Public Comments: Tell CBP NO Border Wall on San Pedro River

Center for Biological Diversity's Laiken Jordahl, went to the San Pedro River, which is the last undammed, free-flowing river in the Southwest. The Border Patrol has announced plans to build across this pristine river, choking off vital waterways and access to habitat for wildlife. The Trump administration has dismantled 41 environmental and health laws to push this through - including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. This would be a disaster for Arizona!  Ecotourism is a big part of our $22 billion dollar tourist industry!

https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv/videos/2422951604602736/

Comments and information will be accepted until Friday, July 5, 2019

Please, write a letter expressing your opposition to wall being built with your tax dollars on the San Pedro River. The river, the beauty and solace, and the habituate it provides must not be destroyed. Speak from your heart and head. And share this message with your friends.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, is seeking public input concerning a proposed border barrier project to construct new bollard wall in place of dilapidated and outdated designs in Pima and Cochise Counties.

CBP proposes to replace up to approximately 63 miles of pedestrian fencing and vehicle barrier with new bollard wall. The project also includes road construction and improvement and lighting installation. The proposed design of the new bollard wall includes 18-to-30 foot, concrete-filled steel bollards that are approximately 6” x 6” in diameter.

CBP is seeking input regarding the proposed project’s potential impacts to the environment, culture, and commerce, including potential socioeconomic impacts, and quality of life. Comments on the project will be considered as a part of CBP’s project planning process.

Comments and information will be accepted by email at:

commentsenv@cbp.dhs.gov

or mailed to:

U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. 6.5E Mail Stop 1039
Washington, DC 20229-1100

Comments should reference “Pima and Cochise Counties Border Infrastructure Projects” in the subject of the email.

If you would prefer, you can also sign a petition from Defend Wildlife.

(Consider personalizing it for more impact.) 

Tell Congress: Pass the Families Belong Together Act

The petition to Congress reads: "Stand up for survivors of Donald Trump's cruel zero-tolerance and family separation policies. Pass the Families Belong Together Act." Add your name:

Ripping immigrant children from their families is an unconscionable act.  Yet multiple Trump officials revealed last week that they failed to raise any flags or concerns about this cruel policy. They appear to have carried it out without hesitation.1  Until Congress holds every Trump enabler accountable and the government frees and reunites every family it tore apart, this crisis will continue to plague the lives of immigrant survivors and the American people. Rep. Joaquin Castro and Sen. Richard Blumenthal recently introduced legislation that would begin to repair the damage Trump's zero-tolerance and family separation policies inflicted on asylum seekers.2 Speak out now to demand that Congress pass this important bill. Tell Congress: Pass the Families Belong Together Act. Click here to sign the petition. A horrific new report just revealed that thousands of immigrant children have been sexually abused in detention centers over the past four years. It also showed that complaints of abuse sharply increased when Trump took office.3 This report further proves that ICE and CBP are dangerous rogue agencies. They already have long records of abuse, mismanagement and corruption, made worse by Trump's racist regime. No one – especially children – belongs in ICE custody. Despite all this, a majority of Democrats just joined Republicans in passing a DHS budget bill that expands this violent deportation force. Democrats need to do better. Passing the Families Belong Together Act is a step in the right direction. It would give many immigrant survivors of Trump's zero-tolerance and family separation policies the opportunity to:4 Return to the United States and get their green card. Qualify for citizenship so that they can fully access medical treatment in the United States. The bill would also increase funding for federal programs to educate immigrant children and parents on their legal rights and help facilitate their access to counsel. Even though the Families Belong Together Act has no chance of becoming law under this administration, it's important that we build momentum for it now and force every member of Congress to make their positions clear. Will they stand with a racist administration that is escalating state-sanctioned child abuse or immigrants and the progressive allies who have their backs? Add your name now to make sure Democrats and Republicans of good conscience do the right thing. Tell Congress: Pass the Families Belong Together Act. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/families-belong-together-act?t=9&akid=31793%2E3130208%2EtFSqOU - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: Priscilla Alvarez, "Five takeaways from Tuesday's family separation hearing," CNN, Feb. 26, 2019. Rep. Joaquin Castro, "Castro & Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Address the Family Separation Crisis," Jan. 30, 2019. Matthew Haag, "Thousands of Immigrant Children Said They Were Sexually Abused in U.S. Detention Centers, Report Says," The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2019. Rep. Castro, "Castro & Blumenthal Introduce Legislation to Address the Family Separation Crisis."

Tell Congress: Do not fund hate

I just watched United We Dream’s livestream from Capitol Hill and wept as young immigrants described mothers screaming as they’re separated from their children, and deaths in detention due to callous mistreatment and lack of medical care.

Today or tomorrow Congress will vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding deal, which determines ICE and CBP capacity for deportations and detention, along with the six other funding bills Congress needs to pass to avoid another shutdown.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation on Capitol Hill right now about the way this bill allows ICE and CBP to detain even more of our immigrant loved ones. Can you call and let your member of Congress know that you stand with immigrants and oppose expanded detention? ☎️ 202-224-3121 ☎️

Make sure to ask for your Representative or Senator. If you don't know your members of Congress, share your zip code and the switchboard will transfer you.

You can say:

"Hi, I'm _____, and I'm a resident of _____, I want Rep./Sen._____ to know that I’m disappointed Congress is about to expand immigrant detention with the DHS funding bill this week. This bill will NOT decrease detention, and will therefore hurt immigrants. I do NOT support funding for ICE and CBP to harm immigrant communities, and I will have the Rep./Sen.’s back if he/she stands up for immigrants.”

#defundhate

Democrats could vote as early as today on a DHS budget deal that would hand Trump more than $1 billion for his wall and the power to throw more immigrants behind bars.1

Democrats should be fighting for a DHS budget that reflects progressive values. This proposal is a compromise to hate. Will you call Rep. Kirkpatrick and Sen. Sinema to demand that they reject it?

Call Rep. Kirkpatrick and Sen. Sinema: If you cave on Trump's wall, we will pay the price.

The DHS budget proposal would reportedly:2

• Hand Trump more than $1 billion for his border wall
• Increase the number of people ICE and CBP can jail each day
• Allow the Trump regime to continue to steal money from other agencies to keep more immigrants behind bars
• Arm Trump's deportation force with the latest surveillance technology

Approving any funding for Trump's wall sanctions his manufactured border crisis and attacks on immigrants.

Rewarding Trump's rogue deportation force by handing it more detention dollars is a slap in the face to immigrants and allies whose friends and family members suffered horrific abuse or died in ICE custody.

References:

1. Aida Chávez and Ryan Grim, "Immigrant rights groups trash border deal: 'Immigrant families will pay the price,'" The Intercept, Feb. 13, 2019.
2. Dara Lind, "Congress’s deal on immigration detention, explained,'" Vox, Feb. 12, 2019.

Contact your Senators:

Sen. Kyrsten Sinama

202-224-4521

https://www.sinema.senate.gov/contact

Phone (520) 670-6334

Sen. Martha McSally

(520) 670-6334

(202) 224-2235

To find out who your Representative is, just find your district and use that to look up your Rep.

More Sources:

1. VOA News, Political Impasse Turns from Border Wall to Beds in Immigration Debate
2. The Hill, Progressives say Congress must reject funding for more ICE agents
3. LA Times, Border funding fight bogs down over detention beds. Here's why
4. Buzzfeed News, A Record Number Of Immigrants Are Detained In The US. Blame Trump’s “Draconian” Policies, A Former ICE Official Says.

Tell Democrats: Keep holding the line on border wall funding

Dems, keep holding the line on funding for the wall

The petition to Democrats reads: "Don't give an inch. Keep holding the line on funding for the wall and the expansion of ICE and CBP and immediately put checks on Trump if he declares a national emergency." Add your name:

Donald Trump is so desperate for his border wall that he just hijacked prime time to try to get it.1 And it's not just prime time. Trump has also been threatening to declare a national emergency, which would give him not only the power to use the military to build his wall, but a sweeping and terrifying set of other extrajudicial powers.2 Now more than ever, we need Democratic leaders to keep standing strong, hold the line on wall funding and immediately put checks on Trump if he declares a national emergency. Will you add your name now? Tell Democrats: Don't give an inch. Keep holding the line on border wall funding. Click here to sign the petition. It's important to remember that Trump created this border crisis to sanction attacks on immigrants and coerce the public and Congress into backing his border wall. Trump's wall isn't just unnecessary, a waste of taxpayer dollars and harmful to the environment and communities who live in the southern border region, but it's also a monument to hate. Building it would hand Trump a major political victory and ramp up attacks on our communities. It would prove to his racist base of supporters that he has the power to deliver on hateful campaign promises, even at the expense of our Democracy. We must keep pushing to make sure Democrats keep up the fight to block Trump's racist agenda. Trump's national emergency threats are terrifying. History has shown that the end of many democracies begins when leaders invoke emergency powers to force the government to do their political bidding.3 By trying to circumventing Congress and a majority of voters who don't want a wall, Trump is proving, once again, that he will do anything – including taking a sledgehammer to the Constitution – to advance his white supremacist agenda. If Trump follows through with his latest threats to abuse emergency powers, it would escalate and normalize the use of lethal military force at the border, supercharge the mass incarceration and state-sanctioned abuse and killings of children in DHS custody and give Trump the power to suppress political protests at the border and dissent across the country.4 We cannot allow that to happen. To protect our immigrant neighbors, friends and family members and defend our democracy, we need to make sure Democrats continue to hold the line and refuse to cave to Trump and Republicans' threats and hostage taking. Republicans' craven tactics will only work if Democrats compromise. Speak out now to make sure they keep standing strong. Tell Democrats: Don't give an inch. Keep holding the line on border wall funding. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/dems_shutdown_2019?t=7&akid=31133%2E3130208%2ER0U6p0 - Thaís Marques, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Veronica Rocha, et al., "Trump addresses the nation, Democrats respond," CNN, Jan. 8, 2019. Elizabeth Goitein, "What the President Could Do If He Declares a State of Emergency," The Atlantic, January/February 2019. Andrea Pitzer, "If Trump Declares a state emergency, he may actually cause one," Washington Post, Jan. 8, 2019. Boris Sanchez, "Trump inclined to declare national emergency if talks continue to stall," CNN, Jan. 5, 2019.

Tell the U.N.: Send observers to the border

The petition to the United Nations Human Rights Council reads: "Send observers to the U.S.–Mexico Border to witness, document and report on the Trump administration's human rights violations." Add your name:

President Trump has deployed the military against Central American families seeking refuge in the United States and just enacted a racist asylum ban that violates domestic and international law.1,2 We have to use every tool at our disposal to fight back.There is a human rights crisis happening at the U.S.–Mexico border, and it's about to get worse. The United Nations condemned Trump's family separation policy this summer.3 Now the U.N. should go one step further and send observers to witness and report on state-sanctioned violence and human rights abuses at the border. Documenting the Trump administration's human rights violations will help build momentum to stop them from happening and shine a bright light on Trump's tyranny and hate. Tell the U.N.: Send observers to witness, document and report on human rights violations at the U.S.–Mexico border. Click here to sign the petition. Like racist authoritarians before him, Trump is trying to distract the country by demonizing, scapegoating and attacking immigrants while his lapdogs in Congress and the administration are rolling back civil rights, gutting health care access, disenfranchising LGBTQ people and passing tax reforms that fatten the pockets of corporations and the wealthy. The Trump regime is doing all this with no regard for the rule of law. His asylum ban violates U.S. law by preventing people from seeking asylum between ports of entry. The law puts no restrictions on where people can apply for asylum. It also violates international law that requires the United States to examine all asylum claims under the United Nations Refugee Convention.4 Our friends at the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center and Center for Constitutional Rights are already challenging this illegal ban in court.5 But while litigation will delay some of Trump's most extreme and dangerous policies, we need to mobilize against the border crisis and stand in solidarity with immigrants on a much larger scale to stop his attacks once and for all. The migrant caravan left Mexico City last week and could arrive at the U.S.–Mexico border as early as mid-December. If we want to stop Trump's war on immigrants and prevent a military escalation at the border, we need to put a spotlight on this crisis now. Demanding that the U.N. send observers is a crucial step. Tell the U.N.: Send observers to witness, document and report on human rights violations at the U.S.–Mexico border. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/un_immigration?t=7&akid=30641%2E3130208%2Ej9UUxb - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Dara Lind, "Trump signs a 90-day asylum ban for border crossers," Vox, Nov. 9, 2018. James LaPorta and Tom O'Connor, "Migrant caravan: U.S. military will have up to 14,000 troops, many armed, ready to intervene at Mexico border," Newsweek, Oct. 29, 2018. Nick Cumming-Bruce, "Taking Migrant Children From Parents Is Illegal, U.N. Tells U.S." The New York Times, June 5, 2018. Chris Riotta, "Donald Trump asylum ban is 'illegal,' major civil rights group warns," The Independent, Nov 9, 2018. Noah Lanard, "ACLU Files Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Effort to Upend Asylum Law," Mother Jones, Nov. 9, 2018.

Tell Congress: Protect Dreamers. Defund Hate.

The petition to Congress reads: “Protect Dreamers, cut funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, and block funding for Donald Trump’s southern border wall in the next omnibus bill.” Add your name:

Donald Trump wants more than $20 billion to wall off our borders and lock up and deport more immigrants.1 We must speak out now to stop them. Congress needs to approve an omnibus spending bill to fund the government and keep it running by March 23. With Dreamers still in danger of deportation and Donald Trump’s lawless deportation forces tearing immigrant families apart daily, we must make sure that Congress permanently reinstates the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in the bill and blocks any budget proposal that would ramp-up the criminalization and deportation of immigrants. Democrats and Republicans of good conscience must make a choice: Will they use their power to defund Trump’s hate in the omnibus bill or help him expand his racist agenda? Speak out now to make sure they do the right thing. Tell Congress: Protect Dreamers and cut funding for Trump’s deportation machine. Click here to sign the petition. We can no longer treat funding for immigration detention and enforcement as business as usual. Every dollar Congress appropriates for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a dollar that will fuel Trump’s deportation machine and arm and mobilize his rogue enforcement army. ICE is hunting down immigrants at hospitals, schools and courthouses. Its agents are even arresting and detaining Dreamers and green card holders.2,3 Now, immigration enforcement agents are targeting immigrant activists who are speaking out against Trump’s authoritarian regime. ICE agents have deported Haitian activist Jean Montrevil and have detained and threatened to deport other prominent immigrant activists including Maru Mora Villalpando, Eliseo Jurado and Ravi Ragbir.4,5 By unleashing this dangerous deportation force to terrorize immigrants and undermine resistance movements, Trump’s xenophobic administration is threatening our nation’s values and our democracy.6 Congress must obstruct any budget proposal that would expand ICE and CBP and push for pro-immigrant policies in the omnibus bill. The March spending bill could be the last best chance for Congress to pass legislation that would permanently protect Dreamers from deportation. As in previous budget fights, Democrats in the Senate have the power to include the bipartisan DREAM Act in this must-pass bill. But to save Dreamers and cut funding for Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, we must speak out now to demand that Democrats fight back and Republicans of good conscience stand with the immigrants in their states, not the Trump regime. Tell Congress: Protect Dreamers and cut funding for Trump’s deportation machine. Click here to sign the petition. It’s important to remember that ICE and CBP have a long history of neglect, overreach and abuse. ICE’s mismanagement and neglect of the immigration detention system has resulted in a network of hundreds of jails riddled with reports of abuse and human rights violations. ICE agents have reportedly subjected immigrants in their custody to excessive solitary confinement and medical neglect that has led to immigrant deaths, physical abuse and sexual assault.7 Like ICE, CBP agents also have a troubling history of misconduct. More than 95 percent of all cases of alleged misconduct by CBP agents – including allegations of physical abuse and sexual assault – have resulted in “no action taken” by the agency.8 CBP is notorious for violating the rights of immigrants and people of color in the massive “100-mile border zone” over which it has jurisdiction.9 What Democrats and Republicans of good conscience do on March 23 will not only determine how much power Trump’s deportation machine will have over the next few years, it will also show the rest of the country whose side they are on. Whether they do their jobs and stand up for every person in their state – not just the ones who were born in this country – or side with a racist who is trying to uphold white supremacy on the backs of immigrants is up to us. Tell Congress: Protect Dreamers and cut funding for Trump’s deportation machine. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/immigration_omnibus?t=8&akid=27583%2E3130208%2E7xHrpX - Nicole Regalado, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Dean DeChiaro, "More Funds Sought for Wall, Detention Beds," Roll Call, Feb. 12, 2018. Samantha Schmidt, "ICE detains a Polish doctor and green-card holder who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years," The Washington Post, Jan. 22, 2018. Jamie Lynch, "DREAMer speaks out on immigration, gets arrested by ICE," CNN, March 2, 2017. Juliane Hing, "ICE Is Going After People Who Were Once Off-Limits," The Nation, Jan. 19 2018. Maria Sacchetti and David Weigel, "ICE has detained or deported prominent immigration activists," The Washington Post, Jan. 19, 2018. Cesar Vargas, "Trump’s Anti-Immigration Machine Is Chipping Away At The Fourth Amendment," HuffPost, Feb. 27, 2018. Anna Núñez, "Inhumane Human Rights Violations Found at U.S. Immigration Detention Centers," America's Voice, Dec. 19, 2017. Marie Solis, "New Border Patrol report shows “no action taken” in more than 95% of misconduct cases," Mic, Aug. 5, 2017. ACLU, "The Constitution in the 100-mile border zone," accessed March 2, 2018.