Americans of Conscience Checklist: April 1, 2022

In March, Texas voters trying to vote in their primary reported that their registration was canceled without notice or reason. An AoCC subscriber discovered her last name was misspelled, potentially disqualifying her vote. Don’t let your ballot be rejected. Commit to checking monthly, starting today.

Visit: Vote.org.

Election workers are experiencing a historically unprecedented level of violent threats. More than three-fourths of election workers believe that these threats have worsened recently. Urge congress to protect these nonpartisan public servants using the Brennan Center’s email generator (uncheck the box labeled “By checking this box, I agree to receive periodic email updates from the Brennan Center” if you don’t want to receive emails).

Contact: Your state legislators (look up).

Script: Hi, I’m a resident of [ZIP] calling to ask you vote NO on any legislation that attempts to prohibit the use of ballot tabulating machines in [STATE] elections. Manually counting ballots is slow and error-prone, and the accuracy of ballot counting machinery can be verified with post-election risk-limiting audits. Thank you.

The Department of Transportation is accepting comments on the difficulties and rights violations encountered by wheelchair users during air travel. U.S. airlines damage, lose, or otherwise mishandle an average of 29 mobility devices every day. Wheelchairs are often custom-made to a person’s individual needs, and mishandling can result in a sudden and complete loss of independence, bodily injury, or even death.

If you or a loved one are a wheelchair user, or if you support equity in travel, share your experience/opinion: On Regulations.gov by April 25, 2022.

Contact: Your two STATE legislators (look up).

Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [ZIP] because I care about the emotional and mental well-being of transgender youth in [STATE]. More than 100 new anti-LGBTQ+  bills have been introduced across the country since 2021, leaving over a third of our nation’s transgender youth at risk of losing access to gender-affirming care, and significantly increasing their risk of depression and suicide. Can I count on [NAME] to protect young transgender people from harmful legislation by denouncing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in [STATE]?

Be an ally: Visit PFLAG.org for LGBTQ+ community support and resources, and the National Center for Transgender Equality’s guide to being a good ally.

Contact: Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, at (202) 282-8495 (DHS comment line) or by mail at
Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [TOWN, STATE] to support ending collusion between localities and federal immigration enforcement agencies. Protective, pro-immigrant policies are necessary for vibrant, healthy, and trusting communities—yet DHS agencies have historically perpetuated harm in the daily lives of aspiring Americans, through ongoing policing and prolonged, inhumane detention of community members. I’m joining more than 170 organizations in urging you to affirmatively terminate 287(g) agreements, as well as the so-called Secure Communities program. Thank you.

Write: 

Sec. Xavier Becerra 
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

and

Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528

Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] because the U.S. is still operating three “Emergency Intake Sites” for aspiring American children. These “temporary” unlicensed facilities are reported to have unsanitary conditions, poor food, lack of outdoor access, and irregular access to clean clothing and bathrooms. Intake sites are not appropriate for children, and I’m asking [NAME] to take the following action to shut them down immediately in favor of community-based solutions and safer, more humane border policies:

• Establish a safe and rapid process for keeping children together with trusted non-parental caregivers at the border,
• Improve the reunification process to more quickly place children with family or sponsors in the U.S. by working with trusted community-based organizations,
• Expand the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) network of small-scale, licensed care facilities for unaccompanied children, and
• Proactively engage trusted, community-based nonprofits to open licensed, small-scale, homelike shelters.

Thank you.

Contact:

Chris Magnus
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20229
(877) 227-5511 (CBP INFO Center)

and

Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
(202) 282-8495 (DHS comment line)

Script: Hi, I’m contacting you from [ZIP] to express my concern about the unregulated use of robotic dogs at the border. While these machines have the potential to enable safer search and rescue operations, bomb threat investigations, and more, the ability to mount cameras and weapons to the robots exposes the risk of them being used against humans as a tool of surveillance and/or violence. I am calling on [NAME] to delay deployment of these robotic dogs until strict, humane guidelines can be outlined, defined, and enforced.

Thank Gov. Spencer Cox (R–UT) and Gov. Eric Holcomb (R–IN) for vetoing discriminatory bills that would prevent transgender student athletes from participating in sports on the team that best aligns with their gender identity.

If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use these addresses:

SC: P.O. Box 142220, Salt Lake City, UT 84114

EH: 200 W. Washington St., Rm. 206, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Thank Sen. Susan Collins (R–ME) for committing to vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: 413 Dirksen SOB, Washington, DC 20510

Bonus: Thank your senator/s (find addresses here) if they have also committed to a “yes” vote for Judge Jackson’s confirmation.

Thank HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra for taking steps to protect transgender youth in TX and nationwide by releasing guidance regarding child welfare, healthcare, and patient privacy.

If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey Bldg., 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201