CALL TO ACTION: DHS Chief Kirstjen Nielsen Must Resign (March 8, 2019)
HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF MUST RESIGN
Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen directs Donald Trump’s war on immigrants. This week, she dutifully sat before a House committee reinforcing Trump’s assertion that the situation at the Southern border is indeed a national emergency.
Her testimony was a demonstration of bold-faced perjury, or an illumination of incompetence, or both.
House Democrats excoriated her for her department’s mistreatment of weary asylum seekers and for forcibly separating parents from their frightened kids who are then locked in cages.
During her testimony, Nielsen was admonished for her attempts to mislead the committee and one member even accused her of lying to Congress. She said children were not in cages but our Senator Jeff Merkley has seen it. Committee Democrats exposed the DHS’s actions as naked racism masquerading as law enforcement.
Representative Al Green of Texas asserted that white babies would never be subjected to the cruelty babies of color suffer at the hands of DHS. “There are those who believe that we already have too many people of color in this country,” Green lectured Nielsen “ . . . one of whom happens to be the President of the United States of America.”
Carrying Out Orders Is No Defence!
Kirstjen Nielsen Must Resign!
**ACTION ONE: CALL OUR SENATORS**
SAMPLE SCRIPT for Senator Wyden:
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because . . .
. . . there is no national emergency at the border. Rather, Kirstjen Nielsen’s Homeland Security border forces are mistreating thousands of desperate and weary asylum seekers and inflicting lifelong harm on their frightened children. The Senator must demand her resignation. Thank you.”
SENATOR RON WYDEN
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/
SAMPLE SCRIPT for Senator Merkley:
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because . . .
. . . I want to thank Senator Merkley for exposing the brutal treatment of children by DHS, and for correcting Secretary Nielsen’s assertion that kids were not kept in cages. There is no national emergency at the border except for Nielsen’s Homeland Security forces who are mistreating thousands of desperate and weary asylum seekers and inflicting lifelong harm on their frightened children. The Senator must demand her resignation. Thank you.”
SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
**ACTION TWO: CALL COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN**
SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WALDEN:
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [town/city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because . . .
. . . there is no national emergency at the border. Rather, Kirstjen Nielsen’s Homeland Security border forces are mistreating thousands of desperate and weary asylum seekers and inflicting lifelong harm on their frightened children.
As a Trump loyalist, Greg Walden is complicit with the Trump regime’s crimes against humanity. Will he do the right thing in this instance and demand Nielsen’s resignation? #2020Starts Now. Thank you.”
COMPLICIT GREG WALDEN
DC (202) 225-6730, Medford: (541) 776-4646
Bend (541) 389-4408, La Grande (541) 624-2400
https://walden.house.gov/contact-greg/email-me
**ACTION THREE: BE AN ACTIVIST**
Visit the ORD2 Indivisible Event Calendar on a regular basis to keep updated on our local activities. Participate with us as often as you can. Check out the following:
Ron Wyden Town Hall – Lakeview
March 15 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/ron-wyden-town-hall-lakeview/
Ron Wyden Town Hall – Klamath Falls
March 15 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/ron-wyden-town-hall-klamath-falls/
Greg Walden Town Hall Meetings – Hood River, The Dalles, Hermiston
March 15 – Hood River @ 8:30 am – 10:00 am
March 15 – The Dalles @ 11:15 am – 12:45 pm
March 15 – Hermiston @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/15010/
Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: Central American Newcomers: Who, Why and Now – Medford
March 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-central-american-newcomers-who-why-and-now-medford/
ORD2 Indivisible Teach & Greet: Can Oregon Lead by Example? – Talent
March 17 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/ord2-indivisible-teach-greet-can-oregon-lead-by-example-talent/
Non-ORD2 Indivisible Sponsored Event: Take Action in Salem to Stop Jordan Cove LNG – Salem
March 28 @ 9:30 am – 4:30 pm REGISTRATION IS DUE BY MARCH 15
https://ord2indivisible.org/event/non-ord2-indivisible-sponsored-event-take-action-in-salem-to-stop-jordan-cove-lng-salem/
SUBMIT EVENTS TO BE ADDED TO THE ORD2 INDIVISIBLE EVENT CALENDAR
Help us keep current with our event postings. https://ord2indivisible.org/submit-your-event/
SOURCES:
Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2019: “Homeland Chief Defends Trump’s Declaration of Border Emergency – Kirstjen Nielsen says surge in families claiming asylum is set to overwhelm system entirely”
BBC, February 15, 2019: “National emergency: Is there a crisis on the US-Mexico border?”
New York Times, March 6, 2019: “Homeland Security Chief Spars With Democrats Over Splitting Migrant Families”
Vox, March 6, 2019: “DHS Secretary Nielsen’s first public hearing before the new Congress was a disaster”
Pew Research Center, November 28,2018: “5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S.”
Buzzfeed News, March 6, 2019: “The Trump Administration Deported 471 Parents Separated From Their Kids At The Border. The American Civil Liberties Union has been leading an effort to contact deported parents to try to reunify them with their children.”
