(2020-01-27). Mongolia closes border with China, shuts down ALL universities & training centers to stop coronavirus spread. rt.com 
China's northern neighbor Mongolia has decided to close border crossings and all universities across the country, in a bid to stop the rapid spread of the previously-unknown coronavirus that has killed more than 80 people. | All border crossings with China will remain closed for vehicles and pedestrians from Monday until March 2, the state-run Montsame News Agency reported, citing a government meeting. No restrictions were placed on railways and air travel. | All universities, vocational training centers and the popular Nairamdal international youth camp will also be closed during this time period. | The gover…
(2020-01-27). Aid groups seek safe ports for nearly 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean. rt.com 
Nearly 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by two boats run by aid agencies were looking for safe ports in Malta and Italy, the groups said on Monday. The 'Ocean Viking' vessel run by SOS Mediterranee in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was carrying 407 people rescued in a total of five operations carried out over 72 hours. | Another 78 people were taken on board the 'Alan Kurdi', run by the Sea-Eye organization based in Germany. They were rescued in two operations. | Sea-Eye tweeted on Sunday that the 'Alan Kurdi' was headed for Italy, after Malta refused them a safe port. Ocean Viking has…
(2020-01-27). West Bengal becomes 4th Indian state to reject citizenship law. rt.com 
The state government in West Bengal has passed a resolution rejecting India's citizenship law that sparked widespread protests. New Delhi insists it's a humane piece of legislation aimed at protecting minorities. | On Monday the state of West Bengal, which borders Bangladesh, one of the three countries covered by the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed a resolution rejecting the legislation. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the law and the plan for a national population and citizenship registries (NPR and NRC) would be enforced in her state "over her dead body." She called on the repeal of the CAA. | Ba…
(2020-01-27). This week in history: January 27-February 2. wsws.org 25 years ago: US emergency loan to Mexico in peso crisisOn January 31, 1995, US President Bill Clinton invoked executive power to extend a $50 billion loan to Mexico amid the ongoing peso crisis. The bailout was motivated by the need to appease Wall Street investors and avert total international financial collapse. It was also an effort to deter a potential surge in immigration due to increased austerity measures and the instability of the Mexican economy.
(2020-01-27). United States Destroying O'odham Graves for Arizona Border Wall. indybay.org Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham, describes how the U.S. government and its contractor Southwest Valley Constructors, have dug up human remains, as they violate all state and federal laws to build the border wall.
(2020-01-27). 21,000 Syrian civilians flee attacks in Idlib in a day. yenisafak.com The intense attacks of Assad regime and its allies forced some 21,000 civilians to flee their homes in Idilb, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, over the last 24 hours, according to sources on the ground.Mohammad Hallaj, director of Syria's Response Coordination Group, said the forced migration gained momentum in Eriha and Jabal Zawiya regions of Idlib due to intensified attacks.The attacks by the Assad army, composed of regime forces and Iranian-backed terror groups, and Russian strikes stand as the main reasons behind the forced migration.The majority of the displaced people arrived at the camps near…
(2020-01-27). Sturgeon pushes for 'Scottish visa,' Home Office swiftly dismisses proposal. rt.com 
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has launched plans for a 'Scottish visa' to wrest some control over migration in the country away from Westminster as the rift between Johnson's government and the SNP grows. | Immigration is not currently a devolved area of government and the SNP has long called for Scotland to have greater control over handling its own migration issues, particularly given concerns about the country's ageing workforce and Brexit. Current EU freedom of movement rights are expected to expire when the UK leaves the bloc, with the British government saying they'll introduce a points-based…
(2020-01-26). Holidaymakers still confused about travel rules after Brexit. thecanary.co 
Travel firms are insisting that "everything will remain the same" for holidaymakers after Brexit.Warnings were issued last year about potential restrictions for foreign travel in the event of the UK withdrawing from the EU without an agreement.These included passports needing to be valid for six months after the end of trips and passengers not being allowed to use border queues designated for EU passport holders.A survey of 2,004 UK adults commissioned by the ferry industry earlier this month indicated that more than two-thirds of people (68%) were not sure what changes will apply for travel to EU countries after…
(2020-01-24). Headlines for January 24, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Managers Continue Opening Arguments in Trump's Senate Trial, 33 Million on Lockdown in Chinese Cities as Coronavirus Outbreak Spreads, Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis March to Demand U.S. Troop Withdrawal, Trump Invites Israeli Leaders to White House for "Peace Plan" Unveiling, Mexican Soldiers Attack Central American Migrant Caravan, Arresting 800, U.S. to Send Ambassador to Bolivia After Coup That Ousted Evo Morales, Puerto Rican Protesters Demand Ouster of Gov. Wanda Vázquez, SC Official Switches Presidential Endorsement from Biden to Sanders, National Archives Replaces Doctored Women's March Photo…
(2020-01-23). Anchors aweigh: White House announces crackdown on 'birth tourism,' to jeers, cheers, and confusion. rt.com 
Mothers-to-be traveling to the US to give birth in order to obtain automatic American citizenship for their children may find themselves denied visas under controversial new rules aimed at curbing 'birth tourism.' | Pregnant women visiting the US in order to take advantage of its "birthright citizenship" law to give birth to an American baby will be refused tourist visas under new rules that take effect Friday, the State Department has announced. Instead, they will be processed as foreigners seeking medical treatment – meaning they must prove they can afford not just medical care, but also the cost of living i…
(2020-01-23). Tim Robbins: Bernie Sanders Is the Best Shot We Have to Defeat Donald Trump. democracynow.org 
We continue our conversation with Academy Award-winning actor and director Tim Robbins, whose recent projects include the new film "Dark Waters" and a play about immigration called "The New Colossus." He recently endorsed Vermont senator and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for president. "I believe he is the only one of them that can defeat Trump," Robbins says.
(2020-01-23). "The New Colossus": In New Play, Tim Robbins Tackles Immigration & Xenophobia. democracynow.org 
President Trump said Wednesday that he would expand his highly controversial travel ban, which already bars citizens from seven countries, most of which have Muslim-majority populations — Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela — from entering the United States. Politico reports that the expanded ban could implement immigration restrictions on seven more countries: Belarus, Burma, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, according to two sources. We speak with acclaimed actor, director and activist Tim Robbins, whose recent work has focused on immigration to the United S…
(2020-01-23). 'It's Like Living in Solitary Confinement, but Out in the World'. thenation.com 'It's Like Living in Solitary Confinement, but Out in the World'
(2020-01-21). CBP Deported an Iranian Student With Valid Visa, Defying Court Order. aclu.org Last night, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deported an Iranian student with a valid visa, despite a federal court order prohibiting his removal. | Shahab Dehghani arrived at Boston Logan Airport on Sunday, January 19 to study at Northeastern University, where he was enrolled. Customs officials detained him and questioned him for hours, abruptly revoking his student visa, which the State Department granted after a year of intense vetting. | As CBP tried to put Shahab on the next available flight, supporters and friends gathered at night in the arrivals hall at Logan to demand that CBP stop deporting…
(2020-01-17). Interpretation Crisis at the Border Leads to Deportation of Mayan-Language Speakers Seeking Refuge. democracynow.org 
As the U.S. continues to use hostile policies to stop people from seeking refuge and asylum in the United States, we look at a key problem that is preventing migrants from getting due process, and in many cases getting them deported: inadequate interpretation for indigenous asylum seekers who speak Mayan languages. Guatemala has a population of 15 million people, and at least 40% of them are indigenous. In the past year, a quarter of a million Guatemalan migrants have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. At least half of them are Mayan. Many speak little or no Spanish. This is the focus of a new report in…
(2020-01-17). Headlines for January 17, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Impeachment Trial Opens as Accountability Office Says Trump Broke Law by Withholding Aid, Pentagon Contradicts Trump and Says 11 U.S. Troops Injured in Iranian Strikes, Senate Votes to Approve USMCA, Report: Six Banks Reaped $18 Billion Last Year from Trump Tax Cuts, Guatemalan Protesters Demand Outgoing President Be Arrested for Corruption, Deported Immigrant Rights Leader Jean Montrevil Sues U.S. Government, FBI Arrests 3 Suspected Neo-Nazis Ahead of Pro-Gun Rally in Richmond, Virginia, Florida Supreme Court Upholds Law Limiting Voting Rights for People with Felony Convictions, Harvard Law Students Prote…
(2020-01-13). Miller Dismisses DACA in Emails, Mirroring Anti-Immigrant Extremists' Views. splcenter.org White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller went against many Republicans when siding with white nationalists and other extremists on the issue of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, more commonly known as DACA, emails show.
(2020-01-10). Weekend Read: SPLC sues Trump administration over family separation policy. splcenter.org The SPLC and its allies have filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration policy that has separated and traumatized thousands of migrant families.