Tag: DACA

Why deporting the ‘Dreamers’ is immoral

The following article by Michael Blake, Professor of Philosophy, Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, was posted on the Conversation website February 28, 2018:

Credit: Gili Getz / Movimiento Cosecha

On Feb. 26, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a federal judge’s order that the Trump administration continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

It was back in September 2017 that President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of the Obama-era program that shields hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. Sessions argued that this program rewarded those who disobeyed the laws of the United States. The United States has an obligation to “end the lawlessness” of DACA, he argued, by winding down the program and, at the same time, making a case for the deportation of the “Dreamers” or those previously protected by DACA. Continue reading “Why deporting the ‘Dreamers’ is immoral”

Christians were once aliens, too

In Exodus Chapter 22:21, the Bible states “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”

This verse reminds all United States citizens that at one time or another, we were all aliens in this country. Even Native American ancestors came from Asia. It is our moral duty to welcome the strangers to the United States no matter how they came to our country.

According to a poll released by CBS News, “nearly nine in 10 Americans (87 percent) favor allowing young immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally as children to remain in the U.S.” Continue reading “Christians were once aliens, too”

Democrats confront Kelly over DACA comments in closed-door meeting

The following article by Tal Kopan was posted on the CNN website February 6, 2018:

Washington (CNN) — White House chief of staff John Kelly was confronted by lawmakers in a closed-door meeting about comments he made Tuesday that some immigrants who didn’t apply for protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program were “too lazy.”

Kelly reiterated his sentiment, according to people in the room, and did so with reporters after the meeting, as well, saying “some of them just should have probably gotten off the couch and signed up.”

Continue reading “Democrats confront Kelly over DACA comments in closed-door meeting”

White House Chief of Staff: Trump not expected to extend DACA deadline

The following article by Erica Werner and Ed O’Keefe was posted on the Washington Post website February 6, 2018:

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly says he doesn’t expect President Trump to extend DACA’s deadline if Congress fails to reach an immigration deal. (Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly said Tuesday that President Trump is not expected to extend a March 5 deadline for when legal protection and work permits begin to expire for young immigrants known as “dreamers” — raising the stakes for lawmakers struggling to reach a solution.

“I doubt very much” that Trump would extend the program, Kelly told reporters during an impromptu interview at the U.S. Capitol. Continue reading “White House Chief of Staff: Trump not expected to extend DACA deadline”

In December, thousands of Americans protested against the tax plan, for DACA and about all the other usual suspects

The following article by Erica Chenoweth and Jeremy Pressman was posted on the Washington Post website January 25, 2018:

This is the 12th installment in a monthly series reporting on political crowds in the United States. Each month, the Crowd Counting Consortium will post updates about trends and patterns from the previous month as recorded by our volunteers. Find all the previous posts in the series here. For our counting methods, please see our first post in the series.

Activists stage a sit-in outside of the office of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) on Dec. 5 to protest the GOP tax revision bill. (Getty Images)

For December 2017, we tallied 796 protests, demonstrations, strikes, marches, sit-ins and rallies in the United States, with at least one in every state and the District of Columbia. Our conservative guess is that between 58,986 and 81,091 people showed up at these political gatherings, although it is likely there were far more. Because mainstream media often neglect to report nonviolent actions — especially small ones — it is probable that we did not record every event that took place. For 28 percent of the events we listed this month, we lacked an estimate of crowd size.

Nevertheless, we think our tally gives us a useful pool of information to better understand political mobilization in the United States — particularly how reports of crowds change from month to month. The number of protests remains fairly stable month to month, and December 2017 is no exception, although the crowds at 2017’s end were somewhat smaller than they were earlier in 2017. Continue reading “In December, thousands of Americans protested against the tax plan, for DACA and about all the other usual suspects”

Border Wall ‘Off the Table,’ Schumer Says, as Immigration Progress Unravels

The following article by Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Maggie Haberman was posted on the New York Times website January 23, 2018:

<em“The wall offer’s off the table,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday.CreditEric Thayer for The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Senate negotiators found themselves back at Square 1 on immigration on Tuesday, as the Senate Democratic leader withdrew the biggest gesture he had made to strike a deal: an offer to fully fund President Trump’s proposed wall at the Mexican border.

“The wall offer’s off the table,” the leader, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, told reporters at the Capitol a day after senators overcame an impasseto end a three-day government shutdown. Continue reading “Border Wall ‘Off the Table,’ Schumer Says, as Immigration Progress Unravels”

Debunking the Lie that Dreamers Can Wait

The following article by Tom Jawetz was posted on the Center for American Progress website January 19, 2018:

Protesters hold up signs during a rally in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, near Trump Tower in New York, October 5, 2017. Credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

As the Trump administration and Congress continue to drive the country toward an unnecessary and chaotic government shutdown, there appears to be substantial confusion about whether Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are already losing their protections or if Congress has until March 5, or later, to address the issue. The answer to this question is important, as well as simple: Dreamers are losing protections now, and many more are losing their DACA status each day that Congress refuses to act. That’s why bipartisan groups in both the House and the Senate are pushing right now for legislation to provide permanent protections to Dreamers and address various other aspects of the U.S. immigration system, including border security. Continue reading “Debunking the Lie that Dreamers Can Wait”

‘Dreamers’ could give US economy – and even American workers – a boost

The following article by Amy Hsin, Associate Professor of Sociology at City University of New York, was posted on the Conversation website January 19, 2018:

Many immigrant advocates consider the DREAM Act the best hope for a permanent fix. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Earlier this month, hopes were high that a bipartisan deal could be reached to resolve the fate of the “Dreamers,” the millions of undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Those hopes all but vanished on Jan. 11 as President Donald Trump aligned himself with hard-line anti-immigration advocates within the GOP and struck down bipartisan attempts to reach a resolution.

As we enter the final hours before a potential government shutdown, many Democrats are insisting that any short-term funding agreement must include a resolution for Dreamers. Continue reading “‘Dreamers’ could give US economy – and even American workers – a boost”

Republicans’ no-win choice: Dreamers or defense

The following article by Rachael Bade and Connor O’Brien was posted on the Politico website January 17, 2018:

The government shutdown threat is forcing the party to choose between maintaining a hard line on immigration or spending more on the military.

“I am going to be very hard to deal with if we continue to delay funding the Defense Department,” Sen. Lindsey Graham warned this week. | Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are being forced to choose between two prized conservative priorities as they try to head off a government shutdown: bolstering the military or taking a hard line against immigration.

Democrats’ refusal to strike a long-term budget accord without a deal to shield 700,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation means Republican can’t have both. They can strike a deal to protect Dreamers, which would upset the base but secure the extra defense spending they’ve pined for. Or they can continue to hold the line against the Obama-era immigration program known as DACA, keep struggling to pass patchwork spending bills, and let the Pentagon limp along with no infusion of money. Continue reading “Republicans’ no-win choice: Dreamers or defense”