Monday Challenge: Bring Them Back! 

The Trump administration sent 238 migrants to the cruel and abusive Salvadoran CECOT prison on March 15. The Trump administration continues efforts to send immigrants to third countries—countries other than their home countries, often countries with horrible human rights records. Investigation after investigation show that the majority of those sent to CECOT have no criminal records at all. 

The Trump administration has repeatedly defied court orders to return the detainees. 

Each day this week, I commit to doing one small thing—a phone call, a letter, a comment on a regulation. I’m going to walk through my commitment right here on the blog, which will keep me accountable and might also get a reader or two to join me. Information and suggestions for today’s action come from Maryknoll.

In the coming days, senators plan to force a vote on legislation that would require Secretary of State Marco Rubio to report to the Senate on steps taken by the Administration to comply with the court’s mandate, as well as on human rights conditions in the prison. Failure to comply would result in cutting off U.S. security aid to El Salvador.

Action Steps: 

Call your Senators. In Minnesota, that means Senator Tina Smith (202-224-5641) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (202-224-3244).

To call other Senators, dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121. 

You can also write to them. Here’s one summary of the message, adapted from Maryknoll’s alert page. You can also go to that page and click through to send this letter. 

I am alarmed at the Trump Administration’s defiance of court orders to seek the return of migrants who were shipped to El Salvador and are being held in that country’s notorious mega-prison. I care deeply about the human rights of every person, in the United States and abroad, regardless of migration status. And as your constituent, I care deeply about the checks and balances that sustain our democratic system. 

Please support S.Res. 195, a resolution requesting information on El Salvador’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. If you can, please co-sponsor this legislation. And regardless, I urge you to vote for it when it comes up for a vote under the Foreign Assistance Act in the coming days. Please let me know how you will be supporting this resolution. Thank you. 

Sincerely,