Defund Hate: No Matter Election Outcome, Congress Must Defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and Prioritize Wellbeing of Our Communities -
United We Dream - 
November 3, 2020. Youth
from United We Dream in Houston, Texas provide food and other supplies
to those forced to spend long hours in line to vote.
As Americans await the election results, the Defund Hate campaign
issued the following statement: "In January, the
next president of the United States and members of the 117th Congress
will assume responsibility for the health and wellbeing of U.S.
communities and families still fighting for survival in a global
pandemic. This includes immigrants who are detained or who are at risk
of having their families and communities torn apart by Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Regardless of the outcome of the election, the Defund Hate campaign
will continue to fight to dismantle these racist and militaristic
agencies which endanger our families and neighbors, and drain resources
from our communities.  "Twenty-one
people died in ICE custody in fiscal year 2020, the highest number of
deaths in 15 years, even as the number of people in custody decreased
significantly because of Trump administration policies sealing off the
southern border to people seeking asylum. Adding to the tragic loss of
life in ICE custody, CBP officers have killed two people in Texas and
California in the past two weeks. The death toll in ICE and CBP custody
underscores that these agencies operate within a culture of violence
that results in sexual assault, violent abuse, medical neglect, and
unsanitary conditions. Yet ICE and CBP suffer no consequences for
endangering the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of people.
"This system of abuse and neglect has cost U.S. taxpayers more
than $25 billion -- an unacceptable waste of resources at any time, but
especially during a global pandemic that has cost the lives of more
than 225,000 Americans, shuttered school, and threatened the
livelihoods of millions of people. "Our nation
cannot heal until we end racist systems of incarceration and
immigration enforcement. We're thankful for congressional champions who
have stood with us since the launch of the Defund Hate campaign in
2017. Regardless of what is to come, we look forward to continuing this
fight for the safety and wellbeing of immigrant communities together.
We call on Congress and local and state governments to end the wasteful
spending of our tax dollars on ICE and CBP that puts lives in jeopardy,
and to instead fund education, housing, health care, and other programs
that provide opportunity and increase our collective wellbeing."
The #DefundHate campaign, composed of organizations
representing directly impacted communities, faith leaders, and civil
rights and immigrant rights advocates, is committed to divestment from
agencies that tear apart our families and terrorize our communities.
For too long, our representatives have said they care about our
communities while simultaneously funding aggressive immigration
enforcement and deadly immigration jails. They must be held accountable
to keep their promises and stand with the immigrant community. We call
on our members of Congress to say no and vote against wasting taxpayer
dollars on an abusive and deadly immigration enforcement system.
Instead, we want our tax dollars used to strengthen our families and
communities by investing in education, housing, nutrition and health
care programs that provide opportunity and increase well-being.
United We Dream is a youth-led network in the U.S.
that fights for justice and dignity for all immigrants.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 43 - November 7, 2020
Article Link:
Defund Hate: No Matter Election Outcome, Congress Must Defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and Prioritize Wellbeing of Our Communities -
United We Dream
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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