Daily Archives: May 5, 2020

2020-05-05: News Headlines

RT (2020-05-05). Vienna's vice mayor takes heat after 'ASYLUM SEEKER VIRUS' reference. rt.com The vice mayor of Vienna and high-ranking member of Austria's anti-immigration party faced accusations of racism after he blamed the rise in daily Covid-19 infections on the local migrant community. | "It is now clear… that the increasing coronavirus numbers in Vienna can only be attributed to asylum seekers," Vice Mayor Dominik Nepp

Vijay Prashad, Paola Estrada, Ana Maldonado, and Zoe PC (2020-05-05). Defeat of a Dirty Military Incursion into Venezuela on a Sunday Morning. counterpunch.org In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 3, speedboats left the Colombian coastlines and headed toward Venezuela. These boats had no authorization to cross the maritime border. They landed on the Venezuelan coastline at La Guaira. This was clearly a hostile action, since the boats carried heavy weaponry, including assault rifles and ammunition; the people on the boats possessed satellite phones as well as uniforms and helmets with the flag of the United States of America.

Jean Trounstine (2020-05-05). When Coming North is the Only Option: Why We Must Change Our Immigration Policies. counterpunch.org At a time when the only thing anyone is talking about is COVID-19, I took a break to read Kelsey Freeman's astute look at the struggles of migrants to cross the border, recently published by IGPublishing (April, 2020): No Option But North: The Migrant World and the Perilous Path Across the Border. "Migrants will risk everything

en.mehrnews (2020-05-05). Lebanon summons German amb. over Hezbollah designation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 05 (MNA) — Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants has summoned the German ambassador to the country over the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization by the German government.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-05). Exportación de COVID-19: Inmigración estadounidense realizó vuelos de deportación a 11 países de América Latina, según datos aéreos. cepr.net Un análisis de CEPR revela que es probable que hubo 232 vuelos de deportación del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) a países de América Latina y el Caribe entre el 3 de febrero y el 24 de abril de 2020. En 2019, el Servicio …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-05). Talks underway between Iran, Turkey over reopening borders. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 05 (MNA) — Talks are underway between Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey over the reopening of trade and business borders amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

Fight Back (2020-05-04). Boyle Heights celebrates May Day for the 6th consecutive year. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, May 1, a car protest of over 40 vehicles driven by workers, teachers and activists took to the streets for the sixth consecutive year to celebrate International Workers Day, May Day, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Organized by Centro CSO, this year's May Day protest focused on Trump's attacks on immigrants and called for free healthcare for COVID-19 patients, support for public education, jailing killer cops and community control over the police. | "The coronavirus pandemic has affected oppressed nationalities like African Americans, Chicanos and American Indians the most. Unsafe…

Staff (2020-05-04). Following Mexico's Worker Strikes, the US Steps in to Keep Border Factories Open. truthout.org In Washington, D.C., President Trump is trying his best to reopen closed meatpacking plants, as packinghouse workers catch the COVID-19 virus and die. In Tijuana, Mexico, where workers are dying in mostly U.S.-owned factories (known as maquiladoras) that produce and export goods to the U.S., the Baja California state governor, a former California Republican Party stalwart, is doing the same thing. | Jaime Bonilla Valdez rode into the governorship in 2018 on the coattails of Mexican Presiden…

graham (2020-05-03). U.K. Plc issued more profit warnings in Q1 than all of 2008. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica: With news that the UK economy could shrink by an eye-watering 20 per cent if the COVID-19 outbreak is not contained by the year-end and that the likelihood of recovery back to 2019 (itself bordering on recession) levels will take at least three years, businesses are facing the type of battering that the …

Ramzy Baroud and Romana Rubeo (2020-05-02). Portugal Leads the Way: How European Countries Fared in Their Treatment of Refugees. dissidentvoice.org As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading its tentacles throughout China and eventually to the rest of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other international groups, sounded the alarm that refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable to the deadly disease. "We strongly emphasize the need for inclusive national public health measures …

Fight Back (2020-05-02). New York caravan celebrates May Day. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Dozens of cars gathered in different boroughs of New York City on Friday May 1 in honor of May Day, or International Workers Day. Due to the city being on pause, protesters used a caravan to display signs and drive through different neighborhoods in the city, showing solidarity with workers and other oppressed groups. A special focus was put on COVID-19 and how workers, prisoners and immigrants lack protection from COVID-19. | The three contingents started in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Their demands included cancel the rents, hazard pay and PPE, free healthcare and COVID testing, free them al…

IMEMC & Agencies (2020-05-02). Israeli Troops Shoot at Palestinian Fishermen and Farmers in Gaza. imemc.org Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday, at local Palestinian farmers in southern Gaza, mainly in the Khuza'a rural area, east of the southern Khan Younis city. Local Palestinian media sources and witnesses said that Israeli troops, stationed on the Israeli side of the border, east of Khan Younis city, opened …

Marcia Brown (2020-05-01). A County Jail Battles COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis—At the Same Time. progressive.org The pandemic and an increase in immigration detainees create a double whammy for the rural Ohio jail.

ACLU (2020-04-30). How the ACLU is Responding to the Pandemic, Visualized. aclu.org The COVID-19 pandemic has closed down many businesses, but the ACLU's work of defending and expanding civil liberties and civil rights continues, essential as ever. At the ACLU, our most immediate focus has been on issues arising from the government's response — or lack thereof — to the pandemic., , Since the start of the outbreak, we've filed over 90 legal actions and have seen thousands of people released from prisons, jails, and immigration detention. | We and ACLU offices across the country are working in nearly every state to save lives, advocate for vulnerable communities, safeguard the r…

Jason Stevenson (2020-04-30). Utah's Shiny Surveillance Technology to Address COVID-19 Fails Miserably. aclu.org How many times have you failed to get a new digital device working properly the first time? While toddlers can (amazingly) master iPhones in minutes, some tech gadgets require many troubleshooting attempts to activate. And even then, they might fizzle., , Last month, the state of Utah learned that simple tech lesson in a very public way., , As part of a series of measures to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order requiring every adult crossing the Utah border to submit an electronic State of Utah Travel Self-Declaration Form with details about their contact info…

news.un (2020-04-30). UN prepares for potentially devastating COVID-19 outbreak in conflict-ravaged northeast Nigeria. news.un.org In northeast Nigeria, where armed conflict has forced millions from their homes, the UN's migration agency, IOM, is supporting the construction of quarantine shelters, as the region braces for an outbreak of COVID-19 which, it warns, would have 'devastating consequences' for those who have been displaced.

Staff (2020-04-28). Headlines for April 28, 2020. democracynow.org Known U.S. Deaths Top 56,000 as New Study Shows True Number Likely Much Higher, Trump Ignored Early Intelligence Reports as Coronavirus Spread, Trump Denies Responsibility for Spike in Disinfectant Poisonings, Texas Reopens Businesses, California Warns Against Violating Restrictions | , Trump's Plan to Give Commencement Address at West Point Could Bring Back 1,000 Cadets to Campus, NY Cancels Primary After Removing Bernie Sanders from the Ballot , U.N. Calls for Release of Immigrant Prisoners as San Diego Facility Refuses to Allow Face Mask Delivery, More Cases Reported at Prisons as New Study Shows 96% of Inmate…

Staff (2020-04-24). Organizer: Domestic Workers Make All Work Possible, But the Coronavirus Relief Bill Discounts Them. democracynow.org To talk more about how the coronavirus relief bills have affected essential workers, we speak with an organizer in Queens, New York, the epicenter of the epicenter of the pandemic. "Things are being done, but it's not enough to serve the domestic workers who are essential workers and keep this city running," says Riya Ortiz, lead organizer and case manager for the nonprofit Damayan Migrant Workers Association in New York City.

splcenter (2020-04-24). Fraihat v. ICE Community Resources. splcenter.org On April 20, 2020, a federal district court granted a nationwide preliminary injunction requiring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take a number of important steps to protect medically vulnerable people in its custody from COVID-19.

Michael Edison Hayden and Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-24). Trump's Immigration Order Was Drafted by Officials With Ties to Hate Groups, According to Report. splcenter.org Two officials with ties to anti-immigrant hate groups helped write President Trump's executive order blocking the issuance of new green cards, according to a report.

Lawrence Wittner (2020-04-23). If Farmworkers Are "Essential," Why Are They Treated So Badly? zcomm.org On March 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, spurred to action by the coronavirus pandemic, issued a memorandum that identified the nation's 2.5 million farmworkers as "essential" workers. Soon thereafter, agribusinesses began distributing formal letters to their farm laborers, also declaring that that they were "essential." Of course, it shouldn't have required a

Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-21). Anti-Immigrant Movement Has History of Politicizing Disease. splcenter.org COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, is the latest disease the nativist movement has politicized to demonize immigrants.

Paul Dobson (2020-04-06). Venezuela Braces for Migrant Return as Coronavirus Rattles Latin America. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country's 159 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths is considerably lower than its neighbours' tallies.

sputniknews (2020-05-05). Police 'Visit', Urge Nigel Farage to Respect COVID-19 Measures After Dover 'Illegal' Migrant Report. sputniknews.com Police officers have reportedly advised the top Brexiteer to respect COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and social restriction measures in place at the time, the top Brexiteer said on social media this week.

pip.hinman (2020-05-04). Reject Keneally's dog whistle politics on migrant workers. greenleft.org.au

sputniknews (2020-05-05). Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat to Register Strong Protest Over Cross Border Fire. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India and Pakistan both control parts of Kashmir while claiming it in full. The recent escalations at the border began after India revoked the special status of the region in August 2019.

sputniknews (2020-05-05). Former Swedish PM Warns of Power Struggle Amid COVID-19 Crisis, Touts Globalism as Solution. sputniknews.com With most of the world on lockdown amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, there has been a lot of debate on whether closed borders, travel restrictions and self-reliance will spell the end of globalisation as we know it.

sputniknews (2020-05-05). India's Combat Capabilities Hit as Deliveries of Defence Equipment Including Rafale Jet Deferred. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Despite intense fighting along its western border, India's modernisation programme will take a major hit this year due to delivery delays and a lack of funds. Defence sources confirmed that most of the contracted weapon systems won't arrive on schedule as production is halted due to lockdowns in several countries.

sputniknews (2020-05-05). 'Crucial Opportunities Missed' as Under 300 Arrivals to UK Quarantined Before COVID-19 Lockdown. sputniknews.com Lack of a travel ban in the UK has presented a stark contrast to the measures adopted in the EU and the US, where borders have been shut to travelers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While arriving passengers from affected countries have been requested to self-isolate for 14 days, there are no means of enforcing this.

yenisafak (2020-05-05). Italy to offer permits to illegal migrants for farm work in pandemic crisis. yenisafak.com Italy plans to give work permits to thousands of irregular migrants to help farms deal with the Covid-19 epidemic that has cut the flow of cheap labour from abroad, a political source said on Tuesday.The politically sensitive move, earlier reported in Italian media, was immediately attacked by right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini, whose League party has founded its success on a strong anti-migrant platform.Agriculture lobbies have warned Italy will have to throw away huge amounts of fruit and vegetables because there is nobody to pick them, worsening the effects of a shutdown costing the food sector 7 bill…

VINS (2020-04-03). Memphis Journalist Targeted by ICE for His Work. projectcensored.org Manuel Duran Ortega is a Salvadorian immigrant journalist living in Memphis, Tennessee who has helped to uncover and expose connections between the Memphis Police and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement…