Tell our MoCs: No more funding for ICE/CBP or the Wall

Deadline: today and every day – Like the spoiled kid who says he’ll take his toys and break up the game, the Current Occupant is threatening to shut down the government unless Congress agrees to his demands: $5 billion to pay for his wall and for more inhumane enforcement and detention at the border. This on the heels of tear-gassing kids and calling their parents “baby-grabbers.”

So far, the current House of Representatives is saying OK, but the Senate is saying NO. The Senate should, pardon the expression, stick to its guns. They can insist on a budget with no new funding for the wall or for enforcement; or, alternatively, support a Continuing Resolution, which would basically authorize just enough funding to keep the government going until the next Congress takes office.

And both the Senate and the House have the ability and responsibility to exercise oversight authority over the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In fact, on December 11, at 11 AM Eastern time, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary – on which both Senators Feinstein and Harris sit – will hold a hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” You can watch on CSPAN or here.

What you can do:

Tell Senators Feinstein and Harris:

My name is _____, my zip code is _____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. I’m horrified by the growing list of atrocities by immigration officials against refugees, from family separation to family gassing at the border. Thank you for speaking out. Please do everything you can to keep funding for ICE and CBP in check – fight for a budget with no new funding for the wall and border enforcement, or support a Continuing Resolution. And please be extra rigorous and thorough in your questioning in the upcoming Judiciary Committee hearing on Oversight of US Customs and Border Protection.

Contact info:

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein: (email); (415) 393-0707 • DC: (202) 224-3841; 1 Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco CA 94104
• Sen. Kamala Harris: (email); (415) 355-9041 • DC: (202) 224-3553; 333 Bush Street, Suite 3225, San Francisco CA 94104

Tell Representatives DeSaulnier, Lee, and Swalwell that you want them to limit funding, and to call for investigations into the administration’s inhumane immigration policies, including turning away refugees, tear gassing, and family separation.

What to say:

My name is _____, my zip code is _____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. I’m horrified by the growing list of atrocities by immigration officials against asylum seekers, from family separation to family gassing at the border. Thank you for speaking out, and please do all you can to investigate, conduct rigorous oversight, and limit funding for the administration’s inhumane immigration policies.

NOTE: You can add on the following for each of the East Bay’s Representatives:

• If you’re a constituent of Rep. Swalwell, ask him to use his position on the House Judiciary Committee to do all he can, including oversight of ICE and CBP; and thank him for saying that despite threats of a government shutdown, he would never vote to fund the wall. Read our article.
• If you’re a constituent of Rep. DeSaulnier, ask him to use his position on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to do all he can, including oversight of ICE and CBP.
• If you’re a constituent of Barbara Lee, thank her for publicly calling out Trump’s “childish and unacceptable” threat to shut down the government if he doesn’t get funding for the wall – and her pledge not to support it.

Contact info:

• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (email): (510) 620-1000 DC: (202) 225-2095; 440 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804
• Rep. Barbara Lee (email): (510) 763-0370 DC: (202) 225-2661; 1301 Clay Street #1000N, Oakland CA 94612
• Rep. Eric Swalwell (email): (510) 370-3322 DC: (202) 225-5065; 3615 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley CA 94546

Read our related article for more information.