Daily Archives: July 20, 2019

2019-07-20: News Headlines

Liberation Staff (2019-07-20). 800 US protests: Close the camps, free the children. liberationnews.org Thousands take to the streets in protest of torturous conditions inflicted on immigrant children and parents.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2019-07-20). Community Discussion on Attacks on Immigrants. indybay.org 1741 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley…

WSWS (2019-07-20). US immigration agents use children to inflict terror on migrant families. wsws.org Three recent incidents highlight the depravity of the US government's bipartisan war on immigrants, spearheaded by the Trump administration.

RT (2019-07-20). Cross-border drug traffic peaking thanks to focus on migrant crisis, US drug czar says. rt.com More drugs than ever are flowing into the US from south of the border as federal resources have been diverted to the migrant crisis, leaving Border Patrol hopelessly overstretched, the US drug policy chief has warned.

James L Cowan (2019-07-20). The Immigrant Crisis and the Democratic Party. indybay.org Redstone Building (room TBA) 2940 16th St., San Francisco…

teleSUR (2019-07-19). EU Commission Should Let Rescue Boats Dock, Rackete Asks. telesurenglish.net After being questioned by the Agrigento Prosecutor's office in Sicily on Thursday, the captain of the Sea Watch vessel, Carola Rackete, asked the new members of the European Commission (EC) to do everything possible to help migrants saved by humanitarian rescue boats. | RELATED: | Paris Awards Captains Rackete and Klemp for Humanitarian Work | "I sincerely ho…

Staff (2019-07-19). Headlines for July 19, 2019. democracynow.org 70 Catholics Arrested in Capitol Hill Protest of Trump's Immigration Policies, Asylum Seekers in Texas ICE Jail Launch Hunger Strike, House Democrats Grill Acting DHS Chief over Migrant Deaths and Squalid Jails, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Confronts DHS Chief over Racist & Sexist Border Patrol Posts, Trump Disavows "Send Her Home" Chant After Racist Attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Ilhan Omar Greeted in Minnesota with Chants of "Welcome Home", House Approves Minimum Wage Hike to $15 an Hour, Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Would Bring Overtime Pay, Union Rights, Trump to Nominate Anti-Union Lawyer Eugene Scalia as Labor S…

teleSUR (2019-07-19). 'Green Card Won't Save You': ICE Arrests Trinidad Card Holder. telesurenglish.net Social media samaritans are coming to the rescue of a Trinidadian native, Trevor James, who was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers despite being a Green Card holder. | RELATED: | Amazon Helps ICE Deport Migrants Using AI Technology: Report | ICE agents arrested the Caribbbean man at his job in North Carolina, sending him to a detention center in Atlanta, Georgia. | In a statement online, his sister, Solange James, explained he had been work…

Ramzy Baroud (2019-07-19). Who Killed Oscar and Valeria: The Inconvenient History of the Refugee Crisis. counterpunch.org History never truly retires. Every event of the past, however inconsequential, reverberates throughout and, to an extent, shapes our present, and our future as well The haunting image of the bodies of Salvadoran father, Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his daughter, Valeria, who were washed ashore at a riverbank on the Mexico-US border cannot be More

teleSUR (2019-07-19). Bolivia, Argentina Sign Agreement for Medical Care at Border. telesurenglish.net Health ministers from Bolivia, Gabriela Montaño, and Argentina, Adolfo Rubinstein, have signed this Friday an agreement for free medical care for their citizens in border areas and generate actions to deepen epidemiological surveillance. | RELATED: | Bolivia Works to Make Femicides Crimes Against Humanity | Montaño and Rubinstein initially signed the agreement in the city of La Quiaca, in the Argentinian province of Jujuy, and later signed it in the Bolivian town of Villazon (Potosi)…

Staff (2019-07-19). Border Patrol Agent Calls Migrant Prison Camp a "Scene From a Zombie Apocalypse" truthout.org | | The Border Patrol agent, a veteran with 13 years on the job, had been assigned to the agency's detention center in McAllen, Texas, for close to a month when the team of court-appointed lawyers and doctors showed up one day at the end of June. | Taking in the squalor, the stench of unwashed bodies, and the poor health and vacant eyes of the hundreds of children held there, the group members appeared stunned. | Then, their outrage rolled through the facility like a thunderstorm. One la…

teleSUR (2019-07-19). French Police Ready to Crack Down on Algerian Soccer Fans. telesurenglish.net Thousands of extra French police are set to be on duty later Friday in Paris and other major cities for the final of the Africa Cup of nations following exuberant street celebrations that has been used by the government and the far-right to spread racist views on French citizens with immigrant origins. | RELATED: | 'Les Bleus' Made France World Cup Champion, But Not Less Racist Nation | Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time on Friday when a fortuito…

United Nations (2019-07-19). Friday's Daily Brief: solidarity with Japan, call for DR Congo support, family-friendly workplaces, hottest June ever, Venezuela and Afghanistan updates. un.org In today's Daily Brief: UN stands in solidarity with Japan; avoid panic over DR Congo Ebola emergency; 'transformative shift' needed towards family-friendly work policies; hottest June EVER; Venezuelan migrant dangers; stop targeting Afghanistan civilians call.

susan_p (2019-07-19). Venezuela: Trump diverts Central America aid to Guaido as EU threatens more sanctions. greenleft.org.au United States President Donald Trump's administration is reportedly diverting more than US$40 million in aid destined for Central America to the Venezuelan opposition. | According to the Los Angeles Times, a memo from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) was handed to Congress on July 11 saying that $41.9 million was being handed to self-proclaimed "Interim President" Juan Guaido and his team. The memo argued that there is an "exigent" crisis involving US "national…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-07-19). With Petition to Congress, 100,000+ People Demand Green New Deal 'That Fixes Our Food System'. commondreams.org A coalition of environmental, farmworker, public health, and food safety advocacy groups on Thursday delivered to Congress a petition signed by more than 100,000 people which calls for a Green New Deal "that fixes our food system" to combat the climate crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/farmers_0.jpg

Staff (2019-07-19). Trump Bans Asylum Seekers at the Border in Violation of National and International Law. therealnews.com Litigator Angelo Guisado says Trump's tactics are proto-fascist, and stopping asylum seekers in transit through other countries violates standing U.S. law and international treaties…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-07-19). WATCH: Amid Extreme Anti-Refugee Push, Trump Displays Neither Interest Nor Knowledge of Asylum Seekers' Plight in Oval Office Meeting. commondreams.org Amid outrage this week over President Donald Trump's racist rhetoric and policies regarding asylum seekers and immigrants, critics expressed shock on Friday over a viral video of the president meeting with several refugees from all over the world in the Oval Office. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11626331362.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-07-19). "Trump Says Go Home, Ilhan's Community Says Welcome Home": Rep. Omar Greeted With Cheers of Love and Support in Return to Minnesota. commondreams.org "This is the perfect example of how we should be welcoming all immigrants and refugees to this country." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ilhan_omar_welcome.jpg

WSWS (2019-07-19). US investigators identify 70 current and former immigration agents in far-right, racist Facebook groups. wsws.org The announcement came after several Facebook groups connected to Customs and Border Protection agents were discovered to contain vulgar and sexually explicit posts.

pip.hinman (2019-07-19). Dutton's war on democracy. greenleft.org.au With the re-election of the Coalition government, conservatives have become emboldened to intensify their agenda of transferring even more wealth and power to the already dominant at the expense of the rest of us. | One sign of this is the rise in prominence of one the most hard-right figures in the Coalition: home affairs minister Peter Dutton. | Dutton has been at the centre of the Coalition government's efforts to whip up racist scapegoating and strengthen the state's repressive powers, a task for which he was well-prepared by his time in the Queensland police. | In 2014, he was appointed immigration minister…

Staff (2019-07-18). Saving the Vaquita Porpoise. truthdig.com Crossing the border into Mexicali is like entering a mosh pit of battered vehicles. There are no lanes, no order, drivers seem to merge on faith. My friend Vero and I are searching for an address to pick up something that we are to deliver to the crew of Sea Shepherd, the notorious defenders of the world's oceans. But our GPS is not up to speed; it's only telling us where to go after we've passed our turnoff. A man pushing a food cart motions for me to back up—I'm going down a one-way street the wrong way! | After much circling, reversing and dropped phone calls, someone's tio nods at us, then scans the sid…

Ryan Grim (2019-07-18). Chuck Schumer, in Meeting With Progressive Caucus, Said He Was Surprised House Democrats Waved Through the Senate Border Bill. theintercept.com The Senate minority leader said he had expected the House to pass a stronger bill, after which the two chambers would negotiate a compromise.

Swathi Shanmugasundaram (2019-07-18). John Tanton's Legacy. splcenter.org John Tanton, the racist architect of the modern anti-immigrant movement, has left behind a legacy that spawned more than a dozen nativist organizations, driven an anti-immigrant agenda for four decades, and found friends in the White House.

United Nations (2019-07-18). Thursday's Daily Brief: Mandela Day, war waning in Yemen? Deadly monsoon rains, zero hunger hopes fade, fifth anniversary of MH17 crash. un.org In today's Daily Brief: World celebrates Nelson Mandela; Security Council hears end of Yemen war may be in sight; South Asia children turned 'upside down' by monsoon rains; world 'off track' to meet zero hunger target; Italy urged to stop 'criminalising' migrant rescues…

RT (2019-07-18). 'Crisis in Queens': Immigrant from Jamaica announces Republican challenge to AOC in 2020. rt.com A new contender has entered the ring for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's House seat in New York, vowing to take the young congresswoman's spot in 2020 and condemning her for seeking self-promotion over public service.

Staff (2019-07-18). Jewish Activists of 'Never Again' Action Oppose Immigrant Detention Centers. therealnews.com Molly Amster of Jews United for Justice explains why the concentration camp analogy is more than just rhetoric when it comes to Trump's detention camps and policies…

United Nations (2019-07-17). Wednesday's Daily Brief: Ebola now an international Public Health Emergency, young peacemakers, defining moment for Sudan, war crimes fugitives, migrant 'crisis' in Hungary. un.org In today's Daily Brief: the DR Congo Ebola outbreak is officially declared an international Public Health Emergency; UN Youth Envoy briefs Security Council; an 'exciting and potentially defining' moment for Sudan, says UN adviser; more cooperation's needed to secure arrest of war crimes fugitives; and politicizing the migrant 'crisis' in Hungary…

splcenter (2019-07-17). SPLC sues Trump administration over new rule that makes migrants who pass through other countries ineligible for asylum. splcenter.org The SPLC and its partners filed a lawsuit and an emergency motion this week seeking to block a new Trump administration rule that categorically bars asylum for migrants who cross the southern border without applying for and being denied asylum in any country that they pass through on their way to the U.S.

Ramzy Baroud (2019-07-17). Who Killed Oscar and Valeria: The Inconvenient History of the Refugee Crisis. dissidentvoice.org History never truly retires. Every event of the past, however inconsequential, reverberates throughout and, to an extent, shapes our present, and our future as well The haunting image of the bodies of Salvadoran father, Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his daughter, Valeria, who were washed ashore at a riverbank on the Mexico-US border cannot be understood …

Janine Jackson (2019-07-17). 'Journalism Is Helping to Normalize the Concentration Camps' – CounterSpin interview with Arun Gupta on immigration abuses. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Arun Gupta on Trump's concentration camps for the July 12, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Staff (2019-07-17). Amazon Workers Demand Fair Pay & Conditions as Company Continues Undercutting Rivals. democracynow.org While online shoppers around the world flocked to Amazon's mega-sale "Prime Day" this week, the retail giant faced growing outrage from protesters, workers and lawmakers for its unsafe working conditions and collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Demonstrators in Seattle delivered a petition with over 270,000 signatures to Amazon headquarters demanding it stop exploiting workers and cooperating with ICE. Lawmakers, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ilhan Omar, co-signed a letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration demanding a full investigation into Amazon's wor…

Ryan Grim (2019-07-17). Maureen Dowd Asked Rahm Emanuel to Weigh In on an Immigration Debate. His Record Is Abysmal. theintercept.com When it comes to immigration, both the politics and the policy, perhaps no Democrat has been more destructive over the past 25 years than Rahm Emanuel.

United Nations (2019-07-17). Politicization of migrant 'crisis' in Hungary making them scapegoats, independent UN human rights expert warns. un.org Expressing deep concern over how migration and migrants themselves are being politicized and scapegoated in Hungary, an independent United Nations human rights expert on Wednesday urged the Government to immediately end its "crisis" approach to the issue.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-07-17). Venezuelan Campesinos Released After Security Forces Raid. venezuelanalysis.com A prompt mobilization from popular movements managed to secure their release.

John Washington (2019-07-17). The Migrant Crisis, Through the Eyes of Human Traffickers. thenation.com The Migrant Crisis, Through the Eyes of Human Traffickers…

Liberation Staff (2019-07-17). Free the children, close the camps. liberationnews.org Trump's racist statements against Mexicans and Central Americans is intended for one purpose: To stir up hatred of immigrants, to mobilize his base and deflect blame away from millionaires and billionaires, who are the real cause of the economic crisis and unemployment.

Staff (2019-07-16). Julián Castro Is Running for President & Supporting Striking Amazon & McDonald's Workers. democracynow.org Amid labor strikes against poor working conditions and low wages for Amazon and McDonald's workers, we speak with 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro about workers' rights, fair pay and where he stands on foreign policy, from China to Israel.

splcenter (2019-07-16). SPLC sues Florida officials over law requiring police to act as ICE agents. splcenter.org The SPLC and its partners sued top Florida officials today over a new state law that requires local police to act as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Fight Back (2019-07-16). Denver marches to close Trump's concentration camps. fightbacknews.org Aurora, CO – Hundreds of protestors marched from the Peoria transit station to the corporate-run GEO Group ICE Processing Center on July 12. The march was led by the Coalition to Close Concentration Camps. The coalition is composed of many local immigrant rights groups and community activists demanding President Trump close the camps. | Marchers chanted, "Close the camps! "Shut it down!" and "Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here!" They also proudly displayed signs reading "Abolish ICE," "Don't look away" and "Never again is now." One leader spoke about U.S. government intervention in Central Am…

Megan Klein (2019-07-16). Migrants Are Fleeing Something Worse. progressive.org Clearly, if the appalling conditions in detention centers are an improvement from what they are fleeing, these migrants have a sufficient basis for seeking asylum in the United States.

Staff (2019-07-16). Headlines for July 16, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Announces Radical Plan to Bar Almost All Migrants from Seeking Asylum at U.S. Border, Squad Rejects Trump's Racist Attacks & Calls for Impeachment as House Plans Resolution to Condemn, Protesters Call for Exit of Puerto Rican Gov. Rosselló After Leaked Text Messages, El Salvador Rape Survivor Being Retried for Homicide for Having Stillbirth, U.N. Report Accuses Venezuela's Special Forces of 1000s of Extrajudicial Killings, Workers and Activists Protest Amazon, Calling for an End to Labor Abuses, Collaboration with ICE, Washington Activist Protesting Immigrant Detention Shot Dead, Historian and Civil Rights…

Staff (2019-07-16). 2020 Hopeful Julián Castro Vows to Break Up ICE & Calls Trump's New Asylum Rule Unconstitutional. democracynow.org As Trump faced national rebuke for his racist comments against four progressive congresswomen, his administration announced a new rule essentially banning most immigrants from seeking refuge in the United States. The rule, which the ACLU has already vowed to challenge in court, would deny asylum to any migrant who failed to apply for protection in another country they passed through on the way to the U.S. border—including children traveling alone. If enacted, the law would effectively block people from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, as well as Haitians, Cubans and many people from African countries, who…

John Washington (2019-07-16). "Do We Believe in Asylum? If We Do, We Need to Stop This Rule": Trump Policy Upends Protections at U.S.-Mexico Border. theintercept.com A new rule bars asylum for people who passed through another country on the way to the U.S. Advocates call it "plainly illegal."

Staff (2019-07-16). Baltimore Says No To Trump's ICE Raids. therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (5/10)…

Staff (2019-07-16). Migrants Are Escaping Conditions the US Helped Create. therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (4/10)…

Staff (2019-07-16). "I Was One of Them" Asylum Seeker Reflects on Her Journey to the US. therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (1/10)…

Staff (2019-07-16). Undocumented Workers Have Rights & How the US Destabilized Honduras. therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (9/10)…

Staff (2019-07-16). "Frecia's Story is Very Common in Baltimore" therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (3/10)…

Staff (2019-07-16). 'It Requires a Lot of Courage to Share Your Story'. therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (10/10)…

Staff (2019-07-16). "What Can We Do About America's Immigration Crisis?" therealnews.com Episode 8 of Real Talk Tho: As Trump threaten immigration raids, how will Baltimore respond? (8/10)…