Before we get to today’s action, we want to invite you to attend our monthly meeting on July 1, where we are continuing our discussion of racial equity and police accountability by taking a deep dive into defunding the police with featured speaker, former NFL player and current political consultant Riall Johnson.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1141010939588843/

SI Website Event: https://www.seattleindivisible.com/events-calendar/2020/7/1/seattle-indivisible-monthly-meeting

SIGNUP HERE: https://bit.ly/3hLqOBc

Official Daily Action

On Friday, Judge Dolly M. Gee of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ordered that the government must release migrant children held in the country’s three family detention centers by mid-July out of concern for their safety due to COVID-19. The Judge’s ruling stipulated that the children must either be released along with their parents, or to “available suitable sponsors or other available COVID-free non-congregate settings” with the consent of their parents or guardians.

Superficially, this sounds great. However, what we’ve all learned from paying attention to our immigration system over the past few years is that the government will find a way to observe the letter of the Judge’s order while maximizing the inhumane treatment of the families it has in detention.

Last month, ICE was accused of using the coronavirus pandemic to force parents to agree to separate from their children. We know they’ll do it again given the chance. In a statement by the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES): “This is family separation 2.0…ICE is using the threat of #COVID-19 to force parents into giving up their children so they can be detained indefinitely.”

We need to tell our members of Congress to bring all the pressure they can to bear on ICE to prevent Family Separation 2.0.

Today’s Action: Tell our Members of Congress to stop Family Separation 2.0

Contact your Representative:

• Rep. Pramila Jayapal: https://jayapal.house.gov/contact/

• Rep. Adam Smith: https://adamsmith.house.gov/contact/

Contact both Senators:

• Sen. Maria Cantwell: https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form

• Sen. Patty Murray: https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Sample script:

Hi, I live in {CITY, ZIP}. I have read that a Federal court has ordered the government to release all migrant children held in the country’s three family detention centers by mid-July out of concern for their safety due to COVID-19. However, I am concerned that ICE is going to use this as an opportunity to separate children from their families again – Family Separation 2.0 – just like they tried to last month. I ask that you please use the powers of your position to keep these families together and demand that they are all released from the dangerous conditions that our government has forced them into.

Thank you,

{NAME}

Background

• “Judge rules migrant children in government family detention centers must be released due to coronavirus” – https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/politics/children-released-from-immigration-detention-centers/index.html

• “ICE Accused of Using Coronavirus Crisis to Launch ‘Family Separation 2.0′” – https://www.newsweek.com/ice-accused-using-coronavirus-crisis-launch-family-separation-2-0-1505156