Right now, the administration is requesting a reallocation of millions of additional taxpayer dollars to expand family incarceration and deportations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s cruel and unnecessary jailing of families, asylum seekers, and immigrants already requires billions of dollars every year. That means millions of additional funding to balloon an already bloated immigration detention and deportation scheme. Congress has the “power of the purse” and must reject ICE’s request.
Reports have documented systemic physical and sexual abuse, lack of medical care, especially for vulnerable populations, and other harmful practices in ICE custody -- without any accountability. ICE has operated with impunity for years, resulting in an unchecked machinery behind unjust deportation, detention, and border militarization. Any reallocation of DHS funds to fuel ICE detention would serve only to dismantle community wholeness. It is critical that Senators and Representatives hear loudly and clearly that their constituents want them to reject any transfer request from DHS and to exert more oversight and accountability over the agency.
CALL CONGRESS:
The Senators and Representatives listed below are the key Members who control whether ICE will receive additional funds. Please make these 4 phone calls today!
Call-in Script:
Hi, my name is ______________ and I live in ____________. I urge you to publicly reject DHS’s request to transfer more money to ICE to jail and deport families. Instead, tell DHS to release people from detention camps and comply with the court order to reunite families. The policy of jailing families, separating children and criminalizing migrants and people seeking refuge is morally reprehensible. If the [Senator/Representative] agrees, [he/she] must oppose the transfer of even more funds for this purpose.
Don’t forget to share the same message with your Senators & Representatives on social media! Here are sample social media posts:
Please spread the word and send this alert to your networks!