Monthly Archives: February 2018

The snake, the president, and Oscar Brown, Jr.

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Mary Turck

That song about a snake that Trump has been reading during his tirades against immigrants was written by Oscar Brown, Jr. in the1960s. Now his daughter says it’s wrong to call immigrants snakes. Trump, she says in an interview with … Continue reading →

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When legal limbo looks good: DACA and the courts

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Mary Turck

The U.S. Supreme Court refused the Trump administration’s request that it grant an unusual, expedited review of two district court orders telling the administration to keep DACA in effect while challenges are litigated. This means the Trump administration will have … Continue reading →

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From border wall to St. Cloud

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Mary Turck

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto canceled a planned trip to DC after a telephone conversation with Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump expected the Mexican president to endorse Trump’s border wall proposal and promise to pay for it: a position only … Continue reading →

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USCIS: Not a nation of immigrants

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Mary Turck

“Nation of immigrants” is out of the the USCIS mission statement. So is any mention of citizenship. Does that mean that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency charged with admitting immigrants and processing citizenship applications no longer believes … Continue reading →

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Defending immigrants in rural Minnesota

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Mary Turck

You expect a hometown newspaper to be a civic booster, pointing with pride to the good things in its city. So it’s no surprise when the Hutchinson Leader points to recent  numbers showing that Hutchinson’s crime rate is ”No. 36 … Continue reading →

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Outside big cities: Immigrant stories from Mankato, Missouri, Georgia

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Mary Turck

A trio of articles highlights immigrant contributions to Minnesota’s economy, Salvadorans in small-town Morris, Missouri, and Dalton, Georgia’s dependence on immigrant workers. The reports from Mankato, Morris, and Dalton highlight a reality documented by the Census Bureau but still unfamiliar … Continue reading →

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Fear rules — praying, driving, going to court

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Mary Turck

A 15-year-old boy is arrested going to church. A mother doesn’t dare drive a car. A worker suing his ex-employer for retaliation is afraid to go to the courthouse to testify. These stories of fear illustrate the experience of many … Continue reading →

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Immigration train wreck in Congress and other immigration news

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Mary Turck

Over the weekend, Trump’s immigration train wreck continued to dominate immigration news stories. The White House fingerprints are all over last week’s debacle, from Trump’s veto threats on moderate, bipartisan plans to Trump’s demands for slashing legal immigration and removing … Continue reading →

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Unhappy anniversary and immigration news—February 16, 2018

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Mary Turck

I began writing this daily summary of immigration news one year ago today. During that year, immigration news has grown steadily darker and more threatening, though some rays of hope still emerge. Like dark chocolate as a remedy for depression, … Continue reading →

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“A mass deportation bill” in DC, mass arrests in Los Angeles, and more

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Mary Turck

First, the Senate was going to debate the future of Dreamers from February 12 to March 5, though it would be in recess for a large part of that time. Then majority leader Mitch McConnell restricted the debate to one … Continue reading →

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