Tag Archives: United States

End the criminalization of our communities. boy holding immigrant rights sign

Tell the “Gang Of Eight”: We demand immigration reform that protects the rights of all immigrants.

Add Your Voice

In President Obama’s State of the Union address, he expressed his administration’s intention to make immigration a priority. Last month, a bipartisan group of senators known as the “Gang of Eight” rolled out a series of principles to overhaul the immigration system.¹ Key among their proposed reforms is a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as well as an increase in border security protocols.²

On April 10, immigrants’ rights groups from across the country will be joining together for a National Day of Action,³ calling on Congress to create immigration policy that recognizes the hardships and contributions of new Americans and aspiring citizens. With over 11 million undocumented immigrants⁴ in this country waiting for an answer, the “Gang of Eight” has an opportunity to write immigration reform that responds to the needs of everyone.

In anticipation of such a proposal, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has made immigration reform a key focus of this year’s policy agenda.⁵ The CBC has formed a task force to address what they’re calling the “prison-to-deportation pipeline” and its effects on the Black and brown community.⁶ They recognize what we already know — we’re stronger together.

Please join us in demanding the “Gang of Eight” write immigration reform that protects the rights of all immigrants. It only takes a moment.

For years, America’s broken immigration system has been focused on detention and deportation largely at the expense of our communities.^7,8 While enforcement drives the political conversation around reform, inflammatory rhetoric attempts to pit Black and immigrant communities against each other as if the terms “immigrant” or even “Latino” can never have a Black face. Economic opportunities for Black folks have not grown increasingly scarce because of competition with undocumented immigrants.⁹ These tired rivalries are played up in divide-and-conquer power politics to distract us from the work of addressing the real causes of skyrocketing Black unemployment, which include a history of being economically exploited, marginalized and discriminated against.¹⁰

A focus on border security highlights a fundamental divide in the current immigration conversation. Often absent from immigration reform discussions are the more than three million Black immigrants who comprise nine percent of the U.S. foreign-born population, primarily coming from the Caribbean, North and sub-Saharan Africa.¹¹ For Black immigrants, arrival often looks very different — many come into the country with some form of documentation, typically a visa. If these documents expire, those immigrants remain in the country undetected and without status. Although these crossings are less controversial, they remain fraught. For these immigrants, increased enforcement translates to an increase in racial profiling — a reality that is not lost on the already hyper-criminalized Black community.

Immigration reform that primarily focuses on enforcement through border patrol dragnets and the use of questionable government databases such as “Secure Communities” — a flawed, high-tech way of tracking immigration violators via fingerprint data procured from every interaction a person makes with Homeland Security in their lifetime — violates the basic promises of fairness in our legal system.^12,13 Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has overwhelmingly targeted Black and brown folks through suspect methods that use racial profiling — separating families and continuing a pattern of distrust between our communities and law enforcement.¹⁴

Demand the “Gang of Eight” propose immigration legislation that includes a roadmap to citizenship for America’s 11 million undocumented immigrants and seeks to reduce the over-reliance on prisons and detention facilities for enforcement.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 — one of the greatest pieces of civil rights legislation introduced in this country — ushered in sweeping reforms of U.S. immigration policy through the implementation and signing of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.¹⁵ Prior to this, our laws actively favored immigrants from Northern and Central Europe only. The new law shifted the focus to family reunification, while opening the door to millions of new immigrants from around the world by turning away from race-based quotas and including a provision giving preference to professional skills that were in short supply in the United States. At the time, these reforms were monumental. However, due to the racially-punitive nature of previous immigration policy, a focus on family reunification has created a stratified system where immigration quotas from some countries are higher than others, keeping our communities permanently at the “back of the line.”¹⁶

Under President Obama’s tenure, we have seen record-breaking detention and deportations of undocumented immigrants and legal residents swept up under unrealistic deportation quotas for minor traffic offenses, misdemeanors and visa violations.¹⁷ Although Black immigrants constitute such a small percentage of the U.S. immigrant population, they are always in the top ten of most-deported foreign nationals and have the highest per capita deportation level of any other racial group.¹⁸ Truly just immigration reform must address the inefficiencies in the visa system as well as unrealistic quotas introduced in the family reunification sections of the law.¹⁹

Demand immigration reform that ends the criminalization of immigrant communities. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Arisha, Matt, Aimée, William and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team March 29th, 2013

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

References

1. “Who Are the Gang Of 8 in Senate Immigration Debate?” ABC News, 01-30-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2270?t=10&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

2. “Fixing the Immigration System for America’s 21st Century Economy,” The White House, 01-29-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2225?t=12&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

3. “Wanna Get Involved in the Coming Immigration Reform Fight? Here’s How,” Colorlines, 02-01-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2444?t=14&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

4. “11 Million Undocumented Immigrants: What’s Behind This Number,” Huffington Post, 02-13-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2315?t=16&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

5. “113th Congress Outlook: CBC Policy Agenda” (.pdf), Congressional Black Caucus, 02-05-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2452?t=18&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

6. “Black Lawmakers Demand an End to Prison-to-Deportation Pipeline,” Colorlines, 03-13-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2424?t=20&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

7. “Documenting the Undocumented,” Slate, 01-13-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2226?t=22&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

8. “Immigration tactics aimed at boosting deportations,” USA Today, 02-17-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2265?t=24&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

9. “Blacks and the Immigration Crisis, Pt. 2: ‘Taking All Our Jobs,'” Ebony, 02-25-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2450?t=26&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

10. “Organize to Improve the Quality of Jobs in the Black Community,” UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education (.pdf), 05-01-04 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2273?t=28&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

11. “5 Fast Facts About Black Immigrants in the United States,” Center For American Progress, 12-20-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2228?t=30&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

12. “Immigration Crackdown Also Snares Americans,” New York Times, 12-13-11 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2317?t=32&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

13. “New Secure Communities Study Reveals Troubling Data,” PBS, 10-19-11 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2319?t=34&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

14. “Racial Profiling, False Arrests, Deportation — The True Face of Federally Mandated ‘Secure Communities,’” Alternet, 07-24-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2291?t=36&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

15. “1965 Immigration Law Changed Face of America,” NPR, 05-09-06 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2264?t=38&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

16. “Getting in line for immigration,” Twin Cities Daily Planet, 02-21-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2316?t=40&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

17. “Blacks and the Immigration Crisis, Part 1,” Ebony, 02-13-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2327?t=42&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

18. See reference 17.

19. “DHS Tells States: We Don’t Need Your Approval for Secure Communities,” Colorlines, 08-09-11 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2276?t=44&akid=2871.1174326.bvkukF

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Swearing-in Ceremony of Julia Pierson as the Director of the U.S. Secret Service

03/28/2013 Nativegrl77

President Obama delivers remarks at a swearing-in ceremony for Julia Pierson as the Director of the U.S. Secret Service. March 27, 2013.

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Diabetes …. take the at risk test

03/28/2013 Nativegrl77

www.stopdiabetes.com

Did you know 25 percent of Americans who have type 2 diabetes don’t even know they have it? Are you one of them? Today people from around the country will take a simple test that can change their lives. We’re calling on you to Take it. Share it.

Take the Diabetes Risk Test

Today is the 25th Annual American Diabetes Association Alert Day^®. Find out if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes by answering a few simple questions.

For every Diabetes Risk Test taken, Boar’s Head_®—a leading provider of premium delicatessen products—will donate $5 to the American Diabetes Association starting March 26 through April 9, 2013, up to $50,000.

There has never been a more urgent time to know your risk. An estimated 79 million, or one in three American adults, have prediabetes.

We can’t waste any time. Take the Diabetes Risk Test today and share it with everyone you care about. Chances are someone you love is at risk, and early detection can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and its devastating complications.

With your help, we will Stop Diabetes^®!

This year’s Alert Day activities are sponsored by Boar’s Head and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

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President Obama Speaks at a Naturalization Ceremony

03/26/2013 Nativegrl77

President Obama delivers remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members and civilians at the White House. March 25, 2013.

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Will the Supreme Court Say I Do?

03/26/2013 Nativegrl77

By ThinkProgress War Room

Supreme Court to Take Up Historic Marriage Equality Cases

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the first of two historic cases dealing with marriage equality. Here’s what you need to know about these two cases and how the High Court could come down.

Case #1 (Tuesday): Hollingsworth v. Perry

At issue: California’s Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban approved by California voters in 2008.

Legal Questions:

Is it unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause for California to prohibit marriage equality?
California’s governor and attorney general stopped defending the measure several years ago, so a group of cities and Prop. 8 proponents stepped in to defend the law in their place. The Supreme Court must decide if it was even proper for this group to have been allowed to do so in the first place.

Possible Outcomes:

Marriage equality for everyone, everywhere
Marriage equality in some places now, everywhere else later. One route proposed by the Obama administration would result in marriage equality right now in California and other states that have civil union laws that are essentially marriage in everything but name. Legally speaking, if California’s ban is deemed unconstitutional, bans in other states would then also be difficult to defend. As the president said recently, he can’t think of any reason why any state’s ban should be valid.
Marriage equality just in California. The Court could tailor a narrow opinion that invalidates Prop. 8, but doesn’t really advance jurisprudence in a way that is particularly useful anywhere else.
Marriage equality in California, probably. The Court could use the second question about legal standing to dodge making a decision on the merits, which would leave the district court decision invalidating Prop. 8 in place. There are some unresolved questions about how this particular approach would play out.
No marriage equality in California, at least for now. The Court could reverse the lower courts and leave Prop. 8 in place. The only way it could then be undone is by voters through yet another ballot measure or in a future Supreme Court case heard by a more progressive Court. A poll out last week found that 61 percent of California’s now support marriage equality, making this route likely to succeed if also costly, time-consuming, and limited only to California.

For more details on how the Court could strike down Prop. 8, check out ThinkProgress’ legal analysis HERE.

Case #2 (Wednesday): United States v. Windsor

At Issue: The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

Legal Questions:

Whether Section 3 of DOMA, the part of the law that bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex couples for purposes of taxation, federal benefits, and more than 1,000 other rights or responsibilities, violates the legal married same couples’ guarantees of equal protection under the Fifth Amendment.
As with the Prop. 8 case, there are technical legal questions about whether the Supreme Court is even allowed to hear the case. First, can the Court hear the case since the executive branch already agrees with lower courts that the law is unconstitutional? After the Department of Justice stopped defending the law, House Republicans took up the cause of defending discrimination and have spent millions of taxpayer dollars doing so. The Court must decide if House Republicans are allowed, legally speaking, to stand in for the executive branch.

Possible Outcomes:

Marriage equality for everyone. The Court could simply rule that DOMA is unconstitutional because everyone has a constitutional right to marry the partner of their choice.
Marriage equality in some places. The Court could strike down DOMA and allow legally married same-sex couples to receive the same federal benefits as straight couples, but not rule on whether there is a broader constitutional right to marriage equality. Depending on how strongly worded such a decision is, it could make it difficult to defend other anti-gay laws and state marriage bans. Another version of this outcome could be decided on the basis of the Tenth Amendment, but this would establish a highly unfortunate precedent that could be dangerous for the social safety net.
Muddled mess. If the Court decides that it lacks jurisdiction for either or both of the reasons mentioned above, nobody is quite sure what exactly will happen. It’s possible that DOMA could remain valid everywhere but New York and New England (the federal circuit courts where the challenges were initiated). Another theory says the Obama administration could refuse to enforce the law, but then that still leaves open the possibility that a future anti-gay President Rubio could revive the law.
No change. The Court could disagree with the various lower courts that invalidated DOMA and find it to be constitutional. In this case, the only ways to get rid of DOMA would be a future case before a less conservative Supreme Court or Congressional repeal of DOMA. Senators and members of the House have already introduced a bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, to accomplish the latter.

For more details on how the Court could dump DOMA, check out ThinkProgress’ legal analysis HERE.

Stay tuned: ThinkProgress reporters will be both inside and outside the Supreme Court tomorrow and we’ll be bringing you live updates.

Get Involved: Sign Our Brief Telling the Supreme Court to Dump DOMA

Our partners at the Center for American Progress signed onto a legal brief against DOMA. Will you support their brief by signing on, and say that you won’t stand for the unconstitutional discrimination against LGBT people?

Sign HERE to tell the Supreme Court that DOMA must go.