Yesterday, DHS Secretary John Kelly outlined his plans to rollout Trump’s crackdown on immigrants–plans that go far beyond their stated priority of targeting criminals for deportation (http://bit.ly/2miirQd ). No longer will people caught at the US-Mexico border be released pending hearings, they will be held in detention—possibly for months or longer. Deportations will be accelerated. Thousands more federal agents and local law enforcement are expected to carry out this brutalization of honest, working immigrants and their families. And last month, Senate Republicans reintroduced a bill that would criminalize local efforts to provide sanctuary (http://bit.ly/2mjvXTA ).
Some of the battle will be fought in the courts, but there are many tools our MOC’s have to fight these hateful schemes that violate traditional American values to the core. There will likely be Democratic bills and committee investigations. Meanwhile, it is crucial that everything is done to ensure that sanctuary states like Oregon be allowed to protect their vulnerable immigrant families from persecution.
**ACTION 1: CALL BOTH OUR SENATORS**
Sample script
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon, zip code (–). I am calling to THANK the Senator for speaking out against Trump’s un-American immigrant crackdown. Given the new DHS proposed rollout, I would like the Senator to act aggressively to block plans to criminalize local sanctuary efforts, such as Senate Bill 87. I would also like him to speedily introduce legislation to protect our honest immigrants and their families.’
**ACTION 2: CALL YOUR OWN REPRESENTATIVE**
Find your US Representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Sample script
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon, zip code (–). I am calling to urge Representative (–) to block the DHS’s rollout of Trump’s plans to brutalize our hardworking immigrant families. I would also like (him or her) to speedily introduce legislation to protect them, and to protect our state’s right to offer them sanctuary.”
**PHONE NUMBERS**
SENATOR 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
SENATOR MERKLEY
Portland: (503) 326-3386
DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102
Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102
CONGRESSMAN GREG WALDEN
Medford (541) 776-4646
Bend (541) 389-4408
La Grande (541) 624-2400
DC (202) 225-6730
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dhs-outlines-crackdown-illegal-immigration-n723566
Thank you.