Sanders campaign uses email list to warn of ICE raids: report

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) used his campaign email list last week not to ask for donations but rather to warn voters in cities targeted for proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids by the Trump administration.

The informative email, first reported by Vox, was written by Belén Sisa, a Sanders campaign staffer and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipient, according to a copy shared with The Hill. 

{mosads}The email, which came with the subject line “ICE raids targeting 10 cities start Sunday. Know your rights,” includes graphics in English and Spanish outlining immigrant rights and asks voters to share it widely to spread the information ahead of the planned raids. 

“It is no longer enough to talk about issues like immigration, we must take real action to fight back and protect our undocumented community,” Sisa told The Hill in an emailed statement. “Information is power and whether we are documented or undocumented, we all have rights protecting us from the injustices of Trump’s administration.”

President Trump called for ICE raids that would have deported as many as 2,000 migrant families but ultimately delayed them for two weeks “at the request of Democrats” following a reported phone call with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) 

Vox reports it’s not the first time Sanders used his campaign list to mobilize without seeking donations. 

Sanders has fairly consistently remained near the top of the crowded primary field since announcing his candidacy, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden, who is the front-runner.

Sanders and Biden will participate in the second night of the first Democratic primary debate Thursday in Miami, along with eight other contestants. Ten more are debating Wednesday.

—Updated at 3:54 p.m.