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Friend,
Our tradition teaches us that to lose a life is to lose a whole
world. This week, 53 people seeking asylum died in a tractor-trailer
abandoned in the summer heat outside San Antonio. “This is a horror
that surpasses anything we’ve experienced before,” said San Antonio
Mayor Ron Nirenberg.1
These deaths are a result of attacks on our asylum system. More
than 2 million migrants have been expelled since March 2020 because of
xenophobic Trump-era immigration policies — designed by Stephen Miller
— that persist under the Biden administration.
As Jews and allies, we must raise our voices right now to say:
These deaths were preventable, and it’s on Congress to end
cruel and racist immigration policies now.
Send
a message to your member of Congress today to demand they pass a
budget that invests in building a welcoming and humane immigration
system that reflects our best values.
Right-wing leaders have been working overtime to promote fear
against immigrants, dismantle asylum, and mainstream “Great
Replacement” conspiracy theories.
The devastating loss of life in San Antonio is the direct result of
these hateful policies and rhetoric.
Right now, Congress is crafting next year’s budget for how our
country spends our resources. It’s crucial that we push them in a
moral direction that moves us closer to the country we can be.
Contact
your member of Congress now to demand they cut funding to ICE and CBP
and reinvest in a humane immigration system in next year’s
budget.
We mourn for the lives lost in San Antonio — and for all whose
lives have been stolen by cruel immigration and asylum policies. May
their memories be a blessing, and may we recommit to building a
country where immigrants and people seeking asylum are safe, welcomed,
and thriving.
The Bend the Arc team
Sources:
1. AP News, 51
migrants die after trailer abandoned in San Antonio heat
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