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Author: Angelica Pardo

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Latinos in Wisconsin stage strike against immigration reform

Thousands of people marched on Monday, October 11, Columbus Day in the United States. The march began on the south side of Milwaukee and proceeded to the Federal Courthouse as part of the statewide "Day Without Latinos and Immigrants" strike.

People like Ramiro Castillo, a Latino immigrant who joined the strike against immigration reform, understand what it's like to live in the shadows, arriving in the United States from Mexico at 18 and starting to work for little money, receiving a paycheck for $500 after working 80 hours a week, that is, approximately 11 to 12 hours a day.  

Ramiro, now the owner of a business called Castillo Landscaping, decided to close on the day of the march to support his community in demanding immigration reform. 

The strike was organized after a U.S. Senate member gave his opinion on the reform, stating that immigration-related reforms could not be included in the Build Back Better reconciliation budget bill awaiting Congress. 

«We demonstrated great power by participating in a day without Latinos,» Castillo said in Spanish. The mobilization culminated in a rally at the Federal Courthouse, where teachers, farmworkers, and allies spoke about their experiences as immigrants in the country. 

More mobilizations are planned in other states leading up to the October 31 deadline when Democrats will vote on the bill. 

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The United States suspends raids on undocumented immigrants in workplaces

According to a memorandum issued on October 12 by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, federal immigration agents will end mass workplace arrests of immigrant employees suspected of living in the United States without legal permission. 

Now, instead of searching for undocumented immigrants, they seek to shift the focus to “unscrupulous employers who exploit the vulnerability of undocumented workers” and will emphasize the fight against worker abuse, including poor wages, unsafe working conditions, and human trafficking.

The memorandum specifies that within two months, the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Customs and Border Protection must develop a plan that increases penalties for employers, encourages workers to report unscrupulous practices, and coordinates with other agencies such as the Department of Labor. 

These types of raids were defended during the administration of former President Trump and other Republican presidents as strong deterrents against illegal immigration, while workers denounced them as unfair and discriminatory. A clear example of this was when 680 Latino workers were arrested at chicken plants run by organizations like Koch Foods, based in Illinois.  

Nadia Marín Molina, executive director of the National Network of Day Laborer Organizations, stated: “It is time for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to stop allowing employers to use the threat of deportation as a tool to facilitate exploitation and evade accountability… Immigrant workers kept the lights on in this country during a pandemic, and the government essentially told them they should work themselves to death without basic rights so that others could live.”.

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Testimony from a student, family, and lawyer about the struggles to immigrate to the United States

TJ is a Hindu who came to the United States in search of opportunity in 2013 along with his parents Sundhir and Punita, who were proud when they received the news that their son TJ would be moving into the freshman dorms at UC Berkeley, however, this news was overshadowed by a problem with the United States immigration system. 

Sudhir works for a private consulting firm and holds an H1B visa, while his wife, Punita, and son, TJ, hold H4 visas, which are issued for dependent relatives who are not permitted to work in the United States. TJ is a junior chemical engineering student at CAL and needs an internship to gain more knowledge that will make him more competitive with his classmates and help him secure a job after graduation. 

TJ needs his H4 visa converted to an F1 visa. The family filed the paperwork for the change in July 2020. «A process that usually takes about six to seven months is still underway right now,» Sudhir said. «So, it’s been over a year.» «Unfortunately, this happens to a lot of people, and I think it’s been happening more in recent years,» said Ann Block, senior special projects attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC). 

In addition to the delays, TJ's case has also been further hampered by existing immigration delays due to Covid-19. However, the situation is further aggravated because TJ risks losing his H4 visa, meaning he cannot remain in the U.S. once he turns 21, and he is currently 20.

«If he gets older, then he needs an alternative visa like the F1, which is already being processed, or he has to leave the country,» Sudhir said. If TJ is forced to leave the U.S., he wouldn’t be able to complete his senior year at UC Berkeley. Like TJ, many other families face similar problems and lack the resources to cover the costs of immigration proceedings.  

This news story was created from ABC News: https://abc7ne.ws/3FBrF3i 

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US Special Ambassador to Haiti resigns over inhumane treatment of Haitian migrants

Ambassador Daniel Foote, special envoy for Haiti, presented his return to obtain the treaty Inhumane to Haitians on the country's southern border. Foote asserts that the White House disregarded his recommendations regarding the immigration situation of Haitians in the United States. 

Daniel Foote stated in his resignation letter: "I will not be linked to the human and controlled decision of United States of 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐬 𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚 "Haiti, a country where US officials are locked in protected facilities due to the danger created by armed groups that control daily life." With this harsh letter addressed to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Daniel Foote accused him of taking the deferred cargo and 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢́𝐚 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢́𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢́ 𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐨𝐬𝐚.

There are records that demonstrate the "humane" treatment that many migrants receive from agents, in addition to the bad treatments they receive after being deported, such as having to search for their belongings after they were thrown out of the plane or cases in which they were not informed that they would be returned to Haiti. The ambassador's resignation was triggered after the United States government began deporting nearly 13,000 Haitian migrants who were at the Texas border bridge, regardless of the fact that "Haiti is a 'collapsed state' that 'simply cannot'" 𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐥𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨́𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐳𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐚, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐢𝐨 𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐨«⁣.

Foote warned. This news story was created from BBC News: https://bbc.in/3ahTvTO

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Registration for the US visa lottery is now open

The United States government announced that registration for the 2023 Diversity Visa Program, popularly known as the Visa Lottery, begins today, October 6, at noon and closes on November 9, 2021, at noon. 

This program has been in place since 1990 as a way to attract immigrants from countries that have historically had low rates of immigration to the United States. It is known as the Visa Lottery because people are randomly selected from the waiting lists to receive a Green Card. 

The State Department announced it will allocate up to 55,000 immigrant visas, or Green Cards, in 2023. Those interested in applying online can do so at dvprogram.state.gov, with a limit of one registration per person. "Don't wait until the last week of registration to apply, as high demand may cause delays on the website," officials advised.

It is important to note that not all citizens are eligible, as the United States prohibits participation from countries with high immigration rates, given that more than 50,000 people from the countries listed below have immigrated to the United States in the last five years. 

Venezuela, Brazil, Haiti, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Canada, China, Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, South Korea, 

United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland), Bangladesh, Philippines and South Korea. 

This news story was created from Dallas News: https://bit.ly/3uO87nj 

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New guidelines for arresting and deporting immigrants for ICE agents

New arrest and deportation guidelines were issued to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 

After images of agents on horseback whipping undocumented immigrants went viral, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that new arrest and deportation guidelines had been issued to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 

The Biden administration will continue to prioritize the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants who genuinely pose a threat to national and public security. However, it is important to reconsider that being an undocumented immigrant “should not be the sole reason” for deciding on detention and deportation from the United States, noted Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated in a press release that “For the first time, our guidelines, in the pursuit of public safety, will require an evaluation of the individual and will take into account the totality of the facts and circumstances.” The new guidelines will take effect on November 29, 2021.

This statement was issued at a critical moment in the handling of approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, many of whom have lived there for most of their lives. Therefore, according to Mayorka, the aim is to prioritize the situation of certain undocumented immigrants who do not pose a threat to the nation and can receive a fair evaluation. 

A key point emphasized in the statement was that the main purpose of the law and the agents is to ensure the safety of both citizens and "non-citizens," understanding that the country must recognize that immigrants contribute to the nation in various ways. 

This news story was created from The Washington Post: https://wapo.st/3Bcm1Sv

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MacDonough (congresswoman) dismisses Democrats' immigration plan B

Senate Representative Elizabeth MacDonough rejected an alternative proposal for immigration reform in a budget process in which she argues they do not comply with Senate rules, in addition to using obstructionism.

Democrats proposed changing the immigration registry to help legalize millions of undocumented immigrants who would then benefit from humanitarian temporary residency permits. However, Representative Elizabeth's response indicated that she would not allow changes to the entry dates used to determine eligibility. 

This proposal from the Democrats is not the only one they have used; initially, they would have sought to use their spending bill to provide around 8 million Green Cards for: Dreamers, people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), agricultural workers, and essential employees.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), said he was “disappointed” by the ruling and that it left them with “limited” options. However, Democrats intend to continue trying, as Senator Robert Menendez stated, “We’re going to pursue a Plan C.”

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Biden's immigration plan goes against the reality at the border

An aggressive effort to quickly clear more than 15,000 Haitian migrants from the makeshift camp in Del Rio, Texas, has been part of a radical and contradictory response from President Biden and his promise to improve the immigration plan in the United States.

Biden's strategy was to bring agents to the Del Rio, Texas area, backed by a public health immigration rule invoked by Trump to deport many people to their countries of origin. 

 The procedure looks like something out of a horror movie. President Biden's spokeswoman said the scenes of agents on horseback were "horrible" and not "acceptable or appropriate." However, the deportations are a clear example of how Biden, who declared on February 2 that his goal was to "undo the moral and national disgrace of the previous administration," is implementing some of the more aggressive anti-immigration measures that Trump took over the past four years.

Having failed in his attempts to build a more "humane" set of immigration laws, Biden has reacted in a way that few of his supporters expected. 

The initiative initially championed by Joe Biden to comprehensively reform immigration laws has been dealt a blow by the Senate's decision on Sunday. To some extent, the conflict Biden faces stems from his efforts to use the power of his office to enact lasting immigration change, efforts that were blocked by federal judges skeptical of executive power and hampered by a bureaucracy deliberately obstructed by former President Trump. 

While trying to uphold the United States' humanitarian obligations to migrants fleeing lack of job opportunities, economic hardship, political instability, and violence, Bien continues to struggle to solve a challenge that U.S. presidents have faced for decades. 

This news story was created from The New York Times: https://nyti.ms/39MC4KE

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Expulsion of immigrants at the border under Title 42 ruling

Around 2,000 people, including children, women, and men, have been transferred to other immigration stations from a Texas border city that has been overwhelmed by the influx of Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

These transfers will continue to happen "to ensure that irregular migrants are apprehended, processed, and promptly removed from the United States in accordance with our laws and policies," the DHS said in a statement.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, flights to Haiti and other destinations will be expedited within the next 72 hours to address the needs of migrants seeking refuge and awaiting processing in increasingly precarious conditions under the Rio Grande International Bridge, which connects Texas with Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. 

Michael Vargas, a Venezuelan immigrant, comments on his situation at the border: «There’s urine and feces, and we’re sleeping next to the garbage in the camp. We’ve been here for three days with my wife and two children.” Vargas also states that his ticket number is 16,000, while the authorities are processing number 9,800. 

The order that has allowed most migrants to be quickly expelled without the possibility of seeking asylum is the well-known Title 42, a public health order from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued under the Trump administration at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. President Joe Biden has kept this rule in effect, although he exempted unaccompanied minors and most families.

A judge ruled on Thursday that the policy could not be applied to families, but the ruling does not take effect for two weeks and the Biden administration is appealing it in court.

This news story was created using information from REUTERS: https://reut.rs/3zz7wqe

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Around 10,000 migrants gather under a bridge between the United States and Mexico border

Thousands of people have crossed the border, mostly Haitians; all those who have crossed have been forced to sleep under the bridge in deplorable conditions, thus creating a growing humanitarian crisis. 

The bridge connects with Texas and with the Acuña Metropolis of Mexico, which has a temporary camp that has seen an increase in the flow of people arriving there. 

According to government data, the situation has been such that at the beginning of this year (2021), it was reported that the number of migrants detained at the border in the month of July exceeded 200,000 cases for the first time in 21 years. 

The vast majority of those waiting are Haitian, Cuban, Venezuelan, and Nicaraguan migrants, forced to endure temperatures of 37°C and must return for supplies, even though the makeshift camp has few services to offer them. 

Since the Biden administration took office, there have been major changes in immigration procedures, including the creation of a task force to reunite migrant children with their families, halting the construction of Trump's border wall, and reviewing immigration programs canceled by his predecessor. 

This news story was created from BBC News: https://bbc.in/3zrcG7R