Monday, June 18 - Help Asylum Seekers in DC / Expand the Court / Ban Assault Weapons in Illinois
Actions You Can Take Today
Action 1: Donate to Help Asylum Seekers in DC
Know someone in DC? They can volunteer here
Action 2: Demand the Senate pass the Markey Court Expansion Bill
Action 3: Call your state rep and senator to demand they vote YES for HB5522 The Assault Weapons Ban in the special session
Action 1: Help Asylum Seekers in DC
Show your support for asylum seekers. For months now Texas Gov. Abbott and Louisiana Gov. Ducey have been bussing asylum seekers from the border into DC and literally just leaving people behind. Community organizers and local mutual-aid groups have stepped up and greeted all of these busses, welcomed the people on them, and helped them to find shelter and forward plans. However, they’ve reached their breaking point and need additional help in the form of donations of time and money.
Here’s how you can help with the ongoing crisis:
Know someone in DC? They can volunteer here
Action via Beloved Community Incubator
Action 2: Tell Senators to Expand the Court
On June 24, the conservative-packed Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This is no fluke. Republicans and dark money groups have waged a 50-year campaign to pack the federal judiciary with hundreds of far-right extremist judges
This term, in addition to overturning Roe, the Supreme Court severely limited a state’s rights to promote gun safety, removed the separation of church and state, restricted an individual’s Fifth Amendment rights, and diminished the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to prevent climate change. The only way to save abortion rights is to expand the Supreme Court by passing the Judiciary Act of 2021 (H.R. 2584/S. 1141). Every single issue we care about will be challenged in court. That’s why we must act now to unrig our courts before it’s too late.
Senator Markey’s bill, the Judiciary Act of 2021, provides the most urgent solution to a Supreme Court that has been captured by conservative extremists. This bill would add four additional justices to the bench and undo the decades of conservative court-packing that got us into this mess. The Constitution does not require a set number of Supreme Court justices and the number has fluctuated over the years.
We must expand the Supreme Court. Check to see if your Senator is a co-sponsor on the Judiciary Act of 2021. If they’re not a co-sponsor yet, call them and demand they sign onto the bill.
Action via Indivisible
Action 3: Ban Assault Weapons in Illinois
Illinois can be the first state to ban assault weapons. Governor Pritzker has said that he is calling a special session of the legislature to strengthen our laws protecting abortion. The legislature could pass the assault weapons ban at the same time.
This is what you can do right now to make sure what happened in Highland Park does not happen in your community:
Call and say this: "Hello. My name is _________. I live in [YOUR TOWN]. I ask that you please vote YES for HB5522 The Assault Weapons Ban in Special Session."
Then ask your friends and family in every county in the state to do the same.
Put your reps’ phone numbers in your speed dial and call them every day with the exact same message until they do it.
Action via Sara Knizhnik
While some of these Daily Actions come from our own work as Indivisible Chicago Alliance, others are from our many partners working to advance the progressive agenda. We invite you to join us in supporting their work. Postings from partners do not imply Indivisible Chicago Alliance endorsement of specific policies and positions.