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Dear John,
Last week, two presidents visited Texas in the midst of the state’s biggest wildfire in its history [[link removed]] .
But instead of focusing on relief for the afflicted [[link removed]] , or slowing the very relevant effects of climate change [[link removed]] , both presidents were squarely focused on stoking the flames in the fight over immigration [[link removed]] .
As we wrote this month [[link removed]] , our biggest immigration problem is actually the politicians who use fear-mongering to drive us apart for their own gain, and to the detriment of everyone else. For new migrants, the chance to find safety and opportunity is a human right. For all of us, immigration makes our communities and country stronger. We need immigration laws that reflect these realities.
This month, our friends at United We Dream made this point with a protest on Capitol Hill to demand immigrant protections - and a ceasefire in Gaza [[link removed]] . It’s this kind of solidarity that will build the political momentum to end the dehumanization at our southern border and in Gaza, where the U.S. has cut off a critical source of aid [[link removed]] just as mass starvation is setting in.
Meanwhile, the fires in Texas are still burning, a reminder that the border walls and weapons our government invests in aren’t solving our problems at all [[link removed]] .
In solidarity,
Lindsay and Alliyah
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TRADEOFF: EPA VS. PENTAGON CONNTRACTORS
It’s been one year since the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that carried and spilled hazardous materials, and the site is still recovering. The Environmental Protection Agency has been responsible for cleaning up the mess. EPA got a $10 billion budget last year for the job — 2% of what Pentagon contractors got.
Too many taxpayer dollars are going to price-gouging Pentagon contractors instead of taking care of our health, communities, and environment. Let’s reprioritize our dollars away from militarism into safety and shared prosperity for all.
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Photo by Eman Mohammed. [[link removed]]
CEASEFIRE AND IMMIGRANT PROTECTIONS NOW
We must be a country that upholds the human right to stay, move, and thrive.
On February 15, United We Dream, Palestinian and Jewish youth allies, and I said “no” to the Senate seeking more funding for war and border militarization. We believe in safeguarding immigrant lives and those in Gaza at risk of violence and death every day. We heard speeches from youth about coming to the U.S. in hopes of a better future. We then marched and chanted our demands through Capitol Hill, culminating in my peers staging a die-in at a Congressional office building.
– Alliyah
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UN General Assembly. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. [[link removed]]
SUPPORT UN CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE
Even while Gaza is on the brink of mass starvation [[link removed]] , the U.S. and other countries have stood by their policy of defunding UNRWA [[link removed]] , the main aid organization in the territory. This month, the situation took a turn for the worse when Israeli military forces attacked and killed civilians [[link removed]] at a food distribution point.
U.S. policy continues to enable this destruction. On February 20, the United Nations Security Council voted 13-1 on a permanent ceasefire resolution in Gaza. Despite the overwhelming support for the resolution, it failed due to a U.S. veto. [[link removed]]
Vice President Kamala Harris’ call for an “immediate ceasefire” [[link removed]] is welcome, but the administration needs to walk the talk by supporting a ceasefire at the UN, refunding UNRWA, and ceasing weapons supplies to the Israeli military.
Donate to UNRWA [[link removed]]
"...the U.S. might as well consider nationalizing the defense industry , which already lacks competition and relies almost entirely on the government. Why not eliminate the profit motive? It’s not like making money drives contractors to produce quality products on time or within budget."
— Julia Gledhill, Project on Government Oversight [[link removed]]
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NOW READ/WATCH THIS
Congress Should Embrace the Vitality That Immigration Brings [[link removed]]
Lindsay Koshgarian & Alliyah Lusuegro, InsideSources
[[link removed]] The Biden Administration Joins Israel’s War on UNRWA [[link removed]] , [[link removed]]
Phyllis Bennis, The Nation
$95 Billion More for War, But No to $1 Billion to Feed 2 Million Families? [[link removed]]
Julia Conley, Common Dreams
Experts say billions in US Senate bill would be better spent at home [[link removed]]
Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, Al Jazeera
Biden wants to put the US on permanent war footing [[link removed]]
Julia Gledhill, Responsible Statecraft
Defense Contractors Are Bilking the American People [[link removed]]
Senator Bernie Sanders, The Atlantic
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