From the non-emergency emergency, to continuing to separate families at the border, to making it more difficult for American citizens to return to the US with their own families, the Trump administration is taking drastic measures to effectively shut down all immigration, impacting thousands of Americans — not just those in the US, but around the world.

 

This week’s Tiny Action: Voice your support for families impacted by Trump’s Anti-Immigration Agenda, and share your story if these immigration policies are impacting you and your loved ones.

Secretary Nielsen’s legacy will be one of cruelty and inhumane immigration tactics, but that wasn’t enough. Trump purged DHS of leaders who told him his extreme immigration proposals weren’t legal, and then he personally ordered border agents to ignore rulings by federal judges.

Going largely unnoticed, the administration also announced plans to shut down all foreign offices of the DHS US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), a move that will worsen the already arduous immigration process, including for spouses, families and adopted children of Americans living abroad.

Meanwhile, House Democrats have introduced the Dream and Promise Act to protect DACA and TPS recipients, and Dems in both the House and the Senate introduced the NO BAN Act, to end the Muslim ban and future discriminatory immigration practices. But these bills will not proceed without your support, and they are only the next steps. There is still much work to be done.

 

1. Tell your representative that you support H.R. 6 in full, and that you oppose new family separation policies and closing overseas offices of USCIS.

First, check if they are cosponsoring H.R. 6, a bill which would allow DREAMers to apply for legalization, and TPS holders to apply for green cards. Then call your representative using our script here.

 

2. Tell your representative and your senators that you also support the NO BAN Act and strongly oppose separating families at the border.

First, check if they are cosponsoring H.R. 2214 / S. 1123, to put a stop to the Muslim ban once and for all, and prevent future discriminatory immigration bans. Then call your representative and both senators using our script here.

 

3. If your family could be directly impacted by the closure of the USCIS offices or Trump’s immigration policies, let us know. And then help spread the word about why this issue matters to you.

Real-life stories of how an anti-immigration administration impacts our members and the families of Americans abroad can be incredibly helpful in our fight for fairer policies for all. If you have a story to share about your experience under the Trump administration’s immigration policies, please reach out to [email protected]. We will not share or publish your experience or identifiable information without discussing with you further.

Regardless of whether or not you are directly impacted, you can offer a new perspective by talking to friends and family about why you think immigration rights, and these bills in particular, are so important.

Consider posting a link to this action on social media, sharing one of the news stories mentioned below, or sharing your own family’s experience online, to start a conversation. It may seem small, but the more people are aware of this issue and how it impacts Americans like us, the more we can push for progress.

 

WHY IT MATTERS

Anti-immigration stances don’t just affect “other” people. They affect us. Because these immigrants are us. They make up our families and our communities. And our families and communities deserve a fair, timely, humane immigration policy and process.

There’s no question that family separation, even temporary separation, has detrimental effects on children. There’s also no question that American families, those Americans married to foreign spouses or living abroad with children who are dual citizens or who have not yet filed for their US citizenship, will face delays, hardships and much worse, in the name of “border security.”

This administration sees this as a feature, not a bug, and the president will do everything he can (including suggesting the border officials violate judicial decisions) to see it continue. These horrific practices will be a shameful period in our nation’s history. We must take steps for it to end, immediately.

The Dream and Promise Act would provide much needed protection for three immigration statuses: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“Dreamers”), Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) and Deferred Enforced Departure (“DED”). The President has threatened to remove or has removed these protections, jeopardizing the safety and security of so many who call the US their home.

These immigrants are contributing to our economy and our nation’s future, and Democrats are committed to ensuring they can continue to do so. We are committed to ensuring a path to citizenship for those individuals who were protected by these programs.

We must push hard on this issue, and we need your help. By removing protections for Dreamers and TPS and DED recipients, President Trump has yet again acted to separate families and hurt our communities.

 

MORE INFO

• Full Text: American Dream and Promise Act of 2019
• Full Text: NO BAN Act
  
  
• Democrats Introduce Latest Version of Dream Act (CBS)
• About the Dream and Promise Act (dreamandpromise.com)
• House Democrats Tie DACA and TPS together in latest immigration push (Miami Herald)
• The six countries 300,000 immigrants must return to with end of TPS program (USAToday)
• DACA Remains More Important than Ever (Center for American Progress)
• Closing USCIS Offices Abroad Would Hurt US Expats Most (Law360)
  
  
• It’s not just immigrants. Trump is separating American families, too. (WaPo)
• Democrats Introduce Bills To Void Trump’s Muslim Ban And Stop Anything Like It (HuffPo)
• "No Ban Act" is trending —here's why (HelloGiggles)
• 
  Democrats take aim at Miller as questions persist about ‘sanctuary city’ targeting (WaPo)
• Nation of Immigrants? (Primarily 2020 Podcast)
• Trump administration weighs new family-separation effort at border (WaPo)
• Trump laments that US troops can’t get “rough” with migrants at the border (Vox)
• Kirstjen Nielsen Was Heartless, but Not Heartless Enough for Trump (Daily Beast)

 

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