Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source for information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it.

This past weekend, President Trump's negotiations with Iran stalled once again. The details of the proposed deal, which would have seen Iran receive favorable treatment, drew criticism from Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi. We must recognize that these senators are unafraid to speak their minds and exercise their power when so moved. The unfortunate fact is that the senators most willing to speak at this moment are doing so to continue a war that has already been lost without the introduction of ground troops in Iran.

Months of bombing campaigns against Iran by the United States and Israel have produced only tragic deaths. Just this week, Israel escalated its bombing campaign in southern Lebanon, partly in a bid to derail negotiations. The longer we refuse to concede to the reality that this conflict needs to end, the more lives will be lost in our name.

As Christians committed to peace, we must demand that Congress step in and provide a clear-eyed, diplomatic end to this conflict. If senators can demand an end to negotiations, they can also demand a serious beginning of them.

–Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners

P.S. We are continuing to build an intentional community of people looking to enact their faith in our Sojourners Faith and Practice Forum on Mighty Networks. Please consider joining us.

In the News

Government surveillance dominated the conversation this week, particularly as it relates to immigration.
- Questions remain after ICE recently denied having a current relationship with Israeli spyware maker Paragon Solutions. The Trump administration reactivated a previously paused contract with the firm last year but now claims it no longer has a relationship with the company. Paragon is best known for a spyware tool that can be used to remotely infiltrate devices such as phones and access encrypted messages. When asked whether ICE agents still have access to Paragon-developed tools, the Department of Homeland Security said "ICE is using all lawful tools to remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from the U.S."
- According to 404 Media, “BusPatrol, a company that has installed AI-powered cameras in tens of thousands of school buses around the U.S., now plans to turn those cameras into automatic license plate readers, capturing the location of every vehicle the buses drive past, and give that data to law enforcement.” The company is reportedly aware of concerns around this program, particularly that the data may be shared with ICE, but intends to continue with its plans.
The war on Iran continued to create ripple effects in the United States and around the world.
- The war is affecting farmers worldwide because about a third of traded urea, a common nitrogen fertilizer, comes from the Persian Gulf region. The United Nations warns that 45 million more people could face acute food insecurity in the months and years ahead if fertilizer supplies are not restored.
- According to Al Jazeera, “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that Bangladesh has requested a new assistance programme as it struggles with the economic fallout of the United States-Israel war on Iran.” Bangladesh has been hit by rising energy costs, higher raw material costs for various industries, and growing foreign debt burdens.
Election season has continued to feature court battles over racially discriminatory gerrymanders in the wake of the Louisiana v. Callais Supreme Court decision, and Texas held an eventful primary election.
- A three-judge panel blocked Alabama from using a 2023 congressional map that it previously ruled was intentionally racially discriminatory, writing that “we cannot see our way clear to requiring Alabamians to cast their votes in the 2026 elections under a districting plan tainted by intentional race-based discrimination.” The state attorney general has already appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- A Florida judge blocked an effort to halt the use of a new map that critics claim violates the Florida Constitution, was redrawn based on explicit partisan intent, and prevents minority voters from fair representation. The plaintiffs have vowed to appeal the ruling, which comes after another judge denied a separate bid to halt a new GOP-friendly map in Tennessee.
- Ken Paxton’s win over John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary could have far-reaching consequences. Paxton’s long history of scandals could cost Republicans control of a Senate seat for the first time in almost 40 years. Paxton’s defeat of Cornyn shows that Donald Trump—who endorsed Paxton last week—maintains his grip on the Republican party.

Take Action

The American Friends Service Committee is organizing to support families affected by the ongoing detention at Delaney Hall.
We’re continuing to call for an end to the blockading of Cuba.

What We’re Reading

“The Prophet Micah on Trump's $1.8 Billion Fund for His Allies” | “The president is using public resources to reward his allies and ignore justice. This corruption cannot stand.” (by Rev. Adam Taylor)

“A ’90s Christian Hit Song Is Now Blooming as a Queer Anthem” | ““Testify to Love” means more to former Avalon singer Michael Passons now that he can sing it as “someone who has embraced my identity.” (by Mitchell Atencio)

Deep Breaths

We Are All Connected

Those who attempt to conserve freedom for a chosen few are suffocating their own liberation. When the most marginalized people are free, all will be free. Scripture reminds us that "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it" (1 Cor. 12:26 NRSVUE).

The fight for liberation is a long-term endeavor that has spanned generations. Ancestor Ella Baker was a persistent warrior for freedom. In a speech in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Jan. 21, 1964, she made clear that this fight was just beginning, and that it extended far beyond gaining full access to the ballot box. It meant freedom from unjust wars, low wages, and empty stomachs. She saw beyond the moment, looking toward future generations. She is speaking to us now.

We should not be surprised that we find ourselves, once again, at a pivotal moment in this nation's history. History has consistently revealed a pattern: when legislation is passed to protect the rights of Black people, a fierce racial backlash follows. During Reconstruction, Black men were elected to state and federal office. Black communities built schools, grew businesses and banks, and established lives of dignity after centuries of providing free labor under brutal and dehumanizing conditions. Yet when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and Constitutional Amendments secured the citizenship of formerly enslaved people, Southern states responded swiftly with Jim Crow laws designed to reimpose racial subjugation through enforced segregation.

We are witnessing this same pattern with the 2013 passing of Shelby v. Holder that weakened the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the erasure of affirmative action, the demonization of DEI initiatives, widespread book bans, and the targeted removal of Black women from positions of power within the federal government since February 2025. 

Now, the highest court in the land is once again contributing to the backlash. In Louisiana v. Callais, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, dealt a devastating blow to Black voting power and the remaining protections of the Voting Rights Act. With this decision, the Roberts Court is effectively preventing Black votes from counting, diluting them through congressional maps designed to render Black political power irrelevant.

Now is not the time for discouragement or fear. Now is not the time to be silent. Now is the time to be unrelenting in our desire for freedom for all people, to get comfortable with being uncomfortable until freedom comes for everyone. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that "we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." We need each other.

We all have a role to play. Allies can speak up and show up for those under attack, even if this is the first time. This is our moment to be on the right side of history, regardless of the color of our skin. We need everyone. 

I encourage you to take some time to pray about how you will show up. How will you protect the civil and constitutional rights of all people? Will you serve as a poll chaplain in the midterm elections to protect the precious right to vote? Will you stand outside detention centers in your state as a witness? Perhaps you will join a phone bank or encourage your congregation to help others register to vote. Will you encourage others to join you? 

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. We need each other to survive. Allies, please stand up. 

If you feel led, please share this with a family member, friend, or colleague who might need to hear these words.

Here is a song for this moment — Hezekiah Walker, I Need You to Survive

–Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Program Director, Sojourners

The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff:

President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor
Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson
Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia
Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps
Political Director: Chad V. Stanton
Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris
Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks
Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams