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Students for Migrant Justice is a relatively new organization on campus that is fighting an old fight. Co-founders Luis Mata and Taylor Dempsey began the organization in early 2020 after recognizing the need for a bridge between the university and the migrant community in Knoxville.

Their mission to educate the UTK campus and Knoxville community on the immigration system, mobilize with partners on and off-campus and build strength amongst student immigrants on and off campus could not be more relevant in Knoxville today.

Since 2017, the Knox County Police Department has participated in agreement 287(g). This is an agreement with ICE that deputizes local law enforcement as immigration agents.

Knox is one of two Tennessee counties participating in 287(g), the other being Greene County. There are only 25 participating counties nationwide.

287(g) incentivizes racial discrimination, exacerbates fear between our migrant community and law enforcement, and separates families due to nonviolent offenses, Mata and Dempsey said.

On Aug. 19, Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler issued a public statement in response to several anti-287(g) protests that have taken place at the Knox County Sheriffs Office, in addition to Spanglers home and place of worship.

After telling a brief story of a family that tragically lost their son at the hands of someone who had entered America undocumented, he made his decision on the agreement clear.

I have deliberated and decided that not only will I not rescind the current contract with 287(g), but I will sign the contract each time it comes up as long as I am sheriff of Knox County, in furtherance of my duly sworn responsibility to protect the citizens of Knox County, Spangler said in the statement.

Students for Migrant Justices response via an Instagram post on Aug. 27 took a strong stance against Spanglers statement, claiming he continued false narratives and inaccurate information in pursuit of fear and control. They went on to explain that over half of 287(g) detentions in Knox County are not related to violent crimes like those Spangler cites in his response, but rather traffic violations.

Once someone is convicted not charged on a local offense, they are taken without notice, ripped from their families, communities and homes and are put into the deportation pipeline, the SMJ statement said.

SMJ went on to acknowledge the relationship between 287(g) and police abolition, a political vision that is gaining steam in response to the most recent wave of the Black Lives Matter movement.

We will come together to reimagine a future where resources go directly to the people and to community centers, and not spent on police patrols and policies that ultimately harm Knoxville and Knox County, the statement said.

Additionally, Mata and Dempsey explained that detention beds are another local threat to migrant justice.

The deportation machine is alive and well here in the Knoxville community. Immigration enforcement policies are terrorizing our communities. Not only do we have the 287(g) program in Knox County, but we also have the detention bed Intergovernmental Service Agreement, or IGSA, as well, Mata and Dempsey said. The detention bed IGSA is a contract where ICE pays Knox County to hold ICE detainees in the jail, where they are usually transferred to Louisiana for deportation. This creates a monetary incentive for racial discrimination in our community.

In addition to the above mentioned policies, SMJ also works to inform students and the Knoxville community about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The Department of Homeland Security memorandum is a temporary relief from deportation for people who were brought to the United States as children without documentation. Despite the Trump administrations efforts to pause and rescind DACA, this June the Supreme Court decided to reinstate the policy back to its original 2012 form.

Ten days after the courts decision, the Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum under the direction of Acting Secretary Chad Wolf that goes against the SCOTUS decision and places more restrictions on those who are receiving or may receive DACA.

Our organization decries and stands against Chad Wolf and the Trump administrations cruel memorandum, Mata and Dempsey said.

In response to how a student can help progress immigration reform, Mata and Dempsey say the best way a student can be an advocate for migrant justice is to support people of color and their voices.

Advocacy has many iterations, and there are plenty of avenues to do so here in the Knoxville community, and SMJ is here to help create that bridge, Mata and Dempsey.

Though this semester is looking very different than most, SMJ is still committed to pursuing its mission. Mata and Dempsey encourage all to follow SMJ on Instagram and Twitter, @UTK_SMJ.

More here:
Students for Migrant Justice advocates for immigration reform on and off campus - UT Daily Beacon

September 17 is the anniversary of our U.S. Constitution. Like many attorneys, I have an inbox full of reminders about the birth of our Constitution and the role of attorneys in preserving its promise. Because I accept that role, today it feels more important than ever to remind us all that the promise of our Constitution doesnt just rely on attorneys, it relies on all of us.

During my work at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration, I constantly met colleagues whose journeys brought them to DHS because they were moved by 9/11 or a passion to achieve immigration reform. These colleagues and their unique journeys often inspired me.

I have no doubt that manyDHSemployees continue to be driven by these and other critical mission sets. Yet this is not whatDHSis making the news for these days.

Especially on Constitution Day, lets not allow chaotic news cycles to keep us from seeing what is right in front of us.

Many of us spoke up with broken and angry hearts as the federal government instituted a policy that unconstitutionally separated parents from their children at the border, leaving children defenseless, sometimes falling victim to abuse, and other times unable to be reunited with their family.

We watched stunned as DHS personnel gassed peaceful protesters in our nations capital to arrange a photo opportunity.

We read about them nabbing people off the streets in unmarked cars during protests.

We learn they conducted surveillance and distributed reports about U.S. journalists reporting on racial justice protests.

And most recently, we heard from a nurse who come forward to report haunting practices at a Georgia immigration detention center: an alarming number of incarcerated women being subjected to unwanted hysterectomies while being denied other needed medical care. A full investigation and actions are needed immediately to protect detained women from such painful violations of their bodies and their rights.

This does not encompass all DHS actions that raise concern for me or others, but it does drive home how far the agencys recent actions have strayed from the basic principles of our constitution. To some of us, these acts have been shocking. To others, they feel sadly familiar because they echo practices of the past. What is clear is that we must put a stop to this direction now.

Leaders are needed in federal government who will ensure that the department acts within our laws and the U.S. Constitution. That doesnt seem likely to happen until there is a change in leadership. The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently concluded that the top two officials at DHS were not even lawfully appointed themselves. Instead, the White House and DHS chose to bypass Congresss constitutional role in vetting and confirming top government leaders.

The Department of Homeland Security was created to make the country safer. Our leaders there have a duty to prepare for the worst and help coordinate responses when the worst actually occurs; a duty to gather, report, and coordinate countermeasures to the risks that our nation is facing; and in their responsibility of managing our borders, as many prepare for immigration reform, they have a duty to avoid abuses of power, protect human rights, and act lawfully.

Its Constitution Day in 2020. Public officials do not get to choose whose constitutional rights should and should not be protected. It is time for Congress and the public to ensure that DHS officials act within the laws and constitution that they have sworn to uphold.

Excerpt from:
I worked at Homeland Security. The agency's 'shocking' actions ignore constitutional basics. - Arizona Mirror

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), regarding today's ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals clearing the way for ending Temporary Protected Status for citizens from four nations:

"Today's ruling by the activist Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the Trump administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for individuals from four nations represents a victory for the American people and an unmistakable rebuke to activist judges who seek to make immigration policy from the bench.

"The Ninth Circuit affirmed two clear aspects of TPS. The first is that the T in TPS stands for temporary and that it is not intended, nor should it be, a backdoor to permanent residency. The second is that the Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with other relevant federal agencies, has clear and unreviewable discretion to determine when conditions allow citizens of countries covered by TPS to return home safely. In the case of citizens of El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan, the crises that triggered the TPS designation have long since passed.

"The fact that the legal and justifiable termination of TPS has been delayed for this long is further evidence that pernicious judicial activism must be reined in.

"Finally, and perhaps most important, is that this ruling represents a win for the idea that the American people should be able to provide needed and appropriate temporary humanitarian relief, with the full expectation that their generosity will not be taken advantage of when the emergency is over."

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [emailprotected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 2 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

https://www.fairus.org

Go here to see the original:
Ninth Circuit Affirms That Temporary Protected Status is Temporary and Subject to the Unreviewable Discretion of DHS, Says FAIR - PRNewswire

KALAMAZOO, MI -- State Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, is considered the front-runner among those seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, to represent Michigans 6th Congressional District.

The district has long been a Republican stronghold. Upton is seeking his 18th consecutive term in the November general election.

In addition to the Democratic Party, the other challengers appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot are members of the Libertarian and Green parties.

Libertarian Jeff Depoy, 35, is a machinist and veteran from Berrien Center. For more about his experience and campaign, visit facebook.com/jefffor6th

Green Party candidate John Lawrence, 31, is a medical dispatcher and logistics and courier transporter from Kalamazoo. For more about his experience and campaign, visit facebook.com/RapsRantsRamblings

Upton, 67, was first elected in 1986. In the August primary he secured 62.66% of the votes to defeat GOP challenger Elena Oelke.

The 6th Congressional District covers much of Southwest Michigan, including the counties of Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Cass, St. Joseph, Berrien and Allegan.

There is unfinished business we have to complete - Cures 2.0, fighting the opioid epidemic, immigration reform, and protecting the Great Lakes, among others, Upton wrote on Facebook in February when he announced he was seeking another term.

According to his campaign website, Uptons focus remains on passing important legislation to encourage job creation, protect taxpayers, help our community and enhance the quality of life for everyone in Southwest Michigan and throughout our country.

Prior to Congress, Upton worked for President Ronald Reagan in the Office of Management and Budget. For more information about the campaign and his background visit fredupton.com.

Hoadley, 37, is completing his third and final two-year term in the Michigan House of Representatives representing District 60, which encompasses the entire city of Kalamazoo and the majority of Kalamazoo Township. He was first elected in 2014.

His home turf of Kalamazoo County carried Hoadley across the finish line in the August Democratic primary. He claimed 61% of the Kalamazoo County vote and 52.24% of the overall vote.

I was really humbled that they would be willing to continue to support me on this next step that we could serve in Congress, Hoadley said after the primary. I think that as we look at the results all across the district it is clear people are ready for change.

MLive Media Group partnered with the League of Women Voters of Michigan to provide candidate information for readers. Each candidate was asked to outline their stances on a variety of public policy issues listed below.

Information on all state and federal races and many of Michigans county and local races is available at Vote411.org, an online voter guide created by the League of Women Voters.

HEALTH CARE: What do you see as the federal governments role in health care? Given the Covid19 pandemic, what are your concerns and plans regarding U.S. health coverage, policies and programs, including Medicare and Medicaid?

UPTON: Americans deserve access to high-quality, affordable health care. In 2016, we passed the 21st Century Cures Act to expedite the discovery and development of life-saving cures. Now Im working on Cures 2 to modernize how we treat diseases and deliver more cures. Regarding reform efforts, we need to lower costs and expand access. One recent success was Michigans expansion of Medicaid. In Congress, I fought to support states that expanded Medicaid eligibility. We also need to protect those with pre-existing conditions, let folks buy plans across state lines, and support telehealth services and community health centers.

HOADLEY: Our healthcare system is broken, and its going to take a lot to fix it. I want to make sure every Michigander has access to high-quality affordable health care, regardless of where they live or what their personal financial situation is. While we work through important questions and details on any specific plan, its clear that moving to a system where every American is covered will continue to bring the cost of healthcare down while helping more people live healthier lives. We need to ensure everyone can get access to the care they need, and lower prescription drug costs.

DEPOY: The Government has no business being involved with healthcare. We need to turn 180 and remove the federal government from any decisions that are rightfully only made between you and your doctor.

LAWRENCE: Medicare and Medicaid should be expanded immediately. Its unfathomable that neither the Democratic or Republican parties will pledge to support a Medicare for All system, in the middle of one of the worst pandemics in the history of the modern world. A public option is better than nothing, but the time for this was 12 years ago during Obamas first term. We are now in a crisis. Dont believe the mainsteam media; Medicare for All would actually SAVE the taxpayers $BILLIONS over the long-term. It is the fiscally conservative approach that actually works, and we should enact it immediately, before more people die

ECONOMY: What federal policies do you support for a healthy economy and to help the broader American public improve their economic positions?

UPTON: Last year we had one of the strongest economies in history. We can get there again by working on solutions that once again put us toward strong economic growth. During COVID, we worked to secure billions for small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program. This bipartisan program helped protect more than 1.5 million Michigan jobs. Ive also introduced a bipartisan bill to expand broadband service in rural counties like here in SW Michigan. We need to ensure more Americans have access to reliable internet service. Its imperative both parties come together to work and focus on job creation and economic growth.

HOADLEY: As our economy becomes more unpredictable, financial security and stability is out of reach for Michiganders from all walks of life. The middle class of yesterday feels like it has been replaced with side hustles, benefit cuts, and outsourcing. In order to truly reinvigorate the middle-class jobs, we must work to find new solutions to the questions of the twenty-first century. We must create an American economy that invests in American workers through a living wage, new training programs, and reinvigorated unions. America has tried tax cuts and special giveaways to the biggest corporations, and they havent worked.

DEPOY: I support ending federal income taxes on the American people. This in turn will immediately give every family a 12.5-25% raise on day one. You work hard for your money, keep all of it! With this additional disposable income, robust economic growth is sure to occur.

LAWRENCE: First of all, we have to accept as a society that the glory days of American economic exploitation of the world are not coming back. China is the worlds new economic powerhouse, and it will remain that way for the near future. I fully support an expanded jobs program to train Americans and get them to work, but this alone is not enough. We need to look at systems of universal basic income, as well as the restructuring of our economic system to decentralize the power of mega-corporations in our society. We need renewed investment in local shops, farms, family businesses to give our future a fighting chance.

ELECTIONS: What federal policies do you advocate regarding elections, campaign funding and voting rights? Do you support mailing ballots to all eligible voters?

UPTON: Ive supported many commonsense, bipartisan campaign finance and voter access reforms. I supported the Motor Voter law so folks could register to vote when they go to the DMV, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. I also support Michigans No-Reason Absentee Ballot System. I support the Voting Rights Act and oppose all forms of voter discrimination. I have always been a vigorous defender of everyones right to vote. With the COVID-19 crisis, we must ensure folks can vote safely, which is why I voted for more resources for the USPS.

HOADLEY: Big money in our politics is standing in the way of progress being made on the issues that matter most to Michigans working families. Whether its skyrocketing prescription drug costs, addressing the impacts of climate change, or investing in our nations crumbling infrastructure, our country is facing massive threats to our economic security and the future of our families. Instead of producing results, the politics and partisanship of Washington are making matters worse. We need to get big money out of politics, end the legislator-to-lobbyist pipeline, end partisan gerrymandering, & protect everyones right to vote.

DEPOY: Every citizen has the right to vote, every citizen has the right to an absentee ballot if they request one. I do not support mailing unrequested ballots.

LAWRENCE: Theres absolutely no reason why we cant mail ballots to every registered voter. And while were at it, every American citizen should be automatically registered to vote at the age of 18, end of story. If the Republicans care so much about encouraging Americans to vote in person, then why dont they support a Federal holiday for election day? I support this. In terms of campaign funding, Citizens United really screwed the American people, but times were bad even before this decision. Corporations shouldnt be allowed to fund political candidates. Its that simple. And it shouldnt take $MILLIONS to run a campaign.

SOCIAL INJUSTICE: Do you believe there is systemic racism, economic disparity, and other social injustices which should be addressed by Congress? If so, what policies do you support?

UPTON: Protests have demanded not to just dismiss racism but dismantle it. Systemic racism is too real for people of color in nearly every facet of society. Ive marched in protests and I certainly believe Black lives matter. I cosponsored the JUSTICE Act and voted to advance the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Im working with my Problem Solvers Caucus colleagues on a bipartisan police reform bill. Defunding the police isnt the right answer. Law enforcement needs resources for better pay, training, and body cameras. We need to enhance community services like mental health, youth development, housing, and education.

HOADLEY: All people should have the guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Its past time to expand our nondiscrimination laws to ensure regardless of someones religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, height, weight, familial status, or marital status, everyone has the same opportunity to work hard and succeed. We need to make sure were looking at the ways people have access to justice. We need to fight for a free and open internet. We need to resist new forms of censorship and protect our rights as technology advances.

DEPOY: No, I believe that social injustice is an invention of the main stream media, in an attempt to sow division, and increase their profits at the expense of we the people. Americans by and large, are kind people. Turn off the tv and talk to your neighbor.

LAWRENCE: Clearly there are major economic and systematic injustices in this country, those arguing otherwise are burying their heads in the sand. Black and brown communities have suffered the worst from this, but in 2020 were all starting to feel the effects. Raising the minimum wage will help, but what we really need to do is tax the billionaire class and the speculators on Wall St. Cultural racism is real, but economic inequality is the fuel which feeds it. Black and brown communities lack the wealth they need to effectively fight the ruling establishment. Multi-generational poverty must end if our society is to prosper.

ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY: What policies do you support to meet U.S. energy needs while protecting our water, air and land for current and future generations?

UPTON: Ive always deeply appreciated our natural resources. I strongly supported the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and led the charge against storing nuclear waste near the Great Lakes. I helped pass the Great American Outdoors Act, a conservation bill that will protect and preserve national parks. I was one of the first members of the Climate Caucus and opposed our withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. I believe in an all of the above energy plan that focuses on emerging clean energy tech like renewables as well as traditional energy solutions that keep costs low, energy affordable, and our environment clean.

HOADLEY: Climate change is already resulting in intense and unpredictable natural disasters, changes in the health of our food crops, drought and water problems, and more. We must take urgent and bold action to address the climate crisis and invest in sustainable infrastructure to meet the energy demands of the 21st century. We need to pass a Green New Deal, invest in renewable energy and transition our nation off fossil fuels, and ensure clean water for everyone.

DEPOY: Nuclear, nuclear, nuclear. Safe, zero emissions, cost effective.

LAWRENCE: The fact that Republicans (and Democrats, for that matter) are fighting to protect the fossil fuel industry is not only abhorrent, but also incredibly stupid. Even within the free market, solar and wind is making coal and natural-gas obsolete at an expedient rate. Why are we subsidizing fossil fuel industries with no long-term future? Wind and solar expansion is vital to our national security interests. The sooner we become long-term self-reliant the sooner we dont have to rely on China or the Middle East for our energy needs. And yeah, clean water, land, and air -- how is that not vital to our national security?

IMMIGRATION: What policies do you support relative to immigration into the U.S.?

UPTON: Its beyond time to fix our immigration system. Im a strong supporter of legal immigration. I support Congressional action to help Dreamers. The number one issue for SW MI farmers is immigration reform. We need a reliable workforce for all farms. Thats why in 2019 we passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which provides ag workers an opportunity to earn legal status through continued ag employment, improve the H-2A visa program, and establish a mandatory E-Verify for the ag industry. Ive been a supporter of border security funding and supported efforts to fight smuggling and human trafficking on our borders.

HOADLEY: It is past time to fix a broken immigration system. We need comprehensive immigration reform. DACA and other enforcement reprioritization efforts have provided a much-needed safety net for children and young adults who were brought to the United States through no choice of their own. We must protect DREAMERs and grant them a pathway to citizenship. We can end warrantless ICE holds, stop separating families, and build strong communities.

DEPOY: We must grant permanent legal status to the DACA recipients immediately, and provide a possible path to citizenship for them. Then we dismantle the welfare state that makes illegal immigration so attractive, and begin an increase of merit based immigration.

LAWRENCE: The entire immigration discussion in the US is out of hand. Keeping people in cages and separating children from families is horrid and shameful. But beyond that, why is our discussion so focused on citizenship to begin with? Most refugees arent interested in citizenship (in the short term), they merely want legal protection to allow them to live and work within the US. This is the strategy I support. Fund the ability to process people across the border expediently, and give them legal status to live and work without fear of deportation. Take them out of the shadows. Then we can discuss eventual future citizenship.

Click here for more of MLives Election Day coverage from across the state, or here for full coverage of Kalamazoo-area elections.

More on MLive:

Democrats will need another blue wave to unseat Fred Upton, political expert says

Donald Trump offers total and complete endorsement of John James in Michigan

Joe Biden meets with Detroit-area steelworkers during campaign swing through Michigan

Continue reading here:
State Rep. Jon Hoadley among a trio challenging Congressman Fred Upton for the 6th District seat - MLive.com

By Ken Vegotsky| Bucks County Courier Times

Trumpcultists ignore the facts

Donald Trumps supportershave witnessed what all Americans have witnessed: Trump is an amoral, corrupt egomaniac.

He has torn apart our democracy, bankrupted our trust in national institutions, savaged principled people, sank our global alliances, kowtowed to dictators, stoked hatred, division, bigotry, resentment, jealousy and fears among our citizens.

He has committed treason, in my view, as evidenced by his attempt to extort Ukraine to announce a phony investigation of Joe Biden while withholding vital military aid against Russian invaders.

The president was impeached for this. In addition, Trump failed to punish Russias Putin after an intelligence report that determined he was paying the Taliban bounties to kill American troops.

How can Trumps supporters ignore the most egregious recent facts: In his own words, Trump downplayed the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic despite agreeing with experts that the virus was highly contagious and deadly. In his own words, he allegedly called U.S soldiers killed, maimed and injured, suckers and losers.

He hasdefamed women, minorities, allies, religions, and a war hero, the late Sen. John McCain. Trumps most immoral act is separating children from their immigrant parents and locking them in cages.

Trump and his cultists fail to see that the "Black Lives Matter" movement is part of the 155-year history of the advance of liberty.

It's freeing the slaves; giving women the vote; the labor movement; Social Security and Medicare; the civil rights movement; environmental protections; consumer protection; car safety; financial and banking safeguards; affordable health care for all; immigration reform;marriage equality; voting rights; womens reproductive rights.

Ken Vegotsky

Morrisville

Originally posted here:
Trump cultists ignore the facts - Bucks County Courier Times