THIS WEDNESDAY: Call with Sen. Merkley to Discuss Immigration, Family Separations, and the Supreme Court

Please join us this Wednesday, July 11, at 5:30 ET for a conference call on immigration with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Dr. Phil Wolgin, managing director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress. This is also an opportunity to hear from Senator Merkley about the President’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and prospects for his confirmation in the Senate. To join the call, please RSVP here, and please send your questions in advance to [email protected]. The call will be off-the-record.

Last month, Senator Merkley was one of the first U.S. government officials to expose the separation and detention of families at the border. In early June, Sen. Merkley traveled to Texas and was denied entry to a detention facility for children held at the border. Two weeks later, Sen. Merkley returned to the border as part of a Father’s Day of Action, where he visited with migrants, including mothers separated from their children. As Sen. Merkley said at the time, “It is outrageous and cruel to intentionally inflict trauma on vulnerable children, including toddlers and some as young as 12 months, by separating them from their parents or family members and placing them in separate detention facilities.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon (left) and immigration expert Phil Wolgin of the Center for American Progress (right)

In addition, we will be joined by Dr. Phil Wolgin, a renowned immigration expert who directs the Center for American Progress’ research and publications on immigration and has led initiatives on a diverse set of issues, such as immigration reform, child refugees at the southern border, and border security.

You can sign up for the call here, and please feel free to forward this information to others who may be interested. The only requirement for joining the call is an RSVP. If you would like to ask a question, please send it ahead of time to [email protected].