Dear John,

Thank you to everyone who contacted Congress this week to stop funding cruelty against immigrants! As our elected officials consider how to spend our taxpayer dollars in the upcoming year, they must hear our message loud and clear. If you haven’t already, tell Congress: Defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)!

Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:

Thousands of Palestinians in Jerusalem are about to have their homes destroyed: Last month, the municipality of Jerusalem began demolishing Palestinian homes to make way for a biblical theme park. Many more Palestinians are facing eviction. The U.S. must take immediate action to stop Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians, writes AFSC’s Mike Merryman-Lotze.

Safer alternatives to calling 911: In Chicago, community members and groups are implementing community-based solutions to reduce reliance on police and ensure community safety for all, writes AFSC’s Mary Zerkel.

Register for our webinar: “Breaking open cages, from the ground up”: Communities across the U.S. are seeing major wins in organizing and advocating against immigrant detention. Join AFSC staff and partners on Wednesday, July 14 (7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT) to discuss these successful efforts—and how you can get involved in our campaigns. Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Take action to abolish the death penalty!: Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced it would halt federal executions. Now the president and Congress must permanently end this immoral and discriminatory policy.

Standing for free speech and press worldwide: Over the past few years, governments around the world have passed increasingly restrictive laws and regulations controlling the media and online content—essentially deciding what is safe for people to know.  Learn more about media restrictions and tips for fact-checking news sources from our Under the Mask project.

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