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One_liners

_The week of Dec. 4 will be packed with several days of action urging congressional members to pass a Dream Act without additional border militarization in Washington, DC, including this one on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

_We issued a statement in response to a Senate Republican spending marker bill released Thanksgiving week that included $1.6 billion for the border wall and the hiring of 500 more Border Patrol agents.

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_The bottom line. It seems highly likely that Congress will again postpone the deadline for a 2018 spending bill by passing a continuing resolution that keeps in place current government funding levels to at least December 22. It remains unclear how this might affect spending on border enforcement or how this might affect the passing of a clean Dream Act. If you haven’t called your members of Congress yet to urge them to pass a clean Dream Act with no additional border militarization, the time is now.  

_Over the line. Several SBCC members were quoted in this comprehensive article on Border Patrol’s excessive claim of authority in the 100-mile border zone, including Astrid Dominguez, ACLU-Texas and Pedro Rios, American Friend Services Committee. ACLU of New Mexico Regional Center for Border Rights’ report on abuses that happen at checkpoints, Guilty Until Proven Innocent, was also mentioned.

_Drawing the line. As part of a telebriefing coordinated by America’s Voice, Christian Ramirez, SBCC director, urged Congress to pass a clean Dream Act “that does not trade the safety of Border Dreamers for those of their family, friends and neighbors.”

_Line of Action. The ACLU Regional Center for Border Rights and seven other groups delivered almost 4,000 petitions to U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich urging them to reject any increased funding for Trump’s deportation force and border enforcement to prevent further terrorizing of New Mexico communities and the destruction of Mexico’s wildlife. New Mexico immigrant rights and conservation groups came together to demand #NoBootsNoBedsNoWalls, including Southwest Environmental Center, NM CAFé (Comunidades en Acción y de Fé), El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, NM Dream Team, New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice, and Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter.