March 29, 2024
Texas anti-immigrant law, statehood for DC, emergency fund for bridge workers, and more!
Contact all members of Congress:
- By phone: (202) 224-3121
- By email: democracy.io
- By US mail: Representatives / Senators
- By fax: Representatives / Senators
- By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
- TEXAS ANTI-IMMIGRANT LAW BRIEFLY GOES INTO EFFECTThe last ten days saw a flurry of courts take action on Texas’ harsh new anti-immigrant law SB4 – a measure that gives state and local police broad powers to arrest and deport people suspected of crossing the border illegally, taking on the federal government’s role in immigration enforcement and exposing countless people to racial profiling and false arrest. While the law is once again stayed and will remain that way for the immediate future, the Supreme Court allowing it to take effect even briefly is an ominous sign for the final resolution of these challenges. Republican lawmakers nationwide appear set to follow Texas’ lead, with Iowa passing a similar law and New Hampshire and Oklahoma considering such proposals, while Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a version passed in Arizona. These unjust laws are racist and fundamentally call the power of the federal government into question. The Department of Justice is actively suing to prevent them from taking effect, but the question must be posed: what happens if they lose? (The government of Mexico has already made it clear they will not accept deportees from Texas.) Let’s contact the White House and ask to know what the federal government’s response will be if the Court ultimately allows the law to take hold. We can also share this guide from the ACLU of Texas on what people’s rights will be under this law. And let’s consider a donation to the Texas Civil Rights Project, the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero, or American Gateways, who are playing a leading role in the legal fight against it.
- KEY BRIDGE EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUNDSix construction workers died when Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26. They were Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35; Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26; Miguel Luna, 49; Maynor Suazo Sandoval; and two others who had not been identified as of March 28. The Baltimore Civic Fund, a charity of the City of Baltimore, has established the Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund to provide relief to the victim’s families. If we’re so inclined, we can donate here.
- STATEHOOD FOR DCFrom a reader: Citizens who live in Washington, D.C. still don’t enjoy the same rights as other American citizens. D.C. residents do elect their own local officials, but laws those officials pass can be overturned by Congress; D.C. residents elect a delegate to Congress, but that delegate has no vote. The Washington D.C. Admission Act (HR 51) has passed the House twice and currently has 206 co-sponsors at this time. The Senate version (S. 51) has 46 co-sponsors currently. This effort has been pursued for decades. Let’s tell our MoCs that we want them to sponsor and promote this legislation to provide parity to DC citizens. Let’s also check out the DC League of Women Voters website which has many resources available, including a petition we can sign.
- TELL MOCS TO SAY NO TO A NATIONAL ABORTION BANThe recent Republican House budget, which represents 100% of leadership and 80% of its members, supports a national abortion ban, and many other egregious reproductive rights limitations. Now is the time to get ahead of the game and tell our MoCs loudly and clearly that we believe decisions about reproductive rights should be between those who are pregnant and their doctors. We should ask our Democratic MoCs to take a strong public stance against this issue and can remind our Republican MoCs that the recent upset victory in Alabama, where a Democrat won based on her focus on IVF and reproductive rights, is a good indicator of where Americans stand on this issue.
- HOW TO VOTE BY MAILAll states allow some form of absentee or mail-in voting. Some require an excuse to vote by mail; some do not. A handful are all-mail voting states, which automatically deliver mail-in ballots to all eligible voters. Let’s use this “List of absentee/mail-in ballot request websites by state” from Ballotpedia and find out the vote-by-mail rules in our state and to do what we need to do if we want to vote by mail this year.