URGENT CALL NOW: Senator Flake could swing the vote to stop Trump’s border wall

Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term budget resolution to fund Homeland Security with over $5 billion in taxpayer money for Trump's border wall. The Senate will vote TODAY, as early as 10:00 am MST on whether to pass this bill — and as a constituent of Senator Flake, you have an important role in this fight: He could vote either way and decide its fate.

CALL NOW: Senator Flake must vote NO on this bad budget bill and refuse to fund Trump's border wall. DHS doesn't deserve even more of our taxpayer money — and certainly not for the needless, wasteful, and harmful border wall.

The only reason this budget bill is moving forward in Congress is because Trump is refusing to budge on his border wall obsession. The Senate already passed a short-term budget resolution that didn't include border wall funding. But because Trump has made crystal clear that he won't sign any funding bill — even threatening a government shutdown — if he doesn't get to spend our money on the border wall, Senators are flying back to the Capitol to vote on a new bill that includes $5 billion for Trump's wall.

Most people in this country are against the border wall, and it's easy to see why: The wall would not only be a tool of xenophobia, but it would devastate communities, nature, and history in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and other parts of the border region. Funding the wall would reward Trump for his brutal crackdown on immigrants throughout the country, including the cruel, unprecedented family separation policy that his administration spearheaded.

Senator Flake is wavering on this vote, and we have little time left to demand he votes NO: Call Senator Flake right now and demand he refuse this bad budget bill, which allocates billions of our taxpayer money for the wall.

The border wall is nothing more than a monument to Trump's ego, and if we don't act now, then he'll get his wish at our expense. It's up to us to force senators to do the right thing today and vote NO on Trump's border wall.

- Alessandra Soler, Executive Director, ACLU of Arizona

Contact Sen. Jeff Flake:

Tucson Office
F: 520-797-3232

Washington, D.C. Office
P: 202-224-4521
F: 202-228-0515

(Left a message here.)

Phoenix Office
P: 602-840-1891

(Left a message here)

Website: 

https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-jeff

Sample script: 

Once connected, introduce yourself to the congressional staffer who answers the phone and say:

Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and my zip code is [YOUR ZIP]. Do not use my taxpayer money to fund the Department of Homeland Security as it asks for even more resources to build Trump's wall, detain families, abuse immigrant children, and terrorize communities. Thank you. 

Customs and Border Protection accepting Public Comments on Trump's border wall plan

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump inspects border wall prototypes in San Diego, California on March 13, 2018. DAFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) (Photo: Getty Images)

Customs and Border Protection will extend the deadline for public input on the proposed construction of a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, about two months after a coalition of 40 organizations requested the agency allow more time for feedback.

The area of proposed construction spans about 33 miles and bisects numerous National Wildlife Refuge tracts, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Roma and La Lomita National Historic Districts, and dozens, if not hundreds, of private properties, the letter states. 

Customs and Border Protection will take public input via email through Nov. 6, a news release states. Comments, questions, or concerns can be emailed to CBP at commentsenv@cbp.dhs.gov.

Input is welcome on the potential border wall's impact on the environment, culture, and commerce, including potential socioeconomic impacts, and quality of life, the agency release states. The agency also will conduct environmental site surveys and assessments and is gathering data and input from state and local government agencies, federal agencies, Native American tribes, and landowners that may be affected by or otherwise have an interest in the construction projects.

Helpful comments are fact-based, include links to data or research, and provide specific information concerning potential impacts to biological, cultural, and natural resources," the release states. If known, your response should include any state and local restrictions, permitting or other requirements that CBP should consider during project siting, construction, and operation.

Last month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report describing testing and evaluation methods used, as well as a summary of some of the findings, according to the Arizona Republic.  The report points to structural issues in the design or with the construction of eight prototypes that were erected in a hilly area on the outskirts of San Diego, California.

Excerpt taken from: 

Here's how the public can comment on Trump's border wall plan

USA TODAY NETWORK, Beatriz Alvarado, Corpus Christi Caller Times, Published Sept. 8, 2018

Here's another report with more information you can use to form an effective public comment:

Download ACLU Report:

DEATH, DAMAGE, AND FAILURE 

Past, Present, and Future Impacts of Walls on the U.S.-Mexico Border

More Information:

THE WALL - an in-depth investigation into Donald Trump's border wall

Trump's border wall prototypes fail design requirements and are riddled with deficiencies

Act Now: Oppose Trump's Border Wall Budget - disguised as "flood levees"

Monsoon runoff toppled this section of border fence, sending debris-
filled floodwater down Ephriam canyon and into yards and homes.
Credit: Nogales International 

You can stop Trump from getting his border wall! For more than a year, the Sierra Club along with other environmental groups have kept Donald Trump from building his pet border wall by convincing Democratic leadership in Congress to vote NO on the funding required to build it. Now there is a key government funding bill with a Friday deadline in which $1.6 billion is given to Trump for dozens of miles of new wall, disguised as a 'flood levee' for Texas.

Please call Senators Chuck Schumer at (202) 224-6542 and Dick Durbin at (202) 224-2152 ASAP to say NO to the wall and to refute the bogus claim that border walls would work as levees. Border walls actually make floods worse!

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a rush to avoid another government shutdown, members of Congress have proposed an omnibus deal that fortunately falls short of Trump’s outrageous requests to fully fund his wall, but still includes $1.6 billion for border walls along the U.S.- Mexico border. A significant portion of the funding is designated for 33 miles of new barriers that can be built as levee-walls or existing “bollard fence. Levee-walls and bollard fences have created flooding disasters in border states, blocked wildlife migration and posed harm to communities.

Importantly, a funding limitation specifies that new wall cannot be constructed in the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, but unfortunately, still leaves other natural areas like the National Butterfly Center and communities of people in the area at risk.

In response, Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign Co-Chair Scott Nicol released the following statement:

“This omnibus deal fails to protect Dreamers, while funding a dangerous and divisive border wall that will have detrimental effects on our Southwest communities. While it preserves the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge for the time being, it still risks people and places nearby. The threats are still very real and will be felt by communities."

“This wall is much more than a racist campaign soundbite. It comes with dangerous health and safety waivers. Foregoing these bedrock and bipartisan laws has resulted in flooding in places like Nogales where people lost their lives, the destruction of Native American burial sites and the harm of dozens of endangered species and fragmented habitat. Most concerningly, there is zero accountability or consequence for these outcomes."

“It makes no sense to spend nearly $2 billion on an unnecessary and cruel border wall. We will continue to stand against this wall and attacks on immigrants.”

Then, send a tweet to them at: @SenSchumer and @SenatorDurbin.  Don't be fooled, @SenSchumer and @Senator Durbin, what @RealDonaldTrump calls a 'levee' is his wall in disguise! #NoBorderWall The majority of Americans and border residents oppose a #BorderWall. @Senator Durbin and @SenSchumer must stay strong in opposing all of the @RealDonaldTrump border wall boondoggles! #NoBorderWall - Don't waste billions on racist walls! @SenSchumer @SenatorDurbin More information on flooding and ecological impacts of the wall: New map details Trump’s Texas border wall plan, renewing flood concerns NPR: Mexico Worries That A New Border Wall Will Worsen Flooding The ecological disaster that is Trump’s border wall: a visual guide There is a similar problem in Arizona: Our border is a river. It's dangerous to wall that off - AZCentral.com

Take Action to Stop Border Militarization

The House passed a funding bill that includes $1.6 billion to expand the wall at our southern border, and President Trump recently threatened a government shutdown to fund the wall. But existing walls and other border enforcement measures have only resulted in thousands of migrant deaths, environmental destruction, and the militarization of our border communities. We need humane immigration policy reform, not more walls.

Take action today – sign this petition to Senators urging them to oppose the wall and other proposals to further militarize our borders.

Contact your representative, who voted in favor of further militarization of the U.S.- Mexico border region.

House Republican leadership got approval to spend $1.6 billion for the border wall by sneaking the allocation into a defense-funding package. The funding of this wall will further Trump’s discriminatory anti-immigrant agenda and will worsen U.S. Customs and Border Protection abuses in Arizona.

Send a message to your Arizona representative, who voted in favor of this spending package. Rep. Grijalva and Rep. Gallego were the only Arizona representatives who voted against the package.

House Republican leadership was afraid of putting $1.6 billion in wasteful spending on Trump’s border wall on the floor for a vote. This obscene expenditure was bundled with defense and other unrelated funding to pass it sneakily through the House without a chance for others to amend it.

Contact your representative, who voted in favor of further militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Across the southwest, border residents and local stakeholders like mayors and sheriffs are firmly opposed to President Trump’s folly endeavor, based on economic, environmental, and humanitarian impacts. We must continue to fight for the members of the border community whose voices are not being consulted, much less listened to, about the wall being imposed on them.

- Alessandra Soler
ACLU of Arizona