Dear Friend,

The Washington Post just reported that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) “is preparing to slash the number of immigrants in detention because it is running a $700 million budget deficit.”¹

Here’s why we’re celebrating this news: Last week, as part of the Defund Hate coalition, we successfully blocked the Senate supplemental funding bill, which would have given billions of more unnecessary dollars to ICE.

Bend the Arc leaders and supporters have been working nonstop for more than six months to block this funding (you can chip in to fund this critical work here) —

📝 Ohio, Maryland, and New York chapters sent letters and emails to their critical Senators
🏛️ South Jersey, Champaign Urbana, and Maryland chapters had lobby visits with their Senators
✊ We joined rallies to save asylum alongside our partners
📧 1,000+ online supporters emailed and called their Representatives with our national tools

The GOP wants us to believe that immigration is a threat to our safety so they can invest in guards, guns, and gates.

But actually, detention costs so much more, and harms so many more lives, than welcoming immigrants into our communities. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office released a report this week that the recent increase in immigration helped stave off a US recession and added $7 trillion to the economy.²

We know that safety comes from investment in community care and dismantling white supremacy. But this election, MAGA Republicans and Trump are going to make immigration and the border a central part of their campaigns. 

Case in point: the GOP just tried to use anti-immigrant sentiment to win the NY-03 special election — and they lost! Bend the Arc leaders on Long Island organized for a better future for all and helped elect Democrat Tom Suozzi (after helping kick out George Santos).³

Donate here to help us keep winning in critical races and legislative fights across the country.

In solidarity,

The Bend the Arc team 

Sources:

1. "After border bill failure, ICE considers mass releases to close budget gap," Washington Post. Febuary 14, 2024.
2. "The surge in immigration is a $7 trillion gift to the economy," Washington Post. February 13, 2024.
3. "We just flipped NY-03," Bend the Arc. February 14, 2024.