April’s Activist Homework

THE ISSUES:

1. The House is deciding whether to fund ICE alongside TSA — or pass the Senate’s bipartisan bill that funds DHS without ICE.

2. Virginia is holding a special election on April 21 that could determine which party controls the U.S. House.

 

THE ACTIONS:

1. Call your House representative and tell them that regulating ICE is your #1 priority.

2. Write letters to Virginia voters through VoteForward — letters must be mailed by April 14.

 TOTAL TIME: 1 Hour

Action 1: Call your House Representative (5 minutes)

The Senate passed a bipartisan bill funding TSA, the Coast Guard, FEMA, and other DHS agencies — while withholding ICE funding until reforms are in place. Those reforms include requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants before entering homes and businesses, banning agents from wearing masks during operations, and reducing detention center capacity. The House rejected that bill and passed their own version funding ICE with no reforms attached. Both chambers are now on recess until April 14.

Your representative needs to hear from you before they return to Washington.

  1. Go to https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
  2. Click your rep’s name and find their phone number
  3. Call the office — you will likely reach a staff member or voicemail
  4. Say: “Hi, my name is [your name] and I’m a constituent calling from [your city]. I’m asking Representative [name] to vote against any federal budget that increases ICE funding. ICE agents wearing masks must be banned, and I want it in writing that ICE agents cannot arrest anyone without a judicial warrant. Thank you.”
  5. Hang up. That’s it. Do this for both of your senators if you have time.

You do not need to explain yourself further. Congressional offices log the volume of calls on each issue and report it to the senator before votes.

Action 2: Write letters to Virginia voters (45 minutes)

Virginia is holding a special election on April 21 on redistricting — a vote that could determine which party controls the U.S. House. Most people don’t know it’s happening. You can help change that without leaving your home.

  1. Go to votefwd.org/district/VA_2026_C4_REF 
  2. Create a free account or log in
  3. Read the “Training Doc” (10 min)
  4. Adopt 10 (or more) voters — VoteForward will assign you a name and address (30 min)
  5. Download and print the letter template
  6. Write 2–3 sentences in your own handwriting in the space provided (anything personal and encouraging works — no political messaging required)
  7. Sign, fold, seal, and address the envelope per the instructions
  8. Add a stamp and mail by April 14

That’s it. Letters must be postmarked by April 14 to reach voters before April 21.

Your activism makes a difference!

Congressional offices formally track constituent calls and report the volume to legislators before votes. A 2020 study by the Congressional Management Foundation found that a high volume of constituent contacts — especially phone calls — is one of the few things that reliably moves a legislator who is on the fence. You don’t need a script. You just need to call.

Vanessa Vote

Republicans are coming after Voter Rolls. Voter rolls list actively registered voters who can vote in an upcoming election within a particular jurisdiction. These lists of registered voters are incredibly important as it informs whether or not a voter can cast a ballot. If your name is not on the voter roll where you plan to vote, you cannot vote. Go to nass.org/can-I-vote to check your Voter Registration Status and make sure you can vote come November.

5 Facts To Give You Hope

  1. Trump’s approval rating falls to 36%, it’s lowest since he’s taken office. 
  2. Over 8 million protesters came out to march on Saturday’s historic No Kings protests. There were over 3,100 events registered — 500 more than the October protests. 
  3. In a new poll, over half of American voters say they want Democrats to take control of the House.
  4. Democrat Bobbi Boudman beat Republican Dale Fincher in New Hampshire, flipping a Republican district that Donald Trump carried.
  5. Democrats flipped a Florida legislative district that includes President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
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