Weekly Actions: Help Secure Upcoming Elections and More
- Indivisible NEO
- Aug 5
- 7 min read
Last week we watched this administration desperately trying to push through voter suppression legislation in time for midterms. Since the SAVE America Act can’t get enough votes to pass on its own, the House GOP attached pieces of it to the National Defense Authorization Act, reconciliation 3.0 and a faux congressional stock trading ban. The good news is that these bills don’t have a path forward in the Senate and the Senate will be joining the House on recess starting August 7.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination narrowly advanced out of committee, but now must earn every GOP vote in the Senate. It was previously stalled in committee by GOP Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who wanted written commitments that DOJ would kill Trump's controversial $1.8B "anti-weaponization fund" and narrow the tax-immunity terms in Trump's IRS settlement. Late Sunday, Blanche posted documents formally rescinding the fund and clarifying the tax immunity — enough to satisfy both senators and clear the path for his nomination to advance. Critics note the concessions have loopholes (the fund's underlying settlement can still be revived with Trump's written agreement), so the fix may be more symbolic than anything else.
The process to deport thousands of Haitians is underway, with Springfield, Ohio being named a primary target because of the Haitian community that has settled here. This impacts more than 300,000 Haitians nationwide who will be losing their legal status and work authorization as a result of the Department of Homeland Security’s Temporary Protected Status termination.
Because the regime knows how unpopular ICE is, they have changed tactics and are deporting people en masse through quiet administrative procedures instead of neighborhood raids. According to our friends on the ground in Springfield, many local Haitians received letters to appear at the ICE office in Blue Ash, Ohio at 8 a.m. this past Sunday. After their appearance, they emerged with ankle bracelets and directives to appear at future court or meeting dates. In a show of solidarity and support, community members lined the road leading into the office, singing songs and carrying signs. Read more here.
In Pennsylvania, pressure against ICE is working. ICE officially withdrew their plans to convert two Pennsylvania warehouses into concentration camps. The intent was to jail up to 9,000 immigrants in the facilities, but ICE gave up after the state denied drinking and wastewater permits and local communities protested. Pressure from local resistance really does make the difference!
Here in Northeast Ohio, Akron-Canton Airport has become a major regional hub for ICE deportation flights since shifting operations from Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the airport entrance on Saturday, calling for an end to the ICE operations there. Many said they'd had no idea the flights — operated by Eastern Air Express since April 20 — were happening in their own backyard until local reporting broke the story. While CAK cannot legally reject or ban federal immigration enforcement flights, community members are making clear they won't stay silent while their neighbors are being flown out of Akron in restraints. Check out some of the local coverage here.
Representative Max Miller's re-election bid took a major hit this weekend when Senator Bernie Moreno — a fellow Ohio Republican and Miller's own former father-in-law — publicly called on him to leave Congress. In a post on X Sunday, Moreno said Miller "needs to seek professional help" and argued he fails the basic character standards required to hold office, following renewed domestic and child abuse allegations from Miller's ex-wife. This came after days of mounting pressure from constituents and nationwide news outlets.
Miller denied the claims in a livestream and says he's staying in the race — but this is the first time a sitting Republican senator has called for his resignation. With Miller now facing a public break from his own party in an already-competitive district, Democrat Brian Poindexter has a real opening heading into November.
Chip in to help flip OH-07: poindexterforcongress.com
With all of this going on, working Americans continue to struggle to afford everyday expenses like groceries, gas and healthcare, while our tax dollars go to funding the illegal war in Iran, ICE kidnappings and killings on our own street. While Congress is on recess, we can still continue to be loud and take accountability.
Onto our weekly actions!
Action List
Call your senators to protect TPS status for Haitians
More than 10,000 Haitians living in Springfield, Ohio are at risk of losing Temporary Protected Status and facing deportation. Even Governor Mike DeWine has called the underlying policy a mistake and warned that TPS holders out of the workforce will hurt Ohio’s economy, healthcare system and manufacturing base - sectors that depend heavily on Haitian workers. The Haiti Emergency Relief Act would extend TPS through the end of the Trump administration, giving families breathing room instead of facing immediate deportation to a country the U.S. government itself advises against traveling to. It already passed the House with bipartisan support.
Call Senators Husted and Moreno and ask them to support the Haiti Emergency Relief Act. Get the script and phone numbers at 5calls.org.
Tell your members of Congress to reject the Trump-Netanyahu military partnership
Call your senators and tell them to oppose legislation that would entrench Trump-Netanyahu military partnership. A little over a week ago, the House narrowly passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with provisions to further intertwine the US and Israeli militaries through weapons development and intelligence sharing. Democrats were nearly united in opposition - proof that we do not have to rubber-stamp Trump’s partnership. Our senators need to reject these provisions.
Sign the petition to make curbside voting easier in Ohio
This petition is on behalf of community members who have disabilities. Ohio law guarantees the right to curbside voting for those who are physically unable to enter a polling location. While there are currently signs at polling stations, the signs themselves are not accessible. The petition asks for larger text and numbers that can be easily read from a vehicle, clearly show where voters should park for curbside voting, explain what voters should do next to continue the voting process and add arrows and other symbols to help follow the instructions more easily.
Join the effort to secure Ohio's elections
Concerned about election interference? Indivisible is rolling out a series of actions you can take in preparation for the upcoming midterms.
Join the Hands Off Our Vote program if you haven’t already. You’ll get access to trainings, alerts about threats to voting, action items to prevent election sabotage, and info on rapid response mobilizations if nonviolent mass responses are needed.
Sign up for the first two Hands Off Our Vote trainings: Election Protection 101 on August 19, and Election Protection 201 on August 26 (8 p.m.). In this two-part virtual training series, we’ll explore how to get out the vote, become a trusted messenger, prepare for election defense scenarios, and get in formation for fall activations. (The two sessions will build on each other, but it’s okay if you can only attend one.)
Check out this election defense scenario planning guide from the Freedom Trainers. This field guide covers 18 detailed scenarios of election threats - from voter roll purges and redistricting attacks to polling-place intimidation and post-election certification fights - each paired with real historical examples of how ordinary people successfully pushed back. It's meant as preparedness materials for organizers, poll workers and community leaders to know what to watch for and how to respond before a crisis hits. Top scenarios to be aware of in the battleground states:
Scenario 2: The Voter Roll Purge (page 11)
Scenario 7: Last-minute Voting Location Chaos (page 27)
Scenario 11: Federal Agents at Polling Places (page 36)
Brush up on your canvassing skills
Fridays through October 30, 7 to 8 p.m.
Every Friday from now through October 30, Ohio Wins is hosting a free virtual canvassing training — from the basics of what canvassing is and how it works, to issue-specific conversations on data centers, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. If you've been thinking about knocking doors but aren't sure what to expect, this is the place to start.
Coffee and Community at UnBAR Cafe for our Summer Together Series
Saturday, August 8 at 10:30 a.m.
UnBAR, 12635 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44120
Join us for round two of our series supporting local, values-aligned businesses while building real community - no agenda, no pressure, just conversation over good coffee. This gathering is for everyone - longtime members, people who’ve been meaning to get more involved but weren’t sure how to start and folks who are newer to resisting together. If you’re ever wondered what it actually looks like to show up for your community - or you just want to find your people - this is a low-key place to start.
Help Indivisible NEO unlock an additional $600 in funding!
We don’t often ask for funds but this month offers a unique opportunity for your donation to go a LONG way. From August 1st through August 31st, Indivisible National will match all of the funds our group raises up to $300. And as a battleground state, we can unlock an additional $300 by raising $300 during this match period.
Our goal is to raise just $300 by the end of the month, which would give us access to an additional $600 in funding. Please consider making a small donation to help fund our work and unlock this additional funding. Your gift will help sustain our communications tools, fund midterm organizing efforts and offset our out of pocket costs on printing and other supplies/materials. Thank you!
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