Take action to protect our asylum system

The ACLU-DE has reached out to SDARJ to ask our members to call the offices of Sens. Coons and Carper and urge them to protect our asylum system and not give in to Senate Republicans demands for permanent and extreme changes to our asylum system in return for their votes for emergency supplemental funding for Ukraine.

Please call Senator Coons and Carper’s state directors and send an email to their chiefs of staff opposing any permanent changes to our asylum system as part of any Ukraine funding negotiations. This is time sensitive. Please call or write today.  

Sen. Coons:
State Director: Jim Paoli, 302. 573.6345
Chief of Staff: Brian Winseck, brian_winseck@coons.senate.gov

Sen Carper:
State Director: Asi Osofu 302.674.3308
Chief of Staff: Jan Beukelman, jan_beukelman@carper.senate.gov

Sample Call Script

“My name is (tell them your first and last name) and I’m one of your constituents. I’m calling to ask you to take bold action by protecting asylum rights that Americans hold dear when you vote on legislation, including any upcoming government funding bill. I won’t turn my back on people fleeing danger and seeking asylum. Asylum bans were cruel and illegal under Trump, and nothing has changed now.”

Sample email

Dear [NAME],

As a constituent of the Senator, I urge him to stand firm against attacks on asylum law, including a transit ban and other extreme proposals that Republicans are advancing as part of funding negotiations. As we continue to bear witness to the devastating costs of war to children and families living in conflict zones across the globe, our nation’s commitment to welcoming those in need of protection is as crucial as ever.

There is much Congress can do to make our current asylum system function more effectively. American communities need the support of Congress to provide shelter and services to recent arrivals, and they need stronger coordination from the federal government. We need smarter resourced processing at the border and faster processing for work authorization, which requires that we sufficiently fund U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Customs and Border Patrol’s Office of Field Operations. We need to continue to support–and not undermine– parole and other pathways to address the strain on ports of entry.

Your name (Add any professional information, if applicable)