From Church World Service (http://www.churchworldservice.org):
As the United States rebuilds its capacity to welcome and Congress considers funding for Fiscal Year 2022, it is vital that Congress invest in an effective, humane, and just immigration system that upholds the dignity of all asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and immigrants. An important proposal has been introduced in the Senate as a significant step to welcome children and families and all asylum seekers with compassion and dignity. This proposal would provide case management services and legal representation for asylum seekers and offer humanitarian assistance at community-based border shelters and respite centers.
Currently, vital services for asylum seekers and arrivals at the southern border fall under the purview of an enforcement agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has been ripe with neglect and abuse. This proposal would shift services to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), an agency whose focus is health and safety, not immigration enforcement. Raise your voice to urge your Senator to support this critical proposal that would strengthen the United States’ capacity to welcome and protect people seeking safety at our borders.
CONTACT OUR SENATORS
Go to https://cwsglobal.org/action-alerts/take-action-urge-your-senator-to-invest-in-capacity-to-welcome-asylum-seekers-unaccompanied-children/ to contact our 2 Senators! Please make sure you personalize the text in brackets.
Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN] and [as a person of faith / refugee], I urge you to do everything in your power to welcome and protect unaccompanied children and asylum seekers at the border, and ensure unaccompanied children are safe, housed, fed, and cared for. Specifically, I urge you to support and join Senator Markey’s dear colleague letter in support of fiscal year 2022 funding for two pilot programs that provide case management, legal counsel, and humanitarian assistance for asylum seekers and arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. Contact Karlee Popken in Senator Markey’s office for more information. As Congress considers funding for next year, it is vital that you support investing in an effective, humane, and just immigration system that upholds the dignity of all asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and immigrants by resourcing the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. My community welcomes people with dignity, and I urge you to do the same.”
Thank you for taking action – and please share this information with your networks!
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