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Dear John,
I’m excited to announce here for the first time our top priority for the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Of the many critical human rights issues we are working hard to address, our number one goal is to free and protect people seeking asylum in the U.S.
For the last four years, the Trump administration imposed policies that punished tens of thousands of individuals and families who came here fleeing danger and persecution — locking them in immigration detention facilities, or deporting them to camps along the border in Mexico where they faced danger. Then COVID-19 raged through detention centers, ramping up the urgency of the moment even more.
The images of frightened children being ripped from their parent’s arms and held in overflowing detention centers was heartbreaking. Now, nearly three years later, court documents reveal another horrifying consequence of the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies: the parents of 545 children, having presumably been deported, have still not been reunited with their children.
John, our records show you haven’t made a year-end donation to Amnesty yet. If you make a gift of any amount before midnight tomorrow, your gift will be quadrupled. That’s 4X the funding for our investigations of conditions in immigration detention, 4X the budget to publicize human rights violations with billboard and newspaper ads to increase visibility, and 4X the resources needed to pressure legislators to make positive, systemic change.
Make no mistake: by intentionally implementing a policy that inflicted severe mental suffering on individuals in order to deter people from trying to seek asylum, or coercing them into giving up their asylum claims, Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy met the definitions of torture under both U.S. and international law.
As Amnesty USA’s Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, I’m constantly educating and advising lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the White House, and the federal government on these harmful policies. A couple weeks ago, I testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on human rights conditions internationally. I have recently been chosen as one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists (along with two of my Amnesty colleagues). So it’s no exaggeration to say that we have access to those at the highest levels in U.S. government.
But what it takes to make progress isn’t access alone — it’s credible reporting on human rights violations… and it’s building a movement to elevate these issues and make sure our leaders listen. This is what counts when I step into their offices and hearings. And this is what your donation will help us accomplish.
This 4X match offer from a group of generous donors couldn’t come at a more important time: under the Biden administration, we have incredible opportunities to free families from immigration detention, and to improve the treatment asylum-seekers experience when they come to the U.S. searching for safety.
Amnesty has always counted on individuals who are moved to support our work and our vision. We’re 10 million strong worldwide: our supporters are at the heart of our work, powering our research and our advocacy every step of the way.
If you believe in our human rights work, we need you! Don’t miss your chance: quadruple your gift by donating before midnight tomorrow.
John, I’m thrilled for the opportunities we have in 2021, and I’m eager to get back to work. Thank you for sticking by our side, and for being part of this incredible movement.
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