The Portland Central American Solidarity Committee & CISPES need solidarity calls today

From the Portland Central American Solidarity Committee:

If you want your Representative in Congress to oppose militarization and cooperation with Mexico to target Central American refugees, please call their staff below and tell them! The Trump Administration is meeting with Mexican and maybe Central American governments to push this military oppression.

Please tell them that you want them to oppose this to the Sec of State. Show them where you stand. You can reply to this to let us know what happened.

See below, our email to to our Congressional staff and the original email from CISPES.

Contacts:
Representative Suzanne Bonamici (west side) 503-469-6010: Brian Plinski, DC 202-225-0855
Representative Blumenauer (Portland east side) 503-231-2300: Roberto Gutierrez,
DC 202-225-4811: Kelsey Aulakh
Representative Schrader (south metro to south of Salem) 503-557-1324: Megan McKibben, DC 202-225-5711: Zach Stokes
Representative DeFazio (Eugene, etc) 541-465-6732, DC 202-225-6416
Representative Herrera-Beutler (SW Washington) 360-690-6292, DC 202-225-3536 

Dear Compas at PCASC,

As today's article in the Guardian makes clear, the Trump Administration wants to dramatically ramp up militarization in Mexico and Central America.

We have one more day to get more Members of Congress to sign on to an important letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who's headed to Miami on Thursday for the Central America Security and Prosperity conference.

So far, the offices that have signed on to the Congressional letter are: Mike Capuano (D-MA), John Conyers (D-MI), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Seth Moulton (D-MA) & Adam Smith (D-WA)

If your Rep hasn't yet signed on, will you make a call today? The deadline for signers is today at 5:00 PM EDT.

It's quick, easy and can make a big difference! Here's how:

1) Call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, provide your zip code, and you will be transferred to your representative's office

2) Follow this script. If you are part of a local organization, please mention that, too!

Hi, this is ______, I am a constituent from (your town/city). May I speak with the staffer who handles foreign affairs to discuss a sign-on letter about human rights in Central America? The letter is closing this afternoon.

[They may transfer you to a real person, they may take a message for you, or they may send you to a voicemail]

Hi, my name is _____ and I’m a constituent from (your town/city). I’m calling because I wanted to encourage (your Rep) to sign on to Mr. Lowenthal's letter about the Central America security conference in Miami, which is closing this afternoon.

I’m very concerned about Secretary Kelly's proposals to increase U.S. cooperation with Mexico to target Central American refugees. This strategy has already created a human rights disaster in Mexico and it should be ended, not expanded.

It should be clear by now that militarization will not solve the security problems in Central America and it's important for Members of Congress to send that message to the Administration.

The deadline for the letter is today at 5 pm. Will (your Rep) sign on? Thank you very much.

3) Reply to this email to let me know what happened with your call.

Thank you for being part of this grassroots movement - we couldn't do it without you!

Yours in struggle,

Laura Embree-Lowry
Program Director

P.S. Can't make a call but want to help CISPES continue organizing to fight Trump's military agenda in Central America? Make a donation today!