ILAP Community Update: March 13
March 13, 2025
Dear Community,
We are sending out this urgent, mid-week action alert given the critical moment unfolding for immigrant communities in Washington D.C. Today, Thursday, March 13th, the Senate is considering if it will pass a year-long funding resolution that would give ICE an additional $500 million (bringing their grand total to approximately $10 billion) to carry out the Trump administration’s mass detention and deportation campaign.
The final vote is expected tomorrow, Friday, March 14th. Media reporting shows that Senator King is undecided on how he will vote and Senator Collins has indicated her priority is to prevent a federal government shutdown.
Today is a critical moment to stand up for Maine’s immigrant communities.
Senator Susan Collins:
📞 (202) 224-2523
Senator Angus King:
📞 (202) 224-5344
If you live outside of Maine, you can find your representatives here.
A typical funding resolution of this kind would require the president and executive branch to report on how funding is spent and ensure greater oversight and accountability. In the resolution before the Senate, those safeguards against the executive branch’s overreach of power are stripped out. In other words, this is like a blank check.
Those in favor of the devastating provisions in this resolution - including additional hundreds of millions for enforcement - are claiming that Congress has no other choices, either a government shutdown or this resolution. This is a false choice. Another proposal is on the table that would prevent a government shutdown and keep the government funded through April 11th. It would allow appropriators to finish their high-level negotiations with vital safeguards without leaving critical programs for veterans, schools, and more at or below their funding levels for the entire fiscal year.
Thank you for joining ILAP in taking action for immigrant justice!
Know Your Rights
An important step you can take now to protect yourself is to learn your rights! See ILAP’s resources here.
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Members of the Maine Bar can support ILAP’s work by donating to the Campaign for Justice, a special collaborative fundraising effort by Maine’s legal community to support legal aid.
