The Amp

Earlier this week, President Trump released his administration’s 2021 budget, a clear statement about his values and priorities: namely favoring the rich and endangering people living in poverty. Trump wants to slash billions of dollars in programs that support economic security and well-being for families. Even though Congress is unlikely to approve the budget, in previous years Trump has used rule-making budget maneuvers to get what he wants. Cite the values of Economic Security and Community when talking about these proposals.

• Take action: Join the Coalition on Human Needs’ webinar this Thursday Feb. 13 at 2pm EST and on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 1pm EST, join a #TrumpBudget - #BullysBudget tweetstorm
• Messaging and communication tools: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ President Trump’s 2021 Budget Would Widen Country’s Divisions and Trump’s Budget Threatens States and Their Residents; Center for American Progress’ Trump’s Newest Budget Would Take Food Away From Working Families and President’s Budget Would Hurt People With Disabilities; Americans for Tax Fairness’ Trump’s Groundhog Day Budget: Once Again Tax Cuts for the Rich Paid for Slashing Service for  the Rest of Us; CLASP’s Trump’s Budget Doubles Down on Harm to People with Low Incomes, Communities of Color, and Immigrants; Coalition for Human Needs’ Trump budget offers hardship now and a bleaker future; Congressional Progressive Caucus Center’s Explainer of Trump’s 2021 Budget;
• Hashtag: #TrumpBudget; #BullysBudget; #TaxTheRich

New York has been in the spotlight this week for its sanctuary policies. Last year, the state passed the “Green Light Law” to provide driver licenses to undocumented immigrants and deny federal access to DMV records. As a result, this week the Department of Homeland Security announced that it will deny its Global Entry program to New Yorkers. In the same week, an ICE agent shot a Brooklyn man in the face while trying to arrest his relative. ICE is often known as a rogue and unaccountable agency, which these recent events underline. Cite the values of Community and Economic Security when talking about these developments.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Redefining Sanctuary and What does safety really mean in America?; New York Immigration Coalition’s Day After DHS Holds NYS Hostage to Anti-Immigrant Political Retribution, ICE Agents Shoot Unarmed Man in Face
• Hashtags: #AbolishIce; #GreenLightLaw

The case of a five-year-old Guatemalan boy detained in Texas is gaining media attention and drawing renewed attention to the treatment of asylum-seekers at the U.S. – Mexico border. Family of the boy are suing ICE for not providing adequate healthcare to the boy who sustained a head injury. On Monday, a judge denied the family’s request to stay the deportation of the boy and his mother. Discuss this case by citing the values of Voice, Equality, Community, and Economic Security.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda's Talking About Imprisoned Children at the Border; Talking About The U.S. Border: Imprisoned Children and Separated Families; The Importance of Maintaining our Identity as a Nation That Welcomes Refugees 
  and Talking About Unaccompanied Refugee Children Fleeing Harm; American Civil Liberties Union's Family Separation by the Numbers; Kids In Need of Defense (KIND)'s Family Separation; Families Belong Together's Resources
• Hashtags: #FamiliesBelongTogether; #AbolishICE

Below is a list of this week's communication hooks as well as events that you can use to reach new audiences and inform existing ones. Click on each link for messaging tools and hashtags.

Events and Cultural Hooks:

• Black History/Black Future(s) Month 
• First Webinar on Migrant Justice Platform: Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 4pm EST 
• Webinar on The New Trump Budget: Why it Really Matters: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 2pm EST
• AAPI Decision 2020 Twitter Town Hall: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 2pm EST
• Press conference and graveside service to honor Pedro Arriago-Santoya: Friday, Feb. 14 at noon EST
• Webinar on Migrant Justice Platform: Friday, Feb. 14 at 1pm EST 
• #ToImmigrantsWithLove campaign launch: Friday, Feb. 14 (deadline Feb. 28) 
• #RGVLove campaign: Friday, Feb. 14 
• Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children “Stand in Love” campaign: Friday, Feb. 14 
• #NoBusinessWithICE march and direct action: Sunday, Feb. 16 
• TrumpBudget - #BullysBudget tweetstorm: Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 1pm EST
• Digital Day of Advocacy for A New Way Forward Act: Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 1pm EST

Historical Anniversaries:

• "I Am A Man" Sanitation Worker Strike begins: Feb. 12, 1968 
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed: Feb. 17, 2009 
• Toni Morrison's birthday: February 18, 1931 
• Audre Lorde's birthday: February 18, 1934 
• War Relocation Authority established to relocate Japanese-Americans: Feb. 19, 1942

For a look further ahead, click here.

You don't need to wait each week for the Amp action alert to find out what's coming up. You can easily add our media hooks and events to your work calendar, which will automatically update when you refresh your calendar. Here's how:

• Google Calendar:  Follow these instructions to subscribe to calendar using an email address (not link option). Copy and paste this entire address:      o33rmu231ochbp5i16botmsvus@group.calendar.google.com 
• Outlook: Follow these instructions. Copy and paste this entire link:   https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/o33rmu231ochbp5i16botmsvus%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
• Apple iCal for Macs: Follow these instructions. Copy and paste this entire link:   https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/o33rmu231ochbp5i16botmsvus%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics