Today’s Action: Say no to more funding for child detention centers and ICE

In what can only be described as an “of course you did that” move, the Trump Administration has announced they will divert $266 million from refugee funding, Head Start programs (early childhood education for low income Pre-K), cancer and HIV/AIDS research, Medicare/Medicaid, women’s shelters, and mental health support…in order to pay for more immigrant child detention centers.

Of course that’s his plan. More than 13,300 children are currently under federal custody. 16 months ago, that number was 2,400. And this 550% increase is not at all due to higher numbers of children crossing borders.

Trump’s utterly broken immigration system is leaching funding from worthy agencies that provide vital services due to being at full capacity, with 43,000 refugee seekers detained on any given day. Resources are so stretched that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has called for an additional $1 billion, with threats that imprisoned immigrants are going to see “reductions in services.” (ICE isn’t considering, you know, releasing them instead.)

Congress must speak up to stop this bloated momentum, just as they successfully did this summer to fight family separation.

Call or email your Members of Congress and urge them to take a strong public stance against any additional funds assisting Trump’s broken immigration system. Tell them: no Head Start, refugee, FEMA, or cancer research funds for child detention centers, and no more funding for ICE.

Let’s be clear: we absolutely want these children and adult refugee seekers to be properly cared for. But Trump’s Zero Tolerance policy, which has caused this devastation, will only survive long-term if he has the money to pay for it and public support to move forward.

The programs Trump’s proposing to steal from are bipartisan issues. Maintaining Medicare/Medicaid were promises he made to his own voters. Head Start is used by families of every race and in every state across the nation. And cancer doesn’t keep in party lines.

This battle is something Congress can and must enter – but it’s up to us to urge them along.

Email or call (202.224.3121) your Members of Congress and tell them to speak out publicly against Trump’s proposed funding increases of child detention centers and ICE. Tell them: no Head Start, refugee, or cancer research funds for child prisons, and no additional funding for ICE.