Legislators Not Leaving It Up to Congress to Stop Payoffs to Insurrectionists (5/28/26)
Plus: hunger strike now at 10 days, refilling a bond fund, resources to organize against AI at work and more
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TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ
Support states taxing payouts from January 6th slush fund at 100%, tell GOP reps to vote no on ICE-CBP funding unless it stops the bribes
We’re now a week and 10 days into hunger strikes in the concentration camps - donate to support targeted organizers, push for action from New Jersey and California leaders, write letters of support to strikers, and more ways to show solidarity
Roy Cooper has a clear path to flipping a Senate seat in North Carolina - postcard, phonebank to help him win
A resource hub for labor organizers dealing with the impact of AI in their workplace
If you have questions, comments, and especially submissions for actions, please email us at roganslisttips@gmail.com!
LEGISLATORS PROPOSE 100% TAX ON TRUMP SLUSH FUND PAYOUTS
Even Republicans are pushing back against Trump’s proposed $1.7 billion slush fund for his henchmen, enough so that they forced a delay in the ICE-CBP funding bill. Senator Ted Cruz indicated as many as 20 GOPers would have supported Democratic amendments to restrict the fund if that vote had gone forward. We have a real shot of stopping it on Capitol Hill.
Our state legislators aren’t leaving it to chance. New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores and State Senator Mike Gianaris have proposed what Bores dubbed the “Anti-Insurrectionist Act,” taxing any payoffs Trump gives to New York residents at 100%. They’re aiming for a vote on it as soon as next week. Similar proposals are coming in New Jersey from State Senator Andrew Zwicker and Illinois from State Rep. Bob Morgan, and California Governor Gavin Newsom endorsed the concept as well.
This is sure to face legal challenges if passed, but so of course will the bribes themselves. We should be willing to fight to keep our money out of the hands of these thugs. 🗣️ Let’s reach out to our state legislators and governors in support of taxing payoffs to insurrectionists. We can find call scripts to use here and email language here, or send this message directly by texting SIGN PBVWTZ to 50409. 🗣️
🗣️ We can also loop back to our members of Congress, especially if we’re represented by a Republican, and let them know we want them to back any amendment to the reconciliation bill that would kill the slush fund. We can find call scripts and e-mail language here, or send this message by texting SIGN PMLDMK to 50409. 🗣️
A WEEK AND A HALF ON HUNGER STRIKE
We are now on Day 7 of the hunger strikes at ICE’s Delaney Hall concentration camp in Newark and Day 10 at the camps at Adelanto. We are now seeing reports that hunger strikes have spread to Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, too, and that the total number of people refusing food and labor at Adelanto is over 100.
Trump’s team has responded by mocking the strikes and threatening force feedings and shutting down processing of international flights in sanctuary cities as a response. The ICE reaction to protesters on site has gotten even more violent – folks on scene at Delaney Hall report being pepper sprayed, assault, tased, and record at least one of their number being abducted by federal agents. Captives from within the camp were photographed being transferred out in ambulances. In more chilling developments, Marvin Soto, who helped organize the hunger strike in Newark and was transferred out, is now reportedly facing federal charges – ICE had previously been holding been behind bars without charge.
The demands of the strikers are not radical. They want adequate medical care, safe food and water, due process, to be able to communicate with their families and their freedom. We need to continue speaking up for them. Here’s some new ways we can do so:
💵 Marvin Soto’s wife Gabriela has a GoFundMe to help him cover the costs of a lawyer. We can donate to support them here. 💵
🗣️ We can also urge New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to make another attempt to meet with the strikers. We can find her phone number here and email here. 🗣️
✍🏼 Organizers in Adelanto have asked for us to upload letters of support they can share with the hunger strikers. We can do so at Tinyurl.com/LettersForHungerStrikers or here. ✍🏽
🗣️ Adelanto folks have also called for a phone call barrage to local and state officials demanding action. We can find targets and scripts here. 🗣️
📢 Let’s continue to press the mainstream media for more coverage of these strikes, and share these articles from The Guardian, who have been paying attention. 📢
📢 We can find folks to follow and more ways to help here. 📢
🙋🏽♀️ And of course there’s still long-term work to be done. Find rapid-response networks to volunteer for near us here and get activated when detention centers are coming to our area here. 🙋🏽♂️
BEYOND BOND IS OUT OF MONEY – HELP THEM GET MORE IMMIGRANTS FREE
Some of the work of taking on the deportation machine is noisy, and some is quiet. Once we’ve done our part to help keep eyes on the hunger strikers, we can also show some support to the folks getting our immigrant friends and neighbors out of the camps.
The Beyond Bond and Legal Defense Fund (BBLDF) in Boston has helped free 169 people from detention just since January, paying $1.5 million in bonds, and serving as a crucial part of ICE resistance in New England. Their work is necessary, and at the moment it’s stalled. The bond fund is depleted, and volunteers are having to turn people away. They’re asking for our help. 💵 If we’re able, let’s consider donating to Beyond Bond to get our friends free here, or sharing the link and this request with our networks.💵
SEND ROY COOPER TO THE SENATE
With all the deserved excitement about Texas this week, let’s not forget there’s another red-state Senate seat which we have an even better chance to flip. Former governor and attorney general Roy Cooper has been a stalwart for Democrats in North Carolina, and effectively cleared the primary field the day he announced. He’s in strong polling position against former RNC chair Michael Whatley. But we’ve had a bunch of close losses in recent elections for Dems in the Tar Heel State, and we need to make sure we’re doing the work to lock it up for him. 📬☎️️ Activate America has just launched a postcard campaign for this seat – let’s sign up to join in here. And we can phonebank for Cooper and Democrats up and down the ballot in North Carolina on Tuesdays and Saturdays here. 📬☎️ (h/t Jess Craven)
NON-CHATGPT TOOLS FOR THE AI RESISTANCE
The Luddites have gotten a raw deal from the history books. Rather than mindless opponents to progress, they were skilled, middle-class workers who saw themselves being replaced by machines and wanted to negotiate fair treatment during the transition: workers’ pensions, a minimum wage, and labor standards. Sounds like an example to follow.
The Luddite Lab Resource Hub hosts tools for unions, labor organizations, and worker-organizers fighting AI and automation at work, including offering strategies for worker-led governance and oversight of new technology through case studies, primers, and a resource library. They also offer consultations on how to organize around AI. ⚙️ Let’s check out what they have to offer here, spread the word about the hub to those dealing with the impact of AI on their workplace and put these resources to work! ⚙️
👀 KEEPING AN EYE ON… 👀
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Looking for ways to get engaged in the midterms? Here’s a full list!
Upcoming fights in Congress - oppose a Farm Bill preserving food assistance cuts, continued warrantless wiretapping, an endless war on Iran, billions more for ICE and CBP
Trump, Rubio continue to build the case for war on Cuba - tell Congress to stop them now
Tell blue state Dems to fight fire with fire in countering gerrymandering
Project Salt Box reports ICE aims to start contracts for co-working spaces in June - see if your community is on the target list, push owners and agents not to deal with them
Comment to demand FCI Dublin be demolished instead of handed over to ICE by June 1st
De-ICE Citizens Bank coalition day of action at branches nationwide June 6th - find a protest near us or organize our own
Get Free, 50501 hold All of U.S. 250 mobilizations nationwide June 27th
Submit public comments to oppose barring trans folks from emergency shelters by June 29th
Good Trouble Lives On voting rights weekend of action July 17th-19th - register events here