Archive for July, 2010
More States Step Up Against SB1070 and Copycat Laws
10:43 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Iowa|pennsylvania|utah · 1 Comment
5 Jul 2010As Macha’s post earlier this morning pointed out, there are cities and states across the country taking a stand against Arizona’s SB1070 and copycat measures that are popping up all over the country.
Last week, a network of lawmakers so far representing 28 states announced their rejection of Arizona’s law which essentially legalizes racial profiling against Latinos. They are doing this by pushing pro-migrant legislation as opposed to laws that, to steal a phrase from Obama’s speech on immigration last week, put more “boots on the ground”.
In Iowa, for example, wage-enforcement legislation that expands opportunities and defends the rights of all workers passed the State Senate in 2008. Although it was not enacted, legislators will introduce a similar bill in 2011. The legislation, proposed by Utah State Senator Luz Robles would enable legal immigrant children to receive preventive medical care through the federally-funded Medicaid and State Child Health Plus (SCHIP) programs without the current five year waiting period for immigrants included in President Obama’s recently passed health care package. In Pennsylvania, legislators have taken the lead in efforts to introduce and advance community policing and anti-racial profiling legislation. Such measures would bar state and local law enforcement officers from taking on the added responsibility of enforcing federal immigration laws, while helping to curb incidents of racial profiling in the event they are required to by courts or the law.
Support Human Rights
9:26 am By la Macha · Detriot|Immigration · 2 Comments
5 Jul 2010There have been pretty relentless ICE raids for about the past month in the area that I live. There has not been the massive round ups that have happened in other cities, but rather instead, the constant presence–the threat–has been hanging over the area, constantly reminding people of what could happen. A couple of people disappear here, a few more there–and it’s never quite enough to invoke outrage (or bring in the bad publicity of those massive raids) or mobilize the greater community.
That’s why it’s important to support smaller actions where ever we can. Ann Arbor (home of the University of Michigan) has legislation up for vote soon that would condemn SB1070. Not only is this morally good because it shows support to the people in Arizona–but it also would come within context of Michigan attempting to implement it’s own version of SB 1070.
Here is the call to action put out by the ACLU.
On Tuesday, July 6, Ann Arbor City Council will consider a resolution urging the repeal of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070. Adoption of this resolution, sponsored by Council members Sabra Briere and Sandi Smith, will make Ann Arbor the first Michigan city to go on record against the anti-immigrant law. Read the resolution draft here >>
Arizona SB 1070 requires local law enforcement to investigate a person’s immigration status based on only the vague notion of “reasonable suspicion” that the person is in the Country unlawfully. Not only does this law invite racial profiling, it forces local police to redirect scarce resources away from the prevention of serious crime.
Michigan’s House and Senate have recently introduced copycat legislation. Michigan cities should go on record opposing such dangerous, unfair and discriminatory laws that run counter to the American values of freedom and equality.
Using the form below, tell Ann Arbor City Council members, Mayor Hieftje and City Attorney Stephen Postema that you support this resolution and that Ann Arbor should continue its long tradition of support for human rights through its adoption.
Please sign and support the petition–it’s a little thing, but it may wind up meaning something huge to the people who are being terrorized by ICE.
Thanks.
Spies Like Us : Latin American Spies on the Fourth of July?
3:05 pm By Maegan La Mala · Colombia|Controversia|holidays|Media|Russia · 5 Comments
4 Jul 2010It seems more than strange on the 4th of July to write about accused spy Vicky Peláez, a reporter/writer for the NYC based Spanish language daily El Diario/la Prensa. ,
In case you have not been following the story,Peláez, a U.S. citizen Peruana, was arrested and is being accused of being a spy for Russia along with her husband, Juan Lazaro.
It us unclear what proof exists that Peláez, her husband, and others are spies and to what end they would be spying for Russia. Peláez and her husband’s home in Yonkers has been bugged by the Feds and upon their arrest, documents and computers were taken from the home.
Arizona not part of the Land of the Free This 4th of July Weekend
8:43 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Immigration · 1 Comment
3 Jul 2010Travel warnings are thought of as reserved for tourists and “American” diplomats traveling through “third world” countries dealing with coups and other political unrest. Certainly they are not thought of for states within the United States, and certainly not on the Fourth of July weekend, this is the land of the free after all. Unless of course we are talking about Arizona.
Some affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union have issued travel alert of sorts, aimed at warning Latinos and other people of color communities as to their rights when stopped by law enforcement.
“ACLU affiliates across the country are issuing these alerts because it is imperative that individuals understand their rights before traveling in Arizona,” said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. “Under Arizona’s racial profiling law, people who look ‘foreign’ are more likely to be stopped for minor infractions and then asked for their ‘papers’ if police believe, based on their appearance or accent, that they could be in the country unlawfully. We hope the alerts provide people with some measure of protection from illegal harassment from law enforcement and inform them of their rights should they encounter it.”
New York State Soon Not to Be a Secure Community for the Undocumented
9:05 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|New York · 1 Comment
2 Jul 2010NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been pushing his business backed vision for comprehensive immigration reform but the state that his city sits in soon will be a Secure Community state.
Secure Communities is a Bush Jr. policy, expanded under Obama, that gives local jails the power to turn over the fingerprints of the incarcerated to check the immigration status of those inside to I.C.E. so that individuals can be identified for deportation.
In May, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice services signed a Memorandum of Understanding with I.C.E. making NYS a Secure Communities state. You can see a copy of the M.O.U. here. (PDF file).
It’s raining oil…
8:46 am By la Macha · Environment|Health|Weather · 3 Comments
2 Jul 2010This is just about the most enraging thing I’ve seen in a while.
National Weather Service Science and Operations Officer Charlie Paxton says while it’s always possible a water spout could pick up some oil and carry it a short distance, the notion of black rain is just not possible. Paxton says that’s because oil does not evaporate. As a result, talk of black rain is just a myth.
Jalapnik.com mentions, however that “under normal environmental temperatures, oil does not evaporate, however with the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the effects of seawater emulsification and the introduction of BP’s dispersant of choice, Corexit 9500, may be allowing some degree of evaporation into the water cycle.”
Now, yes yes, of course, black rain isn’t possible, or it might be, who the hell knows. And this video may be video of the oil from somebody’s car mixing with rain. But maybe it’s not. Who knows.
The infuriating enraging part is that nobody knows. That we have to all sit and think now, what the hell are the implications of this massive oil spill that nobody anywhere seems to have any damn clue on how to stop. Is it possible to rain oil? Do you know? Do scientists to know? Does Jesus know?
Unitarian Universalists Stand on the Side of Love in Arizona
8:08 am By la Macha · Immigration · 3 Comments
2 Jul 2010As usual, the churches are leading the way in the pro-immigration movement.
During the presentation Saturday afternoon that preceded the debate and vote about holding a General Assembly in Arizona, the UUA introduced this six-minute video about Unitarian Universalists and Arizona SB 1070. The film, “Standing on the Side of Love in Arizona,” includes footage of the May 29 protest and march opposing SB 1070 and interviews with Arizona UUs whose lives have been affected by current U.S. immigration policies.
TODOS SOMOS ARIZONA
Reactions to Obama’s Speech on Immigration
7:24 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Media|Obama|Politics · 6 Comments
2 Jul 2010Organizations whose survival relies on the idea that comprehensive immigration reform is not dead or on the rise of the Democratic party machine, will take a speech like yesterday’s and spin it into a positive, over and over again. I understand that and in some ways you have to respect that tenacity.
The Center for American Progress lavished the strongest praise on the President:
President Barack Obama boldly showed today that he is neither giving up on immigration reform nor giving in to restrictionist measures like the one Arizona recently enacted.
The president demonstrated great courage and conviction as he reasserted that the only solution to repairing our broken immigration system is one enacted by the federal government that is tough, practical, and fair.
In an email sent out, SEIU took the president’s call to get Republicans moving on a bill seriously:
In his first major address on immigration reform this morning, President Obama rolled up his sleeves and called on Republicans again to work with him on fixing our broken immigration system.
Still, Republicans have refused to cross the aisle and work with him to deliver the comprehensive immigration reform that a vast majority of Americans want.
So we’re asking all our members and supporters to call on the Republicans in the Senate to join the President by working together to fix our broken immigration system.
Click here to call a Republican Senator: http://action.seiu.org/letsgettowork
Reform Immigration FOR America, took the same approach, shifting any blame from the president or his party and focusing on Republican legislative inaction.
The National Council of la Raza wasn’t as laudatory as it tends to be everytime Obama makes a speech. Their press release post-speech concluded:
“America needs an answer. Comprehensive immigration reform is the solution, and the time to act is now. Politicians who stand in the way or sit on the sidelines will be held accountable on Election Day,” concluded Murguía.
I wonder if that was meant to mean the President as well?
Not all organizations did their usual song and dance though.
Read more…
What You Didn’t Miss In President Obama’s Immigration Reform Speech
12:26 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Obama · 6 Comments
1 Jul 2010In case you missed our live tweet of Obama’s speech at American University on immigration, I bring bad news. You didn’t miss much.
You didn’t miss Obama’s beautiful and characteristic rhetoric and poetry.
You didn’t miss Obama’s using the usual lines about how immigrants make the U.S. what it is and how the U.S. is a nation of immigrants.
You didn’t miss Obama saying that he would not bow down to the pressure of misguided but well meaning immigrant advocates who want him to sign an executive order in the absence of a reform bill.
You didn’t miss Obama saying that enforcement on the southern border comes first and that he has told Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano to keep up the crackdown on the border especially now since thanks to him there are more “boots on the ground” at the U.S./Mexico border than ever before.
You didn’t miss Obama telling the undocumented, while calling them “illegals”, that they need to admit that they are criminals, pay taxes and fines, and learn English before they can get status.
You didn’t miss Obama telling employers to be accountable and not hire the undocumented.
You didn’t miss Obama referring to the DREAM Act as part of CIR but not as a a stand alone.
You didn’t miss Obama referring to AgJobs but not by name.
You didn’t miss Obama blaming the Republicans.
You can read what you didn’t miss after the jump where I will post the entire text of President Obama’s speech as released by the White House.
There is also a video available here
Read more…
You Too Can Ask Questions on Immigration After Obama’s Speech
9:04 am By Maegan La Mala · Blogs|Immigration|Media|Obama · 1 Comment
1 Jul 2010President Obama was credited with using online participatory tools to make some people feel like they had a role in his election campaign and now in his presidency. The White House is keeping up appearances and invites us all to submit questions post Obama’s speech on immigration this morning.
From the White House:
After the speech, we will also host a unique online engagement event – what we’re calling an “Open for Questions Roundtable” – with Cecilia Muñoz, one of the President’s closest advisors on the issue. Representatives from online media outlets examining several angles of the immigration issue will be there posing the questions on the minds of their readers — Forbes, which focuses on business and economic issues; the Examiner.com network which has citizen reporters in every state including more than 50 border state communities; CNET which focuses on the tech community; and Univision.com, which has covered the immigration debate as closely as anybody for years. And as we always do, we’ll be taking some of your questions live via Facebook as well.
Earlier this morning, as all of us Latino and other immigration bloggers mentally prepared ourselves for the task at hand, it was noticed that all of the “online” news outlets were actually fairly traditional news outlets, nothing really independent like say bloggers were represented.
But no matter there is the live White House Feed and we can all submit questions here, where apparently all the anti’s have camped out already. It’s just like being on a roundtable, right?
Hola!
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