There is a crack in everything
July 1, 2018 @ 9:31 am | Filed under: Assorted and Sundry
I can run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud
but they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me
—Leonard Cohen, Anthem
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Penelope says:
*sigh* ah … Leonard Cohen …
{{hugs}} Lissa. These are trying times.
On July 2, 2018 at 2:54 am
Penny says:
So grateful for everyone lighting candles in this darkness – and there are many! It gives me hope despite the headlines…
On July 2, 2018 at 5:12 am
Melissa Wiley says:
(Posted on FB on Saturday — pulling it over here to save)
Notice the quiet little word “at” in the quote from the Justice Dept (2nd paragraph quoted at the bottom of this post). The government will “detain families together during the pendency of immigration proceedings when they are apprehended *at* or between ports of entry.”
Whenever someone puts forth the argument that “if they don’t want to go to jail, they shouldn’t have broken the law,” it’s important to note that the current WH administration has enacted a policy of detaining *all* immigrants crossing our Southern border, pending immigration proceedings–both people crossing the border at official ports of entry and at unauthorized points. **People who have broken no law** are being detained in camps and other sites, including U.S. prisons such as the medium-security federal prison at Victorville, CA. (As always, I’ll cite sources in the first comment.)
Now that the administration is no longer immediately and forcibly separating children from their parents at the point of entry–a change brought about by the passionate activism of the American public, so thank you and please keep at it–the government is shifting to an argument (see Justice Dept legal filing, linked in first comment, and yep I read the whole thing) that:
1. Pre-hearing detention will continue;
2. Since people raised a fuss about taking kids away from parents, families will now be detained together;
3. Since the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Flores settlement covers not just unaccompanied alien children but “accompanied” ones as well and set a general standard that the government can’t hold them in custody for more than 20 days, this creates a serious timing issue for the administration’s current detainment policy;
4. The Justice Dept will seek to amend the Flores Agreement, but for now they are going to give asylum-seeking parents the Sophie’s choice of keeping their kids in pre-trial detention with them or consenting to separation.
All of this is happening because the Trump administration is determined to hold people in detention (for months, potentially) pending their immigration proceedings rather than let them live freely in this country until their court dates.
Like so many of you, we attended today’s protest. The Portland rally moved me to tears at many points, especially during my conversation with 88-year-old Joanne, whose parents emigrated from Holland. (More about her in a future post–she agreed to let me interview her.)
But protest rallies aren’t enough, they aren’t nearly enough. We must continue to urge our elected officials to take action. Keep making your calls. Keep reading. Keep fighting the good fight. For thousands of families, the nightmare isn’t over.
————————–
‘The Trump administration plans to detain migrant families together in custody rather than release them, according to a new court filing that suggests such detentions could last longer than the 20 days envisioned by a court settlement.
‘“The government will not separate families but detain families together during the pendency of immigration proceedings when they are apprehended at or between ports of entry,” Justice Department lawyers wrote in a legal notice to a federal judge in California who has been overseeing long-running litigation about the detention of undocumented immigrants.’
(Sources cited here.)
Also: It’s worth noting that when Paul Manafort’s bail was revoked (because he allegedly committed new crimes while out on bail), President Trump tweeted that this was “very unfair.” Manafort has been charged with multiple federal crimes, but the President believes it is unfair to hold him in pre-trial detention. But families seeking refuge should be kept in pre-trial detention for months on end?
https://twitter.com/realDonald…/status/1007679422865006593
On July 2, 2018 at 7:58 am
Penelope says:
Oh Lissa, thanks for posting this here at your blog. We cannot afford to be silent; and I am grateful for all good people who are rising up and speaking out and sharing and writing and talking and walking with heads held high and hearts open wide ….
On July 2, 2018 at 8:58 am