Monthly Archives: February 2019

Asylum Seekers: From Frying Pan into the Fire

Asylum seekers fleeing violence in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have left violence and governments that either refuse to protect them or actively persecute them. At the border, they encounter U.S. government officials: who either refuse to protect them or … Continue reading

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Fake and Real National Emergencies

A bi-partisan group of former national security officials who served under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama has issued a statement saying there is no factual basis for Trump’s national emergency declaration. According to … Continue reading

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Immigration Quiz: Sharpen Your Pencils!

Start the week with a change of pace: an immigration quiz instead of the latest horror stories. Answers (and links to more info) below.

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Minnesota Immigration News

Thursday, February 21, saw the launch of Freedom to Drive Minnesota, a campaign for driver’s licenses for all Minnesotans, regardless of immigration status. On Friday, February 22, a rally at the state capitol will focus on the plight of Liberians … Continue reading

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Orwellian Stories: Camila, Ashley, Isaac, Yeimi

Every single immigrant and refugee has a story, and those stories too often get lost in today’s Orwellian immigration discourse. The official slogans of the government of Oceania in Orwell’s 1984 are inscribed on monuments and broadcast through state television … Continue reading

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Border Patrol, Out of Control

The Border Patrol claims jurisdiction over all U.S. territory within 100 miles of any land or water border. That includes much of Minnesota, all of Florida, most of New York State, much of California, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles—in all, the … Continue reading

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National What?

UPDATED: 10:05 p.m. – Minnesota suing! “The National Emergency to Steal Money to Build the Wall That Mexico Didn’t Pay for so I Don’t Look Like a Fool on Fox News is not a legal thing. Congress can stop it. … Continue reading

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Lose-Lose on Budget Deal (and just about everything else)

The 2019 budget deal is a lose/lose proposition, with both Trump and immigrants losing big-time. Trump loses because he gets even less money for a border wall / fence / whatever than he turned down in December. Immigrants (and taxpayers … Continue reading

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Bad News for Butterflies and Children

We still don’t know exactly what the budget “deal” provides—but the more we hear, the less likely it seems that there’s any meaningful limitation on detention beds or ICE funding, and there’s absolutely no whiff of relief for DREAMers or … Continue reading

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Obfuscation in Washington and Plain Talk in Cleveland

About 24 hours after a four-member mini-negotiating committee announced they had a deal to keep the government running past Friday, Trump says he doesn’t like it. At  least one Republican member of the committee is also backing away. And the … Continue reading

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