2019-09-15: News Headlines

Staff (2019-09-15). Tohono O'odham Nation: 'All These Areas Can Collapse'. therealnews.com Tohono O'odham Nation Members voice their objections to Trump's border wall and the disruption of the lives of the people and animals that have lived there for centuries…

The Canary (2019-09-15). Refugee boats carrying children, women and men intercepted after French camp clearances. thecanary.co Small boats carrying children, women and men have been intercepted off the Kent coast after a wave of refugee camp clearances in France.At least two Border Force vessels, carrying what appeared to be around a dozen refugees and asylum seekers in orange life-vests, were seen pulling into Dover on Sunday morning.It is understood more UK-bound boats were caught before reaching British shores — although events are still unfolding.The Home Office said it was "aware of ongoing incidents".A couple thought to be migrants after being brought to shore by Border Force officers (Gareth Fuller/PA)It comes days after Bord…

RT (2019-09-15). Yang says SNL novice should not be fired over Chinese racial slur, drowned out by PC crowd. rt.com Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has said that Saturday Night Live's new hire Shane Gillis should not be sacked for making a tasteless joke after a clip of him mocking Chinatowns resurfaced, setting Twitter alight. | Yang, a son of immigrants from Taiwan, struck a distinctly different tone from most online warriors when he said he would be "happy to sit down and talk" with Gillis about the ill-fated clip that resurfaced on Friday. The video shows the comedian tearing into Chinatowns and their inhabitants. | "Damn, Chinatown is f**king nuts," Gillis says in the clip, referring to the ability of Chi…

teleSUR (2019-09-15). AOC's Face Burned in Republican Party Video to Slam Socialism. telesurenglish.net The United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar slammed a video aired during the Democratic Debate Thursday which showed her fellow Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez's burning face while a former congressional candidate spo…

Fight Back (2019-09-15). USF students demand no immigration authorities on campus. fightbacknews.org Tampa, Fl – On September 10, students at the University of South Florida (USF) participated in a national day of action that was called by National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to speak out against the Trump administration's attacks on undocumented immigrants. The event was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Over 30 students and staff attended. | During President Donald Trump's tenure, his administration has engaged in escalating attacks against undocumented immigrants. Some of these attacks include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining undocumented children in h…

Fight Back (2019-09-15). USF students demand no immigration authorities on campus. fightbacknews.org Tampa, Fl – On September 10, students at the University of South Florida (USF) participated in a national day of action that was called by National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to speak out against the Trump administration's attacks on undocumented immigrants. The event was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Over 30 students and staff attended. | During President Donald Trump's tenure, his administration has engaged in escalating attacks against undocumented immigrants. Some of these attacks include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining undocumented children in h…

teleSUR (2019-09-15). Bolivia, Paraguay Agree to Join Forces to Stop Wildfires. telesurenglish.net A total of 5,500 men, 193 vehicles, 40 tanker trucks, 25 ambulances and 19 planes among other devices, including the sum of US$15 million donated by the Bolivian government and other US$2.2 million in international help, were to be mobilized in order to fight wildfires at the border between Paraguay and Bolivia, the governments in both states have announced. | RELATED: | Bolivian Indigenous People Join Efforts to Recover From Fires | Last week, the Paraguayan congress declared a…

Staff (2019-09-15). Common Insecticide Threatens Survival of Migrating Birds. truthout.org | | Migrating songbirds exposed to small amounts of a neonicotinoid pesticide suffered weight loss and migration delays, both of which could reduce their chances of survival, according to a new study. | The study is the first to examine the impacts of neonicotinoids—in this case, one called imidacloprid—on wild birds and suggests the pesticides are putting migrating birds at risk during their migration, which hampers their ability to survive and, ultimately, reproduce. | "The sublethal effects of…

Joe Piette (2019-09-14). Protest of India's rule over Kashmir. workers.org Chanting "From Kashmir to Palestine, occupation is a crime," over 100 people, mostly immigrants from Kashmir, rallied on Sept. 6 outside the Masjid Al-Madinah Upper Darby Islamic Center near Philadelphia to call attention to India's recent human rights' abuses and violations of Kashmir's sovereignty. | Continue reading Protest of India's rule over Kashmir at Workers.org

unitedEditor (2019-09-14). Trump and Mexico: a step toward restoring order on the border. uwidata.com On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court reaffirmed the president's right to limit asylum requests for migrants from Central and South America. Trump hailed the decision as a "big victory," while his opponents issued heavy criticism. According to the new ruling, migrants who cross over the United States' southern border will be required to prove that …

Staff (2019-09-14). Schools Should Do Away With English-Only Policies and Racist Dress Codes. truthout.org | | Immigrants are under attack and racist acts of violence are on the rise. In this context, it is doubly unconscionable that many educational programs that purportedly aim to nurture students of color instead subject them to "English-only" policies and dress codes aimed at curtailing expressions of their racial, cultural and religious identities. | English-only policies persist in a number of different contexts, including schools and some workplaces. According to the Center for Applied Lingu…

WSWS (2019-09-14). No letup in Trump's war on immigrants as 37-year-old Mexican man dies in ICE custody. wsws.org The recent Supreme Court ruling effectively eliminating the right to asylum is but the latest and sharpest expression of the attack on the rights of immigrants.

Sam Pizzigati (2019-09-13). Canadian health care getting attention in U.S. election; how about income inequality? peoplesworld.org OTTAWA, Ont. (PAI)—South of the border, in the United States, we tend not to pay much attention to our northern neighbors. Entire election cycles can come and go without anyone running for national office saying anything significant about Canada. But that all changed of late. Canada now looms large in our politics, mainly because many …

Kathy Kelly (2019-09-13). A Morning in Afghanistan. dissidentvoice.org On a very warm September morning in Kabul, several dozen men, women, and children sit on the carpeted floor of a room at the Afghan Peace Volunteers' Borderfree Center. The women cluster together. All wear burqas, but because of the heat they push the steel blue veils back, revealing their faces. Most of the men …

Debbie Nathan (2019-09-13). An Asylum Officer Speaks Out Against the Trump Administration's "Supervillain" Attacks on Immigrants. theintercept.com Asylum officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, were reeling after John Lafferty, director of the asylum division, was replaced on Monday by Andrew Davidson, former deputy associate director for USCIS's fraud detection and national security directorate. Then came the Supreme Court's ruling Wednesday reinstating the Trump administration's "third-country" rule, which effectively denies asylum to all Central American immigrants if they passed through another country on the way…

Ellie Dorritie (2019-09-13). Buffalo demonstrates solidarity with El Paso Firme. workers.org Im/migrant rights supporters held a rally and march in Buffalo, N,Y., on Sept. 7 in solidarity with El Paso Firme, taking place in El Paso, Texas, on the same day. The National Action Against White Supremacy was called by the Border Network for Human Rights, RAICES Texas, the National Day . . . | Continue reading Buffalo demonstrates solidarity with El Paso Firme at Workers.org

Staff (2019-09-13). Resisting a World That Privileges Whiteness—While We Still Can. truthdig.com "My Time Among the Whites: Notes From an Unfinished Education" | A book by Jennine Capó Crucet | In the past couple of years, a new trend has emerged that can best be described as post-Trump Latinx literature. By "post-Trump," I mean a nascent body of literature that critiques Trump and the ideology he represents, a counter-archive to the white supremacy that dominates the news. As Latinx authors contend with Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric, which casts all immigrants as Mexicans and all Mexicans as criminals, this work has been a site of resistance, of hope, of sorrow. | This still-forming canon began with tw…

Yasin Khan (2019-09-13). Rideshare Drivers are Employees, Not Contractors. counterpunch.org In 2015, Waheed Etimad immigrated with his wife and their children to the United States from Afghanistan, where he'd been a translator for the U.S. Army. Etimad began taking courses at Diablo Valley College, studying to become a computer engineer while driving full time for Uber at night. People who knew Etimad called him a More

Staff (2019-09-13). "Racism in America Is Endemic": Democratic Candidates Vow to Confront White Supremacy & Legacy of Slavery. democracynow.org During the third Democratic debate Thursday night, the discussion of race and racism got personal for former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, who brought up last month's El Paso massacre. He said the white gunman who killed 22 people, mostly Latinos, had driven to the border city "to kill people who look like me." Former Texas Congressmember Beto O'Rourke, who is from El Paso, said racism is endemic and foundational of the United States. He mentioned that this year will mark the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved African being brought to America, and promised he would create a slavery reparations commission.

Staff (2019-09-13). Should Latinos Trust Biden? Former VP Refuses to Criticize Obama's Deportation of 3 Million People. democracynow.org Debate moderator Jorge Ramos of Univision grilled former Vice President Joe Biden over the Obama administration's deportation record. Biden refused to answer whether he did anything to prevent Obama from deporting a record 3 million people.

Maryam Saleh (2019-09-12). With Trump in Office, Newspapers Increasingly Quoted Anti-Immigrant Groups Without Explaining Who They Were. theintercept.com A new study found that, as far-right groups gained influence in the halls of power, major newspapers quoted them without noting their nativist bent.

David Bacon (2019-09-12). More Than a Wall: Photos of 30 Years of Life Along the US-Mexico Border. thenation.com More Than a Wall: Photos of 30 Years of Life Along the US-Mexico Border…

Staff (2019-09-12). Headlines for September 12, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Denies Protected Status to Bahamians as 2,500 Listed as Missing, Supreme Court Allows Trump's Asylum Ban to Take Effect, "I Don't Want to Die": Honduran Teen with Cystic Fibrosis Says Deportation Would Kill Him, 37-Year-Old Mexican Man Dies in ICE Custody, the 8th Such Death This Fiscal Year, Reporters Barred from Secretive Immigration Tent Courts on Southern Border, Sacklers Would Remain Billionaires & Admit No Wrongdoing Under Tentative Opioid Settlement, Trump Says FDA Will Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes, U.N. Investigators Say U.S.-Led Forces Committed War Crimes in Syria, Skyrocketing Violence Continues Ahea…

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-11). Venezuela's Maduro Warns of Colombia 'Threat' as Trump Fires Bolton. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuelan military exercises along the border started on Tuesday.

Fight Back (2019-09-10). Hezbollah shoots down Israeli drone. fightbacknews.org Washington DC — The progressive Lebanese political party Hezbollah announced early September 9 that its military forces had shot down an Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) over Lebanon. | In a statement, Hezbollah's media relations office said their forces "repelled with appropriate weapons an Israeli drone as it crossed the Palestinian-Lebanese border towards the southern town of Ramieh." | "The drone was downed in the outskirts of the town and now it is in the hands of the Resistance fighters," the statement added. | Israel frequently violates Lebanon's airspace and launched an August 25 drone attack o…

Fight Back (2019-09-10). Hezbollah shoots down Israeli drone. fightbacknews.org Washington DC — The progressive Lebanese political party Hezbollah announced early September 9 that its military forces had shot down an Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) over Lebanon. | In a statement, Hezbollah's media relations office said their forces "repelled with appropriate weapons an Israeli drone as it crossed the Palestinian-Lebanese border towards the southern town of Ramieh." | "The drone was downed in the outskirts of the town and now it is in the hands of the Resistance fighters," the statement added. | Israel frequently violates Lebanon's airspace and launched an August 25 drone attack o…

Staff (2019-09-10). "They Need Our Help": Bahamian-American Lawmaker Urges U.S. to Let In Storm Survivors Seeking Refuge. democracynow.org The death toll in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian hit 50 Monday and is expected to keep rising exponentially. Many survivors of the Category 5 storm are now seeking refuge in the United States. At least 4,000 hurricane survivors have traveled to the U.S. since the hurricane hit, but many more are facing a struggle with paperwork and mounting confusion about what's necessary to gain entry. Over the weekend, more than 100 people seeking aid and refuge in the U.S. were turned away after boarding a ferry bound for Florida. Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan said that the U.S. is consi…

Staff (2019-09-10). An Invisible Crisis: Thousands of African Migrants Are Stranded in Mexico Hoping to Head North. democracynow.org Hundreds of African migrants in Mexico are protesting the country's refusal to grant them transit visas to travel to the United States or Canada, where they want to apply for asylum. For months, thousands of African migrants have been forced by the Mexican government to stay in the southern state of Chiapas, on the Guatemalan border. Many of them have been sleeping in tent cities, cooking on the streets and bathing their children in buckets, without the promise of shelter, food or work permits. The long waits for African migrants began in June, when it was reported that Mexican immigration authorities were ignori…

Staff (2019-09-10). From a Lebanese Refugee Camp to Harvard, Ismail Ajjawi Inspires Other Palestinian Students. democracynow.org Today marks a week since Ismail Ajjawi, a 17-year-old Palestinian student who was denied entry into the United States, began classes with his fellow Harvard freshmen. Ajjawi was initially turned away at Boston's Logan Airport after immigration officials searched his phone and computer, and interrogated him about his religion and social media posts by friends that were critical of U.S. policy. He was then forced to return home to Lebanon, but his case provoked outrage on the Harvard campus and among some Palestinian rights and academic freedom groups. Ajjawi, who is attending Harvard on a full scholarship, was edu…

Staff (2019-09-09). Trump's Remain in Mexico Program Condemns Refugees to Mortal Danger. therealnews.com Those seeking refugee status in the United States at the US-Mexico border are now forced to remain in Mexico while their refugee status is being processed. Laura Carlsen spoke to refugees and advocates on the Mexican side, in Tijuana…

Staff (2019-09-09). "No Accountability": FBI Investigates ICE Shooting of Undocumented Man in Nashville Suburb. democracynow.org The FBI is investigating the shooting of an undocumented immigrant by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a traffic stop last week. The shooting occurred Thursday at a supermarket parking lot in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville, where workers often gather to be picked up for a day's work. ICE agents were attempting to detain an unnamed 39-year-old Mexican man, who reportedly attempted to flee in a white box truck, when one of the agents shot him twice. It has now been revealed that the ICE agent involved in the shooting is one of the officers who made headlines in July after community members blocke…

Staff (2019-09-09). Headlines for September 9, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Calls Off Secret Afghanistan Meeting, Putting Fate of Possible Peace Deal in Question, Bahama Grapples with Hurricane Dorian's Devastation as U.S. Turns Away Asylum Seekers, FBI Investigates Shooting of Undocumented Man by ICE Agent in Tennessee, Trump Admin Failing to Provide Legal Aid for Migrant Children, 8.5-Month-Pregnant Asylum Seeker Kicked Out of U.S. Under "Remain in Mexico" Policy, U.S. Air Force & House Dems Investigate Spending at Trump's Scottish Turnberry Resort, Heating of Pacific Ocean Threatens Marine Life, Endangered Species, Israeli Military Fatally Shoots Two Palestinian Teens in Gaza, S…

Fight Back (2019-09-07). Texas protest says "No kids in cages" fightbacknews.org Arlington, TX – 60 people showed up at a protest organized by the Progressive Student Union (PSU) at the University of Texas at Arlington, September 4, against the Trump administration's change to of policy on the detention of undocumented children. | Mark Napieralski, an organizer from the Progressive Student Union, spoke about how the Flores Agreement banned holding children indefinitely – and how the Trump administration is moving to keep children in indefinite detention in concentration camps along the southern border. | Speakers at the rally included Minister Katie Hays from the Galileo Church and Harold Ch…

Fight Back (2019-09-07). Texas protest says "No kids in cages" fightbacknews.org Arlington, TX – 60 people showed up at a protest organized by the Progressive Student Union (PSU) at the University of Texas at Arlington, September 4, against the Trump administration's change to of policy on the detention of undocumented children. | Mark Napieralski, an organizer from the Progressive Student Union, spoke about how the Flores Agreement banned holding children indefinitely – and how the Trump administration is moving to keep children in indefinite detention in concentration camps along the southern border. | Speakers at the rally included Minister Katie Hays from the Galileo Church and Harold Ch…

Michael Atkinson (2019-09-06). Immigrant Song: 'I'm Leaving Now'. progressive.org A new documentary trains our focus on an underexposed slice of the immigration dynamic: the urge to return home.

splcenter (2019-08-30). Weekend Read: Trump's anti-immigrant campaign gets even crueler. splcenter.org The list of cruelties that the Trump administration is inventing in its zeal to punish migrants and their children keeps getting longer and more extreme.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-28). Report: One Venezuelan Migrant Killed Every Day in Colombia. venezuelanalysis.com Criminal activity and xenophobic attacks have been cited among the main causes.

CounterSpin (2019-08-23). Sasha Abramsky on Trump's New Attack on Immigrants. fair.org Media…

ACLU (2019-08-22). A Louisiana Parish Jailed a U.S. Citizen for Being Latinx. We're Suing. aclu.org Officers in a Louisiana jail held a U.S. citizen for four days on an immigration hold simply because of his skin color and name. | Ramon Torres had been a U.S. citizen for nearly ten years when he was detained for four days on an immigration hold — despite having a U.S. passport, a Louisiana driver's license, and a Social Security card, and despite that fact that a court ordered his release. | Torres' ordeal began in August 2018, when he was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Torres, a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2009, was carrying multiple forms of identification, inclu…

ACLU (2019-08-19). Trump is Taking More Money for Raids and Detention. Congress Should Stop Him. aclu.org Without congressional checks, ICE and CBP will continue to overspend and overstep. | 08/27/19 Update: Congress made public today a document outlining the Department of Homeland Security's plan to take nearly $280 million in funds meant for FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the TSA, among other critical priorities. Over $115 million of these funds will go towards President Trump's growing detention and deportations of immigrants, with the rest being used for sham border courts to…

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-08). Venezuelan Campesinos' March on Miraflores Blocked by Police. venezuelanalysis.com The mobilization marked the one-year anniversary of the Admirable Campesino March.