Background: President Trump’s FY18 budget request would significantly cut funds for refugee assistance overseas and resettlement in the United States, while unnecessarily ballooning an already bloated immigration detention and deportation force and further militarizing border communities. Congress has the “power of the purse” and can reject this proposal. It is critical that Senators and Representatives hear from us as constituents who stand with refugees and immigrants.
Trump’s budget proposes a 31% cut to refugee resettlement programs that support local schools and successfully help refugees find employment, as well as drastic cuts to international assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons. At the same time, Trump is requesting $4.5 billion in additional funding to expand his deportation force to tear families and communities apart, detain an unprecedented 51,379 people, and further militarize communities living along the southern U.S. border. See more resources from the IIC here.
Congress must robustly fund refugee assistance overseas and the U.S. refugee resettlement program, at minimum at last year’s levels, and reduce funding for mass immigration detention, deportation, and border militarization.
CALL YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES TODAY: 1-866-961-4293
Please call 3 times to connect with your Representative and both of your Senators
Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and I urge you to protect refugee assistance and resettlement from the cuts proposed in Trump’s budget request. Please also reduce funding for detention, deportation and border militarization, which only tear families and communities apart. My community welcomes refugees and immigrants, and I urge you to reflect the best of our American values of compassion, hospitality, and welcome.”
Feel free to share a personal story about standing in solidarity with refugees and immigrants.
You can also tweet at your Senators & Representatives:
.@[SENATOR/REP] Welcome #refugees & #immigrants. Protect refugee resettlement $ & reduce deportation $ #RefugeesWelcome #NoBanNoWallNoRaids #GreaterAs1
For interfaith organizational statements on President Trump’s FY18 budget request, please click here.
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