Take Action: Urge Your Members of Congress to Reject Reconciliation Bill that Slashes Human Needs Programs to Fund Mass Detention and Deportation


May 20, 2025

Congress is currently in the midst of debating a budget reconciliation bill that seeks to divert massive funds to immigrant detention, deportation, and border militarization and strip access to programs that connect immigrant and U.S.-born families, children, and communities to basic resources.

As of May 19, House Republicans are negotiating and “marking up” the package, which they hope to move via a process that allows legislation to bypass the filibuster and pass with simple (and partisan) majorities in both chambers of Congress. Should it pass, the bill would have sweeping and harmful impacts on refugees, newcomers, and other marginalized communities, including: 

  • Dramatic cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and other human needs programs: Impartial estimates suggest the bill as currently constructed would strip Medicaid from over 7 million Americans. In addition, a provision in the Ways & Means Title would cut off a huge number of immigrants – including refugees, asylees, TPS holders, trafficking survivors, humanitarian parolees, and others – from Medicare eligibility. A provision in the Agriculture Title would cut many of the same populations from accessing food assistance via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program. A provision in the House Education and Workforce Title would cut many of the same populations, including Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees, from accessing federal financial aid.

  • Massive increases in funding for ICE detentions, deportations, and border militarization. The Judiciary Title includes a massive $110 billion increase in taxpayer dollars for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including more than tripling current annual immigration detention capacity and permitting indefinite family detention (in violation of the Flores Settlement). The Homeland Security Title includes a $90 billion increase in funding for border militarization and wall construction. The proposals would collectively raise the entire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget by 65% to over $100 billion.

  • Attacks on unaccompanied children (UCs) and asylum seekers. The Judiciary Title imposes a huge, nonwaivable fee on all asylum applications and requires children’s families to pay for their time detained in government custody–effectively pricing people out of the ability to seek protection or quickly reunite children with their loved ones. It also includes a series of provisions undercutting the bipartisan legal framework that protects UCs in immigration proceedings. 

You can make a difference today. The House and Senate continue to debate the bill, and many members have raised concern about its impacts on vulnerable communities – including refugees and newcomers. Take action below by emailing and calling your member of Congress and telling them to reject the reconciliation bill and oppose the harmful provisions discussed above. 

EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
On the right-hand side, you can send an email to your members of Congress.

My name is [insert name] and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I urge your office to vote NO on the reconciliation package should it come up for a vote, and advocate against harmful provisions that would strip human needs programs from vulnerable communities and increase funding for detention and deportation that is already out of control. Specifically, I urge you to speak out against provisions in the bill that:

  • Strip Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP from vulnerable communities, including cutting Medicaid for millions of Americans and eliminating Medicare and SNAP eligibility from refugees, asylees, TPS holders, humanitarian parolees, and others.

  • Dramatically increase funding for immigration enforcement. ICE detention and enforcement are already out of control and causing unnecessary fear in my community. I urge you to reject any legislation that would tripling ICE’s detention budget, enable indefinite family detention, and provide zero oversight.

  • Attack unaccompanied children and asylum seekers. I oppose the imposition of large fees on humanitarian applications that would price out those who are seeking asylum or reuniting with children who are in immigration custody. 

Rather than supporting this harmful legislation, Congress has a moral imperative to protect and sustain funding for domestic and international programs that help secure food, education, housing, and safety for people uprooted from their homes. My community stands with refugees, newcomers, and other marginalized communities – and I urge you to do the same. 

CALL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Use the phone tool on the right-hand side to call your members of Congress.

Sample Phone Script: “My name is [insert name] and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of my community], I urge your office to vote no on the reconciliation package should it come up for a vote. 

 This package is deeply troubling because it pours even more money into immigration detention and deportation—programs that are already out of control—while gutting vital services like Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP for millions of people.

Rather than supporting this harmful legislation, Congress has a moral imperative to protect and sustain funding for domestic and international programs that help secure food, education, housing, and safety for people uprooted from their homes. My community stands with refugees, newcomers, and other marginalized communities – and I urge you to do the same.

Thank you.”

AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Share this message with your elected officials on social media. See below for sample posts:

  • @legislator: Say no to cutting Medicaid to fund more detentions and deportations without due process! #SaveOurMedicaid #DefendRefuge 
  • @legislator: Reject the budget bill and its attacks on refugees, newcomers, and unaccompanied children! #DefendRefuge 
  • @legislator: The budget bill funds family separation. Our tax dollars should not fund mass detentions and deportations! #DefendRefuge 

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