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This week, the U.S. House passed the Safeguard American Voters Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), which would impose new restrictions on voters nationwide. Despite a lack of evidence of voter fraud and the complete debunking of President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election, members of the House of Representatives endorsed a policy designed to turn otherwise eligible people away from the polls. This follows closely on Trump associate Steve Bannon’s declaration that there will be ICE agents “surrounding” the polls during the November elections, and Donald Trump’s own naming of cities like Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia when outlining places where he’d like to “take control” of elections. All three of these anti-democratic moves hinge on the implication that Black and Brown people are somehow “stealing” elections that would otherwise favor the Republican Party, and that punitive measures against those communities are acceptable to counter their influence. While we have seen many rousing defenses of democracy, we must also be vocal in defending and preparing the communities they’re hoping to disenfranchise through every means at our disposal. We cannot allow a replay of the isolation Fulton County officials have experienced as a result of the FBI raiding their election offices, with no defense from Gov. Brian Kemp or any other statewide official. This Black History Month, we must redouble our commitment to the hard-won gains of the civil rights movement led by religious leaders. Their legacy is well worth defending as the church searches for answers amid attacks on democracy. his defense cannot be grounded in appeals to our principles and morals alone, but in the active practice of faith. We see this in examples such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Pauli Murray, who demanded that the communities most targeted receive not only a vociferous defense but also the resources they need to thrive. This must begin with defending their right to representation, as these communities are being held out as reasonable targets for expulsion from our body politic. Now is the time to be clear that we will not sacrifice one community in the name of expediency and to commit ourselves to a vision of democracy that would make such a choice impossible. –Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners
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Here’s a look at what happened this week: 1. The Trump administration’s cruel deportation regime continued to operate amid significant resistance and backlash. Border czar Tom Homan said Thursday that Donald Trump has agreed to his proposal to conclude the monthslong surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota over the next week. 14-year-old SueHey Romero of Wilder, Idaho, was zip-tied by immigration agents during an October raid, along with multiple other children, according to a new ACLU lawsuit. Many of the children were left with welts and bruises on their wrists. Cardinal Blase Cupich, head of the Archdiocese of Chicago, has twice told interviewers in recent weeks that priests in the archdiocese have been stopped by federal agents and ordered to prove their immigration status. The cardinal has alleged that these priests were targeted “because of their color.” In Minneapolis, legal observers and officials have received a growing number of reports of federal agents impersonating construction workers, delivery drivers and, in some cases, anti-ICE activists. While not all accounts have been verified, the reports have added to a climate of fear and distrust in Minnesota communities. Senate Democrats plan to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is an agency, ahead of today's deadline to avert a DHS shutdown. Democrats say Republicans have not done enough to meet their demands to overhaul ICE.
2. In international news, the Trump administration has continued to behave aggressively toward Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries, seemingly using military action and the threat of it to try to extract various concessions. Trump said this week that he insisted talks with Iran about its nuclear program must continue, but warned he may take military action if a deal is not reached. For his part, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that his country would “not yield to [the United States and Israel’s] excessive demands.” In Venezuelan news, the Trump administration’s decision to park $500 million of Venezuelan oil revenue in Qatar raises questions about the South American nation’s future. The move highlights the tension in U.S. policy: Washington is currently working closely with interim president Delcy Rodriguez while officially recognizing the opposition-led National Assembly elected in 2015 as “the only legitimate representative of the Venezuelan people.” The Cuban government said international airlines can no longer refuel on the island due to fuel shortages after the Trump administration threatened tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with oil. An Al Jazeera investigation [WARNING: Graphic descriptions] found that Israel used U.S.-supplied thermal and thermobaric munitions in Gaza, leaving no trace of nearly 3,000 Palestinians.
3. Donald Trump’s falling popularity, including among key demographic groups and on key issues, should be understood alongside efforts around the country to interfere with election administration. Trump’s approval rating is hovering just below 41% as of this writing, with a disapproval rating of nearly 56%, both at or near records for his second term. Trump’s approval rating on immigration is also at a second-term low of about 41.8%. And while white evangelicals remain Trump’s strongest supporters, they are less supportive than they were a year ago. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 10 states—home to more than 37 million registered voters—have provided their full voter registration lists to the federal government at the Justice Department’s request. The department is seeking agreements under which it would conduct its own analysis of states’ voter files and then instruct the states to remove specific voters from the rolls, something the federal government has never done before. Meanwhile, a federal judge has rejected a Justice Department request for Michigan to hand over its electronic voter registration list containing voters’ personal information.
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We’re continuing to call for ICE and Border Patrol to leave Minneapolis. This Ash Wednesday, we will be hosting a virtual vigil at 8pm. You can register here. We’re including an ICE map that tracks detention actions and attempted warehouse purchases in real time for organizers. We’re also participating in the To Immigrants With Love Valentine’s Week of Action with partners.
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Surrounded by WitnessesAccording to Merriam-Webster, a witness is one who gives evidence, has personal knowledge of something, or serves as proof. In a world saturated with falsehoods, we need reminders of what is true and just. We live in a time when history is being erased or rewritten. White supremacy trembles at the beauty of diversity and, in its fear of erasure, resists the very vision of a society in which all can thrive, a vision that would include it too. Yet despite these ongoing attacks on diversity, this month we celebrate 100 years of honoring Black history. At a time when many claimed that Black Americans had no meaningful contributions beyond the institution of slavery, our ancestor, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, established Negro History Week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. His witness and conviction that Black Americans had shaped every facet of society laid the foundation for what we now know as Black History Month. This annual observance stands as our testimony, our evidence, our proof of extraordinary brilliance and contributions throughout our shared history. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–2). We need witnesses in our history, our culture, and our faith to remind us of the truths we are prone to forget. Without them, our memories fade, and our sense of belonging weakens. We look to our ancestors and to Jesus, who remind us of where we have come from and strengthen us for the journey ahead. Who are the witnesses guiding you in this season? Take a moment to journal about what you must remember to persevere in this moment. ––Rev. Moya Harris, Sojourners
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The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor
Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson
Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia
Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps
Political Director: Chad V. Stanton
Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris
Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks
Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams
Senior Director of Marketing: Sandra Sims
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