Today, take 100 seconds to call one of your Senators and either thank them or urge them to change their stance on the Immigration Ban
Calling an elected official's office requires courage, but you can do it, and it'll only get easier after the first time. To make it simple, we've attached a script below, developed by former staffers who have been on the receiving end of these calls and designed to make an impression (There's also a voicemail version below).
Remember, all it takes is 100 seconds to make sure your voice is heard! ☀️
Remember, all it takes is 100 seconds to make sure your voice is heard! ☀️
CALL SCRIPT: (click here if you need phone numbers for your representatives)
Staffer: Senator [Wright's] office, how can I help you?
YOU: Hi there, I’m a constituent of Senator Wright’s. Can I please speak with the staffer who handles immigration and refugee issues?
Note: if the office does not have a designated staffer, you can ask to speak to the Senator’s Legislative Director.
Staffer: I’m happy to take down any comments you may have. Can I ask for your name and address?
YOU: Of course. [Give your name/address]. Can I ask who I’m speaking with?
Staffer: Yes, this is [Jane Doe].
YOU: Thanks, [Jane]! I’m calling to ask that Senator Wright publically oppose President Trump’s Executive order, which restricts immigration from Muslim majority countries and ends the Syrian refugee program. I urge her to honor our American values and support the United States to continue to resettle refugees from around the world and not penalize refugees and immigrants simply because of the country they come from.
Can you tell me what Senator [Wright’s] views are on the current Executive Order?
Staffer: Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I can’t speak for the Senator, but I can tell you he takes constituent input seriously and that I’ll pass your concerns on to him.
Caller: I appreciate that [Jane], but I don’t want you to just pass my concerns on. I would like to know what the Senator is doing to oppose these kinds of discriminatory and unconstitutional proposals. Could you please tell me?
Note - if your Representative shares your point of view, the staff is likely to tell you that: “Yes, Senator totally agrees with you and is doing X,Y. Z” . If that is the case:
YOU: Thank you so much! Please let him/her know that we appreciate his/her support, and I will keep an eye out for his/her public statement on the issue.
BUT: If they are being evasive, that probably means they are not on the same page as you, so be persistent in getting your point across. Like this:
Staffer: The Senator will consider all perspectives.
YOU: The Senator is my elected representative, and as a constituent I expect him to stand up for core American values. I am very concerned that he supports this Executive Order, and will possibly support future orders further restricting immigration and refugee resettlement into the U.S. Could you please tell me if he will oppose this kind of discrimination?
Staffer: I’ll pass your message along.
YOU: I find it unacceptable that the Senator refuses to stand up for our core American values. I’ll be notifying my friends, family, and local newspaper. Thank you for your time, and for passing this message along in full, [Jane].
Note: On this last part - it can be as simple as sharing on Facebook the conversation you just had! And you should feel free to write a Letter to the Editor in your local paper if you want to tell more people!
SAMPLE VOICEMAIL DIALOGUE:
Note: It seems that many Members of Congress are sending their phones straight to voicemail on days when there is exceedingly heavy call volume. If you are sent to voicemail, or if you call after hours, you can use this script.
YOU: Hello, this is [name] and I live in [town in the Rep's district]. I am calling today because I am very concerned about President Trump’s Executive Order restricting immigration from Muslim majority countries and ending the Syrian refugee program. The executive order goes against our core American values of religious tolerance, diversity, and our commitment to human rights.
I strongly oppose this kind of Executive Order. I expect Senator [Wright] to publically oppose the ban and to speak out in defense of the core American values that this order compromises. I look forward to hearing how and when he is going to do that. You can reach me at [number or email address]. Thanks!
Thanks to our friends at Amnesty International for informing parts of this message.
Staffer: Senator [Wright's] office, how can I help you?
YOU: Hi there, I’m a constituent of Senator Wright’s. Can I please speak with the staffer who handles immigration and refugee issues?
Note: if the office does not have a designated staffer, you can ask to speak to the Senator’s Legislative Director.
Staffer: I’m happy to take down any comments you may have. Can I ask for your name and address?
YOU: Of course. [Give your name/address]. Can I ask who I’m speaking with?
Staffer: Yes, this is [Jane Doe].
YOU: Thanks, [Jane]! I’m calling to ask that Senator Wright publically oppose President Trump’s Executive order, which restricts immigration from Muslim majority countries and ends the Syrian refugee program. I urge her to honor our American values and support the United States to continue to resettle refugees from around the world and not penalize refugees and immigrants simply because of the country they come from.
Can you tell me what Senator [Wright’s] views are on the current Executive Order?
Staffer: Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I can’t speak for the Senator, but I can tell you he takes constituent input seriously and that I’ll pass your concerns on to him.
Caller: I appreciate that [Jane], but I don’t want you to just pass my concerns on. I would like to know what the Senator is doing to oppose these kinds of discriminatory and unconstitutional proposals. Could you please tell me?
Note - if your Representative shares your point of view, the staff is likely to tell you that: “Yes, Senator totally agrees with you and is doing X,Y. Z” . If that is the case:
YOU: Thank you so much! Please let him/her know that we appreciate his/her support, and I will keep an eye out for his/her public statement on the issue.
BUT: If they are being evasive, that probably means they are not on the same page as you, so be persistent in getting your point across. Like this:
Staffer: The Senator will consider all perspectives.
YOU: The Senator is my elected representative, and as a constituent I expect him to stand up for core American values. I am very concerned that he supports this Executive Order, and will possibly support future orders further restricting immigration and refugee resettlement into the U.S. Could you please tell me if he will oppose this kind of discrimination?
Staffer: I’ll pass your message along.
YOU: I find it unacceptable that the Senator refuses to stand up for our core American values. I’ll be notifying my friends, family, and local newspaper. Thank you for your time, and for passing this message along in full, [Jane].
Note: On this last part - it can be as simple as sharing on Facebook the conversation you just had! And you should feel free to write a Letter to the Editor in your local paper if you want to tell more people!
SAMPLE VOICEMAIL DIALOGUE:
Note: It seems that many Members of Congress are sending their phones straight to voicemail on days when there is exceedingly heavy call volume. If you are sent to voicemail, or if you call after hours, you can use this script.
YOU: Hello, this is [name] and I live in [town in the Rep's district]. I am calling today because I am very concerned about President Trump’s Executive Order restricting immigration from Muslim majority countries and ending the Syrian refugee program. The executive order goes against our core American values of religious tolerance, diversity, and our commitment to human rights.
I strongly oppose this kind of Executive Order. I expect Senator [Wright] to publically oppose the ban and to speak out in defense of the core American values that this order compromises. I look forward to hearing how and when he is going to do that. You can reach me at [number or email address]. Thanks!
Thanks to our friends at Amnesty International for informing parts of this message.