1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

I am a constituent, and I call on you to vote NO on H.R. 32 - No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act, also known as the Defund Our Communities Act. THIS BILL WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF HOUSING, MEDICAL CARE, AND FOOD, PARTICULARLY FOR CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY WHO ARE US CITIZENS. The bill is a blatant attempt to provide a loophole for the Trump administration to withhold benefits from legal tax-paying citizens in Democratic-leaning states. We know this because Trump has stated his true intentions on how he would use a piece of legislation like this in his January 20th, 2025 executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” where he states in Sec. 17, “Sanctuary Jurisdictions. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall…evaluate and undertake any lawful actions to ensure that so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions…do not receive access to Federal funds.” While Medicaid is for citizens and certain documented immigrants, to prevent the cruelty of hospitals refusing lifesaving treatment from undocumented immigrants, there is an emergency waiver for Medicaid. Less than 1% of the Medicaid budget goes to this emergency waiver. However, the fact that less than 1% of Medicaid’s budget is used for life-saving emergency care of undocumented immigrants means that ONE OF THE FIRST AND LARGEST TARGETS OF THIS BILL WOULD BE WITHHOLDING MEDICAID FROM ALL RESIDENTS OF A STATE. This would result not just in the loss of basic health care but would mean LIFESAVING TREATMENTS AND MEDICATIONS WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM US CITIZENS RESULTING IN COUNTLESS CRUEL AND UNNECESSARY DEATHS OF AMERICANS AT THE HANDS OF THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT. The language of H.R. 32 is very vague - "funds that the sanctuary jurisdiction intends to use for the benefit (including the provision of food, shelter, healthcare services, legal services, and transportation) of aliens who are present in the United States without lawful status." It provides no guardrails to protect and ensure American citizens do not have their Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, school meal programs, and housing taken away. This vague language leaves the bill open to grave misuse by the Trump administration. Such misuse will lead to homelessness, starvation, and death from lack of access to medical care for countless American citizens and legal immigrants. You must vote NO on H.R. 32 and PREVENT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM TAKING HOUSING, FOOD, MEDICATIONS, AND LIFESAVING MEDICAL CARE AWAY FROM AMERICAN CITIZENS.