March, 05 2019, 11:00pm EDT
Activists Deliver 750,000+ Petition Signatures Urging the Senate to Revoke Trump's National Emergency Declaration
Sen. Tom Udall accepts signatures on behalf of Senate Democrats
WASHINGTON
Immigrant rights, pro-democracy and progressive groups delivered 769,349 petition signatures to senate offices today urging senators to revoke Donald Trump's national emergency declaration.
Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) accepted the petition signatures outside of his office in the Hart building and gave brief remarks.
The petitions argue that Trump's declaration is an abuse of power and that Trump exceeded his constitutional authority by issuing the declaration. The signers urge the U.S. Senate to vote to revoke the emergency declaration.
The petition signatures were collected by CREDO, Public Citizen, Color Of Change, Win Without War, United We Dream, MoveOn, NDWA, UltraViolet, DailyKos, Defending Rights & Dissent, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, People Demanding Action, Women's March, Center for Popular Democracy, Demand Progress, RAICES, People's Action, Presente, Beyond the Bomb, America's Voice, Sierra Club and People for the American Way.
On Monday March 11, activists with Public Citizen and CREDO will deliver copies of the Constitution to dozens of Senate offices nationwide in advance of next week's anticipated Senate vote to revoke Trump's declaration. Details on next week's events can be found here.
Sanaa Abrar of United We Dream, Aquene Freechild of Public Citizen's Democracy Is For People Campaign and Rio Tazewell of People for the American Way's Government By the People Campaign, also spoke at today's petition delivery event.
"Let us be clear: Trump is bypassing Congress with a fake emergency and creating a constitutional crisis by raiding other departments' funds to realize his mass deportation plans. His actions send the message to the country -- and the world -- that no new immigrants can come in, and that immigrants inside must be driven out," said Sanaa Abrar, Advocacy Director at United We Dream. "It's now up to the Senate to stop Trump's power grab and oppose his wall. Immigrant youth of United We Dream are joining the petition delivery because we know that Trump's emergency declaration is just one of many tactics he's used to grow the Deportation Force of ICE and CBP, which detain, deport and separate our families. Along with our allies, we will also continue to push Congress to get behind a new vision where immigrants can live in peace and thrive by championing pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants who call our country home."
"Emergency powers have been abused throughout human history to seize power away from the people," said Aquene Freechild, campaign co-director of Public Citizen's Democracy Is For People Campaign. "Trump's fake emergency is a test - the way a bully or abuser tests his victim to see if they defend themselves or just give in. We must respond in passionate defense of our democracy, in defense of our immigrant brothers and sisters under attack, in defense of our Constitution, in defense of freedom and our way of life."
Additional statements from organizations that contributed petition signatures can be found in the quote sheet below.
CREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of over five million activists, sending tens of millions of petition signatures and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to decision-makers each year. CREDO Action members also participate in meetings, protests and other direct action for progressive change.
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