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DeMaio Dissed by US Chamber of Commerce

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By Doug Porter

San Diego’s “New Republican” candidate for the 52nd Congressional District actively sought and failed to get the endorsement of the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Instead, the pro-business group endorsed Democratic incumbent Scott Peters, saying “We will encourage the business community to vigorously support your candidacy.”

This makes Peters unique in that he’s supported by (some) organized labor groups and the largest pro-business lobbying group in the U.S. The Chamber’s lobbying expenditures in 2013 totalled $74,470, 000. In the 2012 Congressional elections they spent $33 million in support of mostly Republican candidates.

I’ll suspend judgement for a moment about just how scummy the U.S. Chamber is as an organization to crack wise about the DeMaio campaign’s reaction.   [Read more…]

ACLU Achieves Class Action Lawsuit Settlement That Ends Deceitful Immigration Practices

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Immigration agencies must make significant reforms to inform non-citizens of their rights

By American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union and Cooley LLP announced an historic settlement in a class action lawsuit, Lopez-Venegas v. Johnson, that alleged deceptive and coercive practices by immigration enforcement officers. Significant reforms to the process known as “voluntary departure” are in effect immediately, including major revisions to the information immigration officers must disclose to people choosing between voluntary departure and a hearing before an immigration judge. The settlement also includes class provisions that, if approved by the court, would allow certain Mexican nationals who have been expelled from Southern California pursuant to flawed voluntary departure procedures over the last several years to seek to reunite with their families here.   [Read more…]

Ousted Chief Accuses Border Agency of Cover-ups, SBCC Responds

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Border rights groups reiterate their call for border accountability and oversight.

By Kim Rescate and Ricardo Favela / Southern Border Communities Coalition

Mass-border-crossing-642x250There have been 28 reported deaths since 2010 involving the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Despite pressure from Southern Border communities, no agent or officer have been issued criminal charges or publicly reprimanded to this day. A statement issued by recently removed U.S. Customs and Border Protection Head of Internal Affairs James F. Tomscheck confirmed “at least a quarter of the 28 deaths were highly suspect.” He stated that the deaths raised questions within the agency about its use of lethal force.   [Read more…]

A Trail for Humanity Comes to San Diego

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Marchers take a stand against violence targeting migrant women and children

By Brent E. Beltrán

On July 22 a group of mothers and their children began a journey from Merced, California to the U.S./Mexico border. This Saturday at 7am they will be at Chicano Park in Barrio Logan for the final leg of their pilgrimage.

After a ceremony at Chicano Park participants in A Trail for Humanity will leave around 8am and walk to Kimball Park in National City. From there they will be transported by vehicle to the MAAC Charter School in Chula Vista where they will have lunch.

After lunch and a brief rest they will continue their journey on foot to Larsen Field in San Ysidro. They will arrive at the park sometime between 3pm and 4pm where a rally will take place with speakers on immigration rights, danza Azteca and entertainment.   [Read more…]

Logan Heights Restaurateur Faces Hate for Supporting Refugee Children

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“They’re not gonna make me not live. There not gonna make me stop what I’m doing. If anything they’re making my resolve harder and firmer.”

By Brent E. Beltrán

Last week I found out there’s this restaurant owner in Logan Heights that has been facing death threats from the people that have been hating on the refugee children from Central America. Mark Lane, owner of Poppa’s Fresh Fish, has received numerous phone calls and social media messages calling for his death and that of his family after calling for a boycott of Murrieta, Hate City USA, and for taking in a refugee family from Guatemala.

After hearing about the death threats and the attempted boycott of his business by hateful bigots I thought I’d contact him and see if he was willing to talk about his situation. He was and he had a lot to say.   [Read more…]

El Machete Illustrated: Sucking Up Will Get You Nowhere Mr. Obama

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Unaccompanied Minors: Their Arduous Journey and Their Unknown Fate

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These children are choosing to have an opportunity at life. They all have dreams that they want to accomplish.

Words and photos by Vanessa Ceceña

While the current wave of unaccompanied minors is primarily made up of Central Americans, the U.S. has welcomed minors from many more countries in the past. In early 2009 I began working at Southwest Key Programs, an unaccompanied minors shelter here in San Diego.

I met children from Somalia, China, Brazil, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Venezuela. Some eager to tell their story, others were hesitant to share the details of their journey or past due to fear.

Based on some of their stories I was able to understand that most of the Central Americans traveled on la bestia and by bus until they were able to reach the U.S.-Mexico border. Regardless of where these children were coming from, they were all faced with countless dangers and situations where they were at risk of losing their lives.   [Read more…]

Rights Groups Sue US Government over Deportation of Children

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‘These children face an imminent threat of being deported,’ a lawyer for the coalition argues, ‘potentially to their death.’

Common Dreams

A coalition of immigration and human rights groups on Friday sued U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and other high-level government officials in federal court in an attempt to address the ongoing crisis of child refugees who are being sped through the U.S. government’s deportation process after being taken into custody near the nation’s southern border.

The group of legal advocates—which includes the ACLU, the American Immigration Council, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Public Counsel, and K&L Gates LLP—say they are trying to block the government from pursuing deportation proceedings against several children unless it ensures those youth have legal representation. The coalition charges that immigration courts—under the direction of the Obama Justice Department—are speeding up deportation hearings against children in a way that is irresponsible and puts their very lives at stake. The children, most of them unaccompanied, are being pushed through the system—the lawyers for groups contend—without proper representation and little, if any, understanding of what is happening to them.   [Read more…]

Unraveling the Border Refugee Crisis

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By Doug Porter

At some time over next few days, President Obama will issue of executive orders pertaining to immigration. Likely options include reordering the priority list of deportation cases to dramatically expanding the 2012 “deferred action” program.

Those orders could mean allowing millions of family members to get work permits, or even allowing work permits for even broader groups, such as undocumented immigrant parents of U.S. citizens or virtually everyone who’s not considered a high priority to deport.

You can take it to the bank that the nativist wing of the GOP will be outraged. I expect to see more reporting disparaging refugees and undocumented residents. I am doubtful we’ll see a boost in reporting pointing towards the historical roots of the current crisis. So today I’ll call out a couple of stories going beyond the usual pap served up in the media.   [Read more…]

Gone with the Wind Escondido Style

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Many expressed their sense of shame of living in a city that is fearful of Brown people and children.

By Fredi Avalos, Ph.D.

The City of Escondido, California represents a civilization gone with the wind. Well, almost. The shifting political winds were easy to observe at the City’s planning commission meeting July 22. In front of more than 200 people and an estimated 250 who rallied outside City Hall, the commission reaffirmed their previous vote not to allow a foster care facility to operate for refugee children fleeing their countries’ violence and repression in Central America.

The children would have been housed in a vacant elder care facility in a quiet semi-rural neighborhood. The facility has its own parking and would be funded entirely by federal money. It is estimated the facility would bring in at least 100 jobs paying well over minimum wage and would increase revenue for the city a total of $8.5 million a year. Escondido tax payers would pay nothing but would gain a great deal fiscally. So what is the problem?   [Read more…]

Joe Arpaio Meets With Tea Party Group and Supporters in Ramona

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Notorious sheriff’s posse gets unruly as police watch and do nothing

By Miguel Cid

About four years ago when Joe Arpaio visited San Diego, his reputation and stance on immigration policy earned him a booing from protesters and residents in the county. In short, San Diego did not receive him with open arms.

Nearly a month after protesters blocked buses in Murrieta, approximately 10:30 on Saturday morning, July 26th, in Ramona, our carpool passed the Joe Arpaio meet up location of the Ramona Mainstage, and out of the crowd I spotted a face; a face that resembled a skin tone similar to mine.

The man wearing the face held up a sign that read, “We Support You Joe”. I instantly thought that the signage must have been referring to him and his family, because I know he being the only seemingly brown face lined up in support of Sheriff Joe, he could not be referring to the Latino community, and especially not the Chicano community in the surrounding areas.   [Read more…]

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