CORRECTED: We Cannot Squander This Chance to Stop ICE - January 29, 2026
Plus prosecutors come together, child care providers targeted, Starbucks on strike, and more
Hi all! Apparently a number of y’all received this morning’s List without a title, so we are resending. Apologies for blowing up your inboxes! - Joe
🗳️ We have a chance to flip a state senate seat in a bellwether county in Texas on Saturday - phonebank to get out the vote for Taylor Rehmet TONIGHT at 7:00PM ET 🗳️
SENATE VOTES TODAY ON ICE FUNDING
We should know relatively early today where we stand on the combined appropriations bill with Homeland Security funding included. The Senate is scheduled to take a test vote on breaking the filibuster as soon as 11:30AM. Based on public statements, it is set to fail, opening the door for a separate vote on DHS spending and negotiations for real guardrails being included with it.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced what restrictions Democrats will be pushing for: a tightening of rules on warrants, a mask ban, requiring visible identification and body cameras for agents, and a code of conduct including independent investigations of use of force. While these could be significant steps forward *if* done right, they are not a sufficient response to the lawlessness and terror Trump’s secret police have unleashed. We need to pressure our electeds for more.
When children are being kidnapped off the streets, U.S. citizens are being deported, and protesters are being murdered with impunity, it would be legislative malpractice and moral failure for lawmakers not to use the leverage provided by the funding deadline to roll back DHS’ power as much as possible. Polling suggests the public has woken up to the brutal realities of mass deportation, putting us in a strong political position to try to rein in ICE and CBP.
Let’s use this call tool to push our senators one more time this morning to vote no on funding for ICE and DHS. And we can send this Resistbot message laying out the sort of restraints it would take to reduce the threat of the deportation machine by texting SIGN PMMWLV to 50409.
Once we’re done, we can sign up to phonebank with Common Cause TONIGHT from 5:30-7:30PM ET to urge folks in key states to pressure their senators for a no vote on ICE funding too.
PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTORS SEND A MESSAGE TO ICE THUGS: FAFO
With the federal government covering up and cheering on the abuses of ICE and CBP thugs, our local and state prosecutors are going to have to do the hard work of bringing them to justice. While the regime’s claims of absolute immunity are nonsense, there are significant legal obstacles to getting a conviction, and they’re going to need all the help they can get.
Yesterday, a group of progressive district attorneys led by Philadelphia’s Larry Krasner announced they were forming a coalition to work together in prosecuting federal law enforcement for violating state laws – Fight Against Federal Overreach (FAFO). This sort of commitment to accountability and mutual support is exactly what we need right now. Let’s check the list of the founding members here, and then reach out to our own local prosecutors to urge them to join this team and pledge to seek justice for the crimes of the deportation machine. We can find scripts and language here.
UNDER-THE-RADAR WAYS TO HELP MINNESOTA
Looking for more ways to support folks on the front lines of ICE terror? LexingtonAlarm! is in contact with community volunteers in Minnesota who recently sent a blast email out with these suggestions for those who are able to make donations:
Laptops for Learners—purchase laptops and WiFi hotspots for immigrant children who have opted for virtual learning for fear of attending school.
The Bond Between—deliveries of free pet food and supplies to immigrants afraid to go out and purchase these items themselves for their pets.
Leo’s Towing—free towing of cars left on the street after ICE kidnaps drivers.
Gift Cards to Local Restaurants—support food establishments losing business or forced to shut down because their patrons are afraid to go out to eat.
Let’s donate if we can—no amount is too small—and let’s spread the word.
We can also consider supporting the legal defense fund for Dr. Nekima Levy-Armstrong, Chauntyll Allen, and William Kelly, who are facing charges for unmasking St. Paul pastor David Easterwood as the director of a local ICE field office during a church service. As Minnesota pastor Reverend Angela Denker noted, the Trump regime’s outrage about their protest “is shockingly hypocritical given the Trump administration’s position that it has the authority to invade a church, against the will of its leadership, to grab someone the government wants to deport.” Let’s contribute here if we’re able.
TRUMP WANTS TO MAKE IT TOUGHER TO GET CHILD CARE
A recent analysis by the New York Times suggests Trump has used the office of the presidency to make at least $1.4 billion for himself, but that isn’t stopping him from devastating child care programs in the name of “stopping corruption.” They’ve proposed rolling back Biden-era rules governing the Child Care and Development Fund, one of the largest federal funding sources for child care. They’re ending enrollment-based payments and payments up front, making it harder for programs to plan ahead, pay staff on time and provide reliable care. They’re also removing Biden’s cap limiting family co-payments to no more than 7% of income, allowing them to be charged more.
The Health and Human Services Department is accepting public comments on this new rule through Wednesday. Let’s make our voices heard in opposition. We can do so directly here or use this tool and language from the National Domestic Workers Alliance here.
STRIKE UPDATES: NYC NURSES MAKE PROGRESS, STARBUCKS MASS CALL MONDAY
Starbucks workers have been on an unfair labor practices strike since November 13th as they seek to push the corporation to agree to a fair contract, with higher take home pay and consistent hours and scheduling. It’s the longest and largest strike in the company’s history. While a number of the original striking employees have returned to work, more than 1,000 workers in 10 cities remain on the picket line and multiple new stores joined the strike in January. Meanwhile, more than 225,000 people have taken the #NoContractNoCoffee pledge to boycott as long as the strike goes on. Here’s some ways we can show solidarity:
Starbucks Workers United will be holding an update call to talk with allies about what’s next in the fight and how we can keep building pressure on MONDAY at 8:30PM ET. We can register to join them here.
Leading up to the call, the union is asking supporters to write letters to the editor to their local papers to help keep the strike in the spotlight. We can get a toolkit from SBWU with language and submission tips here.
We can keep encouraging folks not to cross the picket line! Let’s take the No Contract, No Coffee pledge and share it with our networks.
Meanwhile in New York City, almost 15,000 nurses at three hospitals are on Day 18 of their strike! They’ve made some progress in negotiations on health benefits, but a final deal is still a ways away. We can send a message to hospital CEOs pushing them for a fair contract and donate to the strike fund here.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
MA - DECLARING INDEPENDENCE FROM ICE TODAY ON BEACON HILL
Massachusetts was at the forefront of resistance to the fugitive slave laws. In 2026, we are lagging behind other blue states in taking on the deportation machine. With ICE terrorizing communities, kidnapping kids and murdering protesters from Minnesota to Maine, it’s time we do more to live up to our proud history. Indivisible Mass Coalition, Progressive Mass, ACLU-MA, MIRA, Brazilian Center, and Field First are rallying folks from across the state to demand we throw #ICEOut, holding a lobby day at the State House TODAY from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM to talk with our legislators about the need for more action. We can sign up to attend here. And if we can’t make it, we can use this tool to email our reps in favor of key bills to rein in police collaboration with ICE and protect immigrants, and this one to reach out to Governor Healey pushing for an end to our 287(g) agreement with ICE.
👀 KEEPING AN EYE ON… 👀
Another giveaway from fossil fuels in action as Trump attempts to roll back auto fuel efficiency standards - public comment due by WEDNESDAY
We must do our part to protect trans kids from this regime - oppose gender-affirming care blocks before February 17th here, find ways to give material support here
Also — demand removal of Noem and Lewandowski. Impeach them. No money for DHS as long as Noem and Lewandowski are running it — oops …“RUINING IT!”
Thanks!