Urge Congress Use the Power of the Purse to Pressure DHS to Care for Immigrants

The Sisters of St. Agnes add our voice to NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice calling on Congress to end the inhumanity of the US current treatment of refugees and immigrants.

Inspired by the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching, we honor the dignity of every person. As Pope Francis said: “These are not mere social or migrant issues… Migrants are first of all human persons.” We affirm the sacred human right of all people to seek asylum.

Join us in calling on Congress to:

Reduce Funding for Deportation, Detention, and Border Militarization and Support Funding for Refugee Resettlement and Asylum

When determining federal appropriations for FY 2020, we urge Congress to reduce funds for CBP and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Refuse to provide any additional funding for a border wall; instead allocate resources to support refugee resettlement and access to asylum.

Keep Families Together and Invest in Alternatives to Detention

We call for an end to family detention this year, by December 2019, and urge Congress to increase funding for less costly, more efficient, community-based alternatives to detention.

Exert Robust Oversight over Detention and Uses of Federal Funding

We urge Congress to require additional inspections of ICE facilities, ensure ICE publishes public weekly reports, and create a detention ombudsperson to strengthen oversight. Congress should also prohibit federal funds from being used to: enforce Muslim or refugee bans, deport or detain DACA, TPS, or DED holders, and carry out immigration enforcement operations at “sensitive” locations including schools, churches, and hospitals.

Add your voice to the call!