Indivisibles,

We’ve been hearing non-stop for the last few weeks about the abysmal
conditions that people seeking refuge in the United States are facing in
Trump’s inhumane concentration camps. We wanted to update you on the
latest that’s been happening in Congress, and highlight a few
opportunities to take action in the coming weeks and months to demand that
Congress act to Defund Hate and #CloseTheCamps.

Since taking office, Trump has demonstrated again and again that he will
use every dollar he can to expand his enforcement apparatus. And yet,
Congress -- including the Democratically-controlled House -- gave Trump
the supplemental Department of Homeland Security funding he requested,
without meaningful guardrails for how that money would be spent. In other
words, they simply wrote Trump and his deportation a blank check to
continue terrorizing immigrant families.

How did that happen? Facing a [ [link removed]- ]rebellion from House moderates (read:
Josh Gottheimer and the Problem Solvers Caucus), who threatened to block
the earlier House-passed legislation that would have mandated improved
conditions for immigrants in detention centers, Speaker Pelosi caved and
passed (with mainly Republican votes!) Mitch McConnell’s bill. Immigrant
rights groups, progressive members of Congress, and the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus opposed the bill and even [ [link removed]- ]said it would make the
situation in concentration camps worse. 

To say that we’re disappointed in this lack of moral clarity from Speaker
Pelosi and the 129 House Democrats who voted yes is an understatement.
We’re outraged. But this fight is far from over. 

We HAVE to #DefundHate. Congress is currently in the final stages of the
appropriations process, where it decides how much funding federal agencies
will receive for the year -- including ICE and CBP. The first draft of the
funding bill for DHS, which was released and voted on by the House
Appropriations Committee in June, includes some key improvements. But it’s
far from perfect and still contains some problematic provisions (such as a
$387 million slush fund for ICE). [ [link removed]- ]Check out our explainer on this here.

Even more cruelly, we’re now hearing that Trump may be planning raids
starting on July 14. That means ICE agents going into communities,
workplaces, and tearing parents from their children in the middle of the
night. Part of the motivation for Trump is to spread fear across our
communities, which is why it’s important to help spread the word to ensure
your immigrant neighbors know their rights [ [link removed]- ](check out these great
resources from United We Dream here). 

The truth about these raids, and the concentration camps at our border,
and the continued terrorizing of immigrant families in this country is
that it continues to happen because Congress continues to fund it. That’s
where you come in (and where you can make the biggest difference).

How we can take action right now

Now that we have a draft appropriations bill, the fight over DHS funding
bill will move to the full House, which has to act by September 30.
Members of Congress have a choice to make: they can continue to give Trump
money for more concentration camps, to raid communities and separate
families, or they can cut funding to those agencies and use that money
instead for humanitarian programs and alternatives to detention. 

Tell Congress to cut funding for ICE and CBP ahead of the September budget
fight.

It’s simple: if you’re angry about concentration camps, about separating
children from their parents, or about mass deportations, then the best
thing you can do is demand that Congress cut funding to the agencies
responsible. Call your three members of Congress (MoC) and tell them to
Defund Hate by cutting funding for ICE and CBP, and to get rid of the
slush fund for ICE that will further fuel Trump’s deportation machine.
[ [link removed]- ]We’ve got a script you can use here.

Attend a Lights for Liberty Vigil this Friday, July 12.

In the shorter term, there is an opportunity coming up later this week to
protest the detention of people in concentration camps. In light of the
release of the [ [link removed]- ]Inspector General’s report into the conditions for the
people inside these camps, a coalition of immigrant adocates are planning
Lights for Liberty, a national day of action on Friday, July 12 to
organize vigils and events at detention centers where child abuse is
rampant, running water is limited, and family separation is widespread, as
well as at other locations. [ [link removed]- ]Find your local vigil here, and show your
support by calling for an end to human concentration camps. You can also
text lights to 977-79 and we’ll send you a link to RSVP to your nearest
event. 

Extra-credit: Join our National Activist Call this Thursday, July 11.

We’ll be discussing the upcoming budget fight, Lights for Liberty, and
other opportunities and resources for action in more detail this week in
our monthly activist call on Thursday, July 11. [ [link removed]- ]Click here to RSVP for
Thursday’s call at 8pm Eastern Time / 5pm Pacific Time.

We know that the relentless cruelty of this administration can be hard to
bear. The stories we’re hearing from reporters and members of Congress
visiting the detention facilities only confirm that these truly are
concentration camps. We urge you to take care of yourself and to guard
against feelings of discouragement and hopelessness in the face of
inhumanity. Indivisibles have a responsibility to keep doing everything we
can to stop Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, and we’re counting on you to
stay in this fight. 

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

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