I have been reading in horror the stories coming out recently about both US citizens and foreign visitors being treated terribly by the US border agents. I am also horrified by the rounding up and deportation of low-priority immigrants who pose no threat to their communities.
I recently attended a town hall with my Representative, Rick Larsen D-WA CD-2. When it was my turn to speak, I expressed how distressed I was to read these disturbing accounts of people being treated abominably at the border. I asked him what power Congress had to reign in this abuse. He told me that the CBP are under the supervision of Homeland Security and that the Congress could bring these concerns to Chief Kelly of DHS and pressure him to stop this kind of behavior by the agents under his supervision.
Well, the Congressional Democratic Caucus has requested a meeting with Kelly to discuss these very things this Friday. Now would be a very good time to contact your Democratic Representative (if you have one) and ask them to put pressure on Kelly to stop the Gestapo tactics at the border and stop the mass deportations of immigrants who pose no threat to our communities.
Here are a few recent examples of border abuse:
US border agents search cellphones of US citizens
Italian Band jailed and deported from Sea-Tac
Australian Author describes Customs ordeal
Canadian Church volunteers denied entry to US
Muhammad Ali Jr detained at border upon return from vacation in Jamaica
Kelly of DHS considering separating children from parents at the border
Please ask to your respresentative to demand of Chief Kelly:
NO search of cellphones of US citizens upon return to the US without a warrant
NO request for passwords of social media accounts of US citizens without a warrant
NO questioning US citizens about their religion
NO abuse or disrespect of ANYONE by CBP agents
NO deportations of DACA enrollees
NO deportations of low-priority immigrants
NO separation of mothers and children in ICE detention
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR ABUSING PEOPLE AT THE BORDER. This creates bad press, bad foreign relations, alienates allies, isolates us, pushes away business contacts, and IS JUST PLAIN UNAMERICAN AND WRONG. Now is the time to raise these issues loud and clear.