Tag: IMMIGRATION

Attorney General Sessions Attempts to Close the Door to Women Asylum Seekers

June 11, 2018

San Francisco, CA (June 11, 2018) – Today Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a deeply disappointing decision in an attempt to erode protections for domestic violence survivors and others who look to the United States for refuge. Invoking a rarely utilized power, Sessions reversed the Board of Immigration Appeals’ grant of asylum to a Salvadoran … More Attorney General Sessions Attempts to Close the Door to Women Asylum Seekers

Condemn Trump’s Cruel Separation of Babies from Moms – Join National Day of Action for Children

May 30, 2018

African Human Rights Coalition condemns the Trump administration assault on immigrants and asylum seekers: The Trump Administration has escalated the separation of families at the border, at great cost to the wellbeing and health of infants, toddlers, children and families. This insidious attempt to deter lawful immigration thwarts the intent of U.S. law, which is to grant asylum to … More Condemn Trump’s Cruel Separation of Babies from Moms – Join National Day of Action for Children

Marin Opposes U.S. Immigration Policy in Court

May 18, 2018

Citing civil rights, County joins amicus brief in support of recent state laws San Rafael, CA – The County of Marin is among 23 California jurisdictions supporting the State of California in opposing federal efforts to block three of the state’s immigration laws. In the United States District Court Case U.S. v. State of California, … More Marin Opposes U.S. Immigration Policy in Court

A Reflective Mothers Day – Five Generations in My Maternal Line on Five Separate Continents Mothers

May 13, 2018

Standing with refugees, asylum seekers immigrants, and orphans because it is persecutory and tragic to separate families… This Mother’s day as we stand with refugee and asylum seeking mothers and the orphans who do not have mothers, I reflect on the tragedy of my own family and how the Trump Administration is working policy to … More A Reflective Mothers Day – Five Generations in My Maternal Line on Five Separate Continents Mothers

New Yorker: “Taking Children From Their Parents is a Form of State Terror”

May 12, 2018

My family was once on the rough end of America’s immigration law, when faced with the threat of my same-sex spouse having to go back to her country of origin.  Because of DOMA (The Defense of Marriage Act) LGBT people could not marry with federal immigration rights to sponsor a same-sex spouse to remain in … More New Yorker: “Taking Children From Their Parents is a Form of State Terror”

Horrific Nazi Tactic Raid Nets 32 Fathers by ICE Agents in Eastern Iowa

May 10, 2018

Federal and local law enforcement officials arrested 32 men on what they described as administrative immigration violations during a raid early Wednesday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials wouldn’t confirm where the raid took place, but at about 11 a.m. Iowa State Patrol officers blocked off the entrance to MPC Enterprises — Midwest Precast Concrete — … More Horrific Nazi Tactic Raid Nets 32 Fathers by ICE Agents in Eastern Iowa

WaPo: “U.S. embassy cables warned against expelling 300,000 immigrants. Trump officials did it anyway.”

May 8, 2018

Washington, DC – This evening, Washington Post’s Nick Miroff, Seung Min Kim and Joshua Partlow report that, despite warnings from experts contained in U.S. embassy cables, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 300,000 immigrants. These decisions are aimed at expelling legal immigrants with deep family, business, work and community ties in America. The … More WaPo: “U.S. embassy cables warned against expelling 300,000 immigrants. Trump officials did it anyway.”

The Cruel America of Trump and Sessions: Where Children are Torn from Loving Parents

May 8, 2018

Separating Children from Parents as a deterrent to immigration? This is OUR America!?! How could we? My great grandmother was ‘forced’ to separate from her two youngest children when faced with her “Sophie’s choice” during the anti-Jewish Pogroms of Eastern Europe, sending two small children to an orphanage in a remote corner of the globe, … More The Cruel America of Trump and Sessions: Where Children are Torn from Loving Parents

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Urges Trump Admin To Extend Nepali Temporary Protected Status  

April 23, 2018

Trump Administration to Decide By April 25th |Whether to Protect or Deport 9k Nepali Immigrants New York, NY – A TimesLedger piece highlights New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepali TPS holders, who will learn on or before April 25th if the Trump Administration will extend or terminate the program.The … More NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio Urges Trump Admin To Extend Nepali Temporary Protected Status  

Trump Admin Full Steam Ahead to Reshape America’s Treatment of Immigrants and Refugees

March 29, 2018

Washington, DC — Congress may be essentially done for the year, but the Trump Administration is moving forward aggressively to fundamentally reshape the way America treats immigrants and refugees. Just in the past few weeks alone, we’ve seen the Trump administration: Abandon ICE’s presumed release policy that kept most pregnant women out of immigrant detention facilities; … More Trump Admin Full Steam Ahead to Reshape America’s Treatment of Immigrants and Refugees

Challenging the Trump Administration’s Arbitrary Detention of Asylum Seekers

March 15, 2018

Washington, D.C. (March 15, 2018) – The American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, Human Rights First, and Covington & Burling LLP filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the Trump administration’s arbitrary detention of asylum seekers fleeing persecution, torture, or death in their countries of origin. All the plaintiffs have passed credible fear screenings — … More Challenging the Trump Administration’s Arbitrary Detention of Asylum Seekers

Texas Steps After Fifth Circuit Court Ruling on Anti-Immigrant Law SB4

March 14, 2018

Texas Immigrants, Advocates, Legal Experts Outline Steps Forward After Fifth Circuit Court Ruling on Anti-Immigrant Law SB4 A recording of today’s event is available here. Austin, TX – The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that Senate Bill 4, the state’s so-called sanctuary cities ban, can remain the law of the land in Texas … More Texas Steps After Fifth Circuit Court Ruling on Anti-Immigrant Law SB4

Why this Progressive Liberal Endorses and Will Vote for Senator Dianne Feinstein

February 26, 2018

California Democrats rebuked Sen. Dianne Feinstein at their annual convention this weekend, denying her the party’s endorsement in this year’s Senate race, and giving a majority of their votes to her apparently more liberal primary challenger, Kevin de León. While many may slot Feinstein in the ‘moderate’ zone, I have seen her, through the years, as … More Why this Progressive Liberal Endorses and Will Vote for Senator Dianne Feinstein

When it Comes to the Trump Shithole Comment The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating!

February 11, 2018

President Trump’s “shithole” comment on immigrants from unspecified countries in Africa, as well as those from Haiti and El Salvador, is reflected in the numbers. In the year after Trump took office, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported a drop in total number of overall “removals”—except for African migrants who have seen a … More When it Comes to the Trump Shithole Comment The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating!

African Human Rights Coalition Response to Trump SHITHOLE Comment

January 12, 2018

In my capacity as the Executive Director of The African Human Rights Coalition (African HRC) , I made the following statement with regard to President Donald Trump’s recent offensive and derogatory behind closed doors remarks: It has been confirmed through lawmakers that at an Oval Office meeting on immigration, United States President Donald Trump remarked, … More African Human Rights Coalition Response to Trump SHITHOLE Comment

DACA Crisis Heads Toward Emergency

January 10, 2018

DACA-Recipients, Legal Experts, and Advocates: DACA-Lawsuit Developments Underscore Heightened Need for Dream Act Washington, DC – On a press call today, DACA-recipients, legal experts, and advocates explained the details and implications of the preliminary injunction against the administration’s DACA-revocation and the urgent need for Congress to enact the bipartisan Dream Act by January 19th. I … More DACA Crisis Heads Toward Emergency

Denouncing Termination of TPS for El Salvador

January 9, 2018

San Francisco, CA  – The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) denounces the Trump Administration’s heartless decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 200,000 Salvadoran nationals who have been part of our communities for many years. Revoking their status is profoundly inhumane and will exacerbate conditions of violence and instability in El … More Denouncing Termination of TPS for El Salvador

White House Meeting on Immigration Unbalanced Unserious Unconscionable

January 8, 2018

Just like the White House Insistence on Poison Pills in Exchange for the Dream Act On Tuesday, the White House will host nearly twenty lawmakers to discuss immigration. The list of White House-selected invitees is an unfortunate reflection of where the Administration and Republican strategy seems to be leaning: it is loaded up with anti-immigrant … More White House Meeting on Immigration Unbalanced Unserious Unconscionable

87 Faith and Civil Rights Groups File Amicus Brief in Support of DACA Recipients in New York

December 26, 2017

Washington, DC – Last week, Muslim Advocates and the law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, LLP filed an amicus brief on behalf of 87 religious groups and organizations representing or working with faith communities asking the United States District Court of the Eastern District of New York to suspend the government’s planned termination … More 87 Faith and Civil Rights Groups File Amicus Brief in Support of DACA Recipients in New York

The 9th Circuit’s Xmas Gift to Trump: Slaps Down Trump’s Travel Ban a Third Time

December 22, 2017

Ninth Circuit Slaps Down Trump’s Travel Ban a Third Time: Via The Recorder : The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld an injunction against the third iteration of President Donald Trump’s travel ban executive order Friday. The court, which heard oral arguments in the case last month, ruled that Trump exceeded his authority … More The 9th Circuit’s Xmas Gift to Trump: Slaps Down Trump’s Travel Ban a Third Time

BREAKING: Sen. Feinstein to Immigrant Youth: “No Continuing Resolution Without the Dream Act!”

December 21, 2017

 Responds to weeks of escalating pressure from immigrant youth in CA and Washington to pass the Dream Act California, Washington, D.C. – With less than two days remaining this year to pass the Dream Act, immigrant youth successfully pushed Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to commit to vote NO on any Continuing Resolution that does not … More BREAKING: Sen. Feinstein to Immigrant Youth: “No Continuing Resolution Without the Dream Act!”

Another Ruling Blocking Muslim Ban 3.0

October 18, 2017

IAAB v. Trump Team Praises Ruling Blocking Muslim Ban 3.0 Washington, DC – Early this morning, Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued a ruling in Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) v. Trump, blocking the Trump administration from implementing Muslim Ban 3.0, which was scheduled to go … More Another Ruling Blocking Muslim Ban 3.0

Two Days Before Arbitrary DACA Renewal Deadline, Tens of Thousands of Dreamers May Be Left Unprotected

October 3, 2017

October 05 is #DACA Renewal Deadline – Trump Administration should extend arbitrary deadline and Congress should move Dream Act forward with renewed urgency=Washington, DC – With just two days remaining before we reach the October 5th DACA renewal deadline affecting more than 150,000 DACA recipients, the Trump Administration seems insistent on keeping the new and artificial … More Two Days Before Arbitrary DACA Renewal Deadline, Tens of Thousands of Dreamers May Be Left Unprotected

Dreamers and Allies Speak Out in Purple and Red States Across America

September 29, 2017

Washington, DC – Across the country, DACA recipients and a broad range of their allies are urging Congress to act quickly to legalize America’s Dreamers. This is happening not only in traditionally Democratic states, but in purple and red states as well, and is quantified in a range of recent polling. Below, we highlight some … More Dreamers and Allies Speak Out in Purple and Red States Across America

FOX News Poll Overwhelming Support for Pathway to Citizenship for Dreamers & Undocumented Immigrants

September 29, 2017

With Trump Disapproval ratings in the HUGE range! Washington, DC  –  A new FOX News poll is the latest in a swell of recent national polls to find overwhelming support from Americans, including Republicans, for Congress passing legislation that puts Dreamers on a path to citizenship.  Some key takeaways: 57% disapprove of the job President … More FOX News Poll Overwhelming Support for Pathway to Citizenship for Dreamers & Undocumented Immigrants

Protesting DONALD’s DUMPING of DACA

September 5, 2017

PLEASE – SIGN Senator Kamala Harris  PETITION BELOW: Via CNN:  The Trump administration on Tuesday formally announced the end of DACA — a program that had protected nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children from deportation. The Department of Homeland Security will stop processing any new applications for the program as … More Protesting DONALD’s DUMPING of DACA

Families Face Unconscionable Deportation

May 23, 2017

CGRS Files Amicus Brief in District Court Case Involving Women and Children Detained at Berks County Family Detention Center in Pennsylvania Case Involving Women and Children Detained at Berks County Family Detention Center in Pennsylvania San Francisco, CA (May 22, 2017) – The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) and pro bono counsel Schnader, Harrison, … More Families Face Unconscionable Deportation

On Passover LA Police Arrest Rabbis Protesting Immigration Persecution

April 14, 2017

On the third day of Passover in downtown Los Angeles, 35 Rabbis, Priests, and Muslim activists — in a coalition of local faith-based groups were arrested for an act of civil disobedience. In protest of the Trump administration’s inhumane efforts to tear immigrant families apart, these leaders physically blocked the entrance to the local detention … More On Passover LA Police Arrest Rabbis Protesting Immigration Persecution

Marin County Resolution for Immigrants

March 22, 2017

With Board of Supervisors  resolution, relationship of trust and respect urged for everyone (County Press Release): Social equity has been a top priority for the County of Marin for many years, and the Board of Supervisors emphasized its importance again after the Marin community expressed concerns about the changing immigration policy in Washington, D.C. At … More Marin County Resolution for Immigrants