Immigration

Promise Arizona plans comprehensive immigration reform events

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic reported today that Immigration advocates seek new strategy after previous backlash (excerpts):

On Tuesday, the immigrant-advocacy group Promise Arizona is launching a five-day bus tour that will make stops at the offices of Arizona’s nine House members and two senators, as well as other stops in Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma, said Petra Falcon, the group’s executive director. Riding on the bus will be immigrants who will share their stories about their families being split apart by deportation, Falcon said.

The bus tour will kick off outside Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, where Ricardo Arjona, a Guatemalan rock star, will perform. Arjona’s 2005 Latin pop hit “Mojado” pays tribute to illegal immigrants.

Falcon said Promise Arizona also plans to send about 15 members to Washington, D.C., for a pro-immigration-reform demonstration at the Capitol on April 10.

The demonstration will take place on the seven-year anniversary of the single largest day of protest in U.S. history, when more than 1 million people in multiple cities marched in support of immigration reform.

“It’s time to separate the Tucson Police Department from the Border Patrol.”

by

by David Safier

2_18_13_demonstr2I attended the 4pm rally at the Tucson Police Department to protest the arrest of Rene Meza Huertha by the TPD and the Border Patrol as well as the arrest of Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa who laid down under the Border Patrol vehicle to try and stop the arrest. Pamela Powers has  more details about the arrest in an earlier post.

The crowd numbered about 250-300 — that's a conservative estimate — and the media showed up to record the event. A number of people spoke, including Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa, pictured.

I spoke with City Council member Karin Uhlich after the event. She said we need "full and transparent information from the Tucson Police Department" about what happened during the arrest. "The mission of the police," she said, "is to keep the community safe. The future of the community is dependent on the relationship between the TPD and community members." She expressed concern that events like this jeopardize both the atmosphere in Tucson and the regular flow of people who come here from Mexico and elsewhere to visit and shop. "This is the kind of thing that could undermine our efforts to assure everyone that this is a safe and respectful community."

Another rally is planned for Tuesday, 12:30pm, at the Federal Courthouse.

More photos below the fold.

The GOP’s ‘savior’ throws a hissyfit for his media villager base

by

Posted  by AzBlueMeanie:

This is how the "lamestream" media functions — anytime a Republican politician has something to whine about, he or she is given a platform by the "lamestream" media to say it or they stenographically report it uncritically as "news."

Case in point over the weekend: The GOP's newly annointed "savior," Tea Party freshman Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, threw a hissyfit like a Mean Girls biotch over the weekend after USA Today published a leaked draft of an immigration reform plan being developed by the White House just in case the bipartisan negotiations in Congress fail to produce a legisaltive plan. "I"m the 'savior,' here! Didn't you see my TIME cover? It's my plan or no plan!"

Well actually, the draft plan being developed by the White House is nearly identical to Marco Rubio's plan, as one would expect because the plan Marco Rubio wishes to claim as his own is nearly identical to President Obama's immigration reform plan introduced in a May 2011 speech. "Big Gulp" Rubio is not an original thinker, as his conservative Kool-Aid response to the State of The Union Address last week made clear.

Arrests, deportations, protests: Is Tucson an immigrant-friendly city or not?

by

On Sunday, Tucson Police and the Border Patrol arrested Rene Meza Huertha, in front of his wife and children, and arrested activist Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa, who was trying to prevent the arrest of Huertha. This action by TPD is in direct violation of the City Council's vote in August 2012– making Tucson an "immigrant friendly" city. From the Arizona Daily Star…

"We don't want people to feel fear when traveling to work, to school, to the store," [City Councilwoman Regina] Romero said before the meeting. "We also don't want people to be afraid to call the police to report a crime."

She said a conversation now will begin among the city, immigrant communities, businesses, the Tucson Police Department and others about how to make the city more welcoming.

Activists are calling for a protest and press conference today, Monday, February 18 at 4 p.m., outside of TPD. 

On a related note, the American Friends Service Committee, Border Links, Derechos Humanos, and other immigrant supporters, including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, will hold a press conference and protest of Operation Streamline on Tuesday, February 19, at 12:30 at the Federal Courthouse. The Operation Streamline action leads up to a Congressional hearing on this policy on February 22 in DC. Details and background on both of these actions after the jump.

Asymmetrical opposition: Anti-immigrant GOP to engage in gay bashing to kill reforms

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The nativist and racist base of the GOP that is anti-immigrant and opposed to any immigration reforms that would create a pathway to citizenship has settled upon asymmetrical opposition: it will engage in gay bashing to kill any immigration reform legislation. "We're not against immigrants based upon their nationality or race — but no gays!"

This is a strategy to divide the religious community between those who support humane treatment for immigrants, and those who are fundamentally opposed to marriage equality based upon religious doctrine. These are often one and the same groups, e.g., the Catholic Church, so this asymmetrical strategy forces religious groups to choose between competing values.

Tea-Publicans are on the wrong side of public polling on both issues with majorities of Americans favoring both marriage equality and immigration reforms with a pathway to citizenship.

It remains to be seen whether the U.S. Supreme Court will derail this asymmetrical opposition with a landmark decision on marriage equality this year before the immigration reforms come up for a final vote in Congress.

The Washington Post reports, In immigration debate, same-sex marriage comes to the fore:

President Obama is aiming to grant same-sex couples. . . equal immigration rights as their
heterosexual counterparts.

But the measure has inspired fierce pushback from congressional
Republicans and some religious groups, who say it could sink hopes for a
comprehensive agreement aimed at providing a path to citizenship for 11
million undocumented immigrants.