Immigration

Bob Robb scolds “both sides” for “behaving badly” without mentioning the actual bad behavior of certain people

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Crossposted at DemocraticDiva.com Quoth Bob Robb: In the debate over what to do about juvenile illegal immigrants from Central America, both sides are behaving badly. I agree with some of the policy points in Bob Robb’s column on the Honduran refugee children situation but he’s talking about policy and not behavior. Now, I’m the last … Read more

Refugee Supporters & Anti-Immigrant Protesters Face Off in Oracle (Images)

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Supporters lined the main drag in Oracle, with bilingual or Spanish signs welcoming the the refugee children.
Supporters lined the main drag in Oracle, with bilingual or Spanish signs welcoming the the refugee children.

Demonstrators with dueling banners and ideologies lined the roads of rural Oracle, Arizona on Tuesday awaiting the arrival of 40-60 child refugees. An estimated 150 protesters, dozens of law enforcement officers (including the K-9 unit), and every TV, print, and online journalist imaginable came out to “greet” the bus of unaccompanied Central American children.

Oracle residents and other refugee supporters from Somos America, Progressive Democrats of America, South Side Presbyterian Church, and the Alliance for Global Justice gathered at 6:30 a.m.
Oracle residents and other refugee supporters from Somos America, Progressive Democrats of America, South Side Presbyterian Church, and the Alliance for Global Justice gathered at 6:30 a.m.

The original anti-immigrant protest was organized by Oracle’s self-proclaimed “Paul Revere” Robert Skiba, who was tipped off regarding the busload of refugee children by Pinal County’s Tea Party Sheriff Paul Babeu. Babeu’s grandstanding on Facebook about the federal government’s failed immigration policies, and Skiba’s boasting about a bus blockade to multiple media outlets sparked a counter protest initiated by Oracle residents who were concerned about the welfare of the children. E-mail blasts, Facebook, Twitter, blog posts like this one, and a re-Tweet by Rachel Maddow’s blog brought out the crowds, including sympathizers on both sides who drove in from Tucson and Phoenix.

Much of the media coverage has focused on tiny events that occurred during the four hours that we all waited for the bus to arrive. (More details and photos after the jump.)

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Babeu’s media circus: the clowns showed up, but the refugee children did not

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So this happened on Tuesday . . .

paul-babeu-underwearStudboi1, part-time underwear model and somehow Sheriff of Pinal County, Paul Babeu, shared with a campaign contributor and supporter, Paul Revere Robert Skiba, information he allegedly received from “whistle blowers” within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that they planned to transfer between 40 and 60 unaccompanied illegal minors to the “Sycamore Canyon Boys Ranch” in Oracle.

Skiba then started organizing a protest on the wingnut war-drums network, and local TV news station KVOA gave him some airtime on Friday to promote it (nice job KVOA).

On Monday, Babeu posted a political statement on the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:

We don’t need unaccompanied juveniles from Central America being flown into Arizona – compliments of President Obama. Local residents have every right to be upset and to protest. Our federal government has failed to enforce any immigration laws. These children should be returned to their home country – not to Oracle, Arizona paid for by American taxpayers.”

“We understand there will be protesters who support and oppose ICE bringing the foreign juveniles to Oracle. The Sheriff’s Office will work to ensure the peace is maintained at these lawful assemblies.”

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Pope Francis weighs in on refugee children

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Pope Francis directly addressed the growing crisis surrounding unaccompanied children on the U.S. border this morning, speaking up on behalf of the young immigrants and calling on the international community to do more to care for their needs. Pope Francis: Migrant Children Must Be ‘Welcomed And Protected’:

popeIn a message sent to the Mexico-Holy See Colloquium on Migration and Development, the first Argentinian pope called for an immediate humanitarian response for the roughly 50,000 unaccompanied minors who have crossed the U.S. border this year.

“I would also like to draw attention to the tens of thousands of children who migrate alone, unaccompanied, to escape poverty and violence: This is a category of migrants from Central America and Mexico itself who cross the border with the United States under extreme conditions and in pursuit of a hope that in most cases turns out to be vain,” he said. “They are increasing day by day. This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected.”

Francis also noted that, in addition to a robust relief effort by those on the U.S. side of the border, the international community should also move to address the vicious cycles of violence and poverty that are spurring the children to flee their countries of origin.

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