Category: Immigration
The Bishops and the Border
I worry at times, writing this column, that I may sound like a broken record, harping on immigration issues and…
‘Lawless activism’: Foreign-born Biden judge strikes again, protects Haitians from removal
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes — a foreign-born, Biden-appointed, lesbian judge who previously worked as a lawyer to fight the first Trump administration’s immigration policy and helped the U.N. secure asylum for so-called refugees — obliged her fellow immigration activists on Monday, blocking the revocation of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status.
That status, which Haitian migrants have enjoyed since January 2010 and over 352,000 Haitian migrants enjoy today, was set to expire on Tuesday. Without Reyes’ intervention, the Trump administration would have been able to immediately repatriate many of those Haitians who have strained citizen resources and displaced American labor in cities such as Springfield, Ohio.
‘Temporary means temporary.’
Reyes, a Uruguayan native, claimed, however, that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not only violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause when terminating the TPS designation for Haiti but had likely done so “because of hostility to nonwhite immigrants.”
Much of Reyes’ Monday ruling in the class-action lawsuit reads like a piece of immigration activist agitprop.
In addition to characterizing Haitian TPS holders as valuable contributors to American society and some class members’ removal back to Haiti as “devastating because they have no meaningful ties to the country,” Reyes questioned why it was necessary to let the status expire now:
Secretary Noem complains of strains unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Her answer? Turn 352,959 lawful immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. She complains of strains to our economy. Her answer? Turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. She complains of strains to our health care system. Her answer? Turn the insured into the uninsured. This approach is many things — in the public interest is not one of them.
The foreign-born judge suggested further that while the Trump administration “contends that, at most, the harms to Haitian TPS holders are speculative,” the State Department has issued travel advisories to Americans warning of the threats of kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest in the third-world nation.
RELATED: Trump administration halts visas for 75 nations whose people gobble up American welfare
Photo by REBECCA NOBLE/AFP via Getty Images
Noem determined last year after reviewing country conditions and consulting with the appropriate government agencies that the island nation no longer met the conditions for a TPS designation.
Reyes, the same judge who tried unsuccessfully last year to torpedo the War Department’s ban on transvestites in the military, makes no secret of her animus toward the American-born DHS secretary throughout her ruling, using her conclusion, for instance, to cast Noem as a cold-hearted ignoramus.
“Secretary Noem, the record to-date shows, does not have the facts on her side — or at least has ignored them,” wrote the Biden judge. “Does not have the law on her side — or at least has ignored it.”
Reyes’ fellow activists celebrated her ruling.
“This was the right decision. There is no evidence that the Trump administration took the time to make a clear-eyed assessment of the risks these families would face back in Haiti before moving to revoke TPS,” Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said in a statement obtained by GBH News. “On the contrary, the revocation appears to have been driven by racial animus and political ideology.”
“We can breathe for a little bit,” Rose-Thamar Joseph, operations director of the Haitian Support Center in migrant-overwhelmed Springfield, Ohio, told the Associated Press.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in response to the ruling, “Supreme Court, here we come.”
“This is lawless activism that we will be vindicated on,” continued McLaughlin. “Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake that took place over 15 years ago, it was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program, yet that’s how previous administrations have used it for decades.”
“Temporary means temporary, and the final word will not be from an activist judge legislating from the bench,” added McLaughlin.
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Portland-Area County Launches ‘Sanctuary Fund’ Providing Taxpayer-Funded Grants To Assist Illegal Immigrants
The Oregon county that includes the city of Portland is shelling out $75,000 in taxpayer money through a new “Sanctuary Fund” program designed to help left-wing groups that assist illegal immigrants.
The post Portland-Area County Launches ‘Sanctuary Fund’ Providing Taxpayer-Funded Grants To Assist Illegal Immigrants appeared first on .
‘Do it NATIONWIDE!’ Florida mandates English-only driver’s tests, following Trump’s lead
Florida announced on Friday that all driver’s license tests will be conducted in English. This decision comes after President Trump signed an executive order nearly a year ago declaring English the official language of the United States.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles declared that the state is taking “a leading role in highway safety by requiring all driver license exams be taken in English and without an interpreter.”
‘There is no better way for a state to test for trucker English proficiency than to administer the CDL knowledge and skills tests in, well, English.’
The new policy, which will apply to knowledge and skills exams for all driver’s license classifications, will take effect on February 6.
The FLHSMV explained that the previous policy allowed knowledge exams for most non-commercial driver’s licenses to be offered in multiple languages. Knowledge exams for commercial learner’s permits and commercial driver’s licenses have been offered in English and Spanish.
“To implement this change, FLHSMV has updated its driver license testing system statewide. Language translation services will no longer be permitted for knowledge or skills examinations, and any printed exams in languages other than English will be removed for use,” the department stated. “FLHSMV remains committed to ensuring safe roadways for all Floridians and visitors by promoting clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior.”
RELATED: Illegal alien trucker accused of causing crash that killed newlyweds
Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called the new policy a “good reform,” noting that drivers “need to be able to read the road signs.”
Eric Daugherty of Florida’s Voice declared the move “a massive win.”
“English. Do it NATIONWIDE!” Daugherty wrote. “Florida does it right.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The Small Business in Transportation Coalition applauded Florida for implementing the English-only testing policy.
“Like most things in life, we need to start with common sense. There is no better way for a state to test for trucker English proficiency than to administer the CDL knowledge and skills tests in, well, English. In the state of Florida, at least, common sense will now prevail effective February 6th. We hope other states will follow,” SBTC Executive Director James Lamb stated.
This new policy follows an executive order Trump issued last March, declaring English to be the official language of the federal government.
“To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one — and only one — official language. Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values and create a more cohesive and efficient society,” the EO said.
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Trump States Gaining Population As High-Tax States Lose People, New Census Data Show
Low-tax, Republican-leaning states are gaining people, while higher-tax, Democrat-leaning states are losing them, according to new domestic migration data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The post Trump States Gaining Population As High-Tax States Lose People, New Census Data Show appeared first on .
Local sheriff refuses to help ICE with immigration enforcement around the Super Bowl
Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen bizarrely pledged not to work with federal agents while claiming such non-cooperation would result in increased safety for residents.
Ahead of Super Bowl LX at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the local sheriff said he is refusing to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
‘We will not be working or supporting ICE immigration enforcement.’
The Trump administration has warned illegal aliens that there would still be enforcement around the Super Bowl, which takes place on February 8, but Sheriff Jonsen told residents he will not assist the Department of Homeland Security or its agents.
“We are gonna be here for you, side by side,” Jonsen said about his own officers. “So as you’re getting off those trains, … high probability you’re going to see somebody in uniform. But if they’re not masked, if they’re wearing tan and green or blue or black, trust me, they are there for your protection.”
Jonsen told reporters on Thursday that if residents or visitors see masked law enforcement who are “trying to hide their identity,” that means “somebody hasn’t communicated” with his department.
“We’ve made it very clear to our officers — our workforce is to be open, transparent, and engaged with this community for the next few weeks,” the sheriff added.
At that point, Jonsen made it clear to his constituents that his department would not be working alongside the immigration enforcement officers.
RELATED: Former Vikings player says ‘demonic’ Minnesota Democrats are upset ICE is ‘deporting their voters’
“I urge our federal partners — if there is something that you’re planning to do in our community, please be transparent and reach out to your local officials so we can work as best we can,” Jonsen announced to federal authorities.
“As mentioned, we are not going to be changing our policies or protocols. We will not be working or supporting ICE immigration enforcement,” he added.
In October, special adviser to Homeland Security Corey Lewandowski warned illegal aliens that if they went to the Super Bowl, there would be “repercussions to that.”
He added, “Just as there are if you are in any other neighborhood in this great country.”
DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin told TMZ this week that her department is still “committed to working with” local partners to ensure safety around the Super Bowl.
“Our mission remains unchanged,” McLaughlin noted.
RELATED: Wife of Super Bowl champion launches GOP campaign for Democrat-controlled NJ congressional seat
Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
The Santa Clara sheriff positioned his department as wanting to protect the level of trust it has built with its community over “decades” and expressed that he wants federal authorities to communicate their plans to him so he can relay it to his city.
Jonsen urged his constituents to contact “somebody wearing a uniform” if they see ICE operations unfolding.
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