December 22, 2016

“Haitians, Africans, Asians: The sharp rise in non-Latin American migrants trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico” (Los Angeles Times)- “In a surge Mexican officials are calling unprecedented, some 15,000 migrants from outside Latin America passed through Baja California this year — nearly five times the number seen in 2015.”

December 21, 2016

“At immigration detention center, every child has same Christmas wish: freedom” (The Guardian)– “For more than a year, the children of Berks have been held along with their mothers under the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). The facility is officially classed a “county residential center”, but with its austere brown brick facade and chain-metal perimeter fence, it better resembles a prison.”

December 20, 2016

“Don’t Deport Our Moms: Immigration Meets Alzheimer’s Disease” (The Huffington Post)- “Renee’s family was on their way home from a short trip to Mexico City. Then, a SNAFU with bargain priced tickets forced the family to pass through customs in different places. Alone and confused, Betty faced immigration agents at SFO who accused her of a visa violation and then deported her without allowing her to see Renee or any other family members.”

December 19, 2016

“Garcetti Announces $10 Million Legal Defense Fund For Immigrants Facing Deportation In Trump’s America” (LAist)- “On Monday, local leaders announced the creation of a $10 million fund to provide legal assistance to immigrants facing removal proceedings—a dramatic response to the very real threat of life in Donald Trump’s America.”

December 15, 2016

“Undocumented educator realizes her dream to teach with DACA” (NEA)- “In May of 2012 Maria Dominguez didn’t know what her next step would be. She had just graduated from college, but knew that her employment options would limited due to her undocumented status.”

December 13, 2016

“As path to U.S. border gets tougher, more Central Americans seek asylum in México” (Univision)- “Mexico has long been a country of transit for Central American migrants seeking to reach the United States; more than 200,000 are estimated to pass through each year. But in recent years, as the journey through Mexico to the U.S. border has become more costly and dangerous, and as the situation in Central America has worsened, Mexico has also become a destination.”

December 6, 2016

“Students are anxious about Trump, so the L.A. public school district started a support hotline” (Los Angeles Times)- “The Los Angeles Unified School District has set up a hotline and opened “extended support sites” to respond to a high level of student anxiety about the election of Donald Trump as president.”

December 5, 2016

“California legislation challenges Trump’s proposals for a border wall and registration of Muslim immigrants” (Los Angeles Times)- “He said one bill would mandate a vote of the people to approve any border wall project, which he said would harm California’s environment, including wildlife and river watersheds, as well as the state’s economy, including trade and tourism. The second bill would prohibit state agencies from providing information to the federal government on an person’s religious affiliation if it is to be used for the purposes of compiling a database based solely on religious affiliation.”

“Hundreds of Immigrant Moms And Kids Freed From Detention After Texas Court Ruling” (Huffington Post)- “Hundreds of women and children were released from two family detention centers over the weekend, after a Texas state judge sided with critics who say the facilities more closely resemble jails than child care centers.”

December 4, 2016

“California Weights Protections for Immigrants Threatened by Trump Policies” (NYT)- “Top Democratic lawmakers in California are moving to enact sweeping legislation to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, the first sign of what they say will be an effort to resist immigration policies championed by President-elect Donald J. Trump.”

December 2, 2016

“Rahm Emmanuel creates $1 million legal fund to assist immigrants” (Chicago Sun Times) -“Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Friday took $1 million earmarked for a widely-ignored property tax rebate and used it to create a ‘Legal Protection Fund’ for immigrants living in ‘anxiety and uncertainty’ and threatened with deportation after the election of Donald Trump.”

December 1, 2016

“A Message to Trump: We’re Not Going Back in the Shadows” (In These Times)- “Millions of immigrants in the United States woke up to a new political reality November 9: We will soon have the most rabidly anti-immigrant president in living memory. Even at the Undocumented Student Program at the University of California, Berkeley, where we have built a strong and resilient community, immigrant youth and parents walked into my office full of grief and fear.”

“Deluged Immigration Courts, Where Cases Stall for Years, Begin to Buckle” (NYT)- “Walk into the immigration court here, and scenes of a justice system in collapse abound. In the overflowing courtrooms, one judge raced through hearings, opening 85 cases on a recent day, and several others were not far behind. The judge in Courtroom 2 had unsettling news for Edhite Pouken Shienji, a woman from Cameroon seeking asylum. After 14 years of delays, she was finally scheduled for a hearing. But at the last minute, the judge was reassigned to handle the cases of some migrants from Central America. Her hearing was postponed once again — to 2019.”

“I cannot be silent’: Undocumented Seattle student speaks out” (KUOW)- “As an undocumented immigrant, I have hidden in the shadows of American society while at the same time dedicating so much to it. Last week I was afraid and I still carry that fear, but the panic and unease I saw in so many students on our campus and around the nation has moved me to act and fight for our most basic human rights. I should not have to feel afraid any longer.”

“The GOP governor of Texas just made a grave threat against undocumented college students” (Fusion)- “Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Thursday that he would slash state funding for any of the state’s public universities if the schools declare themselves sanctuary campuses in an effort to shield undocumented students from deportation or arrest.”

“What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for Permanent Residents Who Aren’t Citizens by Inauguration Day” (Colorlines)- “With most of her family in the United States, eight years ago Lucila Presa decided it was time to also make it her home. The 43-year-old now lives in Chicago, and while she knows she’ll ultimately return to Mexico, for now she’s focused on being an American. For Presa, that means pursuing citizenship. She had been planning on naturalizing for some time, but the issue has become urgent. The reason? Donald Trump.”