End the Quota!
May 7th, 2014
CMSM J/P Action Alert
We would like to share this Action Alert from the CMSM, JPIC Office. Please take action today!
TODAY!
CALL IN DAY: Wednesday, May 7th
This Wednesday, May 7, 2014, people directly impacted by detention, advocates, faith communities, and members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men will take part in an advocacy day on Capitol Hill asking members of Congress to End The Quota.
Amplify their voices by calling your member of Congress on Wednesday, May 7th, and tell them Congress should eliminate the detention bed quota, which ensures funding to keep an average of 34,000 immigrants locked up in ICE detention facilities on any given day.
What You Can Do to #EndTheQuota
1. Call your Senators and Representative
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121
- Click here to find your Senators and their phone numbers
- Click here to find your Representative and then call (202) 224-3121 for the Congress Switchboard. You can also find their direct lines here.
Sample Script:
My name is ________ calling from [CITY, STATE]. As a constituent, I oppose funding for the immigration detention bed quota, which ensures that 34,000 immigrants are incarcerated in ICE detention facilities at any given time. I urge you to contact members of the Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Subcommittee, and tell them that you oppose the immigration detention bed quota. If the bed quota is included in appropriations, I hope you will support an amendment to strike it from the final appropriations bill.
Background:
The detention bed quota is an unprecedented policy – no other law enforcement agency operates on a quota system. Immigration detention is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars, with ICE’s detention budget nearing 2 billion dollars for Fiscal Year 2014. During a time of fiscal responsibility, it is unacceptable to be spending billions of dollars to needlessly detain immigrants in an inhumane system that is breaking apart families and communities. Meanwhile, for-profit prisons such as GEO and CCA lobby for such legislation to make money off of detaining immigrants and breaking up families.
We encourage you to schedule a meeting either in DC or in the district office) to follow-up after your call.
2. Did you call or meet with your Member of Congress?
Tell us how it went. We need your help in tracking which Members of Congress will help us end the quota!
3. Tweet today about the advocacy day and your opposition to a bed quota with #EndTheQuota.
Sample Tweets:
TODAY @DetentionWatch & @CAMBIOtoday bringing families, faith leaders & advocates @uscapitol to say #EndTheQuota , #stopice & #Not1More , #DWN14
.@RepHalRogers Immigration detention bed quota is wasteful & unnecessary. No other law enforcement uses a bed quota! #EndTheQuota! #Not1More
.@houseappropsgop Immigrants are not numbers to fill a bed quota & line pockets of #privateprisons corporations! #EndTheQuota #2million2many
.@SenateApprops ICE detention & deportations are breaking apart families & costing taxpayers billions #EndTheQuota! ,#Not1More and #2million2many
.@SenLandrieu Detention bed quota costs nearly $2 billion & prevents real immigration reform! Counting on you to #EndTheQuota #2million2many
With Hope,
Eli McCarthy PhD
Office of Justice and Peace
Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM)
8808 Cameron Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910
emccarthy@cmsm.org
Posted in: Action Alert, Homepage News, Human Dignity, Issues, Members, News, North America
Related keywords: detention, immigration
