Have you made your calls to your U.S. Senators yet regarding the sham taking place there? You should be outraged that McConnell & Graham are determined to ram through the confirmation of Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court. They and the American people need time to thoroughly review this nominee's record and determine her fitness for a lifetime appointment to our nation's highest court. By their actions Republican Senators will cause irreparable damage to the public's faith in the integrity of the Court and the Senate.

Judge Barrett has an extensive history of speaking about and writing about her opposition to liberties most Americans believe they should have i.e. reproductive rights, gay marriage rights, and the right to good healthcare. Now she wants us to believe she cannot answer specific questions about such issues. Instead, she says she will make decisions per the law if and when individual cases come before the court.

We are not stupid! Trump made it very clear why he nominated Barrett. In golfers' terms, she is his ace in the hole.
**202-224-3121** - ask for your Senator. Tell him/her you are outraged - but do it politely. While you're at it, tell him/her they should be working on bills to help their constituents who are suffering badly right now, not spending time confirming a judge.

Eight states and over 130 U.S. cities have renamed the holiday that falls on the second Monday of October to honor instead America's first inhabitants.  There is a growing movement to change the name of Columbus Day because of the atrocities committed by Christopher Columbus against the indigenous people he encountered when he came to the Americas.  Many feel it is, at the very least, insensitive to honor Columbus and ignore the suffering he inflicted. This change is seen as another step in healing the divisions of the past and in creating an opportunity for fostering inclusiveness and meaningful dialogue.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The recent account, by a licensed practical nurse-turned-whistleblower, regarding the treatment of detained immigrant women at Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia is beyond horrific – it is unconscionable and inhumane.

According to the complaint, a number of immigrant women reported being recommended hysterectomies, with so many taking place, the whistleblower compared it to “an experimental concentration camp.” Many of these women underwent procedures, despite not being fully informed about the impacts – including the inability to later become pregnant. On top of this, the complaint further detailed the mishandling of the pandemic health threats at the facility, which is operated by a private prison company. Those who dared to speak out against these conditions were put into solitary confinement.

NOW renews the urgent call of our “Unlock the Future for Immigrant Women and Girls” campaign for real reform to the abusive immigration practices, ending the current detention prison system and demanding a bill of rights for women and children housed in immigration detention prisons that provides, at a minimum, access to vital human needs such as reproductive health care, feminine hygiene products, and mental health care.

NOW supports and urges the House of Representatives to take up and vote on federal legislation, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act (H.R. 3918/S. 2113) and The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act (H.R. 2415,), which would address many of the issues highlighted in our Bill of Rights.

The United States has a long history of dehumanizing women of color and exerting undue control over their bodies which adds to the violence of white supremacy and structural racism. The individuals and institutions responsible for the forced sterilization that these immigrant women have suffered must be prosecuted to the full measure of the law. NOW is committed to ending the current cruel, costly, privately owned detention system and working for a fair and humane immigration process for women and children fleeing to the U.S. seeking refuge from sexual violence, assault, and poverty.

Released on September 15, 2020