Letters to My Reps

Dear Senator Budd,

After shooting 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good in the head as she drove away from him, ICE agent Jonathan Ross turned from her car and said, “Fucking bitch.”

You, Senator Budd, have the legal and moral responsibility for giving this man a badge, a gun, and the authority to kill: a federal agent who showed zero hesitation, zero professionalism, and zero remorse after executing an American citizen in the street, a mother, a daughter, a human being, in broad daylight. Unless you act immediately to halt ICE’s operations and strip its funding, you are complicit in state-sponsored murder.

Seventeen days later, federal agents shot and killed another U.S. citizen, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, in a separate operation in the same city. Again: broad daylight. No transparency. No justice. No consequences--with the same lack of humanity or professionalism.

This is no longer a question of immigration policy. This is a human rights crisis unfolding on American soil, funded by Congress. If you pass another continuing resolution or budget that includes ICE enforcement funding  without a full suspension of operations and structural reform you are choosing to allow this violence to continue.

What is happening right now is the logical outcome of our funding an agency that lacks oversight, restraint, or professionalism of any kind, and of a president who dehumanizes his political opponents at every opportunity, calling Democrats and dissenters “radical left-wing terrorists,” encouraging Americans to see one another as enemies rather than human beings. Every time he speaks, he escalates tensions and incites violence. That message trickles down into every agency under his control.

ICE agents are now acting with open impunity. They are not protecting our communities; they are destabilizing them. And Congress is actively funding it.

I demand that you take the following five actions immediately:

 1. Block All ICE Enforcement Funding

Refuse to pass any budget or continuing resolution that funds ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO)

Demand an immediate suspension of all field operations pending independent investigation

Require bodycam footage, autopsy reports, and full public transparency

2. Demand Senate Hearings and Investigations

Call for emergency Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security hearings on the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti

Subpoena ICE and DHS leadership

Hear testimony from victims’ families, community leaders, medical examiners, and legal experts

3. Support Emergency Legislation

Ban ICE operations in residential areas and urban neighborhoods

Prohibit unmarked vehicles and plainclothes enforcement

Require automatic suspension of ICE operations following any civilian death

Mandate civilian oversight with disciplinary power

4. Protect Local Governments That Reject ICE

Defend sanctuary jurisdictions and cities that no longer want ICE operating in their communities

Oppose federal retaliation and restore local public safety authority

 5. Legally Strip ICE of Unchecked Power

Cap the number of field agents permitted to operate in civilian zones

Require local government approval for any ICE enforcement activity

Prohibit use of lethal force in all but the narrowest, independently reviewable circumstances

Senator Budd, the moral line has been crossed. We are watching Americans be executed by federal agents who treat human life with contempt and who walk away without a second thought. If you continue to fund ICE under these conditions, you are not neutral. You are participating.

I’m writing to thank you for Harvard’s decision to reject the Trump administration’s demands to control how your university governs, hires, and teaches. That decision is more than institutional—it’s deeply consequential for American democracy and for the future of academic freedom across the country.

I work in a university science department. Like many in research and education, I’ve watched with growing alarm as universities and professional institutions face escalating political pressure to fall in line with the administration’s agenda. What’s at stake isn’t just funding—it’s the ability to pursue truth, to teach openly, and to serve the public without political interference.

In recent weeks, I’ve been heartbroken by Columbia’s capitulation and the legal profession’s silence. None of the top ten US law firms signed a brief supporting Perkins Coie out of fear. As Paul Weiss’s chairman noted, some firms even tried to poach clients amid the chaos. In stark contrast, Harvard chose to lead. That decision—to hold the line when others wouldn’t—means everything right now.

The morale in science departments like mine is at a historic low. Faculty, researchers, and students are demoralized. Many are scared. But your stance has had a real impact on us. It’s a reminder that not every institution is going to back down. That solidarity, and leadership, are still possible.

There will likely be more pressure ahead. But I believe Harvard can withstand it—and I want you to know that many of us are ready to help if needed. I would gladly donate to support Harvard’s continued resistance, and I know thousands of others feel the same.

Dear Senator Tillis,

Across the world, authoritarian regimes have passed laws that sound like common-sense election reforms — requiring proof of citizenship, tightening registration systems, or purging voter rolls. In every case, those laws were marketed as tools to “protect democracy.” In practice, they became weapons to dismantle it — selectively disqualifying voters under the guise of integrity.

Please acknowledge what we all see before our eyes: our democracy is not healthy. Passing a bill like this now could be a death sentence. Please do not provide more tools now that you know will aid politicians who do not mind flouting civic virtues in speeding the backsliding of our democracy into authoritarianism. A bill like this would be far less dangerous in a political environment grounded in civic virtue, bipartisan respect, and adherence to democratic norms. If and when we return to such an environment, I would welcome you bringing this proposal back for honest debate. But in the current moment, it will be used not to protect democracy — but to destroy it.

We are already seeing how this works in practice: a friend of mine had his valid driver’s license number removed from his voter registration file due to a database matching error — even though he submitted it correctly and saw it recorded. He received no notification, and no meaningful opportunity to fix the issue. This is how thousands of lawful voters are being quietly erased from democracy — not through fraud, but through technical traps that are impossible to navigate without insider knowledge or perfect luck.

In Russia, “citizenship verification” and cross-database voter checks were used to purge thousands of legal voters due to minor inconsistencies — overwhelmingly in opposition-leaning areas.

In Turkey, the government retroactively changed ballot rules to count votes that helped the ruling party win a pivotal referendum — setting a precedent for erasing outcomes after the fact.

In India, millions were removed from the voting rolls for lacking hard-to-produce documentation under the National Register of Citizens. Most were poor, rural, or Muslim — citizens in every meaningful sense except for missing paperwork.

In Poland, last-minute ID requirements for overseas postal ballots caused mass disenfranchisement in diaspora communities that largely opposed the ruling party.

And right now, in North Carolina, a losing judicial candidate is attempting to overturn a certified election by exploiting database matching errors. Tens of thousands of voters — many of whom followed every rule — are being told their ballots may be discarded over minor clerical issues: typos, missing digits, mismatched names, or dropped license data. This isn’t hypothetical. My friend’s case is one among many. These voters are being punished not for fraud, but for trusting that the system would work — and being failed by it. They are now expected to navigate confusing bureaucracy and meet a 15-business-day deadline just to preserve their right to have their ballot counted.

Senator Tillis, this is exactly how the SAVE Act will be used.

It would:

Require every voter to provide documentary proof of citizenship, even if already registered.

Force states to purge voters over paperwork inconsistencies or data mismatches.

Criminalize registering someone who can’t produce documents on the spot — even if they’re a lawful citizen.

In theory, that might sound reasonable. But in practice — in today’s unprincipled and winner-takes-all political environment — it is a loaded weapon. And we already see who is willing to use it, and how.

If we lived in a political moment defined by civic virtue and restraint — where election officials, courts, and candidates respected democratic norms — then maybe a law like the SAVE Act could be debated in good faith.

But that is not the political moment we are in.

Right now, politicians are showing they will use every tool, no matter how noble-sounding, to disqualify voters they don’t like and overturn results they don’t accept. And laws like the SAVE Act — designed without safeguards against abuse — are their dream come true.

Dear Senator Tillis,

In the HBO Show Succession, when fictional CEO Logan Roy learns that numerous women have "disappeared" on his company’s cruise ships, he reassures an executive "No Real Person Involved." This maxim, which relieves responsibility for disappearances so long as no one with enough money or power is harmed, is meant to be a dark satire. But now this maxim has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

When confronted with a clerical error that led to the abduction of innocent man Kilmar Abrego Garcia to an El Salvador Torture Prison, the United States Department of Justice has responded "No Real Person Involved." And worse, when a single DOJ attorney, Erez Reuveni acknowledged that this innocent man should not remain in a foreign prison, The US Department of Justice removed him from the case and placed him on leave.

We have seen Trump use the federal government to punish critics. But we are now seeing him punish people who stand up for a human life when Trump deems "No Real Person Involved."

Senator, under this administration, I am ashamed and terrified to be an American. And if you are not fighting with all of your strength to fight back against the maxim "No Real Person Involved," you ought to feel more ashamed than anyone.

Dear Senator Tillis,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the response I received from your office regarding the ongoing crisis in immigration enforcement. Of all the communications I’ve received from you over the years, this one was by far the most disconnected from reality and the most morally evasive.

You sent a form letter about “border security” and “merit-based reform.” You spoke of economic priorities and worker programs. Not once did your letter acknowledge what I—and many others—have contacted you about: the ongoing abductions and deportations of legal residents and asylum seekers without due process, and their transfer to inhumane detention facilities like El Salvador’s CECOT prison.

What I received was a talking points memo. What I expected—and what the moment demands—is a real response from a public official willing to look this crisis in the face.

Senator, I know you are not a cartoon villain. I know you believe in the Constitution. I know you’ve spoken about law, liberty, and the dignity of the individual. But this is a moment that calls for moral clarity—and your office is offering political fog instead.

Let me tell you plainly what your response ignored:

Legal residents like Kilmar Abrego Garcia are being deported in direct defiance of court orders.

Green card–holding students like Mahmoud Khalil are being arrested and detained without charges.

Over 130 Venezuelans—many with no criminal record—have been deported to CECOT, a prison where people are caged for 23.5 hours a day, denied sunlight and basic hygiene, and in some cases, never heard from again.

International students from Tufts, Stanford, and elsewhere are being surveilled, blacklisted, and quietly disappeared—without hearings, lawyers, or charges.

These are not “immigration cases.” These are due process violations. These are state-sponsored disappearances. And every time your office sends a generic letter about “fixing the system,” you’re refusing to acknowledge that the system is being dismantled from within.

President Trump has now said he wants to send American citizens to El Salvador’s CECOT prison. That’s not just a bad idea—it’s a statement of intent to end constitutional protections altogether.

You should be shouting from the rooftops. Instead, your office sends pre-written paragraphs as if we’re debating marginal tax rates.

I am not writing for platitudes. I am writing to ask—to demand—that you make a real, substantive public statement:

Condemn the deportation and detention of people without due process.

Condemn the use of CECOT or any torture facility as a destination for deportees.

Affirm that no person—citizen or not—should be punished by the government without a hearing, without representation, without a chance to be heard.

If you cannot say those things, then be honest: say that the Constitution doesn’t matter to you anymore. Say that government power is more important than individual rights. Say that the people we disappear don’t deserve a voice.

But don’t insult your constituents by sending out empty statements while people are being taken, silenced, and sent to die.

We deserve better. I deserve better. And I believe, deep down, you know that.

A preventable death is a death that is caused by the carelessness, intentional ignorance, or denial on the part of people who have the resources to easily prevent it, rather than by any objectively life threatening event or disease. A child who dies from contaminated water, a worker who dies from unsafe conditions, a grandmother who dies from an unvaccinated disease—those deaths are preventable. Until recently, most preventable deaths happened in low-income countries, where public health systems are weak. Now, thanks to the Trump administration, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and your complicity, those deaths are coming here, to North Carolina.

This week, you allowed the following life-saving programs to be eliminated: the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health, Division of Population Health, Office of Smoking and Health, Division of TB Elimination, Division of Global HIV and TB, Division of Environmental Health, Asthma and Air Quality Branch, Immunization Services Division, Worker Safety Divisions under NIOSH, and the Office of Health Equity. The CMS Office of Minority Health and Office for Civil Rights were dismantled. More than 400 NIH research grants were terminated. The FDA’s oversight of drugs, medical devices, and tobacco products was gutted. The Administration for Community Living was dismantled. The Bureau of Primary Health Care was slashed by one-third.

The goal of these programs was simple: to prevent unnecessary, avoidable deaths. They protected mothers and infants. They ensured clean air and water. They prevented tobacco-related deaths and disease outbreaks. They enforced healthcare civil rights. They protected workers, supported seniors and people with disabilities, and delivered healthcare to rural and underserved North Carolinians. They funded research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other deadly diseases.

You did not merely allow these programs to be cut—you helped make it happen. You also stood by while the administration eliminated much of USAID’s global health programming, abandoning the fight against preventable deaths abroad. Now, you are endorsing that same collapse here at home, multiplying preventable deaths a thousandfold in the name of “making America great again.”

Dear Senator Tillis,

I am writing to demand immediate, public action regarding the ongoing CDC and HHS communications freeze. You previously responded to me on February 12, assuring me this was a routine, temporary measure. It is now April 3, and this dangerous restriction is still in place.

I work in public health. My network relies directly on communication from the CDC to coordinate outbreak response and epidemic preparedness. Due to this freeze, CDC staff are barred from communicating with the wider public health network and the public. They are restricted to small, internal management meetings and are unable to share critical information, guidance, or data. This blackout has paralyzed their capacity to support public health work at a time of growing threat.

This is not a bureaucratic inconvenience. This is a public health emergency and an economic threat. H5N1 avian influenza is now spreading widely in U.S. livestock. It is spreading unchecked and shows no signs of slowing. The failure of the CDC and HHS to communicate with state, local, and academic public health partners is actively undermining outbreak detection, containment, and preparedness.

This freeze is not just a threat to health — it is driving economic harm. H5N1 outbreaks are already impacting egg and poultry production, leading to spiking egg prices and food supply disruptions. The Trump administration claims to care about inflation and grocery costs, yet is directly responsible for maintaining a communications policy that is worsening both public health risk and economic instability.

The continued communications blackout is reckless and unjustifiable. It is political interference at the expense of public health and economic security.

I am demanding that you:

Immediately investigate and publicly disclose who is responsible for maintaining this communications freeze.

Demand the immediate, full restoration of CDC and HHS communications with the public health community and the public.

Call for the immediate removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and any other officials responsible for this policy.

Make clear to your constituents and the public how this blackout is worsening the spread of H5N1 and driving up grocery costs.

Provide a concrete update by the end of this week on the specific steps you are taking to resolve this situation.

Your prior assurances that you were "monitoring" this issue have produced no action and no results. This is a failure of governance, a threat to health, and a driver of economic harm.

Dear Senator Tillis,

I am writing to demand that you take action to stop the inhumane, preventable suffering and deaths taking place at the Krome North Processing Detention Center in Miami—a facility that, by every moral and historical measure, is functioning as a modern-day concentration camp.

The testimonies emerging from Krome describe deliberate mass detention of vulnerable people—many without criminal records—who are held indefinitely under brutal, degrading conditions. Women detained at Krome report being shackled at the waist, chest, and wrists, transported for hours without food, water, or access to a bathroom. One woman went unfed for 36 hours. When they arrived, they were crammed into overcrowded concrete cells, forced to sleep on cold floors, denied basic sanitation, privacy, or medical care. One woman had a seizure and was left untreated. Others had to beg through locked doors for a sip of water or a scrap of sanitary supplies. They were treated like animals, like less than human.

The system’s disregard has been deadly. Three men have died in ICE custody between January and March of this year alone. One, Maksym Chernyak, died after falling ill at Krome—his death the inevitable result of overcrowding, lack of medical care, and abject neglect. These deaths were not isolated. They were predictable. They were preventable.

These are not immigration policies. This is organized cruelty. The conditions at Krome and other ICE facilities meet every historic definition of a concentration camp: the mass detention of civilians without trial, the stripping of basic rights, systemic dehumanization, and suffering without cause.

This is happening on U.S. soil, right now, under federal contracts funded by our tax dollars.

Senator, history will judge whether those in power stood by or stood up. I am calling on you to act without delay:

Demand a full, independent investigation into the deaths and abuses at Krome.

Publicly name these conditions for what they are: an affront to human rights and dignity.

Pursue legislation to end private detention contracts and shut down facilities where these abuses continue.

Advocate for the immediate release of those detained for civil immigration violations and ensure humane, community-based alternatives to detention.

This is not who we claim to be. If we allow this system to continue, we will be remembered not for our principles, but for our silence.

Dear Senator Booker,

Over the last several months, I have watched people and institutions that I trusted capitulate, one after another, to a president and an administration that is openly contemptuous of law, of democratic norms, and of basic human decency. Media organizations, universities, law firms, scientists have chosen to look away or cooperate. Many friends and colleagues have chosen not to resist out of fear.

Your speech on the senate floor last yesterday was a break from this pattern. It demanded that others look at what is happening, name it, and refuse the pretense that any of this is normal. In an environment defined by silence, compliance, and cowardice, that choice was monumental.

You reminded us that resistance is still possible. That courage still exists. And that the story of this moment is not only one of failure — but also of people who, when it counted, refused to comply.

What you did will be remembered.

Dear Senator Tillis,

I am writing to demand your immediate condemnation of the unlawful detention and attempted deportation of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Ph.D. student at Tufts University, who has been targeted by federal agents for one reason only: she wrote an opinion piece critical of Israeli military actions and urged her university to divest from companies complicit in those actions.

Let me be clear: this is not immigration enforcement. This is state-sponsored political repression.

Ms. Ozturk has no criminal charges against her. She was on a valid student visa, completing her doctorate, when she was violently ambushed by plainclothes federal agents outside her home, denied legal counsel, and forcibly disappeared to an ICE detention center in Louisiana. The justification? A rational, lawful, and morally serious op-ed published in a student newspaper.

This is obscene. This is unconstitutional. This is terrifying.

If we are now detaining and deporting graduate students for writing articles critical of U.S. foreign policy, then we are no longer a free country. This is the behavior of authoritarian regimes—not the United States of America.

There is no legal or moral basis for this assault on Ms. Ozturk’s rights. The government’s insinuation that political speech amounts to “support for terrorism” is a grotesque and cynical abuse of power. It is a direct attack on the First Amendment and a threat to every person in this country who dares to speak out.

I demand that you immediately speak out against this illegal detention, call for Rumeysa Ozturk’s release, and hold accountable those responsible for this chilling abuse of government power.

Your constituents are watching. History is watching. If you do not stand against this now, you are complicit.

Dear Senator Tillis,

Right now — as you read this — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident and father to a disabled American child, is trapped inside one of the world’s most violent prisons because of your government’s unlawful actions. He is there because the Trump administration illegally deported him, in knowing violation of a U.S. court order protecting him. And now, your administration’s response is to shrug and say, "There’s nothing we can do."

That is not just false — it is cowardice.

The U.S. government grabbed this man off the street, disappeared him from his family, and knowingly sent him to a foreign prison where torture and death are routine. You don’t get to claim helplessness after you’re the one who pushed him off the cliff.

And let’s be clear: this was no accident. Government filings confirm that ICE knew of Mr. Garcia’s protected legal status when they deported him. They moved him up the deportation list because they could — because no one like you had the courage to stop them.

Now, your cowardice is killing him. And you are still doing nothing.

You are not powerless. You are afraid. Afraid of standing up to your party. Afraid of confronting the lawlessness you’ve tolerated. Afraid of risking your career to do the bare minimum: stop an innocent man from dying because of our government's misconduct.

I demand that you stop hiding and act — right now:

Publicly demand Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s immediate return.

Reject the obscene claim that the U.S. can deport someone illegally and then pretend there’s nothing to be done.

Cut off all U.S. payments to the Salvadoran government until he is returned.

Demand an immediate investigation into who allowed this atrocity.

Put your position, your career, your political future on the line to stop this — because a man’s life is worth more than your job.

If you are still waiting for the right time to find your backbone — it is now. If you fail to act today, you will not be remembered as a leader, but as a coward who let an innocent man rot in a foreign prison because you were too afraid to confront your own party’s abuses.

Dear Senator Tillis

I am writing to demand that you publicly condemn the false and inflammatory statements made by Vice President JD Vance and the White House regarding the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was unlawfully deported to El Salvador.

Vice President Vance has falsely claimed that Mr. Abrego Garcia is a “convicted MS-13 gang member.” This statement is demonstrably false. Mr. Abrego Garcia has never been convicted of any crime in the United States. The only allegation of gang affiliation came from an uncorroborated statement by an anonymous informant in a 2019 immigration bond hearing — a setting that requires no criminal proof and does not establish guilt. In fact, after a full review, an immigration judge ruled in favor of protecting Mr. Abrego Garcia from deportation, citing a credible fear of persecution if he were removed.

Additionally, the White House has now escalated these baseless claims. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently alleged that there is "credible intelligence" linking Mr. Abrego Garcia to human trafficking and called him a "leader" of MS-13. There is no public evidence supporting these claims. No criminal court has charged Mr. Abrego Garcia with gang membership, human trafficking, or any related crime. His attorneys, the court record, and DHS’s own admission all confirm that his deportation was an administrative error and that he was previously granted legal protection.

These repeated lies are dangerous. They not only target an individual without evidence or due process but also perpetuate fear and xenophobic narratives about immigrants in our communities. The administration's claim that "foreign terrorists do not have legal protections" is a chilling attack on fundamental principles of law and human rights. No designation by the executive branch overrides an individual’s right to due process, nor does it justify the spread of false information about specific individuals.

I demand that you publicly reject these false claims. I expect you to speak out clearly and forcefully against this administration’s misuse of law enforcement narratives to criminalize and vilify immigrants without evidence. Every moment of silence from elected officials in the face of such disinformation is a betrayal of justice and the rule of law.

I urge you to use your platform to correct the record and to defend the principles of due process and factual integrity.

Dear Senator Tillis,

The illusion is over. You can no longer pretend that what’s happening under DOGE and this administration is some grand strategy or master plan.

This week’s catastrophic Signal leak shattered that lie. When senior Trump officials carelessly exposed sensitive military plans in a group chat that included a journalist, the American people got a clear look at what’s really driving this administration: recklessness, incompetence, and a staggering contempt for the very institutions you swore to protect.

For months, you and your colleagues may have chosen to believe—or at least tolerate—the narrative that Elon Musk’s takeover of federal agencies through DOGE was part of a complex, calculated effort to "fix" government. That fantasy has collapsed. The leak makes clear what many of us have long understood:

There is no strategy. There is no genius at work here. There is only greed, chaos, and brazen self-dealing.

While you stood by, DOGE has:

Fired thousands of career public servants.

Dismantled critical agencies that serve veterans, families, and farmers.

Redirected public contracts and sensitive government data into Musk’s private empire.

Hollowed out programs Americans rely on—healthcare, education, weather forecasting, food assistance.

And now, exposed national security secrets in a display of sheer recklessness.

You cannot look away from this any longer. You cannot keep pretending this is about "efficiency." The American people can see exactly what this is: a smash-and-grab operation happening in plain sight.

The question now is whether you will confront this reality—or continue to be complicit.

I am demanding that you, and every Republican Senator, face this moment with honesty and action:

Speak out—publicly and unequivocally—against what DOGE is doing.

Demand a full investigation into this week’s leak and DOGE’s broader misconduct.

Halt further firings, contracts, and data transfers immediately.

Restore oversight and accountability over these agencies before more irreversible damage is done.

Dear Senator Tillis,

I am writing to demand accountability and immediate action regarding the recent and unprecedented breach of national security caused by the reckless and incomprehensible incompetence of members of former President Trump’s cabinet and inner circle. Specifically, reports confirm that Mike Waltz, Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, and others disclosed sensitive military intelligence in a private Signal chat — which not only included unauthorized individuals but, unbelievably, a journalist. This was not a minor procedural mistake; it was gross negligence at the highest levels of government.

Senator, I want to remind you of your own words in 2016 during the investigation into Secretary Hillary Clinton’s email practices. At the time, you stated:

"This is not just about emails, it's about the mishandling of classified information that could have endangered American lives. No one is above the law, and there must be accountability when national security is put at risk."

The parallels here are not hypothetical. This time, there is no ambiguity, no complex server setup, no plausible deniability. We know exactly how this leak happened: blatant carelessness and arrogance by individuals entrusted with our nation’s most sensitive information. Their reckless behavior has exposed military strategies, potentially compromised operations, and made the American public less safe.

I expect you to hold these officials to the same standard you demanded then — without excuses, without partisan blinders. Failure to do so would confirm that your concern over classified information was never about security, but purely about politics.

The American people deserve an immediate, public investigation, removal of clearances, and criminal referrals where warranted. If these men cannot be trusted to handle a private group chat, they cannot be trusted with the national interest.

Dear Senator Tillis

I’m writing today as a constituent, a taxpayer, and a North Carolinian who is begging you — please, do not let Elon Musk buy out our government and take control of our public infrastructure.

As reported by The New York Times (March 23, 2025), Mr. Musk’s companies already hold at least $14.5 billion in federal contracts, from NASA launches to Department of Defense payloads. That alone is staggering. But now we’re seeing an alarming new wave of contracts, regulatory favors, and policy shifts that are dramatically expanding his power over our government and economy:

A $102 million contract to study using Musk’s rockets for military cargo deployment — even though his test flights keep ending in explosions.

A new $100 million NASA contract for a telescope launch, as NASA leadership is quietly reshaped by Musk’s allies.

FAA approval to more than double SpaceX launches from Cape Canaveral — opening the skies to Musk while sidelining competitors.

And now Starlink has been approved for full participation in the $42 billion federal broadband fund, after being mostly excluded under the previous administration.

These are not small changes. These are systemic handovers of power — and they’re happening fast. Musk is not just receiving contracts. He is in the room where decisions are made, as a formal advisor inside the Trump administration, shaping the very policies that funnel money and control to his empire.

Please don’t let this happen to North Carolina.

Because here is what it will mean for your constituents:

Rural communities will be locked into Starlink as their only broadband provider, even if the service is unreliable, overpriced, or politically weaponized — and no local provider will be able to compete.

Emergency response systems, disaster communications, and even military logistics will rely on Musk’s infrastructure, controlled by a man who has shown he will retaliate against critics and silence dissent.

Public jobs in regulatory and oversight roles will be eliminated, while contractors loyal to Musk take their place.

Local governments and utilities will lose leverage, because vital infrastructure will be routed through private companies that answer to shareholders, not the people.

We will not get these systems back once they’re gone. If we allow this to continue, North Carolina will not own its future — Elon Musk will.

I am asking you to stand up now, before this becomes irreversible:

Investigate these new contracts immediately, and the growing conflicts of interest behind them.

Restore oversight by re-funding independent ethics and watchdog offices that have been gutted.

Pass legislation that prevents companies from receiving federal contracts while their executives shape federal policy.

Senator, you were elected to serve the people of North Carolina — not to sell them off, one contract at a time. I am not exaggerating when I say our infrastructure, our communications systems, and even our safety are on the line.

Dear Senator Budd,

Your response regarding the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil is deeply alarming. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the dangerous precedent this case sets—and to demand that your office take immediate action to uphold constitutional rights.

Arresting and revoking the residency of an individual for engaging in protest activity—without transparent evidence, due process, or criminal charges—amounts to political persecution. This is an outrageous violation of the First Amendment and a chilling signal that dissent, especially from immigrants, may now be met with state retaliation.

If Mr. Khalil committed a crime, he should be charged in court with the full rights afforded to all individuals under U.S. law. But if his arrest is based on speech or protest that is deemed politically undesirable, then we are witnessing a grave abuse of power—one that demands urgent investigation and public accountability.

You were elected to defend not just national security, but the Constitution. I urge you to speak out immediately against this overreach and to oppose any efforts—by this or any administration—that weaponize immigration law against political expression. Silence on this matter will be seen as complicity.

Dear Senator Tillis,

I am writing to demand immediate action against a shocking and manipulative tactic being employed by Elon Musk in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, is offering Wisconsin voters $100 to sign a petition opposing “activist judges” and an additional $100 for each person they refer. This effort is not only unethical but a direct attempt to buy votes in an election that will determine the future of the state’s Supreme Court.

This scheme is an assault on the integrity of our democratic process. For Musk, a billionaire, to use his vast resources to manipulate an election in this way is a dangerous precedent that undermines the very foundation of our democracy. Elections must reflect the will of the people, not the influence of the ultra-wealthy who can purchase desired outcomes.

I urge you to take immediate and decisive action to publicly condemn this manipulation and work toward making such tactics illegal. We cannot afford to let this continue, as it threatens to further corrupt our electoral system and erode public trust in the democratic process.

I expect you to speak out against this, take legislative action to prevent this from happening again, and ensure that our elections remain free and fair for all voters. The time to act is now, before such manipulation becomes entrenched in our political system.