256 replies to this topic

[caltrek]

Second Trial for Arizona Activist Accused of Harboring Migrants

 

https://www.latinore...rizonaactivist/

 

Introduction:

 

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jury selection started Tuesday in the second trial against an Arizona border activist accused of harboring migrants who sneaked across the U.S.-Mexico border.

 

Scott Warren, 37, contends he was fulfilling his mission as a humanitarian when he helped two Central American men at a camp run by the border group No More Deaths, which also drops off water jugs in the desert. But prosecutors have said the men were not injured and that Warren conspired to help them evade authorities.

 

The first trial ended in a mistrial last June when the jury deadlocked. Following jury selection, prosecutors were expected to make their opening statements Tuesday afternoon.

 

Warren and his supporters have said the government under President Donald Trump has increasingly scrutinized humanitarian groups at the border—and prosecutors have asked the judge to prohibit Warren from mentioning Trump during the trial, according to court documents.

 

They have argued that any mention of the president or his administration would be irrelevant and that doing so would pose the danger of unfair prejudice.

[caltrek]

Trump continues to bravely lash out at his number one political enemy: defenseless children.  

 

U.S. Jailed 69,500 Immigrant Children So Far This Year

 

https://www.courthou...-far-this-year/

 

Introduction:

 

COMAYAGUA, Honduras (AP) — The 3-year-old girl traveled for weeks cradled in her father’s arms, as he set out to seek asylum in the United States. Now she won’t even look at him.

 

After being forcibly separated at the border by government officials, sexually abused in U.S. foster care and deported, the once bright and beaming girl arrived back in Honduras withdrawn, anxious and angry, convinced her father abandoned her.

 

He fears their bond is forever broken.

 

 “I think about this trauma staying with her too, because the trauma has remained with me and still hasn’t faded,” he said, days after their reunion.

 

New government data show the little girl is one of an unprecedented 69,550 migrant children held in U.S. government custody over the past year, enough infants, toddlers, children and teens to overflow a typical NFL stadium. That’s more children detained away from their parents than any other country, according to United Nations researchers. And it’s happening even though the U.S. government has acknowledged that being held in detention can be traumatic for children, putting them at risk of long-term physical and emotional damage.

[caltrek]

Undocumented Farmworkers: NOW They Are Essential?

 

https://www.latinore...rsnowessential/

 

Introduction:

 

(Lation Rebels) LOS ANGELES — In late March, American agricultural employers began distributing a curious letter to their field hands. The letter, published by the Department of Homeland Security on March 19, identified agricultural workers as “essential” to the food supply chain and affirmed their “special responsibility” during the COVID19 crisis. Indeed, field workers cultivate and harvest fruits, nuts, and vegetables all throughout this vast country, sustaining the agricultural sector and stocking markets and bodegas from East to West.

 

Despite their shiny new label, however, the dystopian reality hidden in the letter is that half of all agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented. Each resides in this country without any political rights, working to exhaustion sun up and sun down, vulnerable to detention and deportation at any given moment. Once this is grasped, the publication of the letter, which some believed would offer some sense of safety to the undocumented against detention, only seeks to prevent the collapse of this nation’s productivity, an understandable position but one which places the undocumented at center stage.

 

Indeed, while the letter might offer some relief to the undocumented, it is completely devoid of any serious protections. Those of us with intimate knowledge of field work and those with family in the sector can’t help be angry, frustrated, even furious with this letter. Why did it take so long to see field workers, who for decades have toiled to feed America, as essential? Why did it take a health crisis to acknowledge their work, their labor, their contribution, even their existence?

 

Beyond frustrating, the letter is irritatingly puzzling. The undocumented, who just yesterday were rapists and murders and criminals have been transformed, quite literally overnight, into heroes. But wonder —just wonder for a minute— what must pass through the minds of the undocumented upon learning of their new status. Despised yesterday and treasured today. There isn’t an undocumented individual in this country who has not been scarred in some way by this nation’s schizophrenic policies, often from a very young age. What will their label be tomorrow? Will they revert back to animals?  Deported by the hundreds of thousands again? Will they continue to be imprisoned and separated from their children?

[Raklian]

 

Trump continues to bravely lash out at his number one political enemy: defenseless children.  

 

U.S. Jailed 69,500 Immigrant Children So Far This Year

 

https://www.courthou...-far-this-year/

 

 

 

Now there's nearly 70k people who will carry grudges against the United States.

[caltrek]

Court Rejects Trump Bid to End Young Immigrants’ Protections

 

https://www.latinore...8/dacadecision/

 

Introduction:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants, a stunning rebuke to the president in the midst of his reelection campaign.

 

For now, those immigrants retain their protection from deportation and their authorization to work in the United States.

 

The outcome seems certain to elevate the issue in Trump’s campaign, given the anti-immigrant rhetoric of his first presidential run in 2016 and immigration restrictions his administration has imposed since then.

 

The justices rejected administration arguments that the 8-year-old Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program is illegal and that courts have no role to play in reviewing the decision to end DACA.

 

Conclusion:

The Supreme Court fight over DACA played out in a kind of legal slow motion. The administration first wanted the justices to hear and decide the case by June 2018. The justices said no. The Justice Department returned to the court later in 2018, but the justices did nothing for more than seven months before agreeing a year ago to hear arguments. Those took place in November and more than seven months elapsed before the court’s decision.

[caltrek]

PEW: 75% of Americans Support Permanent Status Pathway for Undocumented Population

 

https://www.latinore...ermanentstatus/

 

Introduction:

(Latino Rebels) A new Pew poll released on Wednesday said that 75 percent of American favored a pathway to permanent status for the country’s undocumented population, with Democrats and Latinos showing the highest levels of support.

 

Pew asked the following question in the poll: “Which comes closer to your view about how to handle undocumented immigrants who are now living in the U.S.?”

Respondents were given three choices:

1. “They should not be allowed to stay in the country legally.”
2. “There should be a way for them to stay in the country legally, if certain requirements are met.”
3. “No answer.”

According to Pew’s poll, 75 percent of Americans chose answer 2. Among Democrats or those who lean Democrat, that number increased to 89 percent. Among Latinos, the overall support was at 87 percent, with foreign-born Latino support at 94 percent and U.S.-born Latino support at 82 percent.

 

Pew also noted that Republican support was at 57 percent, a number that didn’t really change much from August 2019. In addition support was at 81 percent among Black Americans, 76 percent among Asian Americans and 70 percent among White Americans.

[caltrek]

Support for More Immigration Reaches a Record High. Thank Donald Trump.

 

https://www.motherjo...k-donald-trump/

 

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) For the first time in more than 50 years of polling, Gallup has found that more Americans want to increase immigration than reduce it.

 

The obvious person to thank is President Donald Trump. His administration’s goal has been to slash immigration, both legal and unauthorized, but his persistently racist remarks and xenophobic actions have driven support for immigration among Democrats and independents to record highs.

 

In a survey released Wednesday, Gallup found that a record-high 34 percent of Americans want more immigration to the United States, compared to 27 percent last June. The share who want to cut immigration fell from 35 percent to 28 percent during that period, the lowest level since Gallup began asking the question in 1965. A little more that a third of people believe immigration should stay at the current level, a proportion that’s remained relatively stable during Trump’s presidency.

 

The news that support for immigration has—once again—reached a new high under Trump comes as his administration is banning many immigrants and temporary workers from coming to the United States. In theory, the goal is to protect American workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic from competition. In reality, Trump was already trying to drastically cut immigration while he was boasting about record lows in unemployment. 

[caltrek]

The White House Just Caved on Its Plan to Kick Out Thousands of International Students

 

https://www.motherjo...students-caved/

 

Entire Article:

(Mother Jones) The Trump administration is rescinding its controversial new policy that would have forced international students to leave the country if their schools did not return to in-person classes this fall.  

 

On Tuesday afternoon, the Justice Department was supposed to be in court to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Instead, Judge Allison Burroughs announced at the hearing that the government had agreed to rescind the policy only eight days after it was unveiled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

The abrupt reversal means that students will be able to remain in the United States regardless of whether their schools decide to reopen in the fall. More than 200 universities were supporting the lawsuit brought by Harvard and MIT.

 

Students walk past the "Great Dome" on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2017.

Charles Krupa/AP

[Futurist]

 

Support for More Immigration Reaches a Record High. Thank Donald Trump.

 

https://www.motherjo...k-donald-trump/

 

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) For the first time in more than 50 years of polling, Gallup has found that more Americans want to increase immigration than reduce it.

 

The obvious person to thank is President Donald Trump. His administration’s goal has been to slash immigration, both legal and unauthorized, but his persistently racist remarks and xenophobic actions have driven support for immigration among Democrats and independents to record highs.

 

In a survey released Wednesday, Gallup found that a record-high 34 percent of Americans want more immigration to the United States, compared to 27 percent last June. The share who want to cut immigration fell from 35 percent to 28 percent during that period, the lowest level since Gallup began asking the question in 1965. A little more that a third of people believe immigration should stay at the current level, a proportion that’s remained relatively stable during Trump’s presidency.

 

The news that support for immigration has—once again—reached a new high under Trump comes as his administration is banning many immigrants and temporary workers from coming to the United States. In theory, the goal is to protect American workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic from competition. In reality, Trump was already trying to drastically cut immigration while he was boasting about record lows in unemployment. 

 

Historical polling in regards to this topic:

[Computron]

Support for More Immigration Reaches a Record High. Thank Donald Trump.
 
https://www.motherjo...k-donald-trump/
 
Introduction:

(Mother Jones) For the first time in more than 50 years of polling, Gallup has found that more Americans want to increase immigration than reduce it.
 
The obvious person to thank is President Donald Trump. His administration’s goal has been to slash immigration, both legal and unauthorized, but his persistently racist remarks and xenophobic actions have driven support for immigration among Democrats and independents to record highs.
 
In a survey released Wednesday, Gallup found that a record-high 34 percent of Americans want more immigration to the United States, compared to 27 percent last June. The share who want to cut immigration fell from 35 percent to 28 percent during that period, the lowest level since Gallup began asking the question in 1965. A little more that a third of people believe immigration should stay at the current level, a proportion that’s remained relatively stable during Trump’s presidency.
 
The news that support for immigration has—once again—reached a new high under Trump comes as his administration is banning many immigrants and temporary workers from coming to the United States. In theory, the goal is to protect American workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic from competition. In reality, Trump was already trying to drastically cut immigration while he was boasting about record lows in unemployment.

Historical polling in regards to this topic:

More tacos please

[caltrek]

One order of tacos, coming up.

 

The new support for immigration may help one of Biden's early legislative efforts:

 

Biden’s sweeping immigration bill, explained

 

https://www.vox.com/...ath-citizenship

 

Introduction:

(Vox) On his first day as president on Wednesday, Joe Biden will send an ambitious immigration reform bill to Congress that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, bolster border security with new screening technologies, and deliver aid to Central America.

 

The bill, known as the US Citizenship Act of 2021 and outlined in a four-page summary shared with reporters, would represent the most sweeping immigration reform package passed since 1986.

 

It marks both a symbolic and substantive break with the restrictionist immigration policies that have defined the last four years under Donald Trump, setting the tone for what Biden promises will be a more welcoming era for immigrants in the US. At its core is a long-awaited proposal to legalize the more than 10.5 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the US, many of whom have lived in fear of being deported and uprooted from their families for years.

 

It’s an early signal that the Biden administration is prioritizing immigration, despite an otherwise full agenda in Congress, including confirming the president’s Cabinet officials, conducting Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate, and passing additional Covid-19 relief. That draws a contrast with the Obama White House, which faced criticism for squandering its best opportunity to pass comprehensive immigration reform in 2013.

 

“We made a mistake,” Biden said when asked about why voters should entrust him with passing comprehensive immigration reform during an October presidential debate. “It took too long to get it right.”

[Shalilace]

 

Job gains are going mostly to unskilled immigrants

http://www.zerohedge...may-jobs-report

 

From the cited article:

 

 

What is unknown is how many of these millions of "foreign-born" jobs have gone to illegal immigrant who are perfectly willing to work hard, and yet whose wage bargaining power is absolutely nil (after all they are happy just to have a job) thereby leading to depressed wages for native-born workers in comparable jobs, resulting in wage growth which over the past 8 years has been non-existant.

 

In the agricultural industry, this has been an issue over the years that has changed the alignment of those seeking to organize farm workers.  At one point leaders such as Cesar Chavez were quite hostile to immigrant laborers. Over the years the United Farm Worker's labor policy has shifted to being that of supporting immigration rights. More of an effort has been directed at solidarity within the ranks of the work force.  This is partly due to the fact that many native born or naturalized workers have relatives from other countries.  It is also due to an unwillingness to allow this to be used as  wedge to split workers into mutually hostile camps so that employers could capitalize on these divisions.  Employers in turn have also realized the need for some kind of immigration reform to be able to maintain their work force.
“Deep in need and despair, people can work together, can organize to solve their own problems, and meet their needs with dignity and strength.” (Chavez) I read this quote from him at https://eduzaurus.co...s/cesar-chavez/ where I found very interesting information about him and his activities in various fields. What do you think about this?

 

I find it ironic that some seem to be arguing that immigration should be curtailed because immigrants "are perfectly willing to work hard".   Is it better to let those jobs go unfilled?   Perhaps those jobs shouldbe filled by individuals not willing to work hard?

 

There may be those willing in the urbanized areas to do those jobs that would be left vacant, but that is simply not the case within the industrialized agricultural regions of California. Crops would start rotting in the fields, as they have in the past when immigration controls have been excessively successful.

 

One of the reasons why the bargaining power of undoumented workers is "absolutely nill" is precisley because of the laws that are hostile to their presence.  If they were in less fear of deportation, they would be in a better position to bargain for higher wages and better work conditions. Something that unions such as the UFW have come to recognize.

 

Thanks a lot for mentioning Cesar Chavez in your comment. I am writing a little research about him now, so this information was very useful to me.

[caltrek]

Sometimes (sadly not always) I think that I am a man ahead of his time. Forty+ years ago I remember a conversation with a fellow co-worker upon whom I was developing a crush.  On the subject of immigration, I suggested that one possible solution would be to assist in the economic development of those countries from where the immigrants were coming.  She became quite angry at this dangerously radical proposition. So, what is one of the strategies now being pursued by the "centrist" Biden administration?

 

Why, to assist in the economic development of those countries from where the immigrants are coming.  Go figure.

[Futurist]

Sometimes (sadly not always) I think that I am a man ahead of his time. Forty+ years ago I remember a conversation with a fellow co-worker upon whom I was developing a crush.  On the subject of immigration, I suggested that one possible solution would be to assist in the economic development of those countries from where the immigrants were coming.  She became quite angry at this dangerously radical proposition. So, what is one of the strategies now being pursued by the "centrist" Biden administration?

 

Why, to assist in the economic development of those countries from where the immigrants are coming.  Go figure.

Agreed that this is a good solution, though without raising their IQs to First World levels, there would/should often still be a prosperity gap between these countries and the First World. Still, some countries can be several times wealthier than they currently are. India, for instance. Just compare Indians' standard of living to that of African-Americans, for instance.

[caltrek]

Agreed that this is a good solution, though without raising their IQs to First World levels, there would/should often still be a prosperity gap between these countries and the First World. Still, some countries can be several times wealthier than they currently are. India, for instance. Just compare Indians' standard of living to that of African-Americans, for instance.

 

I wouldn't underestimate the intelligence of the natives of Latin America.  I have seen first hand the brilliance of many second generation immigrants, and even some first generation natives visiting or having immigrated to the U.S. 

 

Your example of India is on point.

[caltrek]

Presidential Memorandum for the Attorney General [and] the Secretary of Homeland Security

 

https://www.federalr...d-arrivals-daca

 

Extract:

Section 1. Policy. In 2012, during the Obama-Biden Administration, the Secretary of Homeland Security issued a memorandum outlining how, in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, the Department of Homeland Security should enforce the Nation's immigration laws against certain young people. This memorandum, known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) guidance, deferred the removal of certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, have obeyed the law, and stayed in school or enlisted in the military. DACA and associated regulations permit eligible individuals who pass a background check to request temporary relief from removal and to apply for temporary work permits. DACA reflects a judgment that these immigrants should not be a priority for removal based on humanitarian concerns and other considerations, and that work authorization will enable them to support themselves and their families, and to contribute to our economy, while they remain.

 

Sec. 2. Preserving and Fortifying DACA. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall take all actions he deems appropriate, consistent with applicable law, to preserve and fortify DACA.

 

Complete Memorandum signed by Joseph Biden and Filed 1-22-21; 11:15 am

[caltrek]

Democrats Introduce Biden's Immigration Reform Bill

 

https://abcnews.go.c...ory?id=75960479

 

Introduction:

(ABC) Congressional Democrats on Thursday unveiled sweeping immigration reform legislation, which essentially consists of a roundup of immigration priorities President Joe Biden laid out on his first day in office.

 

The reform proposal is the most ambitious effort so far to counteract the Trump administration's hardline border policies.

 

Certain elements already have been floated in Congress and the Biden administration has signaled a willingness to break up the reform effort into parts. But those involved with the legislation insist that, at least for now, they're committed to a single legislative push.

 

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Rep. Linda Sanchez of California, along with a group of fellow Democrats, formally announced the introduction of the bill in Congress at a virtual news conference Thursday.

 

"The reason we have not gotten immigration reform over the finish line is not because of a lack of will,” Menendez said. “It is because time and time again, we have compromised too much and capitulated too quickly to fringe voices who refuse to accept the humanity and contributions of immigrants to our country."