FW: Our current situation (and how you can help)

Hi Eddie—I wanted to make sure you saw my recent message.

Hi Eddie—I wanted to make sure you saw my recent message.

---

Dear MoveOn member,

This is Robert Fox, MoveOn's chief operating officer.

As the person who oversees MoveOn's finances and operations, I rarely send you emails. But I'm writing to you now because I want to be forthright about what's happening behind the scenes at MoveOn.

I'll cut right to the chase: May has been a rough fundraising month for us—the worst month since Donald Trump was elected president. And it comes just as we've added 14 staff to join our small and lean team to help win November's elections.

A huge chunk of MoveOn's funding comes from people who make monthly donations. These extremely dedicated supporters allow us to be fiercely independent, answering to no corporation, political party, politician, or powerful individual. Over 70,000 people give monthly. But not enough new monthly donors have signed up this past month, leaving us $45,833 behind our monthly goal.

This kind of thing is natural. Sometimes, understandably, people just want a break from politics—and they don't want to respond to another email in their inbox. And the fire hose of terrible news from Trump, his administration, and Congress can be exhausting and overwhelming. I budget carefully to be able to ride out these cycles of activist energy ebbing and flowing.

But that doesn't mean that we can just sit on our heels when there's a slow month. I need to tell you plainly what's happening—and ask you to help. 

Will you please chip in $5 now and monthly going forward to help MoveOn avoid cuts to our critical work? Click here if you can.

(The single best way to help close our funding gap—and make sure we remain strong through election season—is to click here now and become a committed monthly donor. If 3,819 MoveOn members join our base of monthly contributors now, we will totally close this month's gap, and we'll be on much stronger ground for this entire election season. But if you can't chip in monthly, then please click here right now, because we still need your help.)

I'm especially concerned about MoveOn's fundraising shortfall because of the polling numbers that we're seeing. Trump's approval rating is higher than it's been since his first two months in office, and Democrats have lost most, if not all, of their advantage in the race for Congress this November.^1,2

The numbers are shifting—toward Trump and the Republicans. Months ago, pundits were talking about a "blue wave" election. Now, it's a 50-50 toss-up, which isn't a big surprise given how divided our country is.³

We've been here before—in 2016—and we know how that turned out. That's why we have to be smarter and fight harder than ever before and build an elections campaign to lift up and give the edge to progressive candidates in races across the country who inspire and motivate voters—a campaign that will win in November no matter what Trump and his Republican Party throw at us and no matter how low he stoops to sow division in our country.

That's why MoveOn is running the largest grassroots elections program in our history. Our campaign is ambitious and innovative, using groundbreaking technology to engage, persuade, and turn out voters. But if we don't close MoveOn's financial shortfall this month—and if the pace of our grassroots fundraising continues to lag—I'll have to meet with our executive directors, Anna and Ilya, and propose cuts to our work.

I have a lot of pride in how efficient MoveOn is with our resources. Our overhead is low, and our budget is lean. But we can't end Republican control of Congress this November and put a check on Trump and his Republican enablers on exhaust fumes.

Eddie, we need your support. Will you help close MoveOn's $45,833 a month shortfall by starting your monthly donation today? Your ongoing support will help ensure that we don't have to make cutbacks and can do what we know is necessary to ensure that we win on November 6—and put our country on a path where all can thrive.

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month and help fill the gap!

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Thanks for all you do.

–Robert

Sources:

1. "How popular/unpopular is Donald Trump?" FiveThirtyEight, accessed May 30, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/40076?t=9&akid=208192%2E10220574%2EPfcNZ5

2. "2018 Midterm Elections," Reuters, accessed May 30, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/40077?t=11&akid=208192%2E10220574%2EPfcNZ5

3. "Clues From the Upcoming California Primary," University of Virginia Center for Politics, May 24, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/40078?t=13&akid=208192%2E10220574%2EPfcNZ5

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

---

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 31st, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Release the study on toxic chemicals in our water!

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Miranda Carter of Food and Water Watch, and I started a petition to Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the EPA, Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and President Donald Trump, which says:

Immediately release the study from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry about the health effects of PFOA and PFOS.

The public has a fundamental right to know about these toxic chemicals that are contaminating the drinking water of people across the country. It is inexcusable to suppress this information any longer, and further delays mean more danger to our families.

The White House, the EPA, and HHS have so far REFUSED to release a study on water contamination from toxic chemicals called PFOA and PFOS -- used to make non-stick Teflon. Existing studies have linked these chemicals to serious health effects, including cancer, liver and brain dysfunction, and development problems, and this comprehensive study is long overdue.

Right now, the EPA has ZERO rules on the books to protect communities from these dangerous chemicals.

This study remains unpublished -- because the Trump White House and the EPA think it's a "public relations nightmare."

Hundreds of communities and military bases across the country are contaminated with these toxic chemicals. Demand that this study be released!

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

—Miranda Carter

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 31st, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

RSVP: Take action to stop Trump's family separation crisis this Friday

Help stop Trump's cruel family separation policy. Join a Families Belong Together action near you on Friday, June 1.

Dear MoveOn member,

Children are being taken from their families, kept in separate facilities, unsure of when or if they'll be reunited. This is the result of the cruel, new family separation policy that Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions have implemented. It's a traumatizing, abhorrent practice that can—and must—be ended immediately.¹

That's why MoveOn members are joining neighbors, allies, immigrant leaders, and Americans of all walks of life at Families Belong Together actions this Friday to demand the Trump administration reverse this new policy immediately.

There's an action near you this Friday, June 1. Click here to get all the details, join the event, and share it with friends and neighbors to confront this humanitarian crisis.

U.S. immigration policies have been broken for years—and under Trump, attacks on immigrants have gotten worse. In fact, the Trump administration's assault on immigrants is only intensifying. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been ripping apart families and conducting terrifying raids, including staking out schools, churches, and courthouses.²

And Trump's own rhetoric makes clear his administration's agenda: From referring to "sh*thole" countries to calling immigrants "animals," Trump is riling up the xenophobic impulses of the darkest corners of America.

In the past week, the report of 1,500 migrant children "missing" from a survey of homes they were hosted in raised an alarm across the country—reminding the American public that children, who deserve to play and learn and thrive, are part of this unfolding humanitarian crisis of Trump's attacks on immigrants. 

The story of those unaccounted-for minors is complicated, but here's what's clear: Every day, as the Trump administration removes children as young as 2 years old from their families at the border, they are worsening a traumatizing and dehumanizing crisis. These are families coming to the border seeking asylum, safety, and entry, and they're granted due process by American law. Separating their children is simply a cruel and vindictive tactic brought about by an administration that is choosing to impose harm and deepen a crisis.

MoveOn members have been fighting alongside immigrant-led groups for years, and since Trump has taken office, together, we have been rallying to demand a resolution that will allow Dreamers and their families to remain in their homes and communities; promoting sanctuary cities that have chosen to respect and protect immigrant residents; calling out Trump's inhumane decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, Nepal, and other countries that had been devastated by natural, economic, and political disasters; and recently calling on the Department of Homeland Security to end this family separation policy.

And now we'll show up—MoveOn members of all races, ages, and backgrounds, all across the country—to demand, in person, that families stay together.

Click here to find, join, and share the Families Belong Together action near you this Friday, June 1.

There's no secret that our country—under Republican and Democratic administrations—have enacted policies that have criminalized and disrespected immigrants. Now, Trump is taking it to a new level: normalizing anti-immigrant language and contributing to a spike in anti-immigrant violence, slamming the doors on refugees and others seeking asylum, ripping record numbers of immigrants from their communities and brutally tearing apart families, and now targeting children.

We can and must do better. The Trump administration created this new family separation crisis—and it can be reversed as quickly, if Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life speak up and demand action.

Join us Friday in person—as we keep up the fight to declare that Families Belong Together.

Thanks for all you do.

—Corinne, Milan, Karine, Justin, and the rest of the team

P.S. Have you added your name yet to the petition—already signed by 72,000 fellow MoveOn members—to the Department of Homeland Security to end this policy? You can do so by clicking here—or if you've already signed, share it on Facebook or share it on Twitter.

P.P.S. Don't forget to RSVP for Friday's event.

Sources: 

1. "Hidden Horrors of 'Zero Tolerance'—Mass Trial and Children Taken From Their Parents," The Intercept, May 29, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/40113?t=21&akid=208096%2E10220574%2EWTH98F

 

2. "Mass ICE Raids leave a trail of misery and broken communities," The Intercept, May 12, 2018

https://act.moveon.org/go/40100?t=23&akid=208096%2E10220574%2EWTH98F

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 31st, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

MoveOn's current situation (and how you can help)

As the person who oversees MoveOn's finances and operations, I rarely send you emails. But I'm writing to you now because I want to be forthright about what's happening behind the scenes at MoveOn.

Dear MoveOn member,

This is Robert Fox, MoveOn's chief operating officer.

As the person who oversees MoveOn's finances and operations, I rarely send you emails. But I'm writing to you now because I want to be forthright about what's happening behind the scenes at MoveOn.

I'll cut right to the chase: May has been a rough fundraising month for us—the worst month since Donald Trump was elected president. And it comes just as we've added 14 staff to join our small and lean team to help win November's elections.

A huge chunk of MoveOn's funding comes from people who make monthly donations. These extremely dedicated supporters allow us to be fiercely independent, answering to no corporation, political party, politician, or powerful individual. Over 70,000 people give monthly. But not enough new monthly donors have signed up this past month, leaving us $45,833 behind our monthly goal.

This kind of thing is natural. Sometimes, understandably, people just want a break from politics—and they don't want to respond to another email in their inbox. And the fire hose of terrible news from Trump, his administration, and Congress can be exhausting and overwhelming. I budget carefully to be able to ride out these cycles of activist energy ebbing and flowing.

But that doesn't mean that we can just sit on our heels when there's a slow month. I need to tell you plainly what's happening—and ask you to help. 

Will you please chip in $5 now and monthly going forward to help MoveOn avoid cuts to our critical work? Click here if you can.

(The single best way to help close our funding gap—and make sure we remain strong through election season—is to click here now and become a committed monthly donor. If 3,819 MoveOn members join our base of monthly contributors now, we will totally close this month's gap, and we'll be on much stronger ground for this entire election season. But if you can't chip in monthly, then please click here right now, because we still need your help.)

I'm especially concerned about MoveOn's fundraising shortfall because of the polling numbers that we're seeing. Trump's approval rating is higher than it's been since his first two months in office, and Democrats have lost most, if not all, of their advantage in the race for Congress this November.^1,2

The numbers are shifting—toward Trump and the Republicans. Months ago, pundits were talking about a "blue wave" election. Now, it's a 50-50 toss-up, which isn't a big surprise given how divided our country is.³

We've been here before—in 2016—and we know how that turned out. That's why we have to be smarter and fight harder than ever before and build an elections campaign to lift up and give the edge to progressive candidates in races across the country who inspire and motivate voters—a campaign that will win in November no matter what Trump and his Republican Party throw at us and no matter how low he stoops to sow division in our country.

That's why MoveOn is running the largest grassroots elections program in our history. Our campaign is ambitious and innovative, using groundbreaking technology to engage, persuade, and turn out voters. But if we don't close MoveOn's financial shortfall this month—and if the pace of our grassroots fundraising continues to lag—I'll have to meet with our executive directors, Anna and Ilya, and propose cuts to our work.

I have a lot of pride in how efficient MoveOn is with our resources. Our overhead is low, and our budget is lean. But we can't end Republican control of Congress this November and put a check on Trump and his Republican enablers on exhaust fumes.

Eddie, we need your support. Will you help close MoveOn's $45,833 a month shortfall by starting your monthly donation today? Your ongoing support will help ensure that we don't have to make cutbacks and can do what we know is necessary to ensure that we win on November 6—and put our country on a path where all can thrive.

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month and help fill the gap!

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Thanks for all you do.

–Robert

Sources:

1. "How popular/unpopular is Donald Trump?" FiveThirtyEight, accessed May 30, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/40076?t=9&akid=208108%2E10220574%2EG-FqUt

2. "2018 Midterm Elections," Reuters, accessed May 30, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/40077?t=11&akid=208108%2E10220574%2EG-FqUt

3. "Clues From the Upcoming California Primary," University of Virginia Center for Politics, May 24, 2018
http://act.moveon.org/go/40078?t=13&akid=208108%2E10220574%2EG-FqUt

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

---

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 31st, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

We're worried

It's Ben and Jerry, the ice cream guys. We aren't experts on elections the way that MoveOn's team is, but we've been activists and MoveOn members for a long time. And it doesn't take a professional to know that Donald Trump is totally out of control and that Republicans in Congress are doing nothing to stop him.

Hi, fellow MoveOn member!

It's Ben and Jerry, the ice cream guys.

We aren't experts on elections the way that MoveOn's team is, but we've been activists and MoveOn members for a long time. And it doesn't take a professional to know that Donald Trump is totally out of control and that Republicans in Congress are doing nothing to stop him.

Trump and his Republican buddies came within spitting distance of repealing Obamacare. They passed a $1 trillion tax cut for millionaires and billionaires—and Trump says that he wants to cut taxes AGAIN.¹ The Environmental Protection Agency is currently headed by a man who is gutting every environmental protection that he can lay his corrupt hands on. And that's just the very tip of the iceberg.

If Democrats don't take away control of the House from Republicans this fall, Trump and his administration will continue to dismantle our democracy, the gap between the super rich and everyone else will continue to grow, and things are certain to get far worse—worse than we can even fathom right now.

There is good news, though: If MoveOn is able to run the massive elections program it has planned, Democrats have a good shot at taking back the House this fall and sending the Republican leadership packing. We've been awed over the years by the kind of organizing that MoveOn does, and we have great confidence in this program.

MoveOn's elections program is bold, inspiring, and genuinely grassroots-fueled. MoveOn's endorsing 100 progressive congressional candidates, developing new, cutting-edge methods of voter persuasion, and providing the training and tools to thousands of activists around the country who will lead and organize in the races that will determine who'll control Congress come November 7.

Will you chip in $5 a month and help MoveOn end Republican control of Congress in November, so that we can finally put some checks and balances on Trump? (You might even win a year's supply of free ice cream!)

Yes, I'll chip in monthly to help support MoveOn's "Resist & Win" elections program, and enter to win a year's supply of free ice cream.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation, but I'd still like to enter the contest.

If the delicious possibility of free ice cream isn't enough to convince you to donate right now, then here are three more reasons:

1. Polls say that the election is getting closer, and that the Democratic Party's edge is basically gone.² It's now, essentially, a coin flip. 50-50 odds. Or maybe worse. One recent poll put Democrats just one point ahead, and another puts them three points ahead. (And if either result holds, Republicans will win because of gerrymandering.)^3,4
2. Republicans are copying MoveOn's elections model. This year, a GOP Super PAC funded by billionaires, called the Congressional Leadership Fund, is trying to copy MoveOn and is building a person-to-person field operation to go door to door to talk to millions of voters face to face. Its staff and volunteers have already knocked on more than 1 million doors.⁵
3. The GOP is raising money at a record-breaking rate, while MoveOn's grassroots fundraising to combat the right isn't keeping up the pace. And we desperately need MoveOn's leadership in this fight: As we mentioned earlier, the polls are tightening, and MoveOn's amazing, strategic, innovative work is crucial to helping Democrats win this November. And MoveOn doesn't take money from corporate lobbyists—this work is fueled by all of us, by individual donors banding together to create real people power.

MoveOn's a key leader in the fight to make our future a better one. Will you chip in $5 a month to support MoveOn? If you do, we'll sweeten the deal for you!

Yes, I'll chip in monthly, help fund MoveOn's "Resist & Win" elections program, and enter to win a year's supply of ice cream!

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation, but I'd still like to enter the contest.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben and Jerry (the ice cream guys)

Sources:

1. "Trump wants to cut taxes. Again. He just cut taxes." CNN, May 23, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/39998?t=18&akid=207966%2E10220574%2EVJkYGV

2. "CNN poll: Democrats' 2018 advantage is nearly gone," CNN, May 9, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/39128?t=20&akid=207966%2E10220574%2EVJkYGV

3. Ibid 

4. "Generic Congressional Ballot," Rasmussen Reports, May 23, 2018

http://act.moveon.org/go/40011?t=22&akid=207966%2E10220574%2EVJkYGV

5. "GOP builds massive shadow army in fight for the House," Politico, May 17, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/39570?t=24&akid=207966%2E10220574%2EVJkYGV

Want to support MoveOn's work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with MoveOn?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter to win. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on June 4, 2018. You may enter by making a donation here. Alternatively, you can enter without making a donation. One winner will receive the following prize package: 52 pints of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (approximate retail value: $234). Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Promotion open to all U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents who are legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Promotion subject to Official Rules and additional restrictions on eligibility. Sponsor: MoveOn.org Political Action, 1442 Walnut Street #358, Berkeley, CA 94709.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Political Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 29th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Trans student force to be called by other name at Allen High graduation

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Isabella Alfie, a MoveOn member in Allen, TX, and I started a petition to Allen ISD- Dr. Niven, Superintendent of Allen Schools, which says:

Help transgender student graduate with integrity.

A Transgender student Jay Alfie is a student at Allen High School. He is graduating this year and Allen ISD refuses to announce Jay during the commencement ceremony, instead calling out his Dead Name (legal name before transitioning). The parents have met with the appropriate people to try to get this resolved, but leadership in Allen ISD will not agree to announce Jay. Let's see if we can change their minds.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

—Isabella Alfie

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 29th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Sign the petition: Stop tearing kids away from immigrant parents

Children as young as 2-years-old are being separated from their parents at the border. Halt this cruel, destructive, and inhumane treatment of innocent children and their families.

Dear MoveOn member, 

There's been a huge outcry over the last few days in response to new reports of children forcibly separated from their parents at the United States-Mexico border—and one top official admitted that the Department of Health and Human Services has lost track of nearly 1,500 immigrant children who were taken by U.S. authorities.¹

This is horrific. And the heightened wave of media attention means that now we may be able to force changes to be made.

The human rights of all children and families must be protected. Will you sign this petition and demand that the Department of Homeland Security stop separating families and ensure the protection of the safety and well-being of all children, with no exceptions?

---

Email sent to MoveOn members on May 11, 2018.

Dear MoveOn member,

This Sunday is Mother's Day, but many moms won't be near their children. That's because the Trump administration is forcibly separating families at our southern border—about 700 children, including 100 under the age of four, since October.² 

What's more, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will be formally prosecuting adults and separating families who arrive at our southern border.³ This is outrageous. We can't let this policy move forward, and we need your support to tell Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Will you speak up for mothers, fathers, and families and sign this petition to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen? 

Secretary Nielsen, abandon the cruel, costly, and unjustified practice of separating families seeking protection at our borders, including those who are fleeing persecution in their home countries. Children belong with their parents in safe communities, not locked up in detention centers.

There's no justification for this practice. These families and children aren't threats to our safety. They're often fleeing unspeakable violence and persecution in their home countries. Many are from Central America and some of the most dangerous countries in the world.

The administration has claimed that they must separate children from their parents to protect them. But policies exist for protecting children, and separating them from their parents is not the way. There's no security crisis. Border apprehensions are at decades-low levels, according to the government's own data.

It's cruel to punish parents who are doing everything they can to protect their children and to punish children by depriving them of their parents. Separating a child from a mother or father only leads to more trauma for all. Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare.

Sign the petition demanding DHS stop separating families at the border.

DHS shouldn't play politics with families to try to discourage people from seeking protection, and there's no legal basis for doing so. Family unity is one of our core values and is reflected in our laws. Our government has a responsibility under U.S. immigration law to hear a person's immigration or asylum case, not to try to scare them away from asking for help. Doing so puts these families at extremely high risk of experiencing further rights violations.

Separating families or keeping them locked up in detention is NOT a solution. It won't make us safer or stop people from seeking protection when they have no other option. It's not who we are.

Sign this petition to tell Secretary Nielsen to stop separating families at the border once and for all. Children belong with their parents in safe communities, not locked up in detention centers. We are better than this. 

This Sunday celebrates family and love, but for many, these are threatened beyond their control.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

—Lily Folkerts, Latin American Working Group

This petition is sponsored by Al Otro Lado, Alianza Americas, Amnesty International USA, Kids in Need of Defense, Latin America Working Group, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, MomsRising, National Immigrant Justice Center, and Women's Refugee Commission.

Sources:

1. "America's missing children: Over 1,000 immigrant minors have vanished since October," Salon, May 25, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/40017?t=19&akid=207854%2E10220574%2EhdEJWK

2. "Hundreds of Immigrant Children Have Been Taken From Parents at U.S. Border," The New York Times, April 20, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/39189?t=21&akid=207854%2E10220574%2EhdEJWK

3. "Sessions: Parents, children entering U.S. illegally will be separated," NBC News, May 7, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/39108?t=23&akid=207854%2E10220574%2EhdEJWK

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.

Want to support our work? The MoveOn community will work every moment, day by day and year by year, to resist Trump's agenda, contain the damage, defeat hate with love, and begin the process of swinging the nation's pendulum back toward sanity, decency, and the kind of future that we must never give up on. And to do it we need your ongoing support, now more than ever. Will you stand with us?

Yes, I'll chip in $5 a month.

No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.

Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Eddie Alfaro on May 28th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.