January 24, 2024

Dear Friends,

Once again, Jewish Activists for Immigration Justice is responding to urgent requests from our coalition partners at Welcome With Dignity and HIAS asking us to support efforts to contact Members of Congress about the following urgent matter, which may result in an agreement in the Senate this week.

The White House and Senate are negotiating a spending package that would trade our decades-old refugee protection system for foreign aid. President Biden has stated he is willing to make “significant compromises” to our border processing of people seeking asylum. New reporting states that the administration is open to new, expanded asylum restrictions, including nationwide expedited removal. This would have a devastating impact on people in need of protection and immigrant communities throughout the country, setting an extremely dangerous precedent. 

PLEASE CALL OR WRITE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS and urge them to protect asylum and prevent massive deportations! They need to hear urgently from communities across the country and across issue areas that the lives of refugees and migrants and our nation’s asylum laws cannot be bargained away. 

Senator Warren: 202-224-4543    Senator Markey: 202-224-2742

Rep. McGovern: 202-225-6101.   Rep. Neal: 202-225-5601

CALL SCRIPT:

"Hello, My name is [NAME], and I am alarmed by efforts to gut asylum protections and expand the use of rapid deportation proceedings for immigrants in the U.S. in exchange for unrelated funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. 

I urge [Senator/Rep. NAME] to reject any proposal that would take away the right to seek asylum or harm immigrants in our communities. It is unacceptable to agree to anti-immigrant proposals that will endanger refugees and separate families. Any anti-immigrant concession is unacceptable and a betrayal of our values as a country."

TO WRITE: 

Use this template. Please make sure to personalize the message! 

Refugees International: https://www.refugeesinternational.org/actions/rapid-action-alert-congress-is-trying-to-trade-away-the-right-to-seek-safety/