Highbrow Magazine - immigration reform https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/immigration-reform en Why Immigrant Rights Advocates Aren’t Worried About Judge Hanen’s Ruling https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4659-why-immigrant-rights-advocates-aren-t-worried-about-judge-hanen-s-ruling <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 02/19/2015 - 13:40</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/5immigration.jpg?itok=WS5hGjMD"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/5immigration.jpg?itok=WS5hGjMD" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2015/02/why-immigrant-rights-advocates-arent-worried-about-texas-judges-ruling.php">New America Media</a>:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>A federal judge this week blocked Obama’s executive actions from going into effect, a move immigration reform advocates are calling only a “temporary setback.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Texas U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen issued a temporary injunction on Monday, siding with Texas and 25 other states that signed on to a lawsuit against Obama’s executive actions on immigration. The White House announced on Tuesday that the Department of Justice is appealing the decision.</p> <p> </p> <p>The judge’s ruling was released just two days before the expanded version of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was slated to go into effect.</p> <p> </p> <p>It means that -- until the ruling is blocked or overturned by a higher court -- individuals will not be able to apply for the new programs announced by President Obama on Nov. 20, 2014. These include the expanded version of DACA, which was slated to start Wednesday, and the new program for parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, called Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), which was expected to start in May.</p> <p> </p> <p>Together the programs could protect over five million undocumented immigrants from deportation and provide them with temporary work authorization.</p> <p> </p> <p>Monday’s ruling does not affect so-called Dreamers, who can still apply for (and renew) DACA under the program that was announced in 2012.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>The chess game</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The federal lawsuit in Texas is the latest move in a broader political chess match now being played out between Republicans and Democrats over the president’s recent steps on immigration reform.</p> <p> </p> <p>Since Obama’s announcement in November, Republicans have attempted to block his initiatives in Congress. But the legislation has not gotten passed the Senate (and even if it did, it would be vetoed by the president).</p> <p> </p> <p>That left one pathway for the GOP to challenge Obama’s executive actions: through the courts.</p> <p> </p> <p>“As they did in the health care fight, when they were unable to block the Affordable Care Act’s implementation through legislation, Republicans have turned to the courts to resolve what really amounts to a political dispute over policy,” Marshall Fitz, vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, told reporters on a national press call hosted Tuesday by New America Media.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Make no mistake,” said Fitz. “This is a partisan political attack disguised as a lawsuit.”</p> <p> </p> <p>The plaintiffs “sought this judge out” because, Fitz said, he has “a history of highly antagonistic, over-reaching, really extremist, anti-immigrant decisions.”</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/assholehanen.jpg" style="height:377px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>“They went judge shopping, they found their judge, they got the decision they wanted,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, in Washington, D.C. “But reading through the decision, it is poorly argued, [rests on a] very weak basis, and it is clearly a politicized decision that is not going to survive appeals up through the court system.”</p> <p> </p> <p>The case is expected to go next to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, a three-judge panel known for its conservative bent. After that, the case would go to a full U.S. court of appeals and even potentially all the way to the Supreme Court.</p> <p> </p> <p>“The wheels of justice are slow,” said Fitz, “but at the end of the track, we will have confirmed legality and the program will be implemented.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Immigration advocates have several reasons to be confident.</p> <p> </p> <p>“The fact is that the Obama administration has an airtight legal case,” said Sharry. “Every president since President Eisenhower in the 1950s has used executive authority in the area of immigration policy to do similar things.”</p> <p> </p> <p>“We have the law on our side, legal precedent, historical precedent,” said Sharry, “and when a judge makes a decision in the future -- hopefully in the coming days or weeks -- based on the law, we are confident that expanded DACA and DAPA will be able to go into effect.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>The real danger is fear</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Immigration reform advocates say they are confident that the judge’s decision will be reversed. Far more worrisome, they said, is the fear that it could generate fear among immigrant communities in the meantime.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Part of the Republican strategy here is to introduce elements of uncertainty and controversy around this program in hopes that when it does go into effect, fewer people will sign up,” said Sharry of America’s Voice.</p> <p> </p> <p>He cautioned immigrant communities “not to fall for this.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Some immigrants are hesitant to apply for a program that is temporary, he said, because they are afraid that their information might be used to deport them if the program were ever overturned. But Sharry said these fears are overblown. “In my 30 years of working on immigration policy,” he said, “I’ve never seen a temporary program taken away in a way that subjects people who’ve come forward to deportation.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What you can do now</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Although they can’t apply for the new programs yet, undocumented immigrants can start getting their documents together.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We really want to emphasize the message to immigrants, their friends and families, to not despair, that everyone should continue to prepare, that people can get ready to apply for the programs as soon as this block is lifted,” said Shiu-Ming Cheer, immigration attorney at National Immigration Law Center based in Los Angeles.</p> <p> </p> <p>Cheer encouraged immigrants to continue to save money (the application fee for DACA and DAPA will be $465) and gather evidence that they have been in the country for the last five years. This includes proof of identity (such as a passport or matricula consular), proof of living here (such as bills, bank statements and medical records) and their criminal and immigration histories.</p> <p> </p> <p>Most importantly, Cheer said, undocumented immigrants should seek help from qualified attorneys at trusted local community organizations, not from notarios or unauthorized practitioners.</p> <p> </p> <p>“If you’re eligible for the new DACA or DAPA, both of those programs are on hold. There is no way to apply right now,” warned Sharry, “so don’t be fooled by scam artists promising to get you to the front of the line.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>New America Media</em></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/andrew-hanen" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">andrew hanen</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/justice-department" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Justice Department</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Elena Shore</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 19 Feb 2015 18:40:16 +0000 tara 5744 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4659-why-immigrant-rights-advocates-aren-t-worried-about-judge-hanen-s-ruling#comments Why Is There No Executive Action for Environmental Migrants? https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4486-why-there-no-executive-action-environmental-migrants <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 12/08/2014 - 13:17</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/environmentalmigrants.jpg?itok=rFhNikA5"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/environmentalmigrants.jpg?itok=rFhNikA5" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/12/no-executive-action-for-environmental-migrants.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Above: A resident of Tacloban in the Philippines surveys the damage after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region in 2013. The storm displaced some 2 million people.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p>SAN FRANCISCO – As government officials and climate experts from around the world meet this week in Lima, Peru for a U.N. climate conference, tens of thousands worldwide have already been displaced by the effects of climate change.</p> <p> </p> <p>Some have remained within their country of origin, while others have fled across borders or even oceans. Experts on global migration patterns warn that while the number of cross-border “environmental migrants” is certain to grow, there remains little to no legal framework for absorbing them.</p> <p> </p> <p>“For those displaced across borders, there is nothing beyond general immigration and human rights law,” explained Elizabeth Ferris, director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement.</p> <p> </p> <p>Her group is currently working with the UNHCR and Georgetown University to “develop guidance for governments on how to plan relocations made necessary by the effects of climate change.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Ferris said that for the millions of internally displaced – those who have been forced from their homes but remain in their country of origin – there are international agreements in place, including the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, that while non-binding do provide some measure of predictable support.</p> <p> </p> <p>Data show that in 2010-2011, there were some 42 million internally displaced people in Asia alone, the majority victims of natural disasters including storms, droughts, and sea rise.</p> <p> </p> <p>But for cross-border migration driven by climate-related disasters, the legal landscape remains far murkier. Such migrants do not fall under the UN Convention for Refugees, for example, which only extends to those fleeing persecution on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.</p> <p> </p> <p>To date, humanitarian aid agencies have only gone so far as to agree on the term “environmental migrant.” It is one of a number of terms – including “climate refugee” and “environmentally displaced person” – that have been used going back as far as 1976.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Advocates hope that by highlighting the nexus between climate change and global migration flows, such terms will help to expand existing refugee laws.</p> <p> </p> <p>And that will be critical, they say.</p> <p> </p> <p>Even assuming nations can reach agreement on slashing greenhouse emissions by up to 70 percent in 2050 – one of the goals of talks in Lima – forecasts for the number of people displaced by extreme weather events in coming years still hover in the hundreds of millions. The Organization of International Migration, which tracks global migration patterns, puts the number somewhere around 200 million by 2050.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Mexican migration </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Those who study climate-related migration say the majority of environmental migrants are likely to come from poorer countries in the developing world. For that reason, they say, it can be difficult to determine whether someone is a climate refugee, as opposed to an economic migrant fleeing poverty.</p> <p> </p> <p>That is already the case for the growing number of migrants in the United States from parts of Mexico and Central America.</p> <p> </p> <p>Leoncio Vasquez is the executive director of the Binational Center for the Development of Oaxacan Indigenous Communities (CBDIO) based in Fresno. He said that for decades now Mexican indigenous populations like the Purepechas from Michoacán, or the Mixtecos from Oaxaca, have faced intensified drought and desertification.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3environmentmayors_0.jpg" style="height:425px; width:640px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>“But they can hardly use those words to explain their reasons for coming to California,” he said.</p> <p> </p> <p>Indigenous Oaxacans, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, are currently the fastest growing farmworker population in California. CBDIO estimates that at least 120,000 have abandoned their land to resettle in areas around San Francisco, the Central Valley and Los Angeles. Many end up working mainly in fruit crops like grapes, apples and strawberries.</p> <p> </p> <p>Vasquez cited a mix of factors behind their plight, including economic and trade policies like NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).</p> <p> </p> <p>“The corn, beans and coffee planted by indigenous farmers can’t compete with subsidized U.S. products,” he said, adding that the Mexican government has stopped providing fertilizer for crops, while the land itself is becoming less and less fertile.</p> <p> </p> <p>“All of that means one thing for these communities: poverty.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Temporary Protected Status</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>One year ago the Philippines was devastated by super-typhoon Haiyan, which claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced millions more. The ripples of that catastrophe are still being felt – even as another super-typhoon is now threatening the same region.</p> <p> </p> <p>“[Typhoon Haiyan] affected the livelihood of fishermen, of farmers in the coconut fields … rural infrastructure was wiped away,” noted Lillian Galedo, executive director of Filipino Advocates for Justice (FAJ), an Oakland-based nonprofit that works on behalf of the local Filipino community. She said the Philippines was still in the process of relocating 2 million people affected by the storm.</p> <p> </p> <p>Just this month FAJ launched a campaign pushing the federal government to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to undocumented Filipinos in the United States. Galedo says that would allow them to work legally and send remittances home that could help in reconstruction efforts.</p> <p> </p> <p>TPS is granted to individuals from countries unprepared for the return of nationals due to temporary conditions resulting from war, epidemics or a natural disaster. In the 1990s thousands of Central Americans already in the United States received TPS in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch and ongoing civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Their status is set to expire next year.</p> <p> </p> <p>Galedo said many in her community were hopeful that President Obama would extend TPS to undocumented Filipinos as part of his executive action announced two weeks earlier, which he did not do.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We were very disappointed,” she said.</p> <p> </p> <p>Mari Rose Taruc is an organizer with the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, which is helping to fund the FAJ campaign. Filipinos need better jobs and to be protected from deportation,” she stressed. “Sending [them] back to typhoon ravaged areas is not the answer.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/12/no-executive-action-for-environmental-migrants.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environmental-migrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environmental migrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrantsm-natural-disasters" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrantsm natural disasters</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jenny Manrique </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 08 Dec 2014 18:17:14 +0000 tara 5494 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4486-why-there-no-executive-action-environmental-migrants#comments In Search of a Sanctuary for Migrant Children https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4406-search-sanctuary-migrant-children <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 10/31/2014 - 13:00</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1migrants%20%28wiki%29.jpg?itok=bP0LoYN9"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1migrants%20%28wiki%29.jpg?itok=bP0LoYN9" width="480" height="270" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/10/in-search-of-a-sanctuary-for-migrant-children.php">New America Media</a></strong>:</p> <p> </p> <p>OAKLAND, Calif. -- Edwin can hardly understand Spanish and is slowly learning English, but his biggest dilemma now is finding a way to save his mother from the violence in his native Guatemala, and how to pay the $7,000 he owes lawyers.</p> <p> </p> <p>Edwin, 14, is a native Mam speaker (the Mayan language of his ethnic group). In spite of his youth, he has already made a dangerous escape from the gang violence of his homeland, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and spent two months in the El Centro Service Processing Center, an immigrant detention facility south of Los Angeles.</p> <p> </p> <p>Since his release from detention two months ago, Edwin has found a home at the Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana (PIPH, First Hispanic Presbyterian Church) in Oakland.</p> <p> </p> <p>“The church wants me to go to school during the day, but how am I going to cover my expenses if I don’t work,” he asks. “How am I going to pay for rent when I find where to live, and send money back for my mother, my brother and my sister?”</p> <p> </p> <p>PIPH is one of several religious organizations in the Bay Area that have spearheaded a burgeoning Sanctuary Movement that began last summer in Arizona. So far 24 congregations offering sanctuary in 12 cities across the country have joined.</p> <p> </p> <p>Inspired by the Sanctuary Movement of the early 1980s, when at least 500 churches offered safe-havens for migrants escaping conflict in Central America, faith leaders today are looking to renew that commitment by providing shelter, food and even legal advice to this latest wave of child refugees.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We are helping these kids with shelter, clothes, food, classes, vaccinations,” says PPIH Pastor Pablo Morataya, adding that many live in fear of being detained again. “That is why we need to become a sanctuary, so they can feel safe.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Places of resistance</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Earlier this month St. John's Presbyterian Church in nearby Berkeley hosted a forum that drew dozens from congregations around the Bay Area to learn about the history of the Sanctuary Movement and how it is helping today’s migrant youth.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Our idea of a sanctuary can take different forms,” explained Reverend Deborah Lee, director of the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, at the forum. These can range from providing safe living spaces, to accompanying refugees in legal procedures and offering hospitality and other kinds of protections.</p> <p> </p> <p>St. John’s Pastor Max Lynn reminded attendees that Berkeley declared itself a sanctuary in 1982, two years after the assassination of the Archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Arnulfo Romero. “Changing immigration policy is a long path,” he said, “but in the meantime the least we can do is bring support to those who were brutally violated.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Lynn’s church is currently helping to reunite several families, including the parents of one 10-year old, the youngest of three sons and the last to arrive to the United States. “We are struggling to raise money for the lawyers and the courthouse process,” he said.</p> <p> </p> <p>Lee praised Latino congregations specifically for helping to turn church property “into a place of resistance” against deportation orders.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Our actions since October 16th include doing weekly vigils in front of the immigration courts, constant praying for the families, and increasing the number of churches that are willing to become sanctuaries.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Relieving the trauma</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show that between October 2013 and the end of September 2014, 68,541 unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala were apprehended along the southwest border. They estimate that by the end of 2014, the number of children seeking protection in the United States will reach 90,000.</p> <p> </p> <p>Almost 13,000 of them are seeking asylum through immigration courts in California, according to the Transactional Record Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University.</p> <p> </p> <p>To meet the costs, Oakland’s City Council last week voted unanimously to adopt a resolution authorizing a grant of up to $577,000 to finance legal representation, mental health services and housing for the migrant youth.</p> <p> </p> <p>San Francisco approved a similar measure in September that provides more than $2 million in funds to pay for legal support for unaccompanied minors and families registered on the San Francisco Immigration Court’s expedited removal docket.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2migrants.jpg" style="height:362px; width:631px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Oakland “has always been a refuge with no exceptions, and we are happy to help these kids, taking into account the responsibility of the United States in the drug war in Central America,” said Mayor Quan at an event organized by the Red Nacional Salvadoreña En El Exterior, or RENASE (Salvadoran National Network Abroad).</p> <p> </p> <p>RENASE is urging Congress to enforce protections for children under the 2008 William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), a law that guarantees hearings before an immigration judge, and a chance to consult with an attorney, for children arriving from countries that don’t share a border with the United States.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We are also demanding that they stop the so-called ‘rocket docket’ directive, which gives children’s attorneys only three weeks to prepare their cases,” said Mirna Medina of RENASE. “While the legal help takes place, we are glad that these kids are sponsored by religious communities to relieve the trauma,” she added.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Different faiths</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Other religious institutions that have not officially joined the Sanctuary Movement are doing their part to help out as well.</p> <p> </p> <p>Pastor Juan José Lima from the Church of God in San Francisco’s Mission District said Pentecostal churches help anyone who shows up at their doors in need. “We don’t have a constituted network, but we are helping get medicine for a Honduran girl who has been very sick since her arrival,” he said.</p> <p> </p> <p>The local Jewish community, meanwhile, is also responding. “We are assisting these kids with mental health and legal support,” said Jessica Trubowitch, ‎director of Intergroup Relations at the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Relations Council. “But we want to extend our response to the humanitarian crisis in the Bay Area [and] identify how we can be of more help.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Trubowitch says part of that will involve synagogues around the Bay Area holding informational sessions in November on the Sanctuary Movement. “There are few congregations that know about immigrant rights … this approach will help make more people aware about the topic.”</p> <p> </p> <p>For those already involved in the Sanctuary Movement, meanwhile, the work continues.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We are now helping this 15-year-old kid from Honduras, sent to the U.S. by his grandmother after one of his best friends at school was killed by gangs,” says Marilyn Chilcote, pastor of the Beacon Presbyterian Fellowship in Oakland.</p> <p> </p> <p>Chilcote was among those helping the roughly 400 Central American refugees who arrived in Berkeley 30 years earlier. Pointing to this latest case, she said the boy was “abused on his way here and we are praying that he will be able to cope with the trauma. When one witnesses these cases, it’s impossible for our church not to become a Sanctuary.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>This article is part of a Media Consortium collaboration on immigration reform. For more articles, please follow #TMCimm.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/10/in-search-of-a-sanctuary-for-migrant-children.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sanctuary" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sanctuary</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/migrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">migrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/migrant-children" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">migrant children</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/san-francisco" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">San Francisco</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bay-area" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">bay area</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/crsooing-border" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">crsooing the border</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jenny Manrique </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:00:07 +0000 tara 5371 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4406-search-sanctuary-migrant-children#comments India Leads Other Nations in Surge of Foreign-Born in the U.S. https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4402-ndia-leads-other-nations-surge-foreign-born-us <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 10/28/2014 - 13:33</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1liberty.jpg?itok=2iGf9Y7o"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1liberty.jpg?itok=2iGf9Y7o" width="480" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From <a href="http://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/india-leads-all-nations-in-surge-of-foreign-born-in/article_b892ccc0-587a-11e4-aedb-e7218b0ad216.html?utm_source=Newsletter+-+2014+-+October+21&amp;utm_campaign=DNL+-+October+21%2C+2014&amp;utm_medium=email">India-West</a> and reprinted by our content partner New America Media</strong>:</p> <p> </p> <p>Nearly one in six adults in the U.S. is now foreign-born and India led all countries in a record increase of new immigrants to the country, according to a new report by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies.</p> <p> </p> <p>The countries with the largest increases in new immigrants were India (an increase of 254,000, up 14 percent); China (217,000, 10 percent); the Dominican Republic (112,000, 13 percent); Guatemala (71,000, 9 percent); Jamaica (55,000, 8 percent); Bangladesh (49,000, 32 percent); Saudi Arabia (44,000, 97 percent); Pakistan (43,000, 14 percent); and Iraq (41,000, 26 percent).</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> The study, based on new Census Bureau data, found that the country’s immigrant population — including both legal and illegal immigrants — grew by 1.4 million from July 2010 to July 2013 to a record 41.3 million.</p> <p> </p> <p>“The new data makes clear that while Latin America and the Caribbean are still a significant source of immigration, the growth is being driven in large part by immigration from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa,” said Steven Camarota, director of research at the center and lead author of the report.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/1indians.jpg" style="height:416px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>The regions with the largest increases in immigrants from 2010 to 2013 were South Asia (up 373,000, or 16 percent); East Asia (365,000, 5 percent); the Caribbean (223,000, 6 percent), the Middle East (208,000, 13 percent; and sub-Saharan Africa (177,000, 13 percent).</p> <p> </p> <p>As a share of the total population, immigrants (legal and illegal) comprised 13.1 percent of U.S. residents (about one out of every eight), the highest percentage in 93 years. As recently as 1980, 6.2 percent of the population was comprised of immigrants.</p> <p> </p> <p>States where the number of immigrants grew the most since 2010 were Texas (227,240); California (160,771); Florida (140,019); New York (85,699); New Jersey (81,192); Massachusetts (62,591); Washington (57,402); Pennsylvania (57,091); Illinois (47,609); Arizona (39,647); Maryland (38,555); Virginia (37,844); North Carolina (30,289); Michigan (29,039); and Georgia (28,020).</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From <a href="http://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/india-leads-all-nations-in-surge-of-foreign-born-in/article_b892ccc0-587a-11e4-aedb-e7218b0ad216.html?utm_source=Newsletter+-+2014+-+October+21&amp;utm_campaign=DNL+-+October+21%2C+2014&amp;utm_medium=email">India-West</a> and reprinted by our content partner New America Media</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/india" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">India</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/indian-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">indian immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/coming-us" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">coming to the us</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/middle-eastern-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">middle eastern immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/asian-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">asian immigrants</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">India West</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wikipedia Commons; Google Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:33:35 +0000 tara 5363 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4402-ndia-leads-other-nations-surge-foreign-born-us#comments Reflecting on Obama’s Vow to Fix Immigration Policy https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4331-reflecting-obama-s-vow-fix-immigration-policy <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 09/29/2014 - 14:15</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumobamacolorlines_0.jpg?itok=1lBu7Tvr"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumobamacolorlines_0.jpg?itok=1lBu7Tvr" width="480" height="300" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/09/reflecting-on-obamas-promise-to-fix-immigration-policywhat-to-do-now.php">New America Media</a></strong>:</p> <p> </p> <p>Quite appropriately, immigrants and immigrant advocates reacted with anger and dismay to President Obama’s Sept. 6 announcement he would not move forward to fix “broken” immigration policy until after the November elections.</p> <p> </p> <p>It’s now old news that the decision was “political.” Of course it was--everything in the world of federal policy is. More urgent than recriminations and “what if” scenarios is consideration of what now, where to go next? It’s now a month since the president’s disappointing announcement and a month until Election Day. What should immigrant advocates do and what should pro-immigrant voters do now?</p> <p> </p> <p>Of course it’s sad and frustrating to observe the limitations of the president’s ability to lead the nation, given a recalcitrant Congress. But this is an everyday reality as the nation’s social policy dialogue continues to devolve into a multitude of sweaty, grunting, ideological wrestling matches—full of sound and fury and signifying very little. There’s little utility fixating on the president’s “broken promise” to fix the immigration system. A more useful priority will be to weigh in about what the fix should look like once it’s announced.</p> <p> </p> <p>Immigration reform advocates will need to overcome their frustration and work hard to get pro-immigrant voters to the polls in November for what will, essentially, be a vote of confidence in Obama’s commitment to (very soon) take practical steps toward (substantially) better immigration policy. Of course, the challenge in getting demoralized pro-immigrant voters to turn out is, indeed, formidable. The Center for American Progress/Latino Decision’s timely survey (in June, before the president’s decision to defer executive action) asking Latino voters how it would affect their decision to go to the polls provides a worrisome assessment of the challenge: They found that 54 percent of Latino voters would be less likely to turn out to vote.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Latino Decisions researchers correctly ask whether the “broken promise” decision by the Obama administration was a missed opportunity for Democrats to mobilize Latino voters. There’s no doubt that it was. But I would argue there still remain opportunities to restore Latino and other pro-immigrant voters’ enthusiasm.</p> <p> </p> <p>Immigrant advocates, ethnic media, and pro-immigrant candidates can do this if they move vigorously to seize the opportunities opened up by Obama’s delaying executive action by catalyzing widespread community dialogue on two key issues:</p> <p> </p> <p>•           What should a “sustainable” administratively-initiated fix to immigration policy look like?</p> <p> </p> <p>•           How does a fairer, more equitable, and more inclusive immigration policy benefit not only immigrants but also entire communities, regions and the nation?</p> <p> </p> <p>Obama’s “broken promise” excuses for his delay in acting actually represent an invitation to advocates, candidates, and voters to weigh in on the shape of executive action on immigration policy and ongoing efforts to enact immigration reform. This can be seen in these two excerpts from his remarks:</p> <p> </p> <p>“What I'm saying is that I'm going to act because it's the right thing for the country," he said. "But it's going to be more sustainable and more effective if the public understands what the facts are on immigration….</p> <p> </p> <p>"I want to … make sure that the public understands why we're doing this, why it's the right thing for the American people, why it's the right thing for the American economy."</p> <p> </p> <p>In reality, more important than the exact timing of executive action is its scope (how many will benefit in principle), the viability of effectively implementing new provisions (how many will actually be able to benefit), and the extent to which new guidelines provide a supportive legal framework for long-term settled immigrants who have waited 10 to 15 years for relief to get on (and move ahead) with their lives.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/1immigrationdeportation.jpg" style="height:417px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Immigrant advocates and pro-immigrant political candidates can and should engage with their constituents in pressing the Obama administration for executive action that is broader and bolder -- not narrower, compromised or timid.</p> <p> </p> <p>Pro-immigrant voters should go to the polls with an almost paradoxical mixture of anger and optimism to make their voices heard and send the message that executive action, when it comes, must be big, bold, and for real.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Sustainable” executive action will need to do more than simply protect from deportation longtime community residents who are undocumented. To make good on the president’s newly-articulated commitment to a sustainable fix, the new policy will need to catalyze and nurture genuine immigrant integration. It must provide, at the very least, pathways for learning English, for developing workplace skills, and for immigrant participation in civic decision-making and community service. Such a policy would present a win-win, benefitting both immigrants and the general public.</p> <p> </p> <p>At the same time, ongoing pressure will be needed to ensure that executive action to provide administrative relief is more than a rhetorical promise. The process for applicants to seek DACA-like relief will need to be streamlined and affordable.</p> <p> </p> <p>Ethnic media, immigrant advocates and candidates must get out the message that the November midterm elections are not a time to give up -- but for pro-immigrant voters to make their voices heard.</p> <p> </p> <p>After all, it’s only two years until 2016 and voter apathy is a vote for the intolerable status quo.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Ed Kissam has led various studies of immigrant settlement in the United States over the past decade, including the New Pluralism Study of immigrants in rural areas and the Latino Entrepreneurship study focusing on North Carolina and Iowa . He is currently working with a research task force on strategies to improve educational outcomes for Latino youth in rural communities throughout the United States.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/09/reflecting-on-obamas-promise-to-fix-immigration-policywhat-to-do-now.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-policy" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration policy</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/migrant-workers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">migrant workers</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/congress" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">congress</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/government-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">the government</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ed Kissam</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media; Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 29 Sep 2014 18:15:58 +0000 tara 5247 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4331-reflecting-obama-s-vow-fix-immigration-policy#comments Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas Applies for Deferred Action https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4258-journalist-jose-antonio-vargas-applies-deferred-action <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/media" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Media</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 08/28/2014 - 10:56</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1vargas.jpg?itok=_TruCoIg"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1vargas.jpg?itok=_TruCoIg" width="480" height="319" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From <a href="http://asianjournal.com/news/jose-antonio-vargas-applies-for-deferred-action/">Asian Journal</a> and reprinted by our content partner New America Media</strong>:</p> <p> </p> <p>LOS ANGELES — Pulitzer Prize-winning Filipino American journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who is arguably the most visible undocumented immigrant in America right now, has joined 10 other fellow undocumented immigrants in applying for temporary relief from deportation proceedings under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.</p> <p> </p> <p>The 11 people applied for DACA as part of the “1 of 11 Million” campaign launched on Wednesday, August 20, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The campaign is spearheaded by Define American, an immigrant-led media and culture advocacy group that clamors for comprehensive immigration reform that leads to a pathway for legalization of the over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US.</p> <p> </p> <p>Define American, which was also founded by Vargas, recently said in a statement that 11 undocumented immigrants’ move to apply for deferred action was done in hopes of “sparking a conversation around the complexities of the immigration system in America.” The 11 DACA applicants represent a diverse set of complex immigration cases from across the United States, Defined American also said.</p> <p> </p> <p>Vargas recently made headlines when he was captured and detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities at the US-Mexico border town of McAllen, Texas. The 33-year old journalist was at McAllen to reach out to the unaccompanied undocumented minors detained in border patrol custody. When he tried to fly out of the border town via McAllen airport, he was apprehended by ICE, and was subsequently detained and questioned for eight hours. When he was released, Vargas announced in a statement that he was issued an order to appear before immigration court for removal proceedings.</p> <p> </p> <p>With the “1 of 11 Million” campaign, Vargas hopes that the government will grant him and his 10 fellow applicants a four-year temporary reprieve from deportation by executing prosecutorial discretion. “Deferred action is a temporary solution, so I wouldn’t be deported for four years. I can get a work permit,” said Vargas in a Balitang America report. “I have caused my grandmother a lot of stress, more stress than she deserves, so this will be some sort of peace of mind,” he added.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2vargas.jpg" style="height:625px; width:469px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Vargas is joined by fellow undocumented immigrants Erika Aldape (Mexico), Maria Guadalupe Arreola (Mexico), Felipe Jesus Diosdado (Mexico), Maria del Rosario Duarte Villanueva (Mexico), Michaela Graham (Germany), Noemi Romero (Mexico), Eduardo Samaniego (Mexico), Yestel Velasquez (Honduras), Aly Wane (Senegal), and Jong-Min You (South Korea).</p> <p> </p> <p>Samaniego, 22, told Balitang America that the proponents of the “1 of 11 Million” campaign hope that their actions would “humanize the debate on immigration.” “We speak about why we’re here, what our families are going through, why it is necessary to be relieved from deportation,” Samaniego was quoted as saying.</p> <p> </p> <p>President Barack Obama has recently expressed his intentions to use executive powers in providing a solution to America’s broken immigration system. Samaniego believes that Obama “has the power to take actions, the power to exercise prosecutorial discretion, and protect the 11 million from deportation.”</p> <p> </p> <p>For his part, Vargas emphasized the need for administrative relief. “Our families need urgent relief now, and here’s the key question – just how inclusive and humane will President Obama’s executive action can be? Who will be left out and why?” Vargas said to Balitang America.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From <a href="http://asianjournal.com/news/jose-antonio-vargas-applies-for-deferred-action/">Asian Journal</a> and reprinted by our content partner New America Media</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/jose-antonio-vargas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">jose antonio vargas</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/deportation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">deportation</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/undoucumented-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">undoucumented immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/border-patrol" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">border patrol</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/washington-post" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Washington Post</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pulitzer-prize" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Pulitzer Prize</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Mico Letargo</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Asian Journal; Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:56:07 +0000 tara 5138 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4258-journalist-jose-antonio-vargas-applies-deferred-action#comments Obama’s Quick Fix Won’t Solve the Refugee Crisis https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4133-obama-s-quick-fix-won-t-solve-refugee-crisis <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 07/14/2014 - 11:25</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumobamademocrat%20%28NAM%29_2.jpg?itok=i06WkAL3"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumobamademocrat%20%28NAM%29_2.jpg?itok=i06WkAL3" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/07/obamas-quick-fix-wont-solve-the-regional-refugee-crisis.php">New America Media</a>:            </strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Opinion</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Editor's Note:</strong> <em>Rather than recognizing the humanitarian refugee crisis, the Obama administration is responding as though it were an immigration issue, writes Michelle Brané, director of the Migrant Rights &amp; Justice Program at the Women's Refugee Commission.</em></p> <p> </p> <p>In recent months, an unprecedented surge of refugee women and children has been traveling alone to the United States to seek protection at our southern border. The vast majority are fleeing their homes in the Central American countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, and risking their lives as they make long and incredibly dangerous journeys to seek refuge on our soil.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Women’s Refugee Commission has been closely monitoring this population since 2011. Through our research, we concluded over two years ago that without major changes in U.S. aid or foreign policy to the Central America region, the United States would continue to receive more vulnerable migrants due to the humanitarian crisis developing in the region. Organized crime, forced gang recruitment, violence against women, and weak economic and social systems are all contributing to the pervasive insecurity in these countries.</p> <p> </p> <p>The flow of refugees fleeing from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala has not only continued, but has increased dramatically and rapidly as violence in the region has escalated. And refugees are not only coming to the United States. The United Nations has found that asylum requests in the neighboring countries of Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize have skyrocketed by 712 percent since 2009.</p> <p> </p> <p>While some children may be seeking to reunite with their parents or family in the United States, the motivating factor forcing them from their homes is violence and persecution. The children we spoke with told us they feared they would die if they stayed in their home country, and although they might die during the journey, at least they would have a chance.</p> <p> </p> <p>Particularly concerning about the recent surge is that the children making the perilous migration journey are now younger than in years past. It has become common for children as young as 4-10 years old to be picked up and arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. Additionally, a higher percentage of the children are girls, many of whom arrive pregnant as a result of sexual violence. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recently conducted research with this population and found that 58 percent of the children interviewed raised international protection concerns.</p> <p> </p> <p>Children also come to the United States with their parents. Since 2012, the number of families arriving at the southern border of the United States has increased significantly. The vast majority of these families are made up of women with very young children and are fleeing the same violence and insecurity driving the refugee children.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumborderarticle_0.jpg" style="height:402px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Our country has a long and dedicated commitment to human rights, due process and the assurance that individuals who arrive at our borders seeking safety are not turned away without addressing their claims.</p> <p> </p> <p>Under international and domestic law, we have an obligation to properly screen and provide protection for unaccompanied minors, trafficking victims and asylum seekers who arrive at our borders. In recent months, however, the government has been unprepared and overwhelmed by the numbers of children and families in need. Rather than addressing the issue in a manner that is in line with our American ideals and recognizing it as a regional refugee situation, the Obama administration is looking for a quick fix and compromising our values and the lives of women and children in the process by responding as though it were an immigration issue.</p> <p> </p> <p>We are deeply concerned by the government’s recent announcement that it will drastically expand detention of families and will expedite the processing of asylum cases. Harsh detention and deportation policies endanger the well-being of children and families, present a risk that individuals with legitimate claims to asylum and other forms of protection will be summarily returned to countries where their lives are seriously threatened, and do not work as a deterrent against future migration. Additionally, the administration has proposed to roll back laws that are in place to protect children, in order to quickly and with no due process, deport kids back to the dangers they escaped.</p> <p> </p> <p>This humanitarian refugee crisis is a complex human tragedy and needs both short-term and long-term attention. It requires a holistic approach that prioritizes additional resources for addressing the root causes of this crisis, strengthening protection in the region, and reinforcing our protection and adjudication of claims, not blocking access to protection and sending women and children back to the dangerous situations they are fleeing without adequate due process. The United States must not compromise its long-standing commitment to humanitarian principles in the hope of finding a quick solution.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Michelle Brané is director of the Migrant Rights &amp; Justice Program at the Women's Refugee Commission.</em></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/07/obamas-quick-fix-wont-solve-the-regional-refugee-crisis.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/united-nations" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">United Nations</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/us-border-mexico" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">us border with mexico</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hispanic-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Hispanic immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/latino-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">latino immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/border-crossing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">border crossing</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Michelle Brané</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 14 Jul 2014 15:25:26 +0000 tara 4947 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4133-obama-s-quick-fix-won-t-solve-refugee-crisis#comments How Does the Obama Administration Propose to Fix the Immigration Crisis? https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4105-how-does-obama-administration-propose-fix-immigration-crisis <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 07/07/2014 - 11:14</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumobamademocrat%20%28NAM%29_1.jpg?itok=ux14R4z2"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumobamademocrat%20%28NAM%29_1.jpg?itok=ux14R4z2" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/07/obamas-chickens-coming-home-to-roost.php">New America Media</a>:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Commentary</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>James Russell Lowell wrote in 1870, “All our mistakes sooner or later surely come home to roost.” The older fuller form was curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost, meaning that your offensive words or actions are likely at some point to rebound on you. And, the offensive actions of President Barack Obama over the past six years in terms of mass deportations, prolonged incarcerations, streamlined removals, and border and interior immigration enforcement, have certainly come back to haunt him, his administration, and the U.S. Congress.</p> <p> </p> <p>The current humanitarian crisis of the explosive number of unaccompanied minors on the U.S. southern border, at last count 52,000, but increasing daily, is no mere accident. Over the past two years the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has tracked the incremental increase of minors attempting to cross the border, over two-thirds from Central American countries and the remaining one-third from Mexico.</p> <p> </p> <p>For example, DHS was aware that more than 25,000 minors arrived unaccompanied at the U.S. border seeking entry in 2013.</p> <p> </p> <p>Aside from doing nothing to address the underlying causes of this refugee exodus – failing states and collapsing economies in a region where the U.S. has historically meddled economically and militarily - it is a crisis that could easily have been anticipated and prepared for and not presented by the corporate media and the administration to the public as a sudden unexpected occurrence.</p> <p> </p> <p>And, yet, without seeming insensitive to the plight of tens of thousands of children and youngsters, this situation is symptomatic of a deeper systematic catastrophe. Record deportations, now exceeding 2 million, have resulted in devastating and near unprecedented separation of families; 25 percent of the deported are reported to have U.S.-born children; and an estimated 500,000 U.S. citizen minors find themselves in Mexico as undocumented Americans obliged to accompany their deported undocumented Mexican parents.</p> <p> </p> <p>In effect, these children find themselves exiled from their birthright to a land foreign to them.</p> <p> </p> <p>The number of similarly exiled youngsters to Central American countries are unavailable, but undoubtedly also large. Additionally, 36,000 privatized jail beds are permanently filled by the migrant adult wards of the state because they are arbitrarily budgeted to be so by Congress with the complicity of the president.</p> <p> </p> <p>The mutual acrimonious rhetoric and foot-dragging between the Democrats and Republicans related to “comprehensive immigration reform” has come to naught, as the country moves closer to November’s mid-term elections.</p> <p> </p> <p>Even the proposed legislation passed by the Senate last year, numbered S.744, is primarily enforcement laden and defers preferentially to the cheap labor demands of industry and agriculture.</p> <p> </p> <p>The brokered provisional legal status offered to the 11 million undocumented looks nothing like the generous amnesty signed into law by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Reputable legal experts estimate that less than 60 percent of the potential applicants would qualify for the tenuous status. Minimum wage-earning female heads of household with children, for example, would not qualify and therefore be held deportable.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumimmigrationrally%20%28Boss%20Tweed%20Flickr%29_1.jpg" style="height:401px; width:600px" /></p> <p>In effect, America’s immigration system is in structural and social crisis as policy-makers and legislators seek to transition away from family reunification in deference to a labor skills-based point system to legally immigrate to the U.S. Under such an immigration regime most Mexicans and Central Americans would not pass muster, although they make up the bulk of today’s undocumented population.</p> <p> </p> <p>But, back to the unaccompanied minors -- President Obama’s press conference this past Monday sought to allay fears about his capacity to deal with the challenge, demonstrate his commitment to secure the border, declare another ultimatum to Republican House members to pass immigration reform by the end of summer, and threaten use of executive action to address the system’s inadequacies in absence of legislation.</p> <p> </p> <p>He will request $2 billion from Congress immediately upon their return from the Fourth of July break to further militarize the border.</p> <p> </p> <p>Perhaps most important is what Obama did not share with the public. He feigned to his political left with yet another promise for executive action in a placating maneuver and once again delayed the moment to walk the walk. But, he steadfastly moved to the political right with his proposed emergency allocation to secure the border and his intention to seek expedited removal of the children refugees to their countries of origin, notwithstanding the 2008 bipartisan legislation approved under his predecessor, George W., to codify due process protections of unaccompanied minors – except for Mexicans and Canadians.</p> <p> </p> <p>Obama, the much heralded constitutional law professor and first black president of the U.S., will first have to attack the due process rights of children refugees and undo current legal protections and procedures put into place to safeguard their well-being, even if only temporarily, in order to expedite their deportation. This is the equivalent of Mexicanizing the Central American minors in that Mexican minors, being from a contiguous country, do not enjoy the same protections under the 2008 statute.</p> <p> </p> <p>The public little acknowledges that the U.S. Constitution, especially all of the inherent protections against government abuse and overreach, applies equally to the unaccompanied minors immediately upon setting foot on American soil, as it does to the most red-bloodied American amongst us.</p> <p> </p> <p>Shamefully, Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas (28th District) and Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, both Democrats, are working feverishly behind the scenes to clear the legislative path for President Obama to meet the humanitarian crisis with more stick and not much carrot. Removal of the Bush-era due process rights and protections is the task they have accepted.</p> <p> </p> <p>However, undermining the rights of these minors has ominous implications for the rights of all U.S. citizens. It is a fatal and futile attempt to plug the proverbial dam with a finger, which will only lead to greater crises.</p> <p> </p> <p>Yes, curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Copyright © 2014 – Nativo Vigil Lopez, Advisor to Hermandad Mexicana, founded in 1951.</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner New America Media</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama-administration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama administration</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/mexico-border" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">mexico border</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Nativo Vigil Lopez</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Boss Tweed (Flickr)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 15:14:16 +0000 tara 4914 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4105-how-does-obama-administration-propose-fix-immigration-crisis#comments What Americans Can Learn From Gabriel García Márquez About Immigration https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3966-what-americans-can-learn-gabriel-garc-m-rquez-about-immigration <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Thu, 05/08/2014 - 13:00</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1marquez.jpg?itok=UQ4ucefv"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1marquez.jpg?itok=UQ4ucefv" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>From our content partner, <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/05/what-americans-can-learn-from-gabriel-garcia-marquez-about-immigration.php">New America Media</a></p> <p> </p> <p>With Congress stalled on immigration reform and the Obama administration reconsidering its priorities, Americans might be surprised to learn that recently deceased global citizen Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014) offers some well-informed insights into immigration issues.</p> <p> </p> <p>The 1982 Nobel Laureate in Literature lived most of his adult life as an immigrant, and was once an undocumented worker -- in Venezuela, from late 1957 to early 1959. His first immigration experience was in France, where he lived in the mid-1950s with full documentation, working as a journalist for the liberal Colombian newspaper, <em>El Espectador</em>. Soon after arriving, however, he was left unemployed when Colombian dictator Gustavo Rojas Pinilla ordered the closing of all liberal media. During the remainder of his stay in France, García Márquez dedicated his time to writing the foundational Macondo stories that would eventually lead him to the novel <em>One Hundred Years of Solitude</em>, and literary fame. The remainder of his time in Paris, however, involved basic survival—sometimes even collecting bottles on the streets to earn money for food, and negotiating his residency at a small Parisian hotel, on credit, with promises to pay later.</p> <p> </p> <p>The next stage of his life took him to Venezuela, where he was employed as a journalist writing articles, mostly on political topics. In the 1950s, Colombia’s relationship with Venezuela was in some ways comparable to the relationship today between Mexico and the United States: many Colombians were fleeing to Venezuela to escape violence and seek employment in a nation enjoying a petroleum boom. The Venezuelan government was systematically inviting gallegos (Spaniards from Galicia) and Italian guest workers in order to avoid the potential unionization of workers from Venezuela and Colombia.  In a magazine article published in 1959 under the title, Adiós, Venezuela, García Márquez questioned the government’s manipulation of the workforce. He argued, among other things, for better wages—the equivalent of a “living wage”—for the visiting workers from Galicia and Italy.</p> <p> </p> <p>In France, García Márquez lived the experience of the impoverished immigrant, and in Venezuela he lived the life of the undocumented worker whom he attempted to defend with his writing. The presence of gallegos in the latter contributed to his identification with the workers, for some of his own relatives had originally come from Galicia. In Venezuela, then, García Márquez was acutely aware that the story of immigrant workers was indeed his own story. No doubt drawing on his own experience, he proclaimed Latina America to be “a land of second generations” in his 1959 article, later republished in 1971 as a book titled, <em>Cuando era feliz e indocumentado</em> (When I was happy and undocumented).</p> <p> </p> <p>After Venezuela, García Márquez became a global citizen, spending most of his adult life in Mexico as well as being a frequent visitor to his own personal residences in Spain and France.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumimmigrationreform%20%28NAM%29_0.jpg" style="height:335px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>As the immigration debate becomes increasingly intense and perhaps excessively polarized in the United States, the lessons we can learn from the most widely read public intellectual in Latin America are twofold: On the one hand, he reminds us that human movement across borders has historically been a regular and healthy occurrence in the Americas, for those nations that have embraced and not rejected their immigrants. In this sense, the current situation in the U.S. might not be as exceptional (or complex) as it may seem. On the other hand, the supposed dichotomy between documented citizens and undocumented residents is not as black-and-white as some political sectors attempt to portray it -- the undocumented not only provide a labor force, but they are also the parents of future graduate students, future scientists and future Nobel Laureates in literature, as was the case for that grandchild of gallegos, the once undocumented writer, Gabriel García Márquez.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p><em>Raymond L. Williams teaches Latin American literature at the University of California, Riverside. He is the author of several books, including two on García Márquez, and holds the titled of Distinguished Professor.</em></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/05/what-americans-can-learn-from-gabriel-garcia-marquez-about-immigration.php">New America Media</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/gabriel-garcia-marquez" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Gabriel Garcia Marquez</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/one-hundred-years-solitude" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">one hundred years of solitude</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/latin-america" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Latin America</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Raymond L. Williams </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Thu, 08 May 2014 17:00:07 +0000 tara 4683 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3966-what-americans-can-learn-gabriel-garc-m-rquez-about-immigration#comments The Obama Administration’s Immigration Problem https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3908-obama-administration-s-immigration-problem <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 04/14/2014 - 10:32</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1immigrationdeportation.jpg?itok=vC4AJXBI"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1immigrationdeportation.jpg?itok=vC4AJXBI" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>From <a href="http://immigrationimpact.com/2014/04/08/new-reports-undermine-obama-administrations-claims-about-deportations/">Immigrationimpact.com</a> and republished by our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/04/new-reports-undermine-obama-administrations-claims-about-deportations.php">New America Media:</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Immigrant advocates and serious researchers have known for years that the deportation dragnet cast by the Obama administration is capturing thousands and thousands of people who pose no serious threat to public safety. Last week, the <em>New York Times</em> and the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University each independently confirmed this conclusion. They did so through comprehensive analyses of data obtained from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests (not included were deportation numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection). Both investigations thoroughly undermine the administration’s claim that it is going after “criminals, gang bangers, people who are hurting the community, not after students, not after folks who are here just because they’re trying to figure out how to feed their families.”</p> <p> </p> <p>The principal finding of the <em>Times</em> investigation is a damning indictment of an administration that has claimed repeatedly to be targeting the worst of the worst violent, foreign-born criminals. In reality, according to the <em>Times</em> analysis, “two-thirds of the nearly two million deportation cases involve people who had committed minor infractions, including traffic violations, or had no criminal record at all.” In contrast, only “20 percent—or about 394,000—of the cases involved people convicted of serious crimes, including drug-related offenses, the records show.”</p> <p> </p> <p>The investigation found that the largest increases in deportations under President Obama have involved unauthorized immigrants “whose most serious offense was listed as a traffic violation, including driving under the influence. Those cases more than quadrupled from 43,000 during the last five years of President George W. Bush’s administration to 193,000 during the five years Mr. Obama has been in office.” At the same time, “removals related to convictions for entering or re-entering the country illegally tripled under Mr. Obama to more than 188,000.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Likewise, the TRAC report found that from Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 to FY 2013, “two large categories that ICE has classified as convicted criminals shot way up: those with a traffic violation (up 191 percent) and individuals convicted of immigration offenses (up 167 percent).” In FY 2013, “these two categories comprised half of all those classified by ICE as ‘criminal’ deportees.”</p> <p> </p> <p>TRAC finds this ironic at best considering that former ICE Director John Morton on June 30, 2010, called for “a renewed focus on finding and deporting ‘convicted criminals’ who posed a serious threat to public safety or endangered national security.” Yet “the number of individuals deported who have been convicted of any criminal offense apart from an immigration or traffic violation has actually declined.” In other words, “the trumpeted increase in the number of ‘convicted criminals’ ICE has deported resulted entirely from jacking up the deportation of noncitizens whose most serious criminal conviction was a traffic or an immigration offense.”</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/mediumobamacolorlines_2.jpg" style="height:375px; width:600px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>TRAC found that, in FY 2013, the top three criminal convictions among deportees were illegal entry into the country (46,759), driving under the influence (29,852), and traffic offenses (15,548). Also populating the top-20 list were other immigration offenses, such as illegal re-entry into the country (3,992) and possession of fraudulent immigration documents (1,994). Compared to traffic and immigration offenses, relatively few deportations involved individuals convicted of more serious crimes, such as larceny (3,845), burglary (3,076), and domestic violence (1,849). This emphasis on immigration and traffic violations is indicative of some very skewed enforcement priorities.</p> <p> </p> <p>These reports come on the heels of 90 nationwide events protesting the mass deportations that are now taking place. In March, President Obama called for a review of deportation policies in an effort to make them more “humane.” His administration would do well to practice what it preaches and focus the nation’s immigration enforcement resources on the apprehension of people who are dangerous—not people who have gotten traffic tickets.</p> <p> </p> <p>From <a href="http://immigrationimpact.com/2014/04/08/new-reports-undermine-obama-administrations-claims-about-deportations/">Immigrationimpact.com</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obama-administration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Obama administration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/deportations" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">deportations</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/immigration-reform" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">immigration reform</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/illegal-immigrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">illegal immigrants</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/obtaining-visas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">obtaining visas</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/criminals" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">criminals</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/migrants" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">migrants</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Walter Ewing</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:32:54 +0000 tara 4590 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3908-obama-administration-s-immigration-problem#comments