As the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran rages on across the Middle East, we must not lose sight of the U.S. militarism escalating in the Western Hemisphere.
On Wednesday, The U.S. military carried out yet another air strike on a civilian boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people. At least 163 people have now been killed in U.S. boat strikes since September.
Using military force to execute people who were merely accused of a crime is a legal and moral outrage. We must not allow this appalling and senseless killing to be normalized.
As FCNL’s Scoville Fellow Lydia El-Sayegh wrote in December, “Blowing up civilian boats that pose no threat of violence to the United States is not war. It’s murder.”
Meanwhile, The U.S. has also expanded military operations against alleged drug traffickers into Ecuador, supporting strikes from Ecuadorian forces under the disturbing name “Operation Total Extermination.” The New York Times reported this week that one of the campaign’s first strikes destroyed a dairy and cattle farm — not a cartel camp as U.S. officials claimed.
At the same time, the Trump administration is blockading and threatening Cuba, causing widespread humanitarian suffering.
The crippling oil blockade imposed by the Trump administration has caused major power outages and food shortages across the country. Hospitals are being forced to operate without power. Patients who rely on equipment like ventilators are dying as a result as medical workers scramble to save lives.
All of this is profoundly immoral and must stop. From Latin America to the Middle East to Africa and the streets of our own communities, Congress must rein in this unprecedented and out-of-control militarism.
Elsewhere
Senate Passes Partial DHS Funding Bill, Excluding ICE
Early Friday morning, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to partially fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill would restore funding for the TSA and other DHS functions while excluding new funding for ICE and most of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
While this vote was a positive step toward ending the harmful partial DHS shutdown without providing more funding for lawless immigration enforcement, the bill is facing resistance in the House, and there’s much work still left to do.
As negotiations drag on, we continue to call on lawmakers to reject any funding increase for ICE and CBP and to enact serious, permanent reforms to hold these rogue agencies accountable. That means measures to protect our rights and communities and keep ICE out of sensitive locations like churches and schools.
A Powerful Call to Stand With Refugees
For refugees like Yasin Arfat, a Rohingya genocide survivor and FCNL diaspora organizer, the United States provided not only safety, but the opportunity to dream again and build a new life. But after being welcomed into the U.S., refugees like Yasin are now cruelly being threatened with arrest and detention by the Trump administration.
As Yasin wrote, “My journey from surviving genocide to advocating in the halls of power was only possible because the United States chose to care. At a moment when refugees are too often politicized and dehumanized, I request this country to continue leading with compassion and courage.”
Read Yasin’s full, powerful reflection here!
Friends Changemaker Weekend Deadline coming up!
The deadline for virtual participation in Friends Changemaker Weekend is coming up next week, on March 31. Join us for this intergenerational conference where we will learn how to effectively engage with lawmakers for peace. Our focus this year will be on urging Congress to reject any more funding for war with Iran!
Prayer for Peace
FCNL’s Bridget Moix will join the Churches for Middle East Peace for a virtual prayer vigil on Wednesday, April 1 at noon ET – we hope you can make it too! Learn more and register.
