Category: Jobs

🌟HER STAR KEEPS RISING, RIGHTFULLY SO! — Tal Kopan Appointed Deputy Washington Bureau Chief @ BoGlo!

From Talking Biz News:

https://talkingbiznews.com/we-talk-biz-news/boston-globe-appoints-kopan-deputy-bureau-chief/

Boston Globe appoints Kopan deputy bureau chief

BY MARIAM AHMED · JUNE 16, 2022

Tal Kopan
Tal Kopan

 

The Boston Globe has tapped Tal Kopan as deputy bureau chief in its D.C. bureau. Currently, she is a Washington correspondent at the San Francisco Chronicle.

Before that, Kopan served as a political reporter at CNN. She worked as a breaking news reporter and cybersecurity policy reporter at Politico. She was a web producer and contributing writer at Politico Pro and also reported for C-SPAN.

Kopan has a B.A. from the University of Chicago.

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Many congrats to Tal — one of the best in the business, with strong “immigration roots!”

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

07-01-22

Related posts:

  1. DEADLY ☠️ EOIR CLOWN SHOW 🤡 PLAYS ON UNDER BIDEN — ACIJ’S “Exit Interview” By SF Chron’s Tal Kopan Reveals Total Dysfunction, Systemic Abuse Of Human Rights, Waste Of Taxpayer Funds By Stunningly Incompetent DOJ — Other Than A Few Cosmetic Changes, Garland Enables Trump’s Abuses & Uses Barr’s Discredited, Politically & Racially Suspect “Judicial” Hiring Practices, Fails To Establish Due Process, Best Practices, Professionalism, Expertise, Respect For Human Dignity As Overriding Values! — Garland Presides Over “A ‘soul-crushing bureaucracy’ . . . shockingly unlike the regular American legal system.”🤮 Why Is He Ignoring Pressing Need For Progressive Reforms, Due Process Dedicated Judges?
  2. TAL @ SF CHRON:  GARLAND’S LATEST BOGUS GIMMICK TO REDUCE BACKLOG GIVES BIG MIDDLE FINGER 🖕 TO DUE PROCESS, SAY ADVOCATES! 
  3. ☹️👎🏽BIDEN’S MUDDLED IMMIGRATION APPROACH WINS FEW FANS, WHILE CONTINUING TO TREAT HUMAN LIVES CALLOUSLY! — Weak AG, Underperforming VP, Fear Of The Right, Dysfunctional Immigration Courts, Failure To “Connect The Dots” Between Immigrant Justice & Racial Justice Appear To Have Led Administration To Treat Re-Establishing The Rule Of Law & Standing Up For Human Rights As “Bogus Policy Option” Rather Than The Legal & Moral Imperative It Is! — Tal Kopan Reports In The SF Chron!
  4. ⚖️FINALLY, HOUSE TO EXAMINE GARLAND’S DYSFUNCTIONAL, MISMANAGED, LEADERLESS IMMIGRATION “COURTS” & NEED FOR DUE-PROCESS-FOCUSED REFORMS! — Tal Kopan Reports For SF Chron!

⚖️THE GIBSON REPORT — 06-13-22 — Compiled By Elizabeth Gibson, Esquire, Managing Attorney, NIJC — Biden Administration’s Increase In Haitian Deportations Undermines “Los Angeles Declaration” From The Git Go — “Do As I Say, Not As I Do,” Still Administration’s “Message” On Immigration, Racial Justice, Human Rights!

Elizabeth Gibson
Elizabeth Gibson
Managing Attorney
National Immigrant Justice Center
Publisher of “The Gibson Report”

pastedGraphic.png

 

Weekly Briefing

 

This briefing is designed as a quick-reference aggregation of developments in immigration law, practice, and policy that you can scan for anything you missed over the last week. The contents of the news, links, and events do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Immigrant Justice Center. If you have items that you would like considered for inclusion, please email them to egibson@heartlandalliance.org.

 

CONTENTS (jump to section)

  • ◦NEWS
  • ◦LITIGATION & AGENCY UPDATES
  • ◦RESOURCES
  • ◦EVENTS

 

NEWS

 

Some immigrants can be detained at least six months without bond hearing, Supreme Court rules

CNN: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the federal government can continue to detain certain immigrants in removal proceedings without giving them a bond hearing after six months, in case where the Biden administration has prevailed over the immigration activists who opposed the government in the case.

 

Federal judge in Texas throws out Biden administration immigration enforcement guidelines

CNN: A federal judge in Texas vacated guidelines set by the Biden administration over who is to be prioritized for immigration enforcement, according to a Friday ruling.

 

The Supreme Court gives lawsuit immunity to Border Patrol agents who violate the Constitution

Vox: Justice Clarence Thomas’s majority opinion in Egbert v. Boule, moreover, has implications that stretch far beyond the border. Egbert guts a seminal Supreme Court precedent, Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents (1971), which established that federal law enforcement officers who violate the Constitution may be individually sued — and potentially be required to compensate their victims for their illegal actions.

 

Biden and Latin American Leaders Announce Migration Deal

NYT: The agreement, called the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, commits the United States to taking 20,000 refugees from Latin America during the next two years, a threefold increase, according to White House officials. Mr. Biden also pledged to increase the number of seasonal worker visas from Central America and Haiti by 11,500.

 

U.S. Accelerated Expulsions of Haitian Migrants in May

NYT: The Biden administration expelled nearly 4,000 Haitians on 36 deportation flights in May — a significant increase over the previous three months — after renegotiating agreements with the island nation, which has been crippled by gang violence and an expanding humanitarian crisis.

 

ICE searched LexisNexis Database over 1 million times in just seven months

Intercept_: Immigration and Customs Enforcement searched a massive database of personal information provided by LexisNexis over 1.2 million times in just a seven-month period in 2021, according to documents reviewed by The Intercept. Critics say the staggering search volume confirms fears that the data broker is enabling the mass surveillance and deportation of immigrants.

 

Lawyers for migrants say U.S. officials slowed family reunifications

WaPo: Weeks into the Trump administration’s family-separation policy, immigration officials fired off emails saying something was awry. The children were being reunited too quickly with their parents, an official wrote on a Friday night in late May 2018.

 

ICE limits migrants’ legal rights, raising deportation risk, ACLU report says

USA Today: Immigrants detained in civil cases face “monumental barriers in finding and communicating with attorneys,” which renders their right to legal representation “essentially meaningless,” according to the report released Thursday.

 

ICE To Consider Military Service In Deportation Decisions

Law360: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will take into account whether noncitizens have served in the U.S. military when making decisions about whether to try to deport them, the agency announced Tuesday.

 

Big Tech calls for Biden administration to let foreign workers’ adult kids stay in the US

CNN: Without intervention, as many as 200,000 children in the United States risk “aging out” of their parents’ immigration status and face having to enter the immigration system as adults themselves, the companies wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

 

Mexico issues nearly 7,000 temporary documents and transit visas to migrants

NPR: In its statement, the Mexican migration agency did not specify what kind of documents were issued but most of the migrants showed papers that gave them a period of one month or more to leave the country or begin regularization procedures in Mexico. Most want to use the documents to reach the U.S. border.

 

Venezuelans big presence in caravan after visa requirement

AP: Before that change, Venezuelans had flown to Mexico City or Cancun as tourists and then made their way comfortably to the border. Many made it from home to the U.S. border in as little as four days.

 

U.S. loosens restrictions on Cuba travel, remittances amid summit blowback

Reuters: The United States on Wednesday moved to lift some Trump-era restrictions on remittances and travel to Cuba even as it fended off criticism for blocking the Communist-run island and long-time foe from attending a regional summit this week.

 

LITIGATION & AGENCY UPDATES

 

Justices Deny Right To Bond Hearing For Migrants

Law360: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that immigrants do not have a right to bond hearings when the government can show they are a flight risk, and that district courts lack the authority to order the government to provide such hearings on a class-wide basis.

 

Justices Refuse To Broaden Border Agents’ Personal Liability

Law360: Border agents can’t be sued in federal court for damages over alleged constitutional violations, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, citing concerns that broadening the legal liability of agents could negatively impact national security.

 

Fake SSN Card Is Grounds For Deportation, 9th Circ. Says

Law360: The Ninth Circuit denied a Honduran man’s bid to stay in the U.S., finding that his conviction in California for possessing a forged social security card with a counterfeit government seal is grounds for deportation as a crime involving moral turpitude.

 

CA9 On Particularly Serious Crime: Mendoza-Garcia V. Garland

LexisNexis[The BIA] applied a “presumption” that Petitioner’s conviction was a particularly serious crime and required him to “rebut” this presumption…The BIA committed an error of law, and abused its discretion, in failing to apply the correct legal standards in assessing whether Petitioner’s offense was a “particularly serious crime.”

 

IJ Distinguishes Jaco, Grants Asylum (PSG = Honduran Women)

LexisNexis: The particular social group of “Honduran women” was not at issue in Jaco, however, and the Fifth Circuit’s comment related to this group was incidental to the disposition of the case. Therefore, the Fifth Circuit’s comment regarding “Honduran women” as a particular social group is dicta and is not binding on this Court’s decision.

 

Texas Judge Axes Biden’s ICE Enforcement Policy Nationwide

Law360: A Texas federal judge on Friday threw out the Biden administration’s policy for prioritizing immigration enforcement, saying the guidance ran counter to a legal requirement to detain certain categories of immigrants.

 

Biden’s ICE Curbs Can’t Moot Immigrant Activists’ Speech Suit

Law360: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement couldn’t shake off claims that it targeted its critics for removal, as a Washington federal judge ruled on Thursday that the Biden administration’s curbs on immigration enforcement operations didn’t moot the retaliation suit.

 

Immigrants’ Negligence Claim Axed In $6M Suit Against Gov’t

Law360: A Washington federal judge tossed a negligence claim against the federal government from a father and son seeking $6 million after being forcibly separated at the southern border, saying the pair did not allege the government owed a duty of care.

 

Indiana Challenges Biden’s Immigrant Parole-Granting Policy

Law360: The Biden administration is facing yet another lawsuit over its immigration policies at the Southern border, this time from the state of Indiana, alleging that the administration is unlawfully granting parole to migrants and burdening state taxpayers as a result.

 

Asylum-Seekers Accuse USCIS Of Preventing Work Eligibility

Law360: A group of asylum-seekers have hit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with a proposed class action, saying its policies and practices unlawfully prevent them and other asylum applicants from obtaining work authorization pending decisions on their asylum claims.

 

4th Circ. Revives Immigration Judges’ Free Speech Suit

Law360: The Fourth Circuit has revived a challenge by federal immigration judges to a Trump-era policy barring them from speaking up about the immigration courts, after a labor official formally dissolved their union.

 

DC Circ. Urged To Nix Order Busting Immigration Judge Union

Law360: The National Association of Immigration Judges asked the D.C. Circuit in a petition late Wednesday to overturn the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s 2020 decision that immigration judges cannot unionize, arguing that the FLRA’s order violated its members’ due process rights and protected liberty interest in joining a labor union.

 

DHS Notice of Designation of Cameroon for TPS

AILA: DHS notice of the designation of Cameroon for TPS for 18 months, effective 6/7/22 through 12/7/23. (87 FR 34706, 6/7/22)

 

USCIS Issues Policy Alert on SIJ Classification and Adjustment of Status

AILA: USCIS updated policy guidance to incorporate changes from the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) Final Rule, including updated citations, new definitions, and clarifications. The updates apply to SIJ petitions and AOS applications filed or pending on or after 4/7/22.

 

CBP Announces Spanish Option for I-94 Features in the CBP One Mobile App

AILA: CBP announced that users of the CPB One mobile application will be able to select a Spanish-language version of the features that allow them to file applications for or receive electronic versions of I-94s. More information about Form I-94 is available.

 

CDC Lifts Requirement that International Air Travelers Have Negative COVID Test

AILA: The CDC issued an order rescinding a 17-month-old requirement that people arriving in the country by air test negative for COVID-19, effective at 12:01 am (ET) on Sunday, June 11, 2022, saying it is “not currently necessary.”

 

USCIS to Issue Corrected Form I-765 Receipt Notices

AILA: From May 4, 2022, to June 2, 2022, USCIS issued certain I-765 receipt notices with incorrect information. Corrected notices with language confirming the 540-day automatic extension should reach affected applicants by the third week of June.

 

DOS Announces Expansion of Immigrant Visa Processing in Havana to Include All Immediate Relative Categories

AILA: DOS announced that the U.S. Embassy Havana will schedule all immediate relative immigrant visa appointments to include spouses and children under 21 of U.S. citizens (IR/CR-1 and IR/CR-2), with interviews beginning in July 2022. More information in notice.

 

ICE to Consider Military Service When Determining Civil Immigration Enforcement

AILA: ICE announced a policy directive to consider U.S. military service when making discretionary determinations with regard to civil immigration enforcement actions against noncitizens.

 

State Dept. Looks For Refugee Resettlement Project Ideas

Law360: The U.S. State Department said it is seeking project ideas from nonprofits and other institutions on how to strengthen its refugee resettlement program in areas such as housing, community engagement and program participation.

 

RESOURCES

 

GENERAL RESOURCES

 

EVENTS

 

NIJC EVENTS

 

 

GENERAL EVENTS

 

Note: CLINIC has cancelled and will be rescheduling two previously listed COIL courses.

 

 

To sign up for additional NIJC newsletters, visit:  https://immigrantjustice.org/subscribe.

 

You now can change your email settings or search the archives using the Google Group. If you are receiving this briefing from a third party, you can visit the Google Group and request to be added.

 

Elizabeth Gibson (Pronouns: she/her/ella)

Managing Attorney for Capacity Building and Mentorship

National Immigrant Justice Center

A HEARTLAND ALLIANCE Program

224 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60604
T: (312) 660-1688| F: (312) 660-1688| E: egibson@heartlandalliance.org

www.immigrantjustice.org | Facebook | Twitter

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As I said, there are good reasons to be skeptical that the “Los Angeles Declaration” is anything other than meaningless rhetoric meant to deflect attention from the Biden Administration’s actual dismal performance on human rights, racial justice, and immigration.  https://immigrationcourtside.com/2022/06/12/%f0%9f%8c%8ethe-americas-the-l-a-declaration-on-migration-protection-blueprint-for-action-or-more-empty-rhetoric/

It would be hard to imagine an action more out of line with the “LAD” than ramping up deportations of Black migrants to the dangerous, chaotic, failed state of Haiti. As the article from the NYT highlighted by Elizabeth above says:

The situation in Haiti has worsened over the past year. The International Organization for Migration, the largest nongovernmental aid group there, said that there were more than 200 kidnappings in May. Poverty is everywhere, and nearly half the country does not have adequate access to affordable and healthy food, according to the United Nations.

. . . .

In September, the Biden administration gave the organization $13.1 million intended to help Haitians getting off expulsion flights, providing cash and other assistance to help them to reintegrate. Many had been living in other countries in South America for years before making the journey to the United States.

The situation in Haiti has worsened over the past year. The International Organization for Migration, the largest nongovernmental aid group there, said that there were more than 200 kidnappings in May. Poverty is everywhere, and nearly half the country does not have adequate access to affordable and healthy food, according to the United Nations.

. . . .

The systemic issues that drive migration out of Haiti are expected to come up during the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week. Haiti’s interim prime minister, Ariel Henry, is in attendance.

President Biden ran for office promising to bring compassion to U.S. immigration policies, particularly those involving asylum. But rolling out new policies amid a sharp increase in migration and during a pandemic has proved difficult. Some Trump-era policies remain in place.

So, why is the Administration squandering  money, resources, and, incredibly, the goodwill of folks who actually voted for Biden/Harris to “ramp up” deportations and exclusions of migrants of color, many of them asylum applicants subject to a biased and unfair system, when we could actually use their skills in our economy, as this quote from an article by Dany Bahar at Brookings points out:

At the same time, 2021 resulted in the highest number of migrants entering or attempting to enter through the southern border to the United States. There is no reason to think this won’t continue in 2022. These migrants, mostly from the Northern Triangle countries (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador), are desperate to join the U.S. labor force, as they flee poor economic conditions—particularly after the economic slowdown caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic—as well as violence and instability in general. In response to this flow, the Biden-Harris administration has focused on significantly

increasing investment toward Central America, including Mexico, while at the same time telling immigrants in Guatemala “

do not come.”

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Dany Bahar

Nonresident Senior Fellow – Global Economy and Development

Twitter dany_bahar

The irony is clear; if there was any time in the modern history of the United States to promote a flexibilization of its migration policies, it is now. It is the most efficient and easiest way to offer a smart solution to the unprecedented tightness in U.S. labor markets. It is a no-brainer for several reasons.

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2022/02/24/president-biden-tear-down-those-walls-and-let-immigrants-take-jobs-in-high-demand/

It might be a “no brainer,” as Dany says, but it appears to be “above the pay grade” of Biden’s inept immigration policy team. They seem to be mostly “Stephen Miller fellow travelers.” Why? 

I suppose the only “silver lining” is that I can always count on inept policy officials in the Biden Administration to prove my points about what a horrible job they are doing for immigrants, for racial justice, for Due Process of law, for America, and for humanity!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-14-22

Related posts:

  1. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY: “MALICIOUS INCOMPETENCE!” — Also, ICE Intentionally Falsifies Court Hearing Dates — Where Is The Accountability?
  2. Michael Paarlberg @ THE GUARDIAN: HOW WACKO & COUNTERPRODUCTIVE IS TRUMP/SESSIONS “GONZO” IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT? — Who Screws Their Friends & Productive Residents While Empowering Multinational Gangs? — “[MS-13] can’t really be described accurately as a single gang but is rather a network of gangs with little centralized authority and a franchised name, whose street value only increases with each press conference by Trump and Sessions. . . . There aren’t many beneficiaries of Trump’s immigration policy, but there’s at least one: MS-13 couldn’t have asked for a better president than Trump.”
  3. INCONVENIENT TRUTH: HALEY SWEETLAND EDWARDS @ TIME TELLS WHAT TRUMP, MILLER, COTTON, SESSIONS, & THEIR WHITE NATIONALIST GANG DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW: Human Migration Is A Powerful Force As Old As Human History; It’s A Plus For Receiving Nations; It Won’t Be Stopped By Walls, Jails, Racist Laws, Or Any Other Restrictionist Nonsense; But, It Can Be Intelligently Controlled, Channeled, Harnessed, & Used For The Benefit Of The U.S. & The Good Of The Migrants! — “But to maximize that future good, governments must act rationally to establish humane policies and adequately fund an immigration system equipped to handle an influx of newcomers.”
  4. 🏴‍☠️☠️🤮⚰️👎🏻KAKISTOCRACY HAS CONSEQUENCES: CLIMATE MIGRATION IS ONE OF THEM! — Trump’s Stupidity & Cruelty On Immigration Climate Science, & Disease Control Promises Horrible Global Human Disaster For Future Generations — Empowering & Enabling A Moron Is Always A Very Bad Idea!  — No Idiotic Wall Or “Drill Baby Drill” Insanity Is Going To Prevent This Human Catastrophe We Are Inflicting On Those Who Follow!

📚BOOKS:  “Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success” By Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan — Reviewed By Michael Luca @ WashPost!

Ran Abramitzky Professor of Economics and the Senior Associate Dean of the Social Sciences at Stanford University
PHOTO: Stanford.edu
Leah Pratt Boustan
Professor Leah Pratt Boustan
Economist
Princeton University
PHOTO: Princeton Website
Michael Luca
Michael Luca
Lee J. Styslinger III Associate Professor of Business Administration Harvard Business School
PHOTO: has.edu

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/06/10/what-research-really-says-about-american-immigration/

. . . .

The reality is that immigration debates are often driven more by feelings than facts. And there is often disagreement about basic facts — such as how immigration has evolved over time, how successful immigrants become once they enter the United States and how they affect the communities they enter. The problem is, in part, a lack of accessible empirical evidence on the topic.

Enter “Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success,” a book by economic historians Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan that seeks to set the record straight, using an economics tool kit and a treasure trove of data. Their mission is twofold. First, to offer a data-driven account of the history of American immigration. Second, to provide guidance into what research suggests about the design of immigration policy.

The book reflects an ongoing renaissance in the field of economic history fueled by technological advances — an increase in digitized records, new techniques to analyze them and the launch of platforms such as Ancestry — that are breathing new life into a range of long-standing questions about immigration. Abramitzky and Boustan are masters of this craft, and they creatively leverage the evolving data landscape to deepen our understanding of the past and present.

In contrast with the rags-to-riches mythology, a more systematic look at the data shows that low-income immigrants do not tend to catch up to nonimmigrant income levels in their lifetimes. Instead, financially successful immigrants tend to come from more privileged backgrounds. To name a few: the authors point out that the father of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk “co-owned an emerald mine.” EBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s “father is a surgeon who worked at Johns Hopkins University,” and his “mother has a PhD in linguistics.” Google co-founder Sergey Brin’s “father is a professor of mathematics,” and his “mother is a NASA scientist.” Looking at how many companies have been led by high-skilled immigrants, I wonder how much more innovation we are missing out on by not further opening our doors to the world’s talent. Yet these are hardly tales of huddled masses.

The case that lower-income and lower-education immigrants also meet with success rests on assessing not only the fates of immigrants themselves but also those of their children and their children’s children. As it turns out, Abramitzky and Boustan write, “children of poor immigrants from nearly every country in the world make it to the middle of the income distribution.” Immigrants from mainland China, Hong Kong and India do especially well.

The book debunks myths that immigrants dramatically increase crime and displace U.S.-born workers. Much of this work focuses on natural experiments in which sudden shocks to immigration levels have allowed for a better understanding of cause and effect. For instance, the authors point to the 1980 Mariel boatlift, which brought an influx of Cuban immigrants to the United States, especially to Miami, virtually overnight. The surge of low-income immigrants did not lead to large spikes in unemployment for U.S.-born workers. Low-skill immigrants have a history of taking jobs that would otherwise be unfilled or filled by machines. As companies around America were rushing to automate operations, the influx of Cuban immigrants to the Miami area slowed this process, and jobs went to people rather than to machines. Compared with the rest of the country, businesses in high-immigration areas have access to more workers and hence less incentive to invest in further automation.

This has implications for today’s immigration debates: The United States is expected to face a dramatic labor market shortage as baby boomers retire and lower birthrates over time result in fewer young people to replace them. Increased immigration is one approach to avoiding the crunch. Notably, the other way to avert this crisis is through further automation, enabled by rapid advances in artificial intelligence. Immigration policy will help shape the extent to which the economy relies on people vs. machines in the decades to come.

Immigration is, of course, about more than economic activity. Part of its beauty is the cultural richness and diversity that it brings. A multicultural society is greater than the sum of its parts. Miami is exciting not because of assimilation but because of the culture that its diverse population has created. It’s a city where you can find croquettes and Cuban coffees as easily as pizza and burgers. There is a rich history of immigrants bringing new cuisines, which are then adopted and adapted throughout the United States, a journey that can be seen in the evolution of Italian American food.

Drawing on the research, Abramitzky and Boustan weigh in on a number of hot-button policy issues: For instance, should the United States focus on encouraging high-education immigration? They conclude that “policies designed to deter less-educated immigrants from entering the United States are misguided.” Discussing the border wall, they argue that “no one wins from the border fencing policies.” And on the 1.5 million undocumented immigrants who arrived as children, they make a full-throated argument in favor of “providing work permits and a path to citizenship,” noting that “the barriers that undocumented children face are stumbling blocks of our own making.” On this last point, it is hard to disagree. Our treatment of undocumented children is a stain on our nation.

In the end, the authors offer an optimistic message: “Immigration contributes to a flourishing American society.” In a rapidly evolving world, Abramitzky and Boustan urge us to take “the long view, acknowledging that upward mobility takes time, and is sometimes measured at the pace of generations, rather than years.”

. . . .

Michael Luca is the Lee J. Styslinger III associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and a co-author of “The Power of Experiments: Decision Making in a Data-Driven World.”

****************************

Read the complete review at the link. It contains Luca’s own family immigration story.

The research highlighted by this book clearly refutes the many negative myths about migrants upon which the Trump GOP’s “campaign of hate and misinformation” is based.

But, unfortunately, I wouldn’t expect truth about immigration — no matter how compelling and well-documented — to change many minds on the far right. As Luca says: “The reality is that immigration debates are often driven more by feelings than facts.” Sadly, hate, fear, racism, resentment, and intolerance are “powerful feelings.” 

It’s going to take a combination of political power, courage and talent to exercise it boldly, education, and better values from the upcoming generations of younger Americans to overcome White Nationalism and its pernicious effects. I have to hope that there is time for the “long view” and our “better angels” to win the future.

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-13-22

Related posts:

  1. VICTORY DANCE! — ICE’S HOMAN SAYS CLIMATE OF FEAR HAS STEMMED BORDER CROSSINGS & PROVES UNRESTRAINED, ARBITRARY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WORKS! — “There’s no population that’s off the table,” he said. “If you’re in the country illegally, we’re looking for you and we’re looking to apprehend you.” — America Won’t Be Truly Safe Until The Last Cook, Gardner, Construction Worker, Nanny, Janitor, Tree Cutter, Mechanic, Handyman, Carpenter, Home Health Aide, Computer Programmer, Healthcare Worker, Lettuce Picker, Cow Milker, Landscaper, Lawnmower, Bricklayer, Roofer, Window Washer, Waiter, Sandwich Artist, Teacher, Minister, Coach, Student, Parent, Clerk, Fisherman, Farmer, Maid, Chicken Plucker, Meat Processor, Etc., Without Docs Is Removed And US Citizens Take Over All These Jobs!
  2. WALL? WHAT WALL? – BUREAUCRATIC BARRIERS BEST BAR TO (NEEDED) IMMIGRATION (Hey, I Could’ve Told ‘Em That!) – But, White Nationalist Goal Of Returning To A “White America” Ultimately Doomed — “You can slow the rate of Latino and Asian immigration, but it won’t make the population whiter,”. . . “It will just become less white at a slower pace.”
  3. PREVENTABLE HUMAN DISASTER: THE WANTON CRUELTY, WASTEFULNESS, & TOTAL STUPIDITY OF THE TRUMP/SESSIONS “GONZO” IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM PORTRAYED IN GRAPHIC HUMAN TERMS — The Damage To America Of Mistreating Our Families & Our Citizen Youth Will Long Outlive The Misguided Officials Carrying It Out!
  4. MLK DAY 2018 — DR. KING’S DREAM OF AN AMERICA CELEBRATING EQUALITY & RACIAL HARMONY IS UNDER VICIOUS ATTACK BY TRUMP, PENCE, SESSIONS, AND A HOST OF OTHERS IN TODAY’S WHITE NATIONALIST ENABLING GOP — Who Is Going To Fight To Reclaim The Dream, & Who Is Going To “Go Along To Get Along” With The 21st Century Version Of Jim Crow?

🏉🧀PACKERLAND & BEYOND: Diversity Comes To North Central Wisconsin!

 

Duke Behnke

Jeff Bollier

Appleton Post-Crescent

https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2022/06/07/northeast-wisconsin-more-accepting-diversity-but-work-needed/9715435002/

Dr. Yolo Diaz could feel the room take ownership of the Familias Sanas (Healthy Families) initiative.

Diaz and YWCA Greater Green Bay sought to develop a program entirely in Spanish to improve the Hispanic community’s access to health care. They invited residents to the YWCA to brainstorm. Diaz identified areas she wanted to cover: nutrition, physical activity, mental health, disease prevention and environmental health.

It didn’t take long for attendees to add to the list: spiritual health, drug and alcohol abuse and sex education. Their participation was a key step in making the program less of a lecture and more about sharing and empowerment.

Familias Sanas is an example of how community organizations in northeast Wisconsin have recognized the region’s growing racial and ethnic diversity and are consciously working to ensure historically marginalized communities feel welcome and safe and have equal access to everything from education and employment to health care and housing.

Those efforts are showing signs of success.

In a 2021 Brown County LIFE (Leading Indicators for Excellence) Study, 56% of the survey respondents held a positive view of the growing diversity of cultures, compared with 12% who held a negative view.

Five years earlier, the scale of perception was far different. The 2016 Brown County LIFE Study showed only 33% of the respondents had a positive view of diversity and that 30% had a negative view.

In another metric, a 2021 well-being survey conducted by Imagine Fox Cities found 51% of the Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) respondents described themselves as thriving, up from 45% in 2019.

Conversely, 46% of the BIPOC respondents described themselves as struggling, down from 53% in 2019.

E-Ben Grisby, co-chair of Celebrate Diversity Fox Cities, has noticed gains in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in recent years, even amid the polarization of politics in the state and nation.

“I think there are a lot of improvements that have been made in the Fox Cities in terms of being a much more welcoming environment when it comes to our business climate, when it comes to a sense of community,” Grisby said.

“I feel like we’re getting a voice,” Austin said. “I never thought I’d be able to talk about being Black in Green Bay. Now we’re a community.”

Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous and multiracial people accounted for three-fourths of the population growth in Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago counties between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data.

Nonwhite youth make up about 60% of the students in the Green Bay Area Public School District and 35% of the students in the Appleton Area School District, according to 2021-22 data reported by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The growth of northeast Wisconsin’s minority populations sometimes catches long-time residents by surprise, Grisby said.

. . . .

How to become an ally of marginalized populations

Brown has some straight-forward advice to advance the understanding and appreciation of the different customs, lifestyles and perspectives that make up the fabric of northeast Wisconsin.

“Take the initiative to educate yourself about the various cultures and identities that exist within our community,” he said. “Learn from your co-workers, learn from your neighbors, learn from the youth and understand that each person contributes to the success of our community. Be present and immerse yourself in cultures and opportunities that are different than the ones that are immediately to your left and right.”

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Grisby said being an ally for marginalized people doesn’t mean one has to wear a Superman cape and vow to avenge a wrong. It can be as simple as giving someone the time of day or being a sounding board for their ideas.

Bomstad said the region needs to hear from and engage with more people who support diversity.

“If you believe in an inclusive, welcoming community, that is where we really need people to step up, quite frankly,” Bomstad said.

Wello put its approach into action when it received a federal grant to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in minority populations.

. . . .

**********************

Read the complete article at the link.

I have noticed during our many jaunts to Wisconsin to visit family that there are many more vibrant ethnic restaurants in the Green Bay/Appleton area than there were when I was in college at Lawrence University in Appleton in the late 1960s. 

Our daughter, Anna, also an LU graduate (‘05), was inspired by children of Hmong backgrounds that she met while practice teaching in Appleton to qualify to teach English Language Learners in Wisconsin (Menasha & Walworth).

She now teaches English in the Beloit Public Schools which has a very diverse student body. She and her husband Daniel have hosted foster children of different ethnic backgrounds, one of whom is now their adopted son, our grandson. So, diversity has had a very direct impact on our family.

Cathy and I also noticed when attending our grandson Nathaniel’s band concert at St. Bernard’s Elementary in Green Bay the diversity among the student body, the music teachers, and the audience. Everyone working together, contributing, and enjoying the moment.

El Sarape East in Green Bay is one of our family favorites. We order/go there at least once most times we are in the Bay Area! They have done a great job of combining “Packer culture” with an Hispanic flavor!

Obviously, diversity is contributing to Wisconsin in many other ways beyond the restaurant industry. Wisconsin has always had a strong immigrant history along with a vibrant Native American heritage!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-11-22

Related posts:

  1. “Warren Buffett on Immigration Reform: Buffett feels that immigrants (including undocumented ones) have been and continue to be a key part of our prosperity — not a part of the problem.“
  2. VICTORY DANCE! — ICE’S HOMAN SAYS CLIMATE OF FEAR HAS STEMMED BORDER CROSSINGS & PROVES UNRESTRAINED, ARBITRARY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WORKS! — “There’s no population that’s off the table,” he said. “If you’re in the country illegally, we’re looking for you and we’re looking to apprehend you.” — America Won’t Be Truly Safe Until The Last Cook, Gardner, Construction Worker, Nanny, Janitor, Tree Cutter, Mechanic, Handyman, Carpenter, Home Health Aide, Computer Programmer, Healthcare Worker, Lettuce Picker, Cow Milker, Landscaper, Lawnmower, Bricklayer, Roofer, Window Washer, Waiter, Sandwich Artist, Teacher, Minister, Coach, Student, Parent, Clerk, Fisherman, Farmer, Maid, Chicken Plucker, Meat Processor, Etc., Without Docs Is Removed And US Citizens Take Over All These Jobs!
  3. TRUMP & HIS ENABLERS IGNORE THE REALITY THAT EVENTUALLY WILL DWARF HIS BOGUS BORDER CRISIS: “The UN estimates that by 2050, there will be 200 million people forcibly displaced from their homes due to climate change alone. . . . If we want people to be able to stay in their homes, we have to tackle the issue of our changing global climate, and we have to do it fast.”
  4. THE ECONOMY: What America REALLY Needs: More Legal Workers, No More “Gonzo” Immigration Enforcement — More Immigrant Workers Needed To Save Our Economy — And They Don’t Have To Be Rocket Scientists & PhDs: Construction & Service Industries That Support US Economy Need “Entry Level” Workers!

JULIA EDWARDS AINSLEY @ NBC NEWS REPORTS ON ADMINISTRATION’S “SECRET” PLAN TO RELOCATE ASYLUM SEEKERS!

Julia Edwards Ainsley
Julia Edwards Ainsley
NBC News Correspondent

Here’s Julia’s video report from NBC Nightly News:

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/biden-administration-plans-to-bus-migrants-to-shelters-deeper-in-the-u-s-141815877904

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OBSERVATION: The Biden Administration has been in office for 17 months. During that time the could have established a realistic, robust refugee program, working with UNHCR and NGOs, to screen and process those waiting in Mexico.

Those who qualified would be admitted in legal status, with permanent work authorization, on their way to green cards and eventual citizenship. No CBP, no Asylum Office Backlogs, no backlogged Immigration Courts, no arbitrary, capricious, wildly inconsistent decisions from EOIR and the 5th Circuit, no expensive and inhumane detention, no ankle bracelets. Those legally admitted would also be eligible immediately for refugee resettlement assistance! America is something like 11 million workers “short” — the answer is staring us in the face! See, e.g., https://www.newsweek.com/us-hits-cap-temporary-work-visas-employers-seek-11-million-workers-1713948

Instead, we get secrecy, fumbling, bumbling, and more “
”gimmicks” guaranteed to stir up litigation and controversy without solving problems, facing reality, and harnessing the great power of human migration.

Also, why on earth would the Administration relocate migrants to Texas — a move guaranteed to generate more racist posturing and pushback from Abbott? Why not work with states, localities, NGOs, religious, and legal aid groups in many localities prepared to welcome immigrants and where their skills could be used in the job market?

It’s also worth noting that the so-called “record numbers” at the border often count the same person over and over — a phenomenon aggravated by arbitrary use of Title 42 to return many individuals without proper legal screening. 

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-09-22

Related posts:

  1. ICRC: “Migration is not going to stop. If you try to prevent it or strictly regulate it, people start to pile up at the borders, which is happening in Mexico and other countries.”
  2. INCONVENIENT TRUTH: HALEY SWEETLAND EDWARDS @ TIME TELLS WHAT TRUMP, MILLER, COTTON, SESSIONS, & THEIR WHITE NATIONALIST GANG DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW: Human Migration Is A Powerful Force As Old As Human History; It’s A Plus For Receiving Nations; It Won’t Be Stopped By Walls, Jails, Racist Laws, Or Any Other Restrictionist Nonsense; But, It Can Be Intelligently Controlled, Channeled, Harnessed, & Used For The Benefit Of The U.S. & The Good Of The Migrants! — “But to maximize that future good, governments must act rationally to establish humane policies and adequately fund an immigration system equipped to handle an influx of newcomers.”
  3. 🏴‍☠️CLOSING THE BORDER TO LEGAL ASYLUM SEEKERS IS A VIOLATION OF BOTH DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL LAW — It’s Neither Something To Tout (Biden Administration) Nor A Solution (GOP) (Except, Perhaps, In The “Hitlerian” Sense) — Our Inability To Solve A Humanitarian Situation By Acting Lawfully, Sensibly, & Humanely Is A Sign Of Gross National Weakness Spurred By Unwillingness To See The Human Tragedies We Are Promoting! — And The Lousy, Misleading, & Tone-Deaf Reporting By The Some Of The “Mainstream Media” Is Making It Worse! — Leon Krauze & Suzanne Gamboa With Simple Truths About Human Migration That Neither Pols Nor Nativists Want You To Hear! — PLUS BONUS COVERAGE: Friday Mini-Essay: “Degrading Ourselves As A Nation Won’t Stop Human Migration”
  4. CATHERINE @ WASHPOST “GETS IT!” — Why Are The Biden Administration & Some Dem Pols “Running Scared” From What Should Be A Big Win? — Many Of The Legal,Workers We Need Are Patiently Waiting @ The Border For Processing & Legal Admission — Dems Need To Stop “Shaking In Their Boots” & Start “Shaking Their Tails” To “Pre-Process” Refugees For An Orderly Restoration Of The Rule Of Law On May 23!

🗽NDPA CAREER OPPORTUNITY: Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) Seeks Executive Director!

 

https://www.tassc.org/careers

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FULL-TIME; REPORTS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TASSC seeks a visionary team leader to serve as its new Executive Director.  TASSC is the only organization founded by and for torture survivors.  We seek someone who has experience with this community, professional skills in non-profit management and direct service delivery, a trauma informed approach to working with clients and advocacy experience.

Responsible to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director operates with a growing annual budget (now at 1.2 million) to oversee personnel, projects and other operations of the organization.  The ED bears ultimate responsibility for the smooth functioning of the organization and the effective implementation of TASSC’s policy and goals including those related to programs, fundraising, public relations and networking.

TASSC seeks an executive director with qualities that reflect:

  • A commitment to the mission of TASSC;
  • Communication skills that enthusiastically embrace working with multicultural and multinational staff, survivors, donors and board members;
  • Examples of leadership through a process of consensus building;
  • Ability to understand and promote human rights of survivors of torture;
  • Commitment to working in coalition with others to prevent torture and support survivors.

Specific responsibilities include:

LEADERSHIP

  • Consults with the board to set overall TASSC strategic direction and  policies and to identify short and long term opportunities;
  • Facilitates the setting of TASSC’s annual objectives, develops and implements work plans to address priorities, and reports progress regularly to the Board of Directors;
  • Advocates for the prevention of torture and for reparations and human rights of those who have survived torture;
  • Motivates employees and the ability of the organization to attract and retain talent.

 

MANAGEMENT

  • Establishes goals and priorities with staff and ensures effective implementation;
  • Evaluates needs of survivors and how TASSC programs meet them, using results of evaluation to build strategic direction and improvement;
  • Provides outstanding management and supports staff development and motivation;
  • Ensures prudent financial management and practice within the organization, ensuring that expenditures do not exceed the overall financial resources;
  • Communicates necessary financial information to the Board and others on a timely and regular basis;
  • Collaborates with the board to develop short and long term policies that support the organization and the staff;
  • Works with Board members to produce and implement a short- and long-term fundraising plan to secure resources necessary to achieve organizational goals.

 

ADVOCACY & COMMUNITY BUILDING

  • Represent TASSC and its mission to outside audiences and advocates and promotes the organization and its core mission;
  • Promote well being of survivors, staff and community through trauma informed approach:
  • Actively manage membership recruitment and relations, ensuring communication with survivors during and after their time with TASSC;
  • Build relationships with key agency personnel and advocates to provide various services to torture survivors (i.e. social, mental health, legal, etc.)
  • Formulate action campaign strategies, including alerts to members and supporters;
  • Build and nurture relationships with key members of Congress, NGOs and media contacts to promote TASSC’s mission;
  • Maintain a working knowledge of related issues to torture, legislation, impunity, services, etc.

 

FUNDRAISING

  • Lead and implement strategies to meet fundraising goals;
  • In coordination with grant writers, oversee all grant projects and proposals;
  • Ensure timely direct mail appeal mailings;
  • Cultivation and stewardship of major donors and potential donors;
  • Maintain relationship with grant making bodies

 

BOARD RELATIONS

  • Work in partnership with the board to ensure operations comport with TASSC values and strategic direction
  • Keep the Board fully informed on the organization and all important factors influencing it;
  • Work with the Board Chair on focusing Board meetings on topics of highest priority that need Board attention and involvement;
  • Provide Board members with appropriate information on the budget and other matters needed to support informed decision making and effective governance;
  • Work closely with the board chair to guide and motivate board members;
  • Serve as an advocate before the Board to present staff needs and concerns and to work with the board to meet staff needs;
  • Assist in the selection and evaluation of Board members;
  • Provide updates on programs and finances prior to each board meeting;
  • Advise the Board, and formulates policies and planning recommendations to the Board;
  • Engage Board members collectively and individually, in understanding and making sense of the organization’s environment, challenges, and potential.

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS

  • Serve as the primary spokesperson and public face for TASSC;
  • Establish and maintain positive relationships with individuals and groups that affect the success of the organization;
  • Serve, with the Board and other Executive staff, as liaison to foundation, government, corporate, and individual donors;
  • Prepare press releases, op-ed pieces, and the like;
  • Work with Internal Operations staff to ensure consistency in publications, mailings, and website.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 3-5 years progressive leadership experience in administration fundraising and management, preferably in a regional or national non-profit organization—previous experience as an Executive Director is a plus. Strong candidates will have a proven record of the following qualities:

  • Personal commitment to the mission and goals of TASSC and an ability to inspire this in others;
  • Experience as a, or with, torture survivor(s) is strongly preferred;
  • Combination of education and experience in non-profit management;
  • 5 years minimum of progressively responsible positions in complex organizations;
  • Evidence of the ability to balance creative thinking, strategic planning, and tactical execution;
  • Commitment to trauma informed approaches that promote well being of survivors, staff and community
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with senior management teams, Board members, staff, donors, prospective donors, and other key stakeholders;
  • Strong financial and budgetary knowledge and skills;
  • Development and fundraising knowledge and/or experience;
  • Experience planning for, leading, or participating in a fundraising campaign is preferable;
  • Exceptional communication skills, including listening, writing, and public speaking skills, with the ability to deliver compelling presentations to internal and external audiences;
  • Ability to anticipate opportunities and to act quickly and resourcefully to take advantage of them;
  • Ability to prioritize and manage time effectively;
  • Collaborative management style working with staff and volunteers;
  • Knowledge of grass roots and direct action organizing;
  • Good judgment and integrity necessary to serve as an internal role model and brand ambassador.

 

Potential Start Date:  July 2022

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Essential functions are typically performed in an office setting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Disclaimer:  This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job.  It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks and duties.  The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in the job description and that other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job. TASSC International may add, change, or remove essential and other duties at any time.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Submit statement of interest and statement of personal qualifications, résumé, and 2 letters of recommendation to info@tassc.org. In the subject line of the email application please post the following:  LAST NAME FIRST NAME ED APPLICATION.  For example:  DOE JANE ED APPLICATION

 

TASSC International is an equal opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. TASSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, genetic information, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

*****************

Many thanks to Deb Sanders for bringing this to my attention!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-05-22

Related posts:

  1. INCONVENIENT TRUTH: HALEY SWEETLAND EDWARDS @ TIME TELLS WHAT TRUMP, MILLER, COTTON, SESSIONS, & THEIR WHITE NATIONALIST GANG DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW: Human Migration Is A Powerful Force As Old As Human History; It’s A Plus For Receiving Nations; It Won’t Be Stopped By Walls, Jails, Racist Laws, Or Any Other Restrictionist Nonsense; But, It Can Be Intelligently Controlled, Channeled, Harnessed, & Used For The Benefit Of The U.S. & The Good Of The Migrants! — “But to maximize that future good, governments must act rationally to establish humane policies and adequately fund an immigration system equipped to handle an influx of newcomers.”
  2. TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY: “MALICIOUS INCOMPETENCE!” — Also, ICE Intentionally Falsifies Court Hearing Dates — Where Is The Accountability?
  3. JULIAN CASTRO: A Democrat With A Sane & Sound Immigration Plan!
  4. ICRC: “Migration is not going to stop. If you try to prevent it or strictly regulate it, people start to pile up at the borders, which is happening in Mexico and other countries.”

☹️👎🏽GOP’S ANTI-IMMIGRANT RANT THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY!

 

Josh Rogin writes in the WashPost:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/06/02/republican-immigration-preventing-hong-kong-visas-brain-drain/

. . . .

“It’s a debate between those who think our openness as a democratic society is an advantage in the struggle with autocracies or a disadvantage,” Malinowski told me. “One of the central lessons of the Cold War was that it is an advantage. I just hope we choose the same strategy that won the Cold War.”

One thing that has changed since the Cold War is that now these skilled workers who are fleeing Russia and Hong Kong have more options. Some reports say 50,000 to 70,000 Russian tech workers fled to places such as Turkey, Georgia and the Baltic countries in the first weeks of the war in Ukraine. Hong Kong business leaders are decamping for Singapore. Canada has already expanded immigration for Hong Kongers with advanced degrees, and thousands are taking advantage.

The whole world is competing for the talents of those who are fleeing from Hong Kong and Putin’s Russia. Republicans’ excessive fear of immigration should not waste a strategic opportunity for the United States to strengthen itself and weaken its rivals at the same time. Congress should work to ensure that China’s and Russia’s losses are America’s gains.

************************

Read Josh’s full op-ed at the link.

As the GOP threatens democracy, suppresses individual liberties, stymies innovation, and spreads White Nationalist fear mongering about immigrants, both documented and undocumented, they make the U.S. sound more and more like the country that “lost” the Cold War.

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-04-22

Related posts:

  1. VICTORY DANCE! — ICE’S HOMAN SAYS CLIMATE OF FEAR HAS STEMMED BORDER CROSSINGS & PROVES UNRESTRAINED, ARBITRARY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WORKS! — “There’s no population that’s off the table,” he said. “If you’re in the country illegally, we’re looking for you and we’re looking to apprehend you.” — America Won’t Be Truly Safe Until The Last Cook, Gardner, Construction Worker, Nanny, Janitor, Tree Cutter, Mechanic, Handyman, Carpenter, Home Health Aide, Computer Programmer, Healthcare Worker, Lettuce Picker, Cow Milker, Landscaper, Lawnmower, Bricklayer, Roofer, Window Washer, Waiter, Sandwich Artist, Teacher, Minister, Coach, Student, Parent, Clerk, Fisherman, Farmer, Maid, Chicken Plucker, Meat Processor, Etc., Without Docs Is Removed And US Citizens Take Over All These Jobs!
  2. EUGENE ROBINSION @ WASHPOST & DAVID BROOKS @ NY TIMES: GOP IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONISTS’ PROPOSALS TO CUT LEGAL IMMIGRATION LEVELS HAVE NO RATIONAL BASIS! – That’s Going To Be A Big Problem In Trying To Forge A “Compromise!”
  3. JAMELLE BOUIE @ SLATE: TRUMP, SESSIONS, MILLER & THE GOP RESTRICTIONISTS HAVE PUT GOOD OL’ 1920S RACISM AT THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR WHITE NATIONALIST IMMIGRATION AGENDA! –“What good does it do to bring in somebody who’s illiterate in their own country, has no skills, and is going to struggle in our country and not be successful? . . . That is not what a good nation should do, and we need to get away from it.” — J. “Gonzo Apocalypto” Sessions, Attorney General of the United States of America & Unapologetic White Nationalist With A Long History Of Racism!
  4. “CONSTITUTIONAL CASTRATION”– CATHERINE RAMPELL @ WASHPOST: HOW THE FECKLESS GOP CONGRESS IS SCREWING THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US BY LETTING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TRASH THE IMMIGRATION LAWS AND END-RUN THE CONSTITUTION WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL PARTICIPATION! – “The Trump administration keeps scolding desperate immigrants to shape up and “follow the law.” When will cowardly members of Congress insist that the president do the same?”

THE GIBSON REPORT — 05-31-22 — Compiled By Elizabeth Gibson, Esquire, Managing Attorney, NIJC — More Restrictionist Myths Exposed, Graduating Dreamers, U.S. Employers Left “Twisting in the Wind”🤮 & Other Developments In The World Of Human Rights!

Elizabeth Gibson
Elizabeth Gibson
Managing Attorney
National Immigrant Justice Center
Publisher of “The Gibson Report”

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Weekly Briefing

 

This briefing is designed as a quick-reference aggregation of developments in immigration law, practice, and policy that you can scan for anything you missed over the last week. The contents of the news, links, and events do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Immigrant Justice Center. If you have items that you would like considered for inclusion, please email them to egibson@heartlandalliance.org.

 

CONTENTS (jump to section)

  • NEWS
  • LITIGATION & AGENCY UPDATES
  • RESOURCES
  • EVENTS

 

NEWS

 

Around 100,000 ‘Dreamers’ to graduate without shot at work permits

Hill: DACA was put in place as a temporary stopgap in 2012, giving the right to work and study, and deferral from potential deportation, to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as minors before 2007… Only a quarter of 2022 undocumented graduates would be eligible for DACA, making it the first graduating class since the policy’s been in place to have a majority of post-DACA undocumented graduates.

 

Senate Votes Down Resolution To Ax Biden Asylum Rule

Law360: The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted down a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that could have overturned President Joe Biden’s policy vesting asylum officers with greater power over asylum. See also Biden prepares asylum overhaul at border, but court challenges loom.

 

ICE Agents Probably Won’t Arrest People Affected by the Texas Shooting

Vice: Federal officials declared Uvalde to be a “protected area” and said immigration agents would avoid enforcement “to the fullest extent possible.”

 

Legislators call for investigation into Boston asylum office over low rate of approvals

WGBH: In a letter sent Thursday to the Office of the Inspector General, the delegation wrote they’re concerned over a report that only 15.5% of asylum applicants reviewed by the Boston asylum office between 2015 to 2020 were approved, which is roughly half of the national average of 28%. This is the second-lowest in the nation after the New York asylum office.

 

Immigrant Bail Bond Industry Is ‘Wild West,’ State Lawmakers Say

The City: With only days left in the legislative session, Albany lawmakers are pushing to put regulations for a largely unregulated immigration bail bond industry, notorious for literally shackling clients with crippling debt and bulky ankle monitors.

 

Detention Ombudsman Reports 52% Of Complaints Were About Living Conditions

AIC: While the data is a small sample size, it paints a clear picture of why detention is so harmful, counter-productive, and arbitrary. For example, 52% were complaints about quality of life/living conditions. The next top complaints were about medical issues. The third category were about abuse & assault (legal access issues came in fourth).

 

Amazon Urged To End Support For DHS Biometric Program

Law360: A coalition of immigration and technology advocacy groups urged Amazon on Tuesday not to provide web hosting services for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s biometric information database, citing concerns about the project’s implications for civil liberties and privacy rights.

 

Illegal Immigration Is Down, Changing the Face of California Farms

NYT: The new demographic reality has sent farmers scrambling to bring in more highly paid foreign workers on temporary guest-worker visas, experiment with automation wherever they can and even replace crops with less labor-intensive alternatives. See also A human-trafficking case exposed farmworker abuses. The government is promising change.

 

Immigration, Upward Mobility, and the U.S. Economy

Harvard Business Review: Ran Abramitzky, a professor at Stanford University, and Leah Boustan, a professor at Princeton, looked at decades of data to understand the real impact that immigrants and their descendants have on America today. Their findings dispel several modern-day myths and suggest that not just political but also corporate leaders need to push for more rational rhetoric and policies.

 

A wave of Afghan teens arrived suddenly — and changed everything at a Chicago high school

WBEZ: These challenges are not isolated to the walls of Sullivan. With a record 100 million people displaced around the world, including 3 million Afghans, and the war in Ukraine adding to that tally every day, the Rogers Park school stands as an example of the kinds of challenges and transformations unfolding in schools and communities across the globe.

 

LITIGATION & AGENCY UPDATES

 

What To Expect As 5th Circ. Prepares To Hear DACA Clash

Law360: The Fifth Circuit is poised to consider the legality of a deportation relief program for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. As oral arguments come up, Law360 takes a look at what’s happened thus far and what could happen in and outside the courts.

 

Child Endangerment Plea Sinks 3rd Circ. Deportation Fight

Law360: A Third Circuit panel ruled 2-1 in a precedential decision Thursday that a Dominican man convicted of endangering the welfare of a child could be deported because that crime qualifies as child abuse.

 

Unpub. BIA on nexus, PSG

Courtside: Judge Ellen Liebowitz’s compact, cogent, powerful opinion is a terrific “mini-primer” on how PSG and “one central reason” nexus cases properly should be decided.

 

Roe v. Mayorkas on Afghan Parole

ACLU: Nine months after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, USCIS’s abandonment of the humanitarian parole process of Afghans has left the plaintiffs stranded and in danger. After months of waiting, they have received either denials or no responses to their applications. One plaintiff applied for six family members, but tragically lost three of them while awaiting decisions on their applications for humanitarian parole.

 

Feds Ask Court To Nix Deadlines For Allies’ Green Card Apps

Law360: The Biden administration asked a D.C. federal court on Tuesday to undo an order to speedily process green card applications for thousands of Afghan and Iraqi translators, saying the plan is no longer feasible due to chaos abroad and bureaucratic dysfunction at home.

 

Mexico’s Supreme Court Declares Immigration Checkpoints Unconstitutional

AIC: The case before Mexico’s Supreme Court involved three indigenous Mexican citizens. Immigration officials detained the three siblings due to their appearance and limited proficiency in Spanish. They were held for eight days where the 18-year-old brother was tortured until he signed a document indicating he was from Guatemala, even though he could not read Spanish.

 

USCIS To Adjust Its Interpretation Of Three And 10-Year Bars Of Inadmissibility

Chugh: As a result of a lawsuit, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) intends to no longer force certain adjustment of status applicants to leave the United States during their period of inadmissibility. Additionally, USCIS will not reject adjustment of status applications if an applicant was in the United States during the period of inadmissibility without a waiver. The new policy interpretation is still being finalized by the Department of Homeland Security and new USCIS guidance is expected soon.

 

Amazon Urged To End Support For DHS Biometric Program

Law360: A coalition of immigration and technology advocacy groups urged Amazon on Tuesday not to provide web hosting services for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s biometric information database, citing concerns about the project’s implications for civil liberties and privacy rights.

 

Immigration Help Available to Those Affected by Special Situations, Including the Shooting in Uvalde, Texas

USCIS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reminds the public that we offer immigration services that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances, including the shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

 

USCIS Announces Availability of New EAD Automatic Extension Calculator

AILA: Following the USCIS temporary final rule increasing the automatic extension period for EADs, USCIS created the EAD Automatic Extension Calculator to assist employers and employees with determining the EAD expiration date for eligible employees.

 

DHS Notice Regarding New Assessment of Customer Experience and Service Delivery Subcommittee

AILA: DHS notice stating that the Secretary directed the Homeland Security Advisory Council to establish a subcommittee which will provide findings and recommendations on how DHS can improve its customer experience and service delivery.

 

U.S. Residents Sue USCIS and NARA for Delays in U.S. Citizenship Applications

AIC: Thirteen people waiting to become U.S. citizens filed a lawsuit challenging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ unreasonable delays and failure to process U.S. naturalization applications filed in 2020.

 

CBP “Manifesting Fear of Expulsion Under Title 42” Documents (May 21, 2022)

LexisNexis: Here are links to two May 21, 2022 CBP Title 42 guidance documents stemming from the Huisha Huisha v. Mayorkas (27 F.4th 718, CADC 2022) litigation.  They went into effect at 12:01 a.m. (EDT) on May 23, 2022.

 

RESOURCES

 

NIJC RESOURCES

 

GENERAL RESOURCES

 

 

 

EVENTS

 

NIJC EVENTS

 

 

GENERAL EVENTS

 

 

To sign up for additional NIJC newsletters, visit:  https://immigrantjustice.org/subscribe.

 

You now can change your email settings or search the archives using the Google Group. If you are receiving this briefing from a third party, you can visit the Google Group and request to be added.

 

Elizabeth Gibson (Pronouns: she/her/ella)

Managing Attorney for Capacity Building and Mentorship

National Immigrant Justice Center

A HEARTLAND ALLIANCE Program

224 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60604
T: (312) 660-1688| F: (312) 660-1688| E: egibson@heartlandalliance.org

www.immigrantjustice.org | Facebook | Twitter

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Leah Pratt Boustan
Professor Leah Pratt Boustan
Economist
Princeton University
PHOTO: Princeton Website

LEAH BOUSTAN: I think that we’re seeing some of the same anti-immigrant rhetoric today than we’ve seen in the past US history. So we were interested in comparing immigrants that are coming to the U.S. today from all around the world to what we think of as the Ellis Island generation a century ago that faced a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment at the time. But now when we look back with hindsight on that generation, we have a very different view, a nostalgic view that sees those immigrants as contributing to society, building the economy. So we wanted to know are the immigrants that the U.S. is welcoming today on the same path and on the same trajectory as the past?

Honestly, what we find here really surprised both of us because we’ve heard all of the worries and concerns that people all across the aisle, I think, are expressing about immigrants today. That they come from poor countries. That it takes them a while to move up the ladder. So we were really surprised to see this really commonality between the Ellis Island generation and immigrants today. We end up seeing in the data that immigrants from Europe 100 years ago, and immigrants from Asia and Latin America today look like they’re on such a similar trajectory. Despite so many differences between the past and present, we see really a common immigrant story.

Check out the article from Harvard Business Review highlighted by Elizabeth above!

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-02-22

 

 

 

Related posts:

  1. THE GIBSON REPORT:  05-09-22 — Compiled By Elizabeth Gibson, Esquire, Managing Attorney, National Immigrant Justice Center — HEADLINERS: 2d Cir. Reverses BIA On CIMT; Texas AG Targets Legal Assistance To Migrants; EOIR “Friend of Court” Memo; Lack Of Immigrants Hurting U.S. Economy — PLUS BONUS COVERAGE:  New Legal Aid Alliance Aims to Build a Model for Universal Representation for Detained Immigrants!
  2. THE GIBSON REPORT FOR 12-18-17 – RECOGNIZING: The Absolutely Amazing ELIZABETH GIBSON Of The NY Legal Assistance Group and ALL She Does For Fairness, Justice, & Due Process! — MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE!
  3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚖️🗽🇺🇸FORMER DEPUTY AG DON AYER, JUDGE MIMI TSANKOV AMONG “HEADLINERS” AT TIMELY UPCOMING NY CITY BAR ASSN. EVENT: “Rule of Law Forum – Preserving the Rule of Law in an Age of Disruption” — Register Now, Right Here!
  4. ⚖️THE GIBSON REPORT — 03-22-21 — Compiled By Elizabeth Gibson, Esquire, NY Legal Assistance Group — Georgetown Law Journal Makes History, Of The Best Kind! — My Invitation To Current Georgetown Law Students To Get Involved!

⚖️🗽HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST ON EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG ABOUT TITLE 42🏴‍☠️! — Also, Positions With HRF Available: Fight The Scofflaws, Nativists, Deniers, Fear-Mongers, & Enablers Who Made Title 42 & Other Degrading White Nationalist Policies Possible, & Those Who “Continue To Defend The Indefensible!”

 
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humanrightsfirst.org
Dear Paul:

 

After two years of advocacy by Human Rights First and our allies, President Biden announced that his administration would end Title 42 this Monday, May 23.  Instead, a suit by attorneys general mirroring the talking points of the Trump administration blocked the end of this inhumane policy.

 

We will continue to push for the end of the misuse of Title 42 and advocate for fair and just asylum system until we succeed and refugees are welcomed with dignity to the United States.
Taking action on Title 42
The Biden administration had announced a plan to end on May 23 the misuse of Title 42 public health regulations that have barred asylum seekers at the border for the past two years.  On Friday a federal court in Louisiana forced the continuation of this egregiously inhumane policy.

 

Anwen Hughes, Director of Legal Strategy for Refugee Programs responded, “The court’s ruling requires the continuation of a public health policy that public health experts have concluded is not needed, and allows the continued evasion of U.S. immigration and refugee laws.”

 

Human Rights First joined 57 partner organizations in an amicus brief in this case detailing the human costs of using this policy at the border.  Our most recent report, authored with allies Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance, underscored how extending Title 42 escalates dangers to asylum seekers, exacerbates disorder at the border, and magnifies discrimination in the system.
Courtesy Reuters
Migrants expelled from the U.S. are sent back to Mexico over the Paso del Norte International border bridge.
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“Every day that the Title 42 order remains in place is a day when the United States is turning away people seeking refuge to places where their lives are in danger.”
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Eleanor Acer appeared on Al Jazeera Friday night to discuss the continuation of Title 42.
Human Rights First President and CEO Michael Breen joined Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Mary Kay Henry, International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), in a press call on Monday, the day that should have marked the end of the use of Title 42.

 

Speakers called for the end of this cruel policy and reiterated the need for a fair and humane asylum system that centers the dignity of all people.

 

“It is encouraging that the Justice Department quickly filed an appeal to the Louisiana court’s ruling, which extends the use of a policy, ostensibly based on public health, that public health experts have concluded is not needed.  Now it is critical that the administration take all necessary steps to defend the CDC’s decision to end the use of Title 42,” said Breen.

 

A recording of the press event is available here.

 

Finally, two key members of our refugee protection research team, Kennji Kizuka and Associate Attorney for Refugee Protection Julia Neusner are at the border this week, reporting on the impact of Title 42 and Remain in Mexico on asylum seekers.  Please follow their up-to-the-moment reports on Twitter — @JuliaNeusner and @KennjiKizuka.
Introducing new members of our team
Yesterday, Human Rights First was pleased to announce the addition of two critical new members of our program addressing extremism, Erin E. Wilson as the Senior Director for Extremism and Human Rights and Elizabeth Yates, Ph.D. as Senior Researcher on Antisemitism.

 

Over her 20-year career, Wilson established herself as an expert on domestic extremism, serving as a senior policy strategist and analyst in the U.S. Government’s executive and legislative branches. She has extensive experience with stakeholders in communities around the world as well as federal, state, local agencies and law enforcement partners to address extremism using a rights-centered approach.
Erin E. Wilson

Senior Director of

Extremism & Human Rights
Elizabeth Yates, Ph.D.

Senior Researcher

on Antisemitism.
Yates served at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, contributing to their work on domestic extremism and hate crimes. She co-authored numerous reports and articles on topics including extremism in the U.S. military, the growth of anti-Muslim terrorism, mass casualty hate crimes, and disengagement from right-wing extremism. Her analysis and commentary have regularly been featured on local and national news.

 

“Domestic extremism and antisemitism are two sides of the same coin, and Human Rights First is working to take that currency out of circulation,” said Michael Breen. “We are certain that as Human Rights First works to counter white supremacist extremism and the existential threat it poses to American democracy, the experience and tenacity Erin Wilson and Elizabeth Yates have long shown on these issues will be great resources.”
Join our Spring Social
We are thrilled to welcome Segun Oduolowu as emcee at our Spring Social!

 

Oduolowu joined PEOPLE (The TV Show!) as a correspondent this year after hosted the nationally syndicated television show, The List.  With Bounce TV network, Segun executive produced Protect or Neglect, a documentary focused on police brutality in underserved communities.

 

He was co-host of See It/Skip It, a weekly Facebook Live show produced by Rotten Tomatoes and he has appeared on Access Hollywood, The Wendy Williams Show and contributed to international programs for CNN, the BBC and Deutsche Welle.
The emcee for our June 8

Spring Social, Segun Oduolowu
Please join us and Segun Oduolowu for cocktails on the roof of the Bryant Park Grill in New York City on June 8 from 5:30 to 8pm EDT to honor the work of human rights defenders & highlight our work responding to the crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan.

 

Get your tickets now for what promises to be a great evening!
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Returning to Afghanistan
If you missed our live webinar “Tenets and Terrors: The Ideology and Violence of the Taliban in Afghanistan,” an in-depth look at the key factors, background, and worldview that motivates the Taliban, you can still participate in this important event by watching our recording or reading the transcript here.
Human Rights First is hiring
Human Rights First seeks passionate team members who are interested in changing lives, impacting policy, and moving public opinion.

 

Please check out our careers page and apply to join us today.
Watch for more news as our work for human rights continues.  And please stay in touch on social media:
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PLEASE MAKE HUMAN RIGHTS A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE

The work we do would not be possible without your donations
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Unsubscribe

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Not surprisingly, things have gone downhill for the Biden Administration on multiple fronts since their initial failure to hit the ground running with a strong condemnation and revocation of the Title 42 travesty!

Here’s a chance for the “new generation” of theNDPA to “sign on” with HRF and fight nativist racism on all levels! There is no end in sight for the need for actions to force the Biden Administration, the U.S. Government, Federal Courts, and state and local governments to comply with the law and our (not yet completely and equally implemented) Constitutional guarantees. Fight the “good fight” to end “dehumanization of the other” which, shockingly, has become SOP for the GOP right and their enablers!

Check out the link to the HRF Careers Page above!😎👍🏼⚖️🗽

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

05-27-22

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Related posts:

  1. 🤮🏴‍☠️GARLAND DOJ “POLISHES” OTHERWISE LACKLUSTER LITIGATION RECORD WITH BIG WIN FOR STEPHEN MILLER & HIS NEO-NAZI ANTI-ASYLUM POLICY! — “ There was no science involved, only anti-immigrant and anti-asylum animus.”
  2. 🏴‍☠️SCOFFLAW NATION! — TRUMP US JUDGE, GOP NATIVIST AGs CONTINUE TO DUMP ON ASYLUM SEEKERS, ☠️ HANDING HUMAN SMUGGLERS A HUGE VICTORY!🤮
  3. WOW, HERE’S A SURPRISE: MANY KIDS FLEEING VIOLENCE IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BIDEN BORDER POLICIES — They Are Just Trying To Save Their Lives!
  4. ICRC: “Migration is not going to stop. If you try to prevent it or strictly regulate it, people start to pile up at the borders, which is happening in Mexico and other countries.”

🗽⚖️NDPA JOB OPPORTUNITY:  WORK FOR “THE ASYLUMIST,” JASON DZUBOW! 😎 — Dzubow & Pilcher, PLLC, in Washington, D.C. is looking for a highly qualified Immigration Associate Attorney! 

Jason Dzubow
Jason Dzubow
The Asylumist

IMMIGRATION ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY 

Dzubow & Pilcher, PLLC, a boutique law firm located in downtown Washington, DC, seeks a full-time associate attorney. Our firm practices immigration law with a focus on asylum, family-based immigration, and removal defense. Our asylum clients come from a diverse range of countries and include journalists, diplomats, sexual minorities, religious and ethnic minorities, political activists, women’s rights activists, and many others.  

Job Duties & Tasks: Represent clients and manage caseload in all areas of the firm’s immigration practice, which includes: assisting clients in affirmative and defensive asylum applications, withholding of removal and other defenses to removal, family- and asylum-based adjustment of status, VAWA, DACA, TPS, employment authorization, J-1 waivers, waivers of inadmissibility, and consular processing of immigrant visa cases. Specific tasks will include conducting client intakes, providing legal consultations, completing immigration forms and affidavits, legal research and writing, direct representation of clients before the USCIS, ICE, EOIR, and the U.S. Department of State, and supervising paralegals and interns.

Qualifications: Membership in the DC bar or a state bar is required. Spanish fluency is required.  Candidates should have a demonstrated interest in immigration law and political asylum, and experience in an immigration legal services practice environment. Preference given to candidates with experience in asylum and removal defense. Candidates should also be detail-oriented, self-starters with the ability to handle multiple priorities and complete time-sensitive assignments.  

Salary and Benefits: Salary is commensurate with experience. We also offer health benefits, vacation time, and a retirement savings plan. 

To apply: If interested, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (5-10 pages) to Todd Pilcher at tpilcher@dzubowlaw.com. Please include “Associate Attorney Application” in your subject line. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis.

*************************

Contact information is in the above position posting!  Good Luck!

For those of you who don’t know him, in addition to being a great lawyer, Jason Dzubow is the author of The Asylumist Blog:  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj-1riog_v3AhXyIn0KHZWGB5YQFnoECAgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.asylumist.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw31096PYuipIGsxJadngh9O, has written a book (How to Seek Asylum in the United States and Keep Your Sanity), and has been an Adjunct Professor of Law.

As you can see, he and his partner, Todd Pilcher, another “immigration guru” who practiced before me in Arlington, have senses of humor, an absolute requirement for practicing immigration and human rights law in today’s world!

 🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

05-25-22

Related posts:

  1. NDPA STALWART JASON “THE ASYLUMIST” DZUBOW 🌟 QUOTED IN AP ARTICLE ABOUT REPEAL OF A-B- & L-E-A-!
  2. 👎🏽🤮AIMLESS DOCKET RESHUFFLING (“ADR”) @ GARLAND’S EOIR SCREWS 🔩ASYLUM SEEKERS WITH LONG-PENDING “SLAM DUNK” 🏀 CASES: “So if we can actually get to a hearing, it is still possible to win. This is the hope we all need to hold on to, but it would be much easier and much fairer if the system had a modicum of respect for the people it purports to serve.”
  3. THE ASYLUMIST WEIGHS IN ON EOIR’S “FACT SHEET:” “Sometimes, myths and facts get mixed up, especially in the Trump Administration, which has redacted human rights reports to show that countries are safe, buried other reports that don’t say what they like, and claimed that asylum lawyers are making up cases to get their clients across the border. It’s all in the grand tradition of the merchants of doubt, men and women who know better, but who obfuscate the truth–about tobacco, global warming, vaccines, whatever–to achieve a political goal (or make a buck). Why shouldn’t EOIR join in the fun?”
  4. “THE ASYLUMIST” INTERVIEWS RETIRED CHIEF IMMIGRATION JUDGE MARYBETH T. KELLER – Chronicling The Rise & Sad Demise Of EOIR: From Protector To Abuser Of Due Process: “Under Director McHenry, the advice of the agency’s career executives was often not even solicited, and did not appear to be valued. His approach caused many to question the soundness of his operational decisions, and his commitment to the mission of the court, as opposed to accommodating the prosecutorial goals of DHS.”

DISSENTING VIEW: LET THE SUN SHINE IN!☀️ — Unaccountable, Anti-Democracy, Out-Of-Touch Righty Supremes Need & Deserve Public Scrutiny Of Decision-Making!  — The “Leak” Was “All Good” 😎 — The Retrograde Substance Of Alito’s “Draft,” Not So Much! 🤮

 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Supreme-Court-leaks-are-good-actually-Let-s-17154277.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headlines&utm_campaign=sfc_opinioncentral&sid=5bfc15614843ea55da6b8709

Edward Wasserman writes in the SF Chron:

. . . .

No institution welcomes scrutiny. Maintaining internal cohesion and operational focus demands informational boundaries against the rest of the world. This wish deserves respect, but not automatic submission, especially when matters of vast public consequence are at stake.

That’s why news media take it as a duty to ignore organizational secrecy rules — except when disclosure would cause unwarranted harm — and insist that public awareness must outweigh institutional convenience. A document leaked from most any federal agency that upended longstanding policy would unquestionably be legitimate news, even if it was preliminary, even if exposure would gum up a cozy internal process, even if the leak broke agency rules.

But not when it comes to the Supreme Court.

Of all our governmental institutions, it is unique in the awe and deference with which our news media, for all their endless claims to seek truth aggressively, treat it.

To be sure, secrecy has a place in the judicial system. Grand juries, for example, are prosecutorial contrivances where untested evidence is presented and people suspected of wrongdoing have weak adversarial protections. Damaging the innocent by publicizing unrebutted claims is a strong possibility. Secrecy makes sense.

But the issue here is altogether different. The leak was of a 98-page draft opinion with 118 footnotes, not a filched personal email or the secondhand account of an overheard chat. It was deeply researched and carefully composed and was distributed internally nearly three months ago, and it signals a major change in an explosive area of public policy. Publishing it doesn’t endanger national security and puts no innocent lives at risk.

So should the Supreme Court, virtually alone among core public institutions, be entitled to say, “We’ll show it to you when we’re ready for you to see it?”

At best, that exceptionalist claim rests on a carefully nurtured myth of the court as a scholarly sanctuary in which big questions of public purpose are engaged through reflection, historical inquiry and quiet, reasoned debate, a process of ripening that must take place behind the sealed doors of an intellectual greenhouse.

That fiction lost credibility a long time ago, at least for anybody who was paying attention in the year 2000 when the court, with the flimsiest of pretexts, awarded the presidency to the candidate with fewer votes but of the same party as its majority.

Indeed, what standards of accountability govern the court? Its members serve life terms free from disciplinary oversight. To get aboard, nominees routinely lie before Congress — about their personal behavior and their judicial philosophy — rendering the Senate’s authority to approve candidates meaningless. Serving justices are not held to any discernible standard of independence. Their right to rule on matters in which close family have personal stakes, or on which they have clear prior leanings, is completely unregulated.

And then there’s the recent sharp increase in furtive rulings reached off-season without full briefing or oral argument — known as the shadow docket — which has further narrowed the window of public visibility. Last summer the court issued 11 such rulings, up from three in 2016, in a slapdash and opaque workaround beloved of the conservative majority that produces jurisprudence that “every day becomes more unreasoned, inconsistent, and impossible to defend,” as dissenting liberal Justice Elena Kagan said.

Perhaps the Roe leak will inaugurate a new era for the court. Maybe there will be more impertinent reporting that exposes the reasoning, bargaining, trade-offs and personal dynamics that drive constitutional lawmaking at the highest levels. Rather than something to be dreaded, such transparency would leave us all better informed and more fully empowered to play the role the system prescribes for us — to shape our collective future.

Edward Wasserman is professor of journalism and former dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley.

**************************

Read Wasserman’s full article at the link.

He says, “No institution welcomes scrutiny.” Very true. Any leader or group of leaders who claim the contrary are probably lying.

Scrutiny sometimes brings accountability. And, as our system deteriorates before our eyes, that’s something that has become rare in today’s politics and public life.

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

05-09-22

Related posts:

  1. 🤡CLOWN CAPITOL:  J.R. PRESIDES OVER GOP CLOWN SHOW HE HELPED CREATE — Empowering The Koch Bros, Suppressing Minority Votes, Enabling GOP Gerrymandering, Ignoring Invidious Racial & Religious Motives, Turning A Blind Eye To Lies & Pretexts, It All Contributed To The Arrogant Display Of GOP Dishonesty & Impunity Now On Public Display In The Senate! — Plus Bonus Friday Mini-Essay: “Profiles in Fecklessness”
  2. 🤮👎🏽ULTIMATE HIPOCRACY: EVEN AS AMERICA FINALLY CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY, DRED SCOTT & INSTITUTIONALIZED RACIST DEHUMANIZATION REMAIN REALITIES FOR BLACKS & OTHER MIGRANTS OF COLOR AT EOIR & DHS — Imprisonment Without Trial, Bogus Bonds, Mistreatment In The New American Gulag, Jim Crow “Courts,” No Rule Of Law,  Still Realities For Those Of Color Exercising Legal Rights In Broken System!
  3. “NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET”  🪓🔪 — MALE, PALE WHITE, & FAR RIGHT — The Clown Prince 🤡 & Moscow Mitch 👹 Have Put Together An Extreme Bench That Looks, Thinks, and Acts Nothing Like The Real America — Their Evil Specter 🧛‍♂️🧟‍♀️ Will Haunt Our Justice System For Decades To Come 💣!  — Judges Should Have Demonstrated Reputations For Fairness, Scholarship, Courage, & Relevant Experience Successfully Interacting With A Broad Base Of  Humanity, Not Just Reliable Right-Wing Voting Records!
  4. CRIME BLOTTER: CHILD ABUSE🤮☠️⚰️🦹🏿‍♀️: DOJ IG REPORT CONFIRMS WHAT COURTSIDE & OTHERS KNEW FROM THE START: Trump, Sessions, Miller, Rosenstein, Hamilton Are Cowards🐓, Lying 🤥 Criminals, Child Abusers🦹🏿‍♀️, Who Belong Behind Bars For Intentionally Abusing Asylum Seeking Families & Kids & Then Having Their Sleazy DOJ Lawyers Lie To Federal Judges! — What Happened To “Due Diligence” As An Ethical Requirement For Government Lawyers?

⚖️🧑🏻‍⚖️🍅FOOD FIGHT ERUPTS IN 5TH CIRCUIT AS EN BANC MAJORITY DECIDES TO FOLLOW LAW EVEN WHERE IMMIGRANT WINS! — 3 Trump Appointees, 1 Bush II Appointee, Join All Dem Appointees To Thwart 8 GOP Scofflaws’ Efforts To Overturn Rodriguez v. Garland!😎 

Food Fight
Far right activist  5th Circuit Judges reacting to colleagues who followed law and ruled in favor of immigrants. PHOTO: Creative Commons.

The issue is whether an in absentia removal order can be based on a statutorily defective notice. The panel followed the Supreme’s decision in Niz-Chavez and rejected the BIA’s conflicting decision in Matter of Laparra. In other words, the panel required the Government to follow the statute, a process known as “complying with the law.” This sent some of this most conservative circuit’s most far-right judges over the edge. Here’s the en banc decision:

https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/20/20-60008-CV1.pdf

********************

  • Credit Dan Kowalski over at LexisNexis for the “food fight” characterization.
  • The scofflaw GOP dissenters cited “deference” to the Executive, something they have pointedly refused to apply to Biden Administration precedents and policies favoring migrants. 
  • The majority says: “[The BIA] flies in the face of the Supreme Court’s Pereira decision, which Laparra ignored.” 
  • Incredibly, Garland is on the “wrong side” of this controversy, defending the legally incorrect misinterpretation of his “Trump holdover” BIA!
  • The statutory requirement at issue: That a “Notice to Appear” before the Immigration Court inform the individual of the time and place of the hearing. How difficult does that sound? Not very, unless you are bumbling bureaucrat at DHS and EOIR who chose, even after the Supremes’ initial decision, to  violate that decision and the statute in almost 100% of the cases instituted before the Immigration Courts! 
  • Kudos to the 3 Trump appointees and one Bush II appointee who joined 3 Obama appointees and 2 Clinton appointees to uphold the rule of law and thwart their GOP scofflaw colleagues.
  • Interestingly, and perhaps mildly encouraging, the “Trump appointees” split 3-3 on this one.
  • Apparently nothing drives a wedge between conservative judges like the scary prospect of following the law when it gives immigrants a win!
  • Future ambitious academic study: How much of the current out of control backlog can be traced to the Government’s, and particularly the BIA’s, inept handling of straightforward notice requirements set forth in the statute?
  • There’s a reason why I keep referring to Garland’s out of control EOIR backlogs as “largely self-created,” albeit in fairness not exclusively by him. The Trump Administration, and to a lesser extent the Obama Administration, also “excelled” at “Aimless Docket Reshuffling” driven by “prioritizing” improper political goals over due process, fundamental fairness, quality, and practical scholarship in the Immigration Courts.

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

04-21-22

Related posts:

  1. ☠️YET ANOTHER DEADLY,  ⚰️ RIDICULOUS 🤡 EOIR MELTDOWN 🤮 OUTED! — Conservative 5th Circuit Excoriates BIA & Immigration Judge For Litany Of Errors In 38-Page Smackdown — Another Wrongful Denial Of Asylum To Honduran Exhausts Patience Of Even Normally Pro-Gov. Circuit Court!
  2. ⚖️GARLAND’S BIA IMMEDIATELY “STUFFED” BY AMERICA’S MOST CONSERVATIVE CIRCUIT ON BOGUS ANTI-IMMIGRANT PRECEDENT! — Last Thursday, The BIA “Dissed” The Supremes Again In Arambula-Bravo  — Yesterday, The Fifth Circuit Said “Not So Fast” In Rodriguez v. Garland! — Piecemeal Notice Cannot Be Basis For In Absentia Order!
  3. ☠️🤮⚰️ AMERICAN TRAVESTY — IN GARLAND’S TOTALLY DYSFUNCTIONAL (NON) COURT SYSTEM, LIFE OR DEATH⚰️ IS A COMPLETE “CRAP SHOOT!” — WHY ISN’T THE PRESSURE ON BIDEN’S AG TO FIX IT BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE UNJUSTLY LOST?
  4. 🤮👎🏽WASHPOST SLAMS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR ABANDONING NEGOTIATIONS WITH FAMILIES WHO SUFFERED CHILD ABUSE BY SESSIONS & MILLER! — “Having condemned a policy that traumatized children and their parents, Mr. Biden now leads an administration fighting in court to deny recompense to those same families.”

🗽BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GRANTS TPS TO CAMEROONIANS — A Modest Step Forward! — It Also Illustrates The Horrible Illegality & Immorality Of The Biden Administration’s Continuing Use Of “Title 42” Against Non-White Refugees At Our Border!🏴‍☠️☠️🤮👎🏽

 

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/04/15/secretary-mayorkas-designates-cameroon-temporary-protected-status-18-months

Secretary Mayorkas Designates Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status for 18 Months

Release Date: April 15, 2022

WASHINGTON— Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the designation of Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. Only individuals who are already residing in the United States as of April 14, 2022, will be eligible for TPS.

“The United States recognizes the ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon, and we will provide temporary protection to those in need,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Cameroonian nationals currently residing in the U.S. who cannot safely return due to the extreme violence perpetrated by government forces and armed separatists, and a rise in attacks led by Boko Haram, will be able to remain and work in the United States until conditions in their home country improve.”

A country may be designated for TPS when conditions in the country fall into one or more of the three statutory bases for designation: ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or extraordinary and temporary conditions. This designation is based on both ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions in Cameroon that prevent Cameroonian nationals, and those of no nationality who last habitually resided in Cameroon, from returning to Cameroon safely. The conditions result from the extreme violence between government forces and armed separatists and a significant rise in attacks from Boko Haram, the combination of which has triggered a humanitarian crisis. Extreme violence and the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure have led to economic instability, food insecurity, and several hundred thousand displaced Cameroonians without access to schools, hospitals, and other critical services.

This marks the first time the Secretary of DHS will permit qualifying nationals of Cameroon to remain temporarily in the United States pursuant to a TPS designation of that country. Individuals eligible for TPS under this designation must have continuously resided in the United States since April 14, 2022. Individuals who attempt to travel to the United States after April 14, 2022 will not be eligible for TPS. Cameroon’s 18-month designation will go into effect on the publication date of the forthcoming Federal Register notice. The Federal Register notice will provide instructions for applying for TPS and an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). TPS applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and undergo security and background checks.

###

******************

According to TRAC, there were 3,191 pending Cameroonian cases in Immigration Court as of March 22, 2022. https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/court_backlog/. On the basis of my experience, I would guess that most of these are in the mid-Atlantic region. 

Cameroonian asylum cases were a “staple” in Arlington over my 13 years on the bench ending on June 30, 2016. For example, in FY 2012, they were approximately 9% of my asylum docket, although that number dwindled between then and my retirement.

According to EOIR’s first quarter FY 2022 stats, the asylum grant rate for Cameroon is about 60%, and the denial rate is only 6%. https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1107366/download

The other 1/3 of cases are disposed of in “other” ways. This indicates that with TPS as a tool, almost all of the pending Cameroonian cases at EOIR could be resolved in short order without diminishing anyone’s rights.

That’s a “drop in the bucket” on a 1.8 million case backlog. But, it does suggest that better docket management tools, ones that comply with due process, are available to Immigration Judges and could be built upon for the future with more visionary and due-process-focused leadership at EOIR and DOJ.

Sadly, this profile also confirms that the Biden Administration’s illegal use of Title 42 to return Cameroonians to harm’s way without an opportunity to apply for asylum has been exactly the race-based, grotesque violation of asylum laws, human rights, and human dignity that critics have asserted.

It also graphically demonstrates why real Democrats, core progressive supporters who put Biden and company in office, must aggressively stand up against the disgraceful agitation by a minority of Dem legislators and uninformed, amoral politicos within the Administration to retain the already totally unjustifiable Title 42 blockade!

Continuing violation of domestic and international law through use of Title 42 is NOT, I repeat NOT, an option! Yes, the Administration needs to get a plan in place for an orderly restoration of asylum processing for Cameroonians, Haitians, Latin Americans, Ukrainians, Russians, Afghans, and all  other nationalities at our Southern Border. 

Fair, humane, advance processing of those seeking asylum at the border NOW is the essential key to avoiding a mess on May 23. Pumping credibility, efficiency, humanity, and proper generosity into the asylum system at the border NOW will reduce the chances of an “immediate backlog” come May 23. 

More importantly, showing that our laws can work in a fair, humane, and efficient way will encourage individuals seeking asylum to come to legal ports of entry to apply, rather than seeking more dangerous and difficult irregular entry that does not hold out the same prospects for rapidly obtaining legal status. Why wouldn’t legitimate asylum seekers present themselves at legal ports of entry if we had a fair, functioning, transparent system for processing them? 

By eliminating the need and reducing  the motivation for legal asylum seekers to attempt irregular entries to obtain refuge, the traffic between ports of entry should be reduced even though of course not eliminated. And the “expedited removal” procedures available under current law to CBP for those apprehended without credible asylum claims while attempting unauthorized entires are perfectly adequate to quickly process removals of those with no legal claim to be here!   

Assuming that all or most asylum seekers will attempt unauthorized entries between legal ports will become a dangerous “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Yet, to the extent that the Biden Administration has a plan, it appears to be driven by the misguided notion that all the “action” will be at unauthorized crossing points. See, e.g., https://immigrationimpact.com/2022/04/12/what-is-bidens-plan-to-end-title-42/ (a sad commentary on wobbly, uninformed, unprincipled, pedestrian, un-creative thinking about an important solvable problem if I’ve ever seen one). 

That’s only going to happen if the Administration continues to ignore the pressing need for immediate steps to establish the credibility of the asylum system at ports of entry. 

The Administration went to considerable trouble to establish a “new” regulatory framework for processing asylum claims at the border (which becomes effective on May 28). I was one of those who pointed out serious flaws in the new system adopted. 

One of the main defects is that for integrity, legal guidance, and effective supervision it heavily relies on Garland’s dysfunctional, hopelessly backlogged, and still anti-asylum-tilted Immigration Courts, at least where some of the common types of asylum applications at the border, like those from Northern Triangle countries, are concerned. These “courts that aren’t really courts” have shown a disturbing lack of asylum expertise and little effective commitment to a fair and practical application of asylum laws nationwide. It’s basically still a “denial factory” — just as Sessions and Barr staffed and manipulated it to be. That has spelled disaster in the past and will continue to do so in the future unless it can be “sidestepped” by granting more cases at the border without calling on these “courts.”

There’s where the “new system” has potential to work! One key advantage of the “new system” that many of us applauded is the potential for the USCIS Asylum Office expeditiously to grant many more claims at or near the border, thus entirely avoiding the broken Immigration Courts, prolonged detention, and releasing individuals to the interior without status. 

As asylees, refugees can be admitted in a legal, work-authorized status right off the bat. Not only does that eliminate the never-ending debate about appearing for later Immigration Court hearings, but it also helps the economy and resettlement by putting individuals anxious to support themselves and their families directly into the workforce at a time when we need workers in many segments of the economy! It also avoids the current wildly inconsistent, unprincipled, and often defective asylum adjudication that now plagues Garland’s Immigration Courts, particularly in border areas and detention centers.

But, success isn’t going to happen by “magical thinking,”  operating in “Stephen Miller’s world,” repeating platitudes about border crises, and reviving the past mistakes of “enforcement/deterrence only regimes.” I call BS! A “border crisis” is what happened in Poland! We’re not even remotely close to that!

It requires the Biden Administration to get the lead out, shut down the “naysayers,” work with NGOs, and get the expertise and manpower in place NOW at ports of entry and in Mexico to achieve success on May 23! But, continuing the illegal Title 42 charade/blockade is not an option that is on the table!

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

04-16-22

Related posts:

  1. 👍🏼⚖️🗽MAJORITY OF ASYLUM SEEKERS WIN THEIR CASES, EVEN IN A BROKEN & BIASED  SYSTEM INTENTIONALLY STACKED AGAINST THEM — But, Only, If They Can Get To A “Merits Adjudication!” — Nativist Lies, Myths, Driving USG Policies Exposed! — Why USCIS & EOIR Self-Created Backlogs Primarily Shaft Those Deserving Legal Protection Of Some Type!
  2. 🏴‍☠️☠️👎🏽GROUPS EXPOSE RACISM, MYTHS IN BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S ABUSE OF HAITIAN ASYLUM SEEKERS! — “Each day that the Title 42 policy remains in effect, it places Haitians directly in harm’s way.”
  3. 🤯PROGRAMMED TO FAIL:  LACK OF LEADERSHIP, EXPERTISE, COURAGE, COMMITMENT TO RULE OF LAW, RACIAL AWARENESS, & AN ATTORNEY GENERAL “ON VACATION” PLAGUES BIDEN’S BUNGLED BORDER POLICY! — Is Appeasing GOP White Nationalists With Racist Policies While Scorning The Rule of Law & Dissing Progressive Supporters REALLY A Great “Strategy” For Biden & Harris?  🤮 — NY Times Reports
  4. WOW, HERE’S A SURPRISE: MANY KIDS FLEEING VIOLENCE IN THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BIDEN BORDER POLICIES — They Are Just Trying To Save Their Lives!

MORE ON IMMIGRATION & THE ECONOMY: LINDA CHAVEZ JOINS C. RAMPELL IN TOUTING ASYLUM AND REFUGEE ADMISSIONS AT THE BORDER AS A TERRIFIC OPPORTUNITY FOR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION & THE DEMS TO “STEP UP,” REINSTITUTE THE RULE OF LAW, IMPROVE THE ECONOMY, FULFILL PROMISES, AND SHOW HOW IMMIGRATION “WORKS” FOR AMERICA!

Dan Kowalski @ LexisNexis reports:

https://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/immigration/b/outsidenews/posts/linda-chavez-more-immigration-less-inflation

Daniel M. Kowalski
15 Apr 2022
immigration
chavez
inflation

Linda Chavez
Linda Chavez

Linda Chavez: More Immigration, Less Inflation

Linda Chavez, Apr. 14, 2022
“… [A]dmitting asylees and giving them work authorizations, as well as allowing in more Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, could alleviate some of the country’s labor shortage. The Department of Labor reported last month that there were 11.3 million job openings in February, a number that has remained at historic highs for months. We should be opening our doors wider so that those seeking refuge in the United States can come here and help fill those jobs. …”

“Linda Chavez is a senior fellow at the National Immigration Forum. Chavez is the author of “Out of the Barrio: Toward a New Politics of Hispanic Assimilation“, which the Denver Post described as a book that “should explode the stereotypes about Hispanics that have clouded the minds of patronizing liberals and xenophobic conservatives alike”, as well as her memoir  “An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal”. In 2000, Chavez was honored by the Library of Congress as a “Living Legend” for her contributions to America’s cultural and historical legacy.
Chavez has held a number of appointed positions, among them Chairman, National Commission on Migrant Education (1988-1992); White House Director of Public Liaison (1985); Staff Director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (1983-1985); and she was a member of the Administrative Conference of the United States (1984-1986).  Chavez was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Maryland in 1986.  In 1992, she was elected by the United Nations’ Human Rights Commission to serve a four-year term as U.S. Expert to the U.N. Sub-commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
Chavez was also editor of the prize-winning quarterly journal American Educator (1977-1983), published by the American Federation of Teachers, where she also served as assistant to AFT president Al Shanker (1982-1983) and assistant director of legislation (1975-1977).
Chavez serves on the Board of Directors of ABM Industries, Inc. a Fortune 500 company, as well as on boards of several non-profit organizations.
Chavez was born in Albuquerque, NM, on June 17, 1947, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Colorado in 1970 and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from George Mason University in 2012.  She currently resides in Silver Spring, MD.”

*************************
Come on, Biden Administration (and so-called “moderate Dems”), get with the program! Repeating “sanitized versions of Stephen Miller talking points” isn’t going to get you a single vote from Trump’s GOP, which is most of the party now. They have the xenophobic vote locked up.

But, in addition to energizing your real supporters and activists in the Dem base, making border policy work by smoothing the admission of qualified asylum seekers and refugees from all countries (not just “White guys”) might have some “crossover appeal” to at least a few conservatives who value economic vibrancy, are willing to acknowledge they their ancestors were once immigrants, and are somewhat turned off by the overt racism, chronic resentment, and insurrectionist, anti-American nonsense that has become part of the GOP “party line.”

And, showing that Government can actually solve problems without breaking the bank and improve the economy in the process might give some boost to standing among independents and centrists who thought that they were getting competence and leadership in return for voting out Trump’s incompetent Clown Show.

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS
04-15-22

Related posts:

  1. 🤯👎🏽MORE CIRCUIT REJECTS FOR GARLAND & PRELOGAR — 1st & 3rd Cirs “Just Say No” To DOJ’s Ill-Advised Positions On “Theft Offense” & Derivative Citizenship!  — It’s Part Of A Larger Leadership Failure @ Garland’s Broken DOJ!
  2. @WASHPOST: CATHERINE RAMPELL SAYS IT WELL! — “Contrary to Trumpers’ claims, keeping our word to Afghan allies in trouble is wholly consistent with a philosophy that puts ‘America First.’ Indeed, it’s central to the entire operation.”  — Getting Beyond Bogus Racist Nativism To A Robust, Honest, Expanded Legal Immigration System That Treats Refugees & Asylees Fairly, Humanely, & Generously — As Assets, Not “Threats” — Is Putting America First!
  3. CATHERINE @ WASHPOST “GETS IT!” — Why Are The Biden Administration & Some Dem Pols “Running Scared” From What Should Be A Big Win? — Many Of The Legal,Workers We Need Are Patiently Waiting @ The Border For Processing & Legal Admission — Dems Need To Stop “Shaking In Their Boots” & Start “Shaking Their Tails” To “Pre-Process” Refugees For An Orderly Restoration Of The Rule Of Law On May 23!
  4. IMMIGRATION & THE ECONOMY:  RAMPELL RIPS MAGAMORON ABBOTT — Latest Racist Stunt Adds To Nation’s Economic Woes!🤮

IMMIGRATION & THE ECONOMY:  RAMPELL RIPS MAGAMORON ABBOTT — Latest Racist Stunt Adds To Nation’s Economic Woes!🤮

Catherine Rampell
Catherine Rampell
Opinion Columnist
Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/14/greg-abbott-border-inspection-policy-hurt-texas-own-voters/

. . . .

Or maybe Abbott, like many other Republican politicians, simply thinks his voters are stupid.

He might presume that angry voters will see backlogged traffic, empty store shelves and struggling businesses and blame President Biden, even though this latest contribution to supply-chain woes comes courtesy of Abbott’s own policies. If that sounds far-fetched, recall that Abbott and other Republicans have tried to blame Biden for mounting covid infections and deaths, even as these same politicians have deliberately sown distrust in vaccines and undermined or outright barred efforts to increase vaccination and other covid-prevention measures.

If Abbott’s border policy is motivated by the last of these possible explanations — if he’s assuming Texans are too dense to figure out causality here — let’s hope voters will be motivated to prove him wrong.

**********************

Read Catherine’s full article at the link.

As Catherine points out, Texas voters have a golden opportunity to show their “clown prince” 🤡  the door this fall. But, I wouldn’t count on it.

Meanwhile Abbott claims to have negotiated “security agreements” with several Mexican Governors thereby “allowing” him to “relax” his unneeded blockade. Exactly what this grandstanding means is opaque. Trucks entering the U.S. are ready checked for drugs and migrants by CBP at the border. Somehow, I doubt that Mexican authorities are going to do a better job than CBP.

Of course, the best way to deal with Abbott’s stunts is for the Biden Administration and NGOs to work together to encourage asylum seekers to present themselves in an orderly manner at legal ports of entry once the “Title 42 Blockade” is lifted. Indeed, as I’ve perviously suggested, there should be a system in place NOW to “prescreen” asylum applications in Mexico and to parole as many as possible of those whose claims pass credible fear and who can be resettled away from the border areas in advance of May 23. That would avoid long lines and confusion.

New regulations that would allow Asylum Officers to outright grant well-documented asylum cases go into effect on May 28. Surely, somebody out there in the “world of rational thinkers and doers” should be able to “leverage” this opportunity to cut through the BS and finalize grants of deserving cases without more bureaucratic red tape. Plan to show that that the new system can work. Start building the necessary credibility and confidence in orderly legal processing among asylum seekers now, rather than hoping that they all die or go away before May 23. They won’t. 

That’s just an “expanded version” of what’s already happening for Ukrainian asylum seekers at the border. But, unfortunately, I haven’t seen much hard evidence that either the Administration or the NGOs are planning for “achievable success” rather than “finger pointing failure” on May 23. The real victims here are, as usual, the migrants whose humanity and rights are routinely ignored in the politicization of the border.  

Let’s look at what has happened with another Abbott stunt mentioned by Catherine:  “Bussing” asylum seekers from the border to downtown DC and dropping them near the headquarters of Fox News, NBC News and C-SPAN. Obviously, Abbott anticipated a “Fox photo op” of bewildered folks wandering the streets, causing traffic jams, and sparking anti-immigrant protests and overreaction by local Dem officials.

But, thanks to local NGOs, the opposite has happened. Volunteers have met the arriving busses, helping those bound for other areas to make the right transportation connections and directing those bound for the DMV area to the appropriate local organizations who can assist them in orderly resettlement. 

Most of the migrants who volunteered for the busses expressed gratitude for the free transport. Few appeared to know that they were intended to be part of “Nativist Political Theater.” Both CBP and local NGOs at the Texas border worked to facilitate those seeking transportation to use the busses. 

Evidently inadvertently, in this case Abbott’s publicity stunt appears to have “morphed” into a good example of how cooperation among Federal and state authorities, NGOs in different areas, and migrants themselves can work to facilitate orderly processing of migrants once they are in the U.S. 

Who knows if this initial success will be temporary or long term. If the latter, it will be interesting to see if Abbott will continue to fund efforts to make the immigration system work rather than to showcase its anticipated failures. But, in any event, this should be a practical example for the Biden Administration of how public-private partnerships, teamwork, and cooperation can work even across party and ideological lines.

Unfortunately, to date, the Biden Administration’s wobbly approach to immigration and human rights has failed to capitalize on almost every opportunity to show the benefits of an orderly, legally compliant, and humane immigration policy. 

Will they finally get this one right? Or, as Catherine has suggested before, will this just be another in a too long line of Biden’s missed opportunities to show that the rule of law and legal immigration work for America?

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

04-15-22

UPDATE:

RAMPELL “DUNKS” ON ABBOTT AS TEX GOV FORCED TO RESCIND IDIOTIC STUNT ORDER!

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-04-15/texas-repeals-immigration-order-that-caused-border-gridlock

The American Trucking Assn. called the inspections “wholly flawed, redundant and adding considerable weight on an already strained supply chain.”

This stunt, not surprisingly, turned up neither a single smuggled individual nor any drugs. They did turn up some safety violations, actually the only thing Texas officials were legally empowered to inspect for. But, safety problems have been around forever, and Abbott hasn’t given them a second thought as he misallocates state resources on a grotesque scale. See, the bogus “Operation Lone Star.”

The best way to deter human smugglers is to reopen ports of entry to asylum seekers and grant the many worthy applications out there, thereby ending years of manipulating asylum law to deny protection to legally qualified refugees.

While there of course will always be pressure on the border, the many individuals who seek only a fair chance to present their legal claims for asylum through our legal system will no longer be forced to use smugglers to gain “black market” refuge just because the Government has shirked their legal responsibilities!

That ought to make the border safer and CBP’s job at least somewhat easier.

It all depends on whether the border asylum system is credible. So far, no Administration has succeeded in pulling that off.

All have employed various degrees of bias and inhumane detention to “hold down” the number of asylum grants at the border. A legitimate legal asylum system at the border is possible, particularly if accompanied by a robust refugee program beyond the border. But, possible doesn’t mean probable!

DPF!

PWS

04-15-22

 

 

 

Related posts:

  1. CATHERINE @ WASHPOST “GETS IT!” — Why Are The Biden Administration & Some Dem Pols “Running Scared” From What Should Be A Big Win? — Many Of The Legal,Workers We Need Are Patiently Waiting @ The Border For Processing & Legal Admission — Dems Need To Stop “Shaking In Their Boots” & Start “Shaking Their Tails” To “Pre-Process” Refugees For An Orderly Restoration Of The Rule Of Law On May 23!
  2. ICRC: “Migration is not going to stop. If you try to prevent it or strictly regulate it, people start to pile up at the borders, which is happening in Mexico and other countries.”
  3. 🗽⚖️ CDC ANNOUNCES END OF “COVID BAR” — BUT ONLY 7 WEEKS FROM NOW — COMPARE WHAT DHS SHOULD HAVE SAID WITH WHAT THEY DID SAY — WITH 51 DAYS TO GO & COUNTING, CAN ADVOCATES & NGOs SAVE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FROM ITSELF?
  4. ⚖️🗽MORE TRUTH ABOUT THE SOUTHERN BORDER FROM ONE OF AMERICA’S 🇺🇸 LEADING HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS: “Real Needs, Not Fictitious Crises Account For The Situation at US-Mexico Border,” By Donald Kerwin Center For Migration Studies