4.

Ten attorneys general have threatened to sue the U.S. if the President doesn't end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by Sept. 5th! DACA now protects 800,000 young people from deportation and provides work authorization.

Congress needs to do everything in their power to defend DACA, including support the bipartisan DREAM Act.

Background information: bit.ly/DACAatrisk
State specific DACA facts: bit.ly/DACAstatebystate
State specific action alerts: bit.ly/DACAalerts
Get involved: unitedwedream.org/defendDACA
Social media toolkit: bit.ly/DACAsocialmediatoolkit

2. Affirm the Importance of Refugee Resettlement

Between now and the end of September, the administration must consult with Congress to determine how many refugees to resettle in Fiscal Year 2018. Congress needs to protect funding for refugee assistance abroad and resettlement in the U.S. and urge the Trump administration to resettle at least 75,000 refugees.

State specific refugee facts: rcusa.org/state-refugee-profiles/
Po-refugee articles by state: interfaithimmigration.org/welcoming-refugees-state-by-state-reference/
Refugee advocacy toolkit: bit.ly/RefugeeAdvocacyToolkitAugust2017
Information on refugee security checks: www.rcusa.org/resettlement-process/
Economic benefits of refugees: www.rcusa.org/contributions-of-refugees-to-the-us/
Call state & local officials: greateras1.org/take-action-today

3. Cut Funding for Deportations, Detention and Border Militarization

Trump has asked Congress for more than $4.5 billion to increase deportations, detention, and border militarization. Congress needs to hear that their constituents want them to reject these requests and instead reduce funding for deportations, detention and border militarization, which are destroying our communities.

Resources on the harms of funding the deportation force, detention and border militarization: www.interfaithimmigration.org/2017/06/05/june-resources-to-respond-to-an-unfaithful-budget/
Helpful guidance on why this funding must be cut: Defundhatenow.org

4. Reject the anti-family, anti-refugee, anti-immigrant RAISE Act

Congress must reject this anti-family, anti-refugee, and anti-immigrant bill.

Resources against the RAISE Act, including action alert: www.interfaithimmigration.org/family
Analysis and statement against RAISE: greateras1.org/cws-strongly-opposes-raise-act-urges-congress-reject-anti-family-anti-refugee-bill/

5. Support the Agricultural Worker Program Act of 2017.

Find resources at: http://nfwm.org/?s=Agricultural+Worker+Program+Act+of+2017

Also, Call your Senators & Representative EVERY DAY FROM NOW
THRU THE END OF AUGUST!

Find DC & local office numbers at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov

Sample script: "I'm your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and I ask the [Senator/Rep] to do everything in their power to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program intact, reduce funding for detention, deportation, and border militarization, reject the RAISE Act, and urge the Administration to resettle at least 75,000 refugees next year."

See Also:
Toolkit to plan your local congressional visit: www.interfaithimmigration.org/neighbor

Members of Congress town hall meetings this August: townhallproject.com

Learn more about your Members of Congress at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov

For questions, and to share learnings from your conversations and visits, contact: Rev. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Disciples Refugee and Immigration Ministries, [email protected], 202-957-7826, @StanleyRea

Blessings to you!

Sharon

Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea

Director of Refugee & Immigration Ministries

Disciples Home Missions

Five Thomas Circle, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005-4153

[email protected]
www.disciplesRIM.org

www.discipleshomemissions.org

(202) 957-7826 (Cell)

Refugee & Immigration Ministries is a ministry of Disciples Home Missions in Partnership with the Christian Church Capital Area and the Disciples Center for Public Witness