Ask the DC Council Vote No on the Harmful Migrant Services and Supports Emergency Act Now!
CTA: Tell your Councilmembers to vote NO on the emergency legislation until changes are made to the bill. In its current form, the legislation bars all asylum seekers and other migrants from accessing DHS services AND denies all asylum seekers residency in the District. Take 5 minutes to call, email, and tweet at DC councilmembers and demand that they vote NO!
Today, Mayor Bowser introduced emergency legislation to create the Office of Migrant Services (OMS) that does not represent the values of DC as a sanctuary city nor does it provide a long term solution for this situation. Despite being housed under the Department of Human Services (DHS), OMS would create an entirely “separate stream” of services for newly arrived asylum-seekers, but details of said services are sparse in the emergency legislation and absent for migrants who remain in the district longer than thirty days. Additionally, the legislation would permanently keep migrants from accessing DC’s homeless services by amending the Homeless Services Reform Act (HSRA) to add additional barriers to access them. This legislation does not represent Washingtonians who have been opening their homes, hearts and communities to new arrivals throughout 5 months of government inaction.
We are asking council members to vote no on the emergency legislation to create the offices of migrant services until changes are made to Title II. Take 5 minutes to call, email & tweet at DC councilmembers and demand they vote NO!
CONTACT INFORMATION
Don't know which ward you’re in? Find out here.
Remember to contact the Council Chair, the 4 At-large Councilmembers AND your Ward’s Councilmember (6 people in total). If you hear back from a councilmember please let us know, email sanctuarydmv2017@gmail.com.
Script for phone calls
Hi, my name is _____ and I am reaching out to ask you to ensure that the DC Mayor and City Council do not betray DC’s commitment to being a sanctuary for migrants. [I am a DC resident who has lived in Ward __ for __ years.]
The Migrant Services and Supports Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 contains harmful amendments to the Homeless Services Reform Act that would bar asylum-seekers and many other migrants from accessing homeless services. Instead it would provide them with very limited alternatives through the newly created Office of Migrant Services. I am fundamentally opposed to excluding people from accessing services based on immigration status and national origin. As a sanctuary city, the DC council should be opposed to this legislation as well.
The bill as it stands, in Title II, denies almost all asylum seekers from residency and accessing DHS services. I ask that you take a stand to support migrant communities and VOTE NO on this bill today until amendments are made to this provision.
Sample Email
Subject: Vote NO on the Migrant Services and Supports Emergency Amendment Act
Dear Councilmember ____,
My name is ____ and I am emailing you to ask you to ensure that the DC Mayor and City Council do not betray DC’s commitment to being a sanctuary for migrants. [DC residents: I have lived in DC/ Ward __ for __ years and this issue is deeply important to me.]
Title II of the Migrant Services and Supports Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 contains harmful amendments to the Homeless Services Reform Act that would bar asylum-seekers and many other migrants from accessing homeless services. Instead it would provide them with very limited alternatives through the newly created Office of Migrant Services. I am fundamentally opposed to excluding people from accessing services based on immigration status and national origin. As a sanctuary city, the DC council should be opposed to this legislation as well.
The bill as it stands, in Title II, denies almost all asylum seekers from residency and accessing DHS services. I ask that you take a stand to support migrant communities and VOTE NO on this bill today until amendments are made to this provision.
We ask that you vote NO on the Emergency Legislation until the anti-immigrant provisions are removed from Title II.
Tweet
.@councilofdc Vote NO on the Migrant Services & Supports Emergency Amendment Act today! Currently, the bill would exclude countless migrants from services based on immigration status. Vote NO until these broadly anti-immigrant parts of the bill are removed. #NoSanctuaryInThisCity
More About the Legislation
This legislation has far reaching impacts on migrants and asylum seekers who are not connected to the racist stunt of the Republican Governors and is not aligned with DC’s status as a sanctuary city. We ask the council to vote NO until these broadly anti-immigrant portions are removed from the bill. Some of which include:
In Title II, anyone waiting to report to an immigration office location outside the District is defined to be in the District as temporary and not a resident.
All ICE/ISAP appointments are outside the district. Washington ICE field office is in Chantilly. The other closest field office is in Baltimore. This defines every asylum seeker from the bus as being here temporarily and barred from residency
Additionally, Title II states that anyone who has been issued a notice to appear in a 240 Immigration Hearing, and until the completion of their immigration proceedings, including any appeals, is also in the District temporarily and cannot be a resident.
All asylum seekers are in 240 proceedings. This would bar them from residency and services at DHS for the entirety of their asylum process. Asylum proceedings take YEARS, including appeals. New bus arrivals are getting court dates 2 years away and cases take years. This means someone could be living and working in the district for years, experience housing insecurity, and still be denied DHS services, even as far as 7 years later or more.
This is NOT LIMITED TO asylum seekers on the buses, as 240 proceedings impact undocumented DC residents
Both clauses apply to migrants AND their family members. The broad wording on this could have an impact on mixed status families.