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Kevin Euceda, a 17-year-old Honduran boy, arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border three years ago and was turned over to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services until his request for asylum could be decided by immigration courts. During that interim period, he was required, as are all unaccompanied minors in custody, to meet with therapists to help him process what he had gone through.

In those sessions, Kevin was encouraged to speak freely and openly and was told that what he said would be kept confidential. So he poured out his story of a brutalized childhood, of how MS-13 gang members moved into the family shack after his grandmother died when he was 12, of how he was forced to run errands, sell drugs and, as he got older, take part in beating people up. When he was ordered to kill a stranger to cement his position in the gang, Kevin decided to run.

His therapists submitted pages of notes over several sessions to the file on him, as they were expected to do. But then, HHS officials without the knowledge of the teen or the therapists shared the notes with lawyers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who used them in immigration court to paint the young migrant as a dangerous gang member who should be denied asylum and sent back to Honduras. In sharing those therapy notes, the government did not break any laws. But it most assuredly broke its promise of confidentiality to Kevin, violated standard professional practices the first therapist involved quit once she learned her notes had been shared and offended a fundamental expectation that people cannot be compelled to testify against themselves in this country.

Kevin, whose story was detailed by the Washington Post, wasnt the only unaccompanied minor to fall victim to the governments atrocious behavior, though how many have been affected is unknown. The government says it has changed that policy and no longer shares confidential therapy notes, but thats not particularly reassuring coming from this administration. It adopted the policy once, it could easily do so again.

Last week, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the Immigrants Mental Health Act of 2020 to ban the practice, which is a necessary preventive measure. The bill would also create a new training regimen to help border agents address mental health issues among migrants and require at least one mental health expert at each Customs and Border Patrol facility. Both of those steps are worth considering too.

That the government would so callously use statements elicited from unaccompanied minors in therapy sessions to undercut their asylum applications is part of the Trump administrations broad and inhumane efforts to effectively shut off the United States as a destination for people seeking to exercise their right to ask for sanctuary. Jeff Sessions and his successor as attorney general, William Barr, have injected themselves into cases at an unprecedented rate to unilaterally change long-established practices and immigration court precedent.

They have been able to do so because immigration courts are administrative and part of the Justice Department, not the federal court system, and as a result they have politicized what should be independent judicial evaluations of asylum applications and other immigration cases.

There are legitimate policy discussions to be had over how this government should handle immigration, asylum requests and broad comprehensive immigration reform. In the meantime, no government has the right to treat people with such abject inhumanity. History will remember Trump for this, but it will also remember the people who enable such atrocious acts.

Read the rest here:
Another View: Our government is using migrants' therapy against them - Marshall News Messenger

I am proud to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for president of the United States.

While I consider Joe Biden, his opponent for the Democratic Party nomination, a decent man, I stand with Sanders.

"In the face of Trump, many seek shelter in the safe, the establishment, the so-called moderate. We should not forget the record of moderate, establishment candidates from Walter Mondale in 1984 to Mike Dukakis in 1988 to Hillary Clinton in 2016."

Here is why.

I stand with Sanders because it is vital that President Donald Trump be voted out of office in November. Poll after poll has shown that Bernie Sanders leads Trump, generally with a greater margin than other contenders. Sanders has the highest popular approval rating of any public official in America.

That is not because he is warm and fuzzy. It is because people know that he tells it like it is. Integrity and credibility are two essential attributes in taking on a con man like Donald Trump who lies constantly.

Sanders has the history, the vision and the platform to defeat Trump. He is best situated to expose Trumps fake populism. He voted against the corporate trade treaties and can expose the presidents broken promise to workers on trade. He opposed the war in Iraq and can expose Trumps broken promise to end the forever wars. He led the call to build an economy that works for working people and can expose the reality that what Trump calls the best economy ever still does not work for most Americans.

Sanders champions an agenda that will address the fundamental challenges facing working people. That includes Medicare for All to ensure that health care is a right, not a privilege something particularly imperative in the age of coronavirus. A Green New Deal that addresses the existential threat of climate change while creating millions of good jobs.

Tuition free college and large investment in education and advanced training so that every child can get the education he or she needs. A $15 minimum wage, politics to empower workers and unions, and a trade policy that works for working people. Comprehensive immigration reform, universal childcare, criminal justice reform to end mass incarceration and more.

Sanders will beat Trump by summoning America to a new day, not by calling for a return to yesterday.

"We win when we bring the working class and the middle class together, when we stand for diversity against division, for the poor against greed. No candidate has done more to forge that coalition than Bernie Sanders."

Democrats cannot defeat Trump without inspiring young people to come out and vote in large numbers. Sanders is the only candidate who has inspired a new generation and earned their overwhelming support.

In the face of Trump, many seek shelter in the safe, the establishment, the so-called moderate. We should not forget the record of moderate, establishment candidates from Walter Mondale in 1984 to Mike Dukakis in 1988 to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Democrats do not fare well as the party of Wall Street or the credit card companies. We win when we bring the working class and the middle class together, when we stand for diversity against division, for the poor against greed. No candidate has done more to forge that coalition than Bernie Sanders.

Dr. Martin Luther King would be proud that African American voters are called the black firewall in the 2020 campaign. He would ask a simple question: What will be the return on the firewalls investment?

With the exception of Native Americans, African Americans are the people suffering the greatest social and economic distress in the United States. Our needs are not moderate. The most progressive social and economic path gives us the best chance to catch up and Sanders represents that path.

Biden is a decent man, but he has a different record. We said no to Clarence Thomas, he said yes. We said no to the Crime Bill, he championed it. We said no to the Iraq War, he cheered it on. We favored affirmative action, he sought to limit it.

Biden has done well among African American voters largely because he is seen as connected to Barack Obama. Yet he was placed on the ticket to balance it, not to enhance it. Biden has offered no vision and no bold reforms. He offers safe haven and moderation.

But his moderation does little to address the pain of African Americans, or of working people generally. What does moderate mean when people dont have affordable health care? Or when students are crushed by debt in order to get an education? Or when workers are undermined by trade treaties written in executive suites?

"Sanders... represents not the left wing, but the moral center. Health care for all is the moral center. Tuition free college is the moral center. A Middle East policy that recognizes both Israel and Palestine, the moral center."

Sanders, on the other hand, is called a radical, a man of the left. But he represents not the left wing, but the moral center. Health care for all is the moral center. Tuition free college is the moral center. A Middle East policy that recognizes both Israel and Palestine, the moral center.

When he asked for my endorsement, I expressed my concerns about pressing issues.

Sanders was happy to confirm his commitment to almost all of them, ranging from Medicare for All, to a wealth tax that would provide funds to reinvest in America, to large-scale investment in public education, to ensuring that every teacher is paid at least $60,000 per year, to putting an African American woman on the Supreme Court, to promising an end to endless wars.

In 1988 when I ran for president championing a Medicare for All plan, Sanders, then mayor of Burlington, endorsed me. Now I am proud to stand with him not only because he stood with me, but because he stands with working people across this country.

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I Support Bernie Sanders Because He Is Only Candidate Who Inspires a New Generation - Common Dreams

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg swung through Fresno on Monday, meeting with voters and delivering a campaign speech at Fresno City College to kick off early voting as the first ballots are being mailed to California voters.

California, as you know, has the most delegates, and were going to do everything that we can to win them, Bloomberg said. Were opening 20 offices, including one here in downtown Fresno.

Bloomberg said that he has over 300 staff members for his campaign in California and expects to have 800 by the end of next week.

Bloombergs Latino coalition group Ganamos con Mike was active at the event, and Bloomberg expressed his support for the Latino community.

The Central Valley issues are Latino issues, and Latino issues are American issues, Bloomberg said.

Immigration reform will be a priority in his presidency, Bloomberg said.

Getting it done means finally fixing our broken immigration system and creating a path to citizenship for the 11 million people who are living in the shadows in our country, Bloomberg said.

Another issue Bloomberg discussed was gun control, saying that it will be at the top of his agenda. He told the crowd about Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization that he founded, which helped pass gun control laws in more than 20 states.

Unfortunately, disagreements in our country seem to end in death all too often, and we just got to do something about it, Bloomberg said. And there are some common sense steps I think we can take to reduce gun violence and save lives. The president wont take them, but I can just promise you, if I get elected, I will. You just have to do something.

Bloomberg continued on attacking President Donald Trump and said that his work and contributions in getting Democrats elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 was a key factor in Trumps impeachment.

At the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, I warned that Donald Trump was not fit for this office, Bloomberg said. In 2018, when I saw the Republican Congress wouldnt hold him accountable, I worked to help flip 21 house seats which made Nancy Pelosi Speaker and brought on the impeachment process. And now its time for the Senate to act and remove Trump from this office, and its obviously not going to do that, so well have to do it in November. You and I will get it done.

As far as his competition to win the Democratic nomination, Bloomberg took a shot at the other candidates for being career politicians.

Now let me be clear, Bloomberg said. My fellow Democrats in this race are all good people, and Ive worked with all of them. If one of them wins the nomination, God forbid, I will support them. But this election seriously is just too important to have the kind of divisions that we saw back in 2016. We just cant do that again. I think I offer a different choice and a different type of leadership. I didnt spend my whole career in politics, and I dont just make speeches.

The California presidential primary will be on March 3.

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Excerpt from:
Bloomberg hits on immigration, gun control, and Trump in Fresno swing - The San Joaquin Valley Sun

David Anthony Jaramillo, 32, a Waco-based Marine veteran and former Veterans Administration employee, seeks to become the Democratic nominee in the November general election to succeed Republican Congressman Bill Flores in representing Congressional District 17. He pledges reform of veterans benefits, including prompt delivery of those benefits; comprehensive health-care benefits for all; and prison reform arising from his experience in the criminal justice field, including the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center. He supports border security, primarily through a virtual border wall bolstered by technological advances eclipsing any shortcomings in a physical wall. During our editorial board interview, we found Jaramillo concise, straightforward in his policy stances but with little elaboration or rumination.

QWhy are you running?

AMy time in the Marine Corps taught me many things and one of the most important things it taught me is never back down from something you believe in. I couldnt stand idly by watching whats happening in our government any longer. I want to fight for things such as health care for all, prison and immigration reform, VA disability and compensation reform.

QYour campaign bio says you were deployed to Iraq in 2005.

AThat was 2008. I actually went there before but not for a full deployment. I was on a full deployment to Iraq from 2008 to 2009, but I also went to Iraq [earlier], not for a full deployment.

QWhat can you tell us about the fight in Iraq that might add to a better understanding of the United States decision to invade it and how well we did? By the time you got there, we were obviously involved in a lot of nation-building that has been very controversial. Yet when I have talked with veterans who served in Iraq, thats one thing theyre very proud of.

What do you think we got right and what did we get wrong?

AWhat we got right was definitely being able to help rebuild the area, the [defense] forces out there. That way they can take care of themselves. However, this [U.S. involvement there] is going on 19 years and we actually have service members now that are being deployed that werent even born during the conflict. So to me its time to bring the troops home. Invest that money in local infrastructure and education and health care for our people.

QWas it a good idea to go over there in the first place? It has been suggested that in toppling Saddam Hussein we threw the balance of power out of whack in the Middle East, allowing Iran to grow stronger by virtue of eliminating Sunni leadership in Iraq in favor of Shia leadership. Does any of this make sense to you?

ANo, I understand what youre saying. Saddam was a dictator. He was a bad person inside and out. People like him and Osama bin Laden needed to get the power taken away from them not necessarily their lives. I mean, for Saddam Hussein, we left that up to the people. However, he was oppressing his own people. He was allowing things to happen that shouldnt happen out there. So doing that, we were able to make sure that we were safe, make sure we werent being attacked any longer.

QAfter eight years in the Marines, it looks like you decided to pursue a career in criminal justice. How did that come about?

AActually I had two things that I wanted to pursue in the future psychology, and that was to benefit veterans and children. I felt a good way to pursue that would be to get firsthand experience working at a juvenile justice facility. So I worked at the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center here in Waco at their bootcamp program. So I got to see the ins and outs of what happens on a daily basis and how, not in a negative way, but how theyre treated. And so I was able to see what exactly goes into rehabilitation efforts. So seeing that firsthand, I understand that we need more rehabilitation for the children as well as adults in the system.

QWhy then did you jump to the Department of Veterans Affairs?

AAgain, I wanted to work with veterans in some way, shape or form. I actually started off with health benefits. I was able to contact veterans, explain their benefits, what their doctor visits would be like, co-pays if there were co-pays based off of their disability rating. From there I was actually hired on at the regional office where I worked until I resigned.

QDid you reach any conclusions about veterans health care during that process?

Waco was one of the places that didnt get high marks initially in terms of prompt delivery of health care to veterans. I remember Congressman Flores talking quite a bit about it. Why do you think the VA has had a long struggle with this problem? We still hear from veterans about this.

AIts the lack of doctors thats causing the main issues. And the reason why we have a lack of doctors is because we cant compete with the private sector versus pay. So we need to be able to juggle that, to make a compromise in a sense, to be able to have more doctors. What I propose is that we actually make a contract with new doctors at medical schools and say, For five to seven years, based on your specialty work for the Department of Veteran Affairs, we defer your student loans. And after the five to seven years, well waive your student loans. That will leave a constant supply of doctors in the existing facilities and we can open up rural clinics. That way we can have veterans care.

QI noticed on your website you only have two topics under the heading of Issues health care and veterans benefits. Isnt that kind of narrow, given all the problems we face today?

AI do have more issues.

Another big thing is prison and immigration reform. For prison reform, we have become a country of investing in longer sentences when what we need to do is reduce those sentences and invest more in rehabilitation such as education and on-the-job training. That way when we send somebody back to society, they have all the tools necessary to make them a successful part of society. In immigration, we have less than 500 immigration judges currently working on a huge backlog, not including whats piling up at this moment. So what we need to do is, at the very least, hire more immigration judges. That way we can start tackling the backlog, we can start tackling the paper copies and electronic copies coming in for immigration.

QWhat do you think of the First Step Act signed by the president? Sen. John Cornyn helped craft it. We thought it was a significant step forward in criminal justice.

AI dont really have too many opinions on that. Can you go a little more into detail? That way Im making sure I know what

QThe First Step Act signed by the president generally expands rehab programs in prisons. There are specific programs to battle recidivism. And Sen. Cornyn has said that it actually draws a lot on Texas criminal justice models and how Texas manages prisons and prison populations.

QI mean, if youre not familiar with it, lets move on.

ANo, I am. I just want to make sure I was understanding correctly. Which is a great thing. We do need to invest in rehabilitation. However, were still pushing for maximum sentences and this is not just a local issue. This is nationally. So what we need to do is, on a national level, we need to do more to invest in rehabilitation. Again, on-the-job training, education for prisoners.

QOK. A recent survey confirms that health care is the biggest concern for veterans 53% of veterans said they had chronic physical conditions, 33% said they had chronic mental health conditions. The most common conditions were chronic pain, sleep problems, anxiety and depression. More than half said satisfaction with their own health declined within months of leaving the service. The study suggested its important for veterans to become readjusted to society quickly.

AI want to kind of go on both sides of active duty as well as the veteran side. While on active duty, we have a thing we call TAPs [Transition Assistance Program] and its kind of just, this is what happens when you get out. Its a program and its there to basically let you know whats going to happen about VA, about some jobs, if you want to do education. However, what it lacks is more of the preparation of the mental effects of coming out. So when you come out, and knowing from personal experience, you feel a little isolated from everybody because youre used to a certain routine. Youre used to having everybody around you whos gone through the same things. Thats a huge problem. We need to have more counseling.

QPresident Trump has been impeached over matters relating to the delay of security assistance funding to the Ukraine, which is an ally under attack by Russia. Lets put aside the impeachment. We can all agree to disagree on impeachment. Do you support the freezing of congressionally approved funding by this president and all presidents, Republican or Democrat, going forward?

ANo. If its for our allies, we have it allocated for a reason. Any change in that needs to be approved. We have checks and balances for a reason in our federal government.

QTheres been the suggestion made that presidents have the right to hold up congressionally approved funding to evaluate whether the moneys going to be applied in perhaps a corrupt manner or not.

AIt still strikes me as inappropriate. Any sort of change from the allocation of funds should be approved by Congress.

QYoure no longer working for the VA right now?

ANo, I had to resign due to [running for office].

QOh, thats scary. I saw in your campaign that you have two kids. How are you doing in terms of livelihood and health insurance?

AWe have a little nest egg built up and were watching how we spend money. I actually sold my car to help out.

QHas your wife come after you with a rolling pin yet?

ANo. I sat down before I did this with her and I said, This is something I need to do. I definitely need to help our veterans and our people. And she understood and she agreed. And she supported me.

QIs there a common theme that runs through your conversations with potential constituents?

AIts things like the infrastructure. If youve taken a drive through Mart lately, they have some pretty Grand-Canyon-sized potholes. And so they want their roads fixed. And also going to the rural areas, they want doctors. They want to be able to see a doctor without having to drive 40, 45 minutes to an hour to go see that specific doctor thats covered under their insurance. Thats the things we hear. Thats a common thing.

Interview conducted by Trib editor Steve Boggs and opinion editor Bill Whitaker. It has been condensed for space and edited for clarity.

Excerpt from:
Sacrificing for veterans, children and second chances: Q&A with Democratic congressional candidate David Anthony Jaramillo - Waco Tribune-Herald

By Dr. Didar Singh

FridayFeb7,2020at7:35PMFeb7,2020at7:35PM

I am a physician at Springfield Clinic. Im originally from India, but my family and I have lived in the United States for 13 years. In that time, I have worked hard to take care of my patients and to build a life in this community all on my temporary visa for exceptional ability.

There are now about 800,000 immigrants working legally in the United State, but waiting for a green card. Many of them are from India. This unprecedented backlog means an Indian national may have to wait up to 50 years to receive a green card. For an immigrant from most European countries, the backlog is much shorter and so, too, is their wait.

My eldest son was just 2 years old when we came here, and will soon age out of my green card application, meaning he will no longer be allowed to live here on my temporary visa and will either be forced to self deport to India or obtain his own student visa. We have to ask ourselves: can we find a way to keep our family together in the country we have called home for so many years? There are dozens of other physicians in our community in similar situations.

A bill in Congress S.386 would lift discriminatory country caps and make the skills-based green card system first come, first served. This bill passed in the House with tremendous bipartisan support. The Senate would have passed it, too, but Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) blocked the bill in October 2019, using it as leverage to try to accomplish other immigration reform. That gamble ignores the urgency of this situation and leaves me and my colleagues in a dangerous limbo.

Families like mine of Indian origin are going through a silent trauma simply because we were born in the wrong country.

Didar Singh, MD, FACP

Springfield Clinic

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Commentary: The silent trauma of simply being born in the wrong country - The State Journal-Register