Today’s Action: Stop Trump’s use of solitary confinement against asylum seekers – #DefundHate

More than 8,400 immigrants have been placed in solitary confinement since 2012, as punishment by our country’s deportation machine, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A whopping third of these immigrants have had mental illness. LGBTQ and disabled individuals particularly have been targetted, arbitrarily punished for reasons that have nothing to do with rule-breaking. At least 200 immigrants have been held in solitary confinement for over six months. It as is heartbreaking as it is unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Trump has requested from Congress a budget of billions MORE to fund the Department of Homeland Security, AKA his border terror toolbox. His ask includes another $1 billion for family jails, faster deportations, and expanding ICE and Customs and Border Protections (CBP)…meaning more solitary confinement.

Funding levels live with Congress, not Trump – so we have the direct ability to influence exactly how much, or how little, Trump gets of his request.

Call or email your Members of Congress…

If they are on the House Appropriations Committee, tell them to:

1. Vote no on Trump’s request for supplemental DHS funding,
2. Cut funding for ICE and CBP down to “FY16 levels” (the last year President Obama was in office). This is a starting point — it should be much lower;
3. Put a stop to ICE stealing funds from other Department of Homeland Security accounts, as it has under Trump…ICE should only receive money appropriated by Congress.

If they aren’t on the Appropriations Committee, ask them to:

1. Vote no on Trump’s request for additional DHS funding
2. Sign on to the “Jayapal-Torres-Chu Dear Colleague” letter making those same asks.

Trump is working overtime to redefine “American” through his white supremacist lens, and now we know that includes torturing vulnerable immigrants in solitary confinement. That’s why we need to work overtime to stop him.