President Trump is holding the country hostage over a border wall that is entirely unnecessary and serves no purpose other than to further divide us in the midst of a crisis manufactured by his own administration.

His intent to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has never been a secret — he ran on this promise during the presidential campaign, unabashedly portraying Mexicans as “rapists” as he announced his bid. And since then, he has done great and irreversible damage to countless individuals, like the thousands of families who were forced to separate along the border or the migrant children who perished in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody.

But we should also be wary of the walls he has already built within the country, the emboldening of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the push to expand immigrant jails and prisons, which now cage over 45,000 people each day, far away from their communities.

This is the definition of systemic brutality, and the administration’s propaganda seeks to justify it at all costs.

Since day one, the president’s mission has been to wreak havoc on immigrant communities. From the lies he spews to the policies he enacts, the president represents the greatest threat to the integrity of our democracy and to our values. His agenda is rooted in a white supremacist ideology that seeks to spread hate and fear through the dehumanization of immigrants. If we’ve learned anything from history, it is that it repeats itself — but it doesn’t have to.

We stand at a decisive moment in history, one in which we must not stay silent about the injustices happening around us and in our name, hurting our friends, families, colleagues and neighbors.

How you can help:

Call your Congressional representative and tell them to vote to stop using federal funds for the construction or expansion of detention facilities. Freedom for Immigrants is working with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal to introduce an amendment to the federal budget this year in the House to defund detention construction and expansion. Our amendment was introduced last year, and it received widespread support from House Democrats. This is the year to pass this amendment in the House. It is a simple amendment, but will have a huge impact on our future advocacy efforts.

Add your name to keep families together by becoming a sponsor or host.

Donate to #FreetheFamilies. Your tax-deductible donation will help us pay the bond of an asylum seeker, victim of human trafficking, or immigrant with longstanding community ties and ensure they are reunited with their family. For example, currently, we are working with a pregnant mother whose partner is in immigration detention. Please help us reunite them!