Take action to protect migrants and asylum seekers during the pandemic

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The Trump Administration continues to weaponize the global pandemic to push a xenophobic and anti-immigrant agenda. We have had enough–and  so have our members of Congress. Together, we won’t let this go unchallenged. The Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act was introduced by Senator Markey (D-MA) in the Senate (S 4.011) and by Representative Escobar (D-TX) and Representative Wilson (D-FL)  in the House (H.R. 7569).  The companion bills are supported by over 65 organizations and it’s important to continue to uplift both in the House and Senate. These bills protect migrants’ rights during the global pandemic against the Trump Administration’s harmful immigration enforcement and deportation policies which continue to export the virus to fragile countries.

The bills would:

  • Halt deportations during the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • Release individuals in detention on orders of supervision;
  • Halt in person check-ins and in-person court proceedings which risk asylum seekers’ lives to travel during this pandemic to appear in court and instead allow for telephonic hearings if the asylum seeker requests it, and
  • Prohibit federal funds from implementing the CDC order which would prevent immediate expulsions of asylum seekers and unaccompanied children at our border.

So what can you do?

  • Call your representative or senators to get them to co-sponsor the bills. Find them here
    • Say something like: Hi, my name is _____ and I’m a constituent for ______. I urge Representative/Senator ____ to co-sponsor the Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act (HR. 7569 or S.4011). Deporting and forcibly expelling individuals, families, and children during a pandemic is inhumane and unlawful and must be stopped immediately. The administration is weaponizing a pandemic to close the border to asylum seekers.”
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