Immigration and Customs Enforcement appears to be escalating its targeting of immigrant rights activists for deportation.
Since President Donald Trump was inaugurated, there have been at least ten prominent cases where immigrants involved in community activism were deported or faced an increased threat of deportation.
California passed a state law defining itself as a “sanctuary state.” This law went into effect on January 1 of this year. However, this is defiant act against U.S. Federal law governing the treatment of illegal immigrants into the United States of America, of which California is still part.
The Trump Administration is not taking this lying down.
After Trump's televised meeting on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals DACA program, a federal judge in California blocked the Trump administration from rescinding it in March. The judge ruled that deportation protections must remain in place until legal challenges work their way through the court system. [There is a lot of uncertainty in the wake of Trumps reversal of position, but one thing is clear; immigration reform is now an empty phrase.] [...]
Ali Feruz is a correspondent for the Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta who is currently facing deportation to Uzbekistan, where he was born — and where, according to friends and colleagues, he faces torture at the hands of the security services and possibly death.
Israel announced it would pay African migrants living in the country illegally $3,500 each plus a free airline ticket, to return to their home countries or 'third-world countries', like Rwanda and Uganda. Officials told the immigrants they will face jail time if they don’t leave by spring, 2018. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized the resettlement of African migrants in Israel as disruptive to the country’s culture and social cohesion.
After Democrat California Governor Jerry Brown pardoned two illegal aliens who had committed felonies and were set to be deported, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo mimicked the action and pardoned 18 convicted illegal immigrants who were facing deportation. In both cases, this action stopped deportation. [...]
A broad-ranging set of demands relating to immigration enforcement has been laid out by the White House as the condition for a compromise that would see immigrant young adults secure Obama-era protections. About 690,000 holders of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status could soon face deportation if a deal isn’t agreed to when the Obama-era program expires.
Non-cooperation by sanctuary cities severely undermines efforts by ICE to prevent dangerous criminal aliens from being released and endangering the public. [...]
UPDATE | After speculation, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made it official: DACA will be rescinded:
Sergio Jose Martinez had been deported to Mexico 20 times and has a history of arrests in Portland on numerous occasions for driving violations and possession of methamphetamine. [...]
