Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, issued the following statement on the Senate’s national security and immigration supplemental agreement: “After months of a negotiating process that lacked transparency or the involvement of a single border-state Democrat or member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, it is no surprise that this border deal misses the mark. The deal includes a new version of a failed Trump-era immigration policy that will cause more chaos at the border, not less. It is in conflict with our international treaties and obligations to provide people with the opportunity to seek asylum. It fails to address the root causes of migration. And it fails to provide relief for Dreamers, farm workers, and the other undocumented long-term residents of our country who contribute billions to our economy, work in essential jobs, and make America stronger. “When I was sworn into this office, I made a promise that I would fight to fix our outdated immigration system and to create a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who have been forced to live in the shadows of our country for far too long. Not a day has gone by that I have not tried to reach out across the aisle to do exactly that. It is critical that we support our allies in their fight to defend democracy and provide humanitarian relief, but not at the expense of dismantling our asylum system while ultimately failing to alleviate the challenges at our border.” The border bill failed on Wed. Feb.7,2024. Alex Padilla, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders voted No. ### Also: Immigrants Make the Economy Stronger and Richer Paul Krugman https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/opinion/immigration-republicans-economy.html
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It Is Happening HereYes, a large number of migrants are trying to reach the US via crossing the US-Mexico border. But this is not at root a “border crisis.” The underlying problem is that tens of millions of people across the globe face a crisis of their right to stay at home. Migration has been a basic part of the human experience throughout history, and the right to migrate should be defended. But what the world faces today is forced migration, where millions who would prefer to stay in their homelands safely cannot do so: “The movement of people from country to country, displaced by war, insecurity, and neoliberal economic policies, is enormous and growing… Nothing can stop this global movement, short of a radical reordering of the world’s economy and politics.” —David Bacon, Dignity or Exploitation: What Future for Farmworker Families in the United States, The Oakland Institute, 2021 As of 2020, the number of international migrants—people living outside their home country--was 281 million. This is 3.5% of the global population, compared to 2.8% in 2000 and 2.3% in 1980. And US policies are a big part of the reason for this steady increase: “neoliberal strictures, [US] support for oligarchs, and the War on Drugs have impoverished millions and destabilized Latin America.” Additionally, US militarism and failure to deal decisively with climate change are major contributors to forced migration globally. Immigration policy in whose interests? Photo by David Bacon Essay by Max Elbaum, Convergence read more. https://convergencemag.com/articles/first-they-came-for-the-immigrants/ AFT Resolution
Calling for a Bilateral Cease-Fire in Gaza and Promoting a Two-State Solution and an End to the Weaponization of Hate Adopted unanimously by its Executive Council The war in Gaza must end, and diplomacy that creates two states for two peoples must start. Far too many Palestinians and Israelis have perished, and far too many Palestinians and Israelis have had their lives shattered and destroyed. As educators, healthcare professionals and public service professionals, we are sick at heart over the toll this war has taken on thousands of innocent people, particularly innocent children. We have long recognized the right of Israel to protect its citizens against crimes of war and aggression. The horrific slaughter of Israeli civilians perpetrated by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others on Oct. 7 was the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. To this day, Israeli civilians taken as hostages on Oct. 7 are still in captivity in Gaza. The ongoing war in Gaza—its terrible toll of tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths and its widespread destruction—has created a humanitarian tragedy that must end. Further shedding of blood in Gaza and the infliction of more pain and anguish will not bring peace and security to either Palestinians or Israelis. Cycles of violence and retribution in Israel and the Palestinian territories for the better part of a century cannot be broken with more of the same. Moreover, there is real danger of the expansion of the current war in Gaza to other nations in the Middle East and beyond. For all these reasons and more, the American Federation of Teachers supports a negotiated bilateral cease-fire, agreed to by both sides in this war and guaranteed by the international community. A cease-fire agreement must include humanitarian aid for the immediate provision of desperately needed food, water, medical care, clothing and emergency shelter to Palestinians and the release of all hostages taken on Oct. 7. The AFT reaffirms its support for a two-state solution, with true self-determination for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. Both peoples have deep roots in that land and the right to live there in peace and with freedom. A bilateral cease-fire is necessary to start the process of negotiating a lasting agreement that ends the decades of conflict and bloodshed by recognizing the rights of both peoples and providing each with its own government—two states for two peoples. The Palestinian people of Gaza have suffered under the dictatorial rule of Hamas, which has brutally repressed and eliminated its Palestinian opponents. Hamas declares its intent to destroy the state of Israel and has a massive terrorist infrastructure. Hamas is not a partner for peace, security or a two-state solution; that is why the peace initiative organized by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states does not include Hamas in its proposals for the future governance of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are a major obstacle to achieving lasting peace, freedom and security. He has opposed a two-state solution while enabling numerous illegal settlements on the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu’s government has stood idle in the face of violence and land theft that extremist settlers have waged against Palestinians in these territories. Netanyahu has an interest in prolonging the war to escape the public scrutiny of his colossal failure to protect Israeli citizens, and to escape his ongoing trials. Despite the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling against his effort to override that very court, he continues to undermine Israel’s democracy. It is time for another election in Israel so that Israelis can elect leaders who truly believe in democracy, security and a peace process. We support those forces in Israel and in Palestine that seek a different future for themselves—a democratic future where Israelis and Palestinians both can live in dignity and with self-determination and security for all. Meanwhile, the war has also unleashed a wave of hate and incitement to violence in the United States, with appalling demonstrations of antisemitism and Islamophobia. The AFT reiterates our long-standing and uncompromising opposition to antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of hate and incitement to violence. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring our work and teaching environments are safe and welcoming for the people we represent and those we serve, and to promoting a democratic education that builds understanding and mutual acceptance across different religions, races and ethnic groups. Whatever one’s view of the war and the issues raised by it, there is no justification for using it to spread hate and intolerance. The weaponization of incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in campaigns to censor dissenting views of the war and the underlying conflict between Israel and Palestine is also deeply disturbing. These campaigns are particularly troubling in education, where they strike at the heart of the freedom to have unfettered, intellectually honest and respectful discussion and to freely debate ideas, even controversial ideas. That is the hallmark of both American education and American democracy. We will defend the rights of educators and their students to participate in intellectually honest discussions, to articulate and rally around their views, including the underlying conflict between Israel and Palestine. Moreover, we will not tolerate the weaponization of academic discourse to be used in political attacks on American colleges and universities, and as a pretext for attacks on efforts to increase diversity, promote equity and advance inclusion. Our campuses must be places of dialogue for the furtherance of understanding in a pluralistic society. Teachers and students must be free to express different views on the burning issues of the day, without fear of loss of position and retaliation, and without intimidation and threats of violence. As a union deeply committed to teaching, to healthcare and to defending democracy, we pledge to continue our advocacy for democracy at home and abroad, as we support the principles of dignity and freedom for all. (2024) The discussion this month is about the Senate Border Policy bill. Maga Republicans see the proposals as too generous. But, the Republicans already have a migration bill. It is HR-2. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2 The bill passed in the House. HR 2. On May 11, 2023 This is what the House will start from. Introduced in House (05/02/2023) This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system. Passed on May 11, 2023. It includes endless negative proposals such as building the wall plus including the following. DIVISION B--IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS TITLE I--ASYLUM REFORM AND BORDER PROTECTION This title imposes additional requirements for asylum eligibility. (Sec. 101) This section expands provisions that bar certain individuals from applying for asylum. Currently, an individual may not apply for asylum if that individual may be removed to a third country (i.e., a country that is not the applicant's country of nationality or last habitual residence) if that third country has (1) a full and fair asylum process that the individual could use, and (2) an agreement with the United States allowing for such removals. This section expands this provision by authorizing removal to third countries that do not have an agreement with the United States. This section also bars an individual from applying for asylum if the individual traveled through at least one third country before arriving in the United States, with certain exceptions (e.g., the individual applied for and was denied asylum in that third country). The Speaker of the House Johnson says that these are the minimums to achieve progress on resolving the enforcement at the border. More on border policy Congressman Casar on the border crisis. http://antiracismdsa.blogspot.com/2024/01/policy-on-migrant-crisis.html Lets not be Stupid. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/let-us-not-be-stupid-about-immigration 2018. Steps toward a labor informed policy on immigration. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/steps-toward-a-labor-informed-position-on-immigration 2018.. Note. This article makes references to working with the DSA Immigrants Right Working Group. The U.S. needs to develop new policies about immigration. The Congress has failed to come to a compromise for over 30 years. In response to the current economic crises in Latin America, Africa, and Asia and the world wide environmental crisis, the migration crises continues to grow. It is not sufficient to develop and repeat slogans. Here is the resolution written by members of the IMWG, and adopted by the convention. It provides a good start for consideration of the many interactive issues. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/us-faces-migration-crisis Nation's Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Issues Historic Warning of Looming Trouble Over Razor Wire at U.S. – Mexico Border LULAC ALERT: TEXAS GOVERNOR ABBOTT IS ENCOURAGING CRIMINAL WHITE EXTREMISTS WITH A HATE AGENDA TO COME TO THE STATE January 29, 2024 Washington, DC - LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, is issuing an immediate National Alert, only the second in the organization's nearly 100-year history. "Abbott and his supporters are creating a media circus for political gain and to raise money. LULAC abhorrently condemns hate speech, actions, and lies that hurt human life, especially those coming to the United States to survive deplorable conditions and seek refuge. Let's see immigration for the good it provides our country rather than calling it a threat to divide and weaken us as a nation," says Garcia. "False and inciteful political rhetoric from Governor Greg Abbott is agitating people to possibly commit acts of violence and mass murder. We urge our members, especially those in Texas, to be on alert for armed out-of-state extremists with a hate agenda," says Domingo Garcia, LULAC national president. "We've seen death at the hands of shooters due to hate speech. We cannot forget what occurred at the Walmart in El Paso, Texas, just a few years ago. Hate speech is being used yet again to rachet up anger and hatred that are putting Hispanic Texans, law enforcement, military service members, and innocent civilians in the crosshairs," says Garcia. LULAC issued the first National Alert in May 2023, warning against traveling to Florida after Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed Bill 1718, unleashing a wave of anti-immigrant measures against Latinos in that state. LULAC's no-travel advisory and community grassroots actions were patterned after steps the organization took when Arizona passed SB1070 in 2010. "We need true bipartisan support for immigration reform. A multiprong approach to reforming our immigration system. Our focus needs to target drug cartels, human smugglers, and arms runners. Not families, women, and children. At the same time, we need to open legal immigration options for real refugees and provide legalization for those immigrants with no criminal record who pay a fine and pass a background check," urges Garcia. LULAC remains focused on positive dialogue by all sides in Congress and urges Americans not to antagonize each other on the streets throughout the border regions. "I plead with our communities to remain peaceful and law-abiding and not get drawn into confrontations with those trying to provoke a fight. Instead, our strongest, most effective voice is our vote at the ballot box in 2024, where we are focusing all our energies," says Ray Mancera, LULAC national vice president for the southwest. "These stunts by Abbott and others are encouraging lawlessness and do nothing to solve the broken immigration system. LULAC is committed to comprehensive immigration reform," says Lydia Guzman, LULAC's national immigration chair. "The Supreme Court ruled that erecting deadly barriers is illegal, and it is also inhumane to let women, children, and families die because of them," says Guzman. A group claiming to be "God's Army" announced it will leave Virginia Beach, Virginia, in a convoy headed to Texas today, then straddle the U.S. – Mexico border. The group's statement said that it plans to "take our border back." Abbott signed a statement Wednesday, January 24, citing Section 4 of the Constitution, "which reserves the right of self-defense." Twenty-five Republican Governors have added their names. "Abbott and his supporters are creating a media circus for political gain and to raise money. LULAC abhorrently condemns hate speech, actions, and lies that hurt human life, especially those coming to the United States to survive deplorable conditions and seek refuge. Let's see immigration for the good it provides our country rather than calling it a threat to divide and weaken us as a nation," says Garcia. ### ------------ ---------------- --------------- About LULAC The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 525 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC's programs, services, and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting the critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/ Santa Fe Democratic Socialists. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breath free. “ Emma Lazarus. The New Colossus There is a crisis at the border, but it is not caused by immigrants. It is a crisis of Xenophobia, failed leadership, and blowback. For thousands of years, there was no border at the Rio Grande. People moved freely back and forth. This continued throughout most of the U.S. history. America’s middle class was built on the millions of immigrants who came to this country, without any arcane visa bureaucracy, whether at the shores of Ellis Island or across the Chihuahuan desert. Now, due to the consequences of imperial wars and globalized capitalism, the people of Central America have been displaced from their homes and are seeking , as per their right under Article 14 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights safe refuge. Undocumented immigrants have become a backbone of the modern economy, and their immigration status is used by employers to intensify exploitation and skirt labor laws. As we all know this is an election year. California Red recognizes that there are different points of view within DSA regarding how the organization should approach electoral politics in general and the presidential election this year in particular. Fred Glass (with permission) 2024: The fascist danger During a panel presentation on “Labor Communications and the Left” at the annual International Labor Communications Association conference in San Diego in December, I asked the audience of a hundred or so union staffers from several dozen labor organizations two questions. “How many of you think that there is a serious possibility that the day after the election in November we will wake up to find ourselves in a fascist country?” Around two thirds of the room slowly raised their hands. “What, if anything, are you as labor communicators planning to do to stop that from happening?” No one raised their hand. This was perhaps an unfair question. The first day of the conference had been euphoric, as one presenter after another recounted the tremendous strike victories that their unions had won—autoworkers, actors, screenwriters, hotel workers, grad students and others—over the previous year, and how their communications strategies had contributed to the wins. Not yet into the 2024 calendar year, perhaps it was too much to expect that their unions had started thinking seriously about the coming elections, and how to convert strike energies and strategies into political action. And yet…. Pretty much everyone with eyes open will agree that the Republican Party has steadily devolved over the past few decades into a fascist party. And with the rise of Donald Trump since 2016 as its leader, the rotten cherry is on top of that fully baked shit pie. Actual fascism The term “fascist” is mostly thrown about loosely to mean someone you don’t like, or who acts in a bullying manner. Getting closer to what fascism looks like historically, the term is used to describe an authoritarian regime or police state. But there are various types of those forms of government, and even people serious about a rigorous definition can disagree about fundamentals. The trouble is partly that fascism isn’t a cookie cutter phenomenon, as it crops up in specific geographic and historic circumstances, which causes different surface appearances and even structural variations, with some qualities more prominent than others depending on where and when. The best attempt I know of to provide a definition useful across time and space is Thomas Paxton’s, from his The Anatomy of Fascism: a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation, or victimhood, and by compensatory cults of unity, energy, and purity, in which a mass-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion. This is a good start (if quite a mouthful), but at least two unaddressed questions for our current situation arise out of this definition: the role of the charismatic leader, and how the "mass-based party of committed nationalist militants" matches up in a country like ours without a parliamentary system and only two mass parties. For these questions, the Republican Party has been providing answers, step by step, for decades, accelerating the past eight years with Trump’s foot on the pedal. Paxton firmly roots his discussion in historical case studies—not just the classic scenarios of Italy and Germany after World War I, but close examinations of more recent examples. But he is not a socialist, and he fails to distinguish Marxism and Stalinism. He notes but does not fully explore the implications of fascism’s customary appearance as a right-wing populism framed for working class followers as an anti-elitist faux socialism (e.g., National Socialism in Germany) to counter a rise in popularity of socialist remedies to economic and political crisis. Let’s just recall how Bernie Sanders restored a socialist analysis to political conversation simultaneously with the rise of Trump. The characteristics Paxton ascribes to fascism thus lack a necessary class component. Ultimately a fascist movement, usually perceived by the capitalist class initially as a threat, becomes the defense of that class, as the upstart party entrenches itself in state power, and a significant fraction of the holders of economic power, used to operating under the fig leaf of political democracy, figures out how to make their accommodation with this more direct form of violent domination of the other social classes. The word none dare speak From 2016 on and throughout Trump’s term in office, “fascism” was the word most liberals and much of the left refused to speak. Although evidence began mounting up during Trump’s first campaign, people were (and remain, if less so) leery of the term; they should not be. He is a fascist. And he is the maximum leader of a fascist movement. What does this mean? It means on November 6 we could wake up to find ourselves moving via a more or less legitimate democratic means of an election to a non-democracy: a police state, a country where the conditions that at various times and in various places have been the norm for African Americans and other historically oppressed and marginalized groups, become extended to the entire population. What might this look like? Take a look at the treatment of socialists, trade unionists, gay people, trans people, women under fascism. For people of color, recall that the anti-Jewish laws devised in Nazi Germany were modeled on the Jim Crow laws of the southern United States. What goes around comes around. Given the advances in surveillance and other repressive technologies in the hands of the state and private corporations today, this will be a fascism on steroids. With the rise of a mass movement for a ceasefire in Gaza, a new generation has been introduced to anti-imperialist politics. This is a hopeful development, but the promise of creating an international dimension for post-Bernie socialist youth faces some challenges. At an anti-APEC street demonstration in San Francisco late last year, I saw a few young people holding a banner that read, “Dis-elect Biden”. A man of about sixty on a bicycle was riding by and stopped. The dialogue that followed was not productive. He said he was for a ceasefire, but if we “dis-elected Biden” we would get Trump. The young people said that they didn’t care, there was no difference between the two. The man on the bike became apoplectic, and security had to step over and separate the arguers. No “lesser of two evils”? A common refrain at the Palestine demonstrations and in individual conversations I’ve been hearing and having with young activists is that they will not vote for the “lesser of two evils”, let alone work for Biden. This is an understandable principled position, but also a historically blinkered point of view. Anger against Biden for his failure to pressure Israel into a ceasefire? Legitimate. A belief that there’s no difference between Trump and Biden because Biden is not stopping Israel’s genocidal war? Untrue. That’s because it’s not about Biden. Every US president since the late nineteenth century has been an imperialist. The United States is the premiere imperialist country of the capitalist world system. It has military bases all over the world. The president is commander in chief of the armed forces. By definition, any US president—at least any so far, and Trump was certainly no different in this regard—is bound by the job to place the interests of US imperialism above the aspirations of the Palestinian people. Exchanging Biden for Trump would not change US policy toward Israel and Palestine immediately for the better and more likely for the worse. It would also squander the new momentum building within the Democratic base against the bipartisan anti-Palestinian racism unquestioned in US foreign policy for decades. Retaining the possibility for a socialist movement The possibility for socialists to build our movement remains with Democrats in power and supporting the party’s progressive wing. Please do not think I am saying that a vote for Biden or another Democrat is a move in the direction of socialism. I’m saying that we retain the possibility for building a mass socialist movement within a nominally democratic society; under a Trumpian fascism, that possibility will no longer exist. I’d suggest we listen to what he said at a rally last year: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” Under fascism the time horizon for socialism recedes dramatically. Think Chile after the coup against Allende. Think a quarter century in Italy under Mussolini, four decades under Franco in Spain. Even without consideration of the obliteration of civil liberties, looming climate destruction tells us we don’t have that kind of time. In short, to people who say “Let’s not hear about the lesser of two evils; I’m so done with the lesser of two evils”: what, you want the worser of two evils? This would not be just considerably worse; it would be qualitatively, disastrously worse. I don’t want to live out the remainder of my days in a fascist country. But I’m old. What I really don’t want is for my children and grandchildren—or anyone else—to experience fascism first-hand. We have less than a year to keep our crumbling democracy on life support for another four years. I plan to keep going to ceasefire demonstrations for as long as it takes to bring it about. I also plan to work to keep the Democrats in power because of abortion rights, relatively progressive labor policies, their acknowledgment of the climate crisis, a stated commitment to civil rights and racial equality and much more. I have no illusions about how far the Democrats will go to make these policies everything they should be. It’s a party divided between neoliberalism and progressive forces, and the neoliberals generally have the upper hand. But I also have no illusions that a fascist Republican Party in power will do anything but put us in the fast lane to destruction—of worker rights, women’s rights, civil rights and the planet itself. Fred Glass Fred Glass is the author of From Mission to Microchip: A History of the California Labor Movement (University of California Press, 2016) and a member of the State Committee of California DSA. Biden Helped Save Democracy in Guatemala as Trump Surrogates Sought to Undermine It Guatemala Shows Democracy Globally is on the Ballot in November 2024 NATHAN NEWMAN 🧭 NOV. 2024. In a story the media barely covered, a new democratically elected President in Guatemala took office early on Monday morning, even as corrupt rightwing forces did everything they could for months to stop his inauguration. And if that sounds familiar, Trump forces were key players supporting coup plotters seeking to stop the new President Bernardo Arévalo from taking office. Which highlights the stakes for global democracy in the coming US election. The Fight for Democracy in Guatemala Arevalo had won a surprise victory in August on an anti-corruption platform that mobilized large numbers of voters, particularly indigenous Guatemalans, to vote out incumbent Alejandro Giammattei, whose conservative government has been awash in corruption scandals. Within hours of winning by overwhelming margins, the Giammattei-controlled Supreme Electoral Tribunal, prodded by Guatemala’s attorney general Consuelo Porras, suspended Arevalo’s reform party to block him from being sworn in. Protests and strikes erupted across the nation, paralyzing the country. Read more: https://nathannewman.substack.com/p/biden-helped-save-democacy-in-guatemalahttps://nathannewman.substack.com/p/biden-helped-save-democacy-in-guatemala nathannewman.substack.com/p/biden-helped-save-democacy-in-guatemalahttps://nathannewman.substack.com/p/biden-helped-save-democacy-in-guatemala Maria Svart has announced her plan to retire. Here is her statement upon leaving. https://www.dsausa.org/news/a-farewell-from-the-national-director/ Here are three of many tributes to her work and her contributions to building DSA. I had the privilege of being on the search committee that proposed Maria as national director. She came to DSA as a skilled union organizer and activist in the New York City Chapter of what was then a small national organization, then shepherded DSA through a period of enormous growth with grace and political acumen. She has my deepest gratitude for her unwavering dedication to democratic socialism and her ability to steer the organization in a period of great potential and many political challenges and wish her well in whatever she chooses to do next. Maxine Phillips. ----- ---- ---- I first met Maria Svart about ten years ago. It was early in her tenure as National Director of DSA. I had stepped away from DSA some years before; nonetheless Maria took time at what was then the Youth Section conference to talk with me about where DSA was at. I was impressed with her political understanding and, especially, with her focus on organizing. Now, a decade later, it’s mind-boggling the changes DSA has grown through, but even more impressive is the fact that Maria has led DSA through those changes. From an organization with a few thousand members to one with close to one hundred thousand; from an organization barely relevant to US politics to one with a real presence in legislatures and the media. Of course, Maria’s resignation will have a tremendous impact on DSA, but she is committed to continuing her involvement in a different role. After a more than a decade of 80- or 120-hour work weeks, it’s not a surprise to me that it’s time for a change. I, personally, look forward to many more years of political discussion with my friend Maria. Chris Riddiough Vice Chair DSA Fund ____. ____. ____ _____ I wish Maria well in the next phase of her life and career, and I thank her for her remarkable service to DSA for the past 12 years. Shortly after Maria came on board as National Director, I was elected to the NPC and served from 2011-17. I saw firsthand how she improved our organizational functioning, positioning us to be better able to absorb people from the Bernie Bump. Because I volunteered in the office, coming in early before NPC meetings, I saw her in day-to-day work, not just interacting with the NPC. We benefited from her excellent writing, her thoughtful approach to strategizing, and her nurturing and development of staff. We have been very fortunate that she stayed on past her initial five-year commitment, under very challenging and exhausting circumstances. Peg Strobel DSA Ventura County CA _____ _____ _____ _________ First and foremost, I thank Maria for her hard work and dedication to DSA during 12 years as National Director (ND). The best measure of her abilities is the fact that she survived and thrived in an organization that experienced dramatic change. That change forced all of us, but especially someone in the ND position, to recalibrate and rethink about what the organization can do and be. She took the lead in steering DSA through those years and into the era in which we are no longer an organization that many on the left believed was doomed to irrelevancy. I very much appreciate her choice to make DSA the center of her organizational life for all these years. A last point: I know some have expressed anxiety about Maria leaving the ND position. That probably reflects the unknowns of DSA’s future. But we will all make that future, building on the legacy that she has left us. And I, for one, believe that left organizations should not desire lifetime national leaders. I know that wherever she works in the coming years, that organization will be the better for having her. Bill Barclay. Ventura, California. NS Steering Committee. Riverside Church, New York City, April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King – a Video Selection 1954 – 1968Portside
The web site Portside has posted a collection of major speeches by MLK. This is an incredibly impressive collection posted by Portside with photos. A positive service to history. https://portside.org/2024-01-11/martin-luther-king-video-selection-1954-1968? Compiled by Abdul Alkalimat, Prof Emeritus Dept of African American Studies and School of Information Sciences, Univ of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign A collection of videos. You can see the progression of MLK through the campaigns and through his life. Martin Luther King's speeches from 1954's Montgomery Bus Boycott to the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike. Compiled by Abdul Alkalimat, Prof Emeritus Dept of African American Studies and School of Information Sciences, Univ of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Today — the topic of my speech today is deadly serious, and I think it needs to be made at the outset of this campaign. In the winter of 1777, it was harsh and cold as the Continental Army marched to Valley Forge. General George Washington knew he faced the most daunting of tasks: to fight and win a war against the most powerful empire that existed in the world at the time. His mission was clear. Liberty, not conquest. Freedom, not domination. National independence, not individual glory. America made a vow. Never again would we bow down to a king. The months ahead would be incredibly difficult. But General Washington knew something in his bones, something about the spirit of the troops he was leading, something — something about the soul of the nation he[that] was struggling to be born. In his general order, he predicted, and I quote, “with one heart and one mind,” “with fortitude and with patience,” they would overcome every difficulty — the troops he was leading. And they did. They did. This army that lacked blankets and food, clothes and shoes. This army whose march left bloody, bare footprints in the snow. This ragtag army made up of ordinary people. Their mission, George Washington declared, was nothing less than “a sacred cause.” That was the phrase used: “a sacred cause.” Freedom, liberty, democracy. American democracy. I just visited the grounds of Valley Forge. I’ve been there a number of times from the time I was a Boy Scout years ago. You know, it’s the very site that I think every American should visit because it tells the story of the pain and the suffering and the true patriotism it took to make America. Today, we gather in a new year, some 246 years later, just one day before January 6th, a day forever shared in our memory because it was on that day that we nearly lost America — lost it all. Today, we’re here to answer the most important of questions. Is democracy still America’s sacred cause? I mean it. (Applause.) This is not rhetorical, academic, or hypothetical. Whether democracy is still America’s sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time, and it’s what the 2024 election is all about. The choice is clear. Donald Trump’s campaign is about him, not America, not you. Donald Trump’s campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future. He’s willing to sacrifice our democracy, put himself in power. Robert Reich, Trump and his GOP lackeys are fueling dangerous nativism Some of you ask why I spend so much time and effort writing to you, the “converted,” rather than aim at people who disagree with us. My answer is that we are engaged in the fight of our lifetimes to uphold the fundamental ideals upon which this nation is based. Many of you can make use of data and arguments to reaffirm those ideals and help convince others who are wavering or still reachable. Take immigration, which is being demagogued by Trump and his Republican sycophants. Here are Trump Republicans’ five biggest lies about immigration, and the truth. 1. They claim Biden doesn’t want to stem illegal immigration and has created an “open border.” Rubbish. Since he took office, Biden has consistently asked for additional funding for border control. Republicans have just as consistently refused. They’re voting to cut Customs and Border Protection funding in spending bills and blocking passage of Biden’s $106 billion national security supplemental that includes border funding. 2. They blame the drug crisis on illegal immigration. Last Wednesday, at the southern border in Texas, Republican House Speaker Michael Johnson claimed “America is at a breaking point with record levels of illegal immigration. We have lethal drugs that are pouring into our country at record levels.” Rubbish. While large amounts of fentanyl and other deadly drugs have been flowing into the United States from Mexico, 90% arrives through official ports of entry, not via immigrants illegally crossing the border. In fact, research by the conservative Cato Institute found that more than 86% of the people convicted of trafficking fentanyl across the border in 2021 were U.S. citizens. 3. They claim that undocumented immigrants are terrorists. Johnson also charged that “312 suspects on the terrorist watch list that have been apprehended — we have no idea how many terrorists have come into the country and set up terrorism cells across the nation.” Baloney. America’s southern border has not been an entry point for terrorists. For almost a half-century, no American has been killed or injured in a terrorist attack in the United States that involved someone who crossed the border illegally. Johnson’s number comes from government data showing that from October 2020 to November 2023, 312 migrants — out of more than 6.2 million who crossed the southern border during these years — matched names on the terrorist watch list. It’s unclear how many were actual matches and whether the FBI considered them national security threats (the watch list includes family relations of terrorist suspects, many of whom are not considered to be involved in terrorist activity). Republican Representative Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that FBI “Director Wray admitted before my committee the other day … that with the border wide open and a war in Israel, Hamas can just walk right in. That’s the director of the FBI. He fears for his own agents. It’s clear this is intentional.” Alarmist rubbish. At that November 15 hearing, after Green asked Wray whether people on the terrorism watch list could be among those who entered the country without detection, Wray replied that there was no way to know. When Green then asked whether Wray could guarantee that Hamas wasn’t among them, Wray said, “What I can tell you is that our 56 joint terrorism task forces are working their tails off to make sure that they suss out and identify potential terrorist suspects, whether they’re on the watch list or not.” 4. They say undocumented immigrants are stealing American jobs. Nonsense. Evidence shows immigrants are not taking jobs that American workers want. And the surge across the border is not increasing unemployment. Far from it: Unemployment has been below 4 percent for roughly two years, far lower than the long term average rate of 5.71 percent. It’s now 3.7 percent. 5. They claim undocumented immigrants are responsible for more crime in America. More baloney. In fact, a 2020 study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, cited by the Department of Justice, showed that undocumented immigrants have “substantially” lower crime rates than native-born citizens and legal immigrants. A recently published study in the American Economic Journal — analyzing official data from 2008 to 2017 on immigration, homicide, and victimization surveys — found “null effects” on crime from immigration. Notwithstanding the recent surge in illegal immigration, America’s homicide rate has fallen nearly 13% since 2022 — the largest decrease on record. Local law enforcement agencies are also reporting drops in violent crime. Who’s really behind these lies? Since he entered politics, Donald Trump has fanned nativist fears and bigotry. He’s now moving into full-throttle neofascism, using the actual language of Hitler to attack immigrants — charging that undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” and saying they’re “like a military invasion. Drugs, criminals, gang members and terrorists are pouring into our country at record levels. We’ve never seen anything like it. They’re taking over our cities.” He promises to use the U.S. military to round up undocumented immigrants and put them into “camps.” His demagoguery is being echoed by Trump lackeys to generate fear and put Biden on the defensive. Do we need to address our border situation? Yes — which Biden is trying to do. But we need to do so in a way that treats migrants as humans, not political pawns. Trump and his enablers want us to forget that almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants who fled persecution, or were brought to America under duress, or simply sought better lives for themselves and their descendants. Know the truth, and spread it. See more. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/let-us-not-be-stupid-about-immigration What is our response to the current “crisis” at the border ? Yes, there is a crisis. 2023. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/let-us-not-be-stupid-about-immigration 2018. Steps toward a labor informed policy on immigration. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/steps-toward-a-labor-informed-position-on-immigration 2018.. Note. This article makes references to working with the DSA Immigrants Right Working Group. North Star has endorsed this direction each year at the conventions. Unfortunately, the group no longer is functioning. The comments on this 2018 piece specify additional specific actions. ( dated) At present. The U.S. needs to develop new policies about immigration. The Congress has failed to come to a compromise for over 30 years. In response to the current economic crises in Latin America, Africa, and Asia and the world wide environmental crisis, the migration crises continues to grow. It is not sufficient to develop and repeat slogans. Here is the resolution written by members of the IMWG, and adopted by the convention. It provides a good start for consideration of the many issues. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/us-faces-migration-crisis Step 1. Readers need to comprehend the complex series of issues contained in immigration policy- including labor rights for people in the U.S. Step 2. Ask candidates to describe what policies they will support. – not slogans. Step 3. Additional ideas, suggestions, requested. Duane Campbell Democracy Now
We look at the resignation of Harvard University President Claudine Gay, the first African American and second woman to lead the Ivy League school, after conservative-led allegations of plagiarism and backlash over her testimony at a congressional hearing on antisemitism that is part of a broader effort to censor pro-Palestinian speech on college campuses. “This is a terrible moment for higher education,” says Khalil Gibran Muhammad, professor of history, race and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He says plagiarism became a “pretext” to oust Gay, and discusses the larger right-wing war on education aimed at undoing progress on race, gender and addressing inequality. Jan.3, 2024 The U.S. is experiencing a crisis at the southern border. This is the beginning of the larger long term crisis of world migration. ( it is not caused by Columbia or Mexico). This migration, like the migration out of Africa and Asia, is the product global warming, neoliberal capitalism, and regional wars. The DSA convention proposed taking two steps toward responding to this crisis. DSA Convention Resolution 2023 Adopted Resolution WHEREAS one of the first principles of democratic socialism is the importance of collective action; WHEREAS our political work should be informed by a strategic analysis of the political economy of U.S. capitalism and the cutting edge issues of the day, with an eye to identifying the critical points of system leverage where we can collectively intervene to maximum political effect; and Whereas DSA individuals, chapters, and the Immigrants’ Rights Working Group have been actively engaged for over six years, and continue to engage in the defense of immigrants and refugees from racists attacks, and promoting and the promotion of comprehensive immigration reform that would secure their place in the U.S., putting an end to corporate induced competition between native born and immigrant workers, and between U.S. workers and workers abroad. ( See resolution #41 from the 2017 convention). And, whereas, In the last half century, there has been a major restructuring of the global economy, conducted largely on the terms of transnational corporations seeking ever greater profits. Neo-liberal ‘free trade’ agreements, such as NAFTA I and II and CAFTA, have produced a global ‘race to the bottom,’ with capital flight sending good paying union jobs away from workers in the U.S. to countries with low wage employment, many of which are ruled by authoritarian states that ban independent unions. In the Americas, this global ‘free trade’ economy has devastated entire sectors of the economies of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, leading millions of people attempting to migrate to the U.S. in search of food, jobs, and security. Many also flee the ruthless violence of criminal groups in nations with ‘failed’ states, as well as the effects of climate catastrophes, from drought to increasingly vicious and destructive storms. And, whereas, the racist nationalism of Trump and his cohort seeks to exploit the anger of U.S. workers by scapegoating immigrants and refugees, projecting racist fears and resentments on them. And, whereas, only a politics which breaks with the neo-liberal paradigm can successfully counter the racism of Trump and the nationalist right wing, bringing a measure of justice both to immigrants and refugees and to workers in the U.S. Be it therefore resolved that: In conjunction with the DSA Immigrant Rights Working Group, National staff and the NPC will develop a DSA platform for comprehensive immigration law reform, which shall be the basis for our educational, legislative, and direct action work. The platform shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, provisions for: · A path to legal status (and where desired, citizenship) for DACA dreamers and TPS recipients; · The abolition of ICE, and its replacement with a new federal agency located in the Department of Justice that respects the rights of immigrants and refugees ; · The legal recognition and enforcement of international treaties establishing the rights of migrants and refugees; · The quick and timely adjudication of claims of refugee status and rights of asylum, and quick and timely processing of applications for visas and ‘green card’ status; · An end to racial and ethnic disparities in the provision of visas and ‘green card’ status; · The reform of the current system of employment and family visas, including H2A and H1B visas, to end employer misuse of work visas and abuse of international workers, and to respect the right of family reunification; and · The securing of the labor rights of immigrant workers, and the full integration of those workers into the organized labor movement. A path to legal residence for all those living in the U.S. at this time. · A repeal of employer sanctions in all its forms. · Legal status for the currently undocumented, in a rapid and inclusive process, without excessive fees, fines, waiting periods or a preliminary temporary status. · Opposition to the expansion of guest worker programs. Further, national DSA working with the Immigrants’ Rights Working Group shall develop educational materials which provide a democratic socialist analysis of the underlying causes of the current immigration crisis, including · The role of US government policy – economic, military and diplomatic – in the conditions that create refugees and economic immigrants; · The role of drug trafficking and the organized crime and violence associated with it, as well as the role of the U.S. as a major drug market, in the conditions that create refugees and economic immigrants; · The role of ‘free trade’ agreements, and the restructuring of the global economy along neo-liberal lines, in the conditions that create economic immigrants; and the role of institutions of the global economy, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in the conditions that create economic and immigrants. --------------------------------------------------------------
Currently some NPC members are seeking to respond to this resolution. They are limited by the lack of a functioning Immigrants Rights Working Group within DSA. The prior working group was essentially by a slash, burn and destroy action of some ultra left forces within DSA. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/immigrants-rights-actions-of-a-disciplined-cadre-ends-the-effective-work-of-a-dsa-working-groupimmigrants-rights-working-group-dsa Now the NPC is seeking to respond. Posted by Duane Campbell AN INTERVIEW WITH
KATIE MAURICE Katie Maurice is a Democratic Socialists of America member and labor activist. She was recently elected president of the Vermont AFL-CIO on a platform of boosting rank-and-file participation and building power outside the Democratic Party. In this interview, conducted by Steve Early, Maurice discusses her own path to joining a union, becoming a DSA member, and, now reportedly, the youngest state labor federation president in the country. STEVE EARLY What led to your involvement in the labor movement? KATIE MAURICE After working on the administrative side of a private business for a few years, I was sick and tired of watching wages steadily rise for the men who were buddies with the boss while the women picked up all the slack for a fraction of their pay. I witnessed wage theft in the form of regular punch card adjustments by management and overt sexism and racism directed at the lowest-paid workers, who had no real in-house recourse for these abuses. I didn’t want my sense of dignity checked at the door when I entered my workplace. So, when given the chance, I jumped at the opportunity to get the hell out of there. I wanted a job where I had a voice and power over my own working life and labor — where democracy extended into the workplace and everyone was treated like the human beings we are. STEVE EARLY What changed when you became an AFSCME member? KATIE MAURICE I joined AFSCME in early 2020, when I became a behavioral interventionist at the Howard Center, in Burlington, Vermont, our state’s largest social service agency, which has a staff of sixteen hundred. After COVID-19 hit, my coworkers and I were briefly furloughed. We got help from our union filing for unemployment benefits. When we were recalled to our jobs, navigating life as an “essential worker” providing face-to-face mental health services during a pandemic posed all kinds of safety risks. I wanted a job where I had a voice and power over my own working life and labor — where democracy extended into the workplace and everyone was treated like the human beings we are. So that summer, I became a union steward and helped secure stricter safety measures to protect staff working at a summer camp. By the next winter, I was elected to serve as vice president of our Local 1674, and the following year I became president. Currently, I serve as local secretary. Over the last three years, we have more than doubled our membership — largely through one-on-one conversations at work and home visits. STEVE EARLY What kind of social service work have you done at the Howard Center? KATIE MAURICE I’ve spent most of my time providing one-on-one behavioral support in public schools serving kids who have emotional, behavioral, developmental, and intellectual disabilities, from disproportionately poor and working-class families. Many of my fellow AFSCME members work directly with children and adults with a variety of disabilities in the community, in schools, residential facilities, and some workplaces. We also staff crisis programs, including those for substance use and recovery. Every day, we are on the front lines of disaster capitalism, a Band-Aid that is sorely needed but never enough. While very essential, our work doesn’t address any root problems — like criminalization of poverty and homelessness or diseases like addiction that are often rooted in socioeconomic stressors. The lower-income Vermonters we serve lack universal healthcare, affordable housing and public transportation, access to education and secure employment, and leisure time and recreational spaces, not to mention opportunities to enjoy art and culture. STEVE EARLY Why did you join DSA? KATIE MAURICE I signed up in November of 2021 and remain a rank-and-file member of Champlain Valley DSA. I joined DSA because the root cause of so many of our problems, as a working class, is capitalism itself, which robs working people of the resources needed to survive and live freely. I think we need to build a different economy, that puts people over profits. In the meantime, we need to create a broad-based anti-capitalist, anti-fascist labor movement in Vermont. STEVE EARLY What made you decide to get involved in a state level affiliate of the national AFL-CIO, which is not the typical venue for labor activism by a young labor radical? Read the entire piece on Jacobin. https://jacobin.com/2023/12/vermont-afl-cio-katie-maurice-democratic-socialist-labor-reformer Thank you Steve Early for the submission to North Star. BY
LIZA FEATHERSTONE Jacobin. Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib may be number one on AIPAC’s enemies list. The DSA-endorsed congresswoman, who is the only Palestinian American to serve in the US House of Representatives, has faced censure from her colleagues for her Palestinian advocacy. Two Detroit Senate candidates say that AIPAC offered them $20 million to abandon their Senate races and run against her. Both refused, in pretty indignant terms, and despite the hefty political bounty on her head, Tlaib still doesn’t have a serious primary opponent. AIPAC has for now resorted to running attack ads against her through its dark money arm, equating her advocacy for a cease-fire in Gaza — and her participation in antiwar protests — with enabling terrorists. AIPAC has a genuine challenger for Missouri representative Cori Bush, a democratic socialist activist from St Louis who introduced the House bill calling for a cease-fire, around which so much of the antiwar movement has mobilized. In an especially depraved move, Wesley Bell, the prosecutor who investigated the Ferguson Police Department after the infamous police murder of Michael Brown, switched his attentions from unseating far-right Senator Josh Hawley — a worthy goal — to launching a primary campaign against Bush, tapping into monied ire over her cease-fire bill. Most of the “Squad” will be targeted in 2024. AIPAC remains, as the Nation put it in 2022, “desperate to defeat Summer Lee.” The group has tried backing both primary challengers and Republicans against the Pennsylvania representative and former DSA member, and it is expected to do so again in 2024. Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar, one of the most principled anti-imperialist and pro-Palestinian voices in office and a close ally of DSA members in Congress, faces multiple primary challengers competing for AIPAC funds. Perhaps most worrisome is the animus against Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York. Bowman, ironically, left DSA when many members felt he was not sufficiently supportive of the group’s stance on Palestine, but he has turned out to be one of the strongest voices in Washington regarding the urgency of a cease-fire and the injustice of Israel’s occupation. Bowman’s seat may now be the most imperiled of any Squad member, as AIPAC has recruited Westchester County executive George Latimer to run against him, and Latimer may tap into considerable pro-war sentiment in the district. Read more. https://jacobin.com/2023/12/pro-israel-billionaires-socialists-dsa-aipac-gaza-cease-fire-israel-war U.S. immigration policy is a mess. It was made worse by the Trump administration, 2016-2020. Now, Republicans are now using immigration policy disputes to hold up needed military aid to Ukraine.
In his campaign in November Trump has promised the largest deportation in U.S. history. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/us/politics/trump-2025-immigration-agenda.html? Here is what the House passed on Dec.12.2023 www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2/text#toc-HB7761D89FC4C49ACBD0DF56E657FC6AE https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2/text#toc-HB7761D89FC4C49ACBD0DF56E657FC6AE Facts about immigration. From the Anti Defamation League. https://www.adl.org/resources/fact-sheet/eight-facts-about-immigrants-and-immigration-english-and-espanol In an age of disinformation and bigotry, misconceptions about immigrants and anti-immigrant hate have spread throughout American politics and society. As a result, this country has seen a concerning uptick in rhetoric, policies, and social movements that threaten to or directly harm immigrants and refugees. This resource contains information and sources that set the record straight and will hopefully help mitigate the damage caused by disinformation about immigrants. The following are basic well-documented facts about immigrants, each discussed in more detail below:
People who vilify immigrants and blame them for the United States' problems claim that they bring diseases into the U.S. from beyond our borders. There is no evidence that immigrants have been the source of any modern disease outbreaks in the U.S. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, policies attempting to bar immigrants and refugees from entering into the United States were based on unfounded grounds of public health concerns and fear of spreading COVID-19. As the pandemic took hold, health experts stressed that continuing immigration and asylum processing would not further spread the coronavirus, but rather that closing the border would actually negatively affect public health by contributing to overcrowding on both sides of the border. Moreover, prior to entry into the U.S., immigrants are required to undergo a medical examination to screen for certain communicable diseases. Fact: Immigrants cannot vote until they become citizens. Politicians and others who want to restrict immigration claim that undocumented immigrants are able to vote. Immigrants – including undocumented immigrants – cannot register to vote until they gain citizenship, regardless of whether a state issues them a driver’s license. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia permit undocumented immigrants to obtain state identification cards in the form of driver’s licenses, and all states issue identification documents to immigrants who hold temporary and permanent visas. These licenses provide a valid identification and promote public safety but do not entitle immigrants to vote in elections. To vote, all states but one require that a person first register to vote. and in order to do that, an applicant must attain and affirm their U.S. citizenship. There are many serious safeguards in place to ensure that only citizens can vote; that anyone who attempts to subvert this rule is subject to severe punishment; and that any such attempts never result in the counting of unauthorized votes. Fact: Immigrants create jobs and improve the United States economy. Some people seek to exploit misunderstandings of the U.S. labor market and tax system by stoking concerns that more immigrants means fewer jobs and less access to social programs for citizens. In fact, immigrants help create new jobs. In addition to buying U.S. and local products, which helps create jobs, immigrants often start their own businesses. States with large numbers of immigrants report lower unemployment rates for everyone. In 2019, immigrants collectively paid more than $492 billion in taxes, including more than $30 billion in taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. Everyone pays sales taxes on goods they purchase and property taxes on the homes they buy, and more than half of all undocumented immigrant households file income tax returns using Individual Tax Identification Numbers. Fact: Most immigrants in the U.S. hold lawful status. Some individuals and anti-immigrant activists claim that most immigrants in the U.S. did not go through a legal process to live here. In fact, the large majority of immigrants (77%) have lawful status. In 2017, 45% of immigrants were naturalized citizens and 27% were lawful permanent residents (sometimes referred to as Green Card holders). The remaining 28% of immigrants are refugees and asylum seekers, people who are in the U.S. on temporary visas (including student and work visas), and undocumented immigrants. As of 2019, there were an estimated 10.5 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., or less than 4% percent of the nation's population. Fact: Throughout U.S. history, the percentage of immigrants has remained steady. Those aiming to sow fear about the rising number of immigrants in the U.S. often cite misleading, out-of-context statistics. While there are more immigrants living in the U.S. than ever before, there are also more people living in the U.S. than ever before. The percentage of immigrants in the overall population is not much different than many other times throughout our history. In fact, the percentage of immigrants in the U.S. is about the same now as it was over a hundred years ago. Today, immigrants make up approximately 13.7% of the total U.S. population. From 1900 to 1930, immigrants made up between 12% and 15% of the population, and similar spikes occurred in the 1850s and 1880s. During those periods, immigrants successfully became part of U.S. society, helping to build the thriving and diverse country we have now, and this process has always been true regardless of the country of origin, race, or religion of the immigrants. There is no reason to believe today’s immigrants are any different. Fact: Immigrants are less likely than U.S.-born citizens to commit crimes or become incarcerated. Some claim that immigrants do not abide by the law. They cite anecdotal evidence or individual cases where immigrants have done something unlawful and use these cases to cast all immigrants as criminals. Study after study has shown that immigrants — regardless of where they are from, what immigration status they hold, and how much education they have completed — are less likely than native-born citizens to commit crimes or become incarcerated. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while the overall percentage of immigrants and the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. both increased between 1990 and 2016, the violent crime rate in the U.S. during that time plummeted 48 percent and the property crime rate dropped by 41 percent. More recent population and crime data from the Pew Research Center reveals the continuation of this trend. Studies have consistently found that immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans and that there is a negative correlation between levels of immigration and crime rates. Other studies have found that crime rates are lowest in states with the highest immigration growth rates, and that states with larger shares of undocumented immigrants tend to have lower crime rates than states with smaller shares. Fact: Immigrants are usually ineligible for social service benefits. Some suggest that immigrants use too many public benefits or take advantage of the social safety net provided to citizens. In fact, most immigrants who come to the U.S. work hard to take care of their families and themselves. Moreover, many studies have shown that, on average, immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits. With very few exceptions (such as access to medical care for victims of human trafficking), undocumented immigrants, temporary residents, and even newly-arrived permanent residents are not eligible for federal public benefits such as Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamps. Green card holders generally are not entitled to these benefits until they have been in the country in permanent resident status for five years or longer. This means that many immigrants have contributions to these programs deducted from their paychecks but cannot access the benefits. According to a 2018 study by the CATO Institute, eligible immigrants use 27% fewer benefits relative to people of similar incomes and ages born with U.S. citizenship. The $2 trillion 2020 CARES Act, which gave financial relief in light of COVID-19 to most taxpayers, excluded millions of immigrants without a Social Security Number from receiving stimulus checks – though many immigrants pay taxes and continue to work in essential jobs including healthcare. Fact: Terrorists have rarely entered the country illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border. Those looking to blame immigrants for national security issues exaggerate the risk of political extremists entering the U.S. from Mexico. There is little credible evidence that terrorists are routinely entering the U.S. through the border with Mexico. To date there have been zero deaths or injuries on U.S. soil as a result of acts committed by terrorists illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, while the domestic threat has been steadily growing for years. Between 2002 and 2018, 90% of Islamist extremist plots and attacks in the United States were carried out by U.S. citizens or individuals living in the country with lawful permanent or temporary status. In 2019, of the nine individuals arrested for plotting attacks linked to Islamist extremism, seven (78%) were U.S. citizens. Furthermore, domestic extremism, which poses the greater threat to people living in the United States, is primarily driven by right-wing extremists and particularly white supremacists, many of whom hold specifically anti-immigrant beliefs. According to a report released by the U.S Department of State, Bureau of Counterterrorism in 2019, “Counterterrorism cooperation between Mexico and the United States remained strong in 2019. There was no credible evidence indicating international terrorist groups established bases in Mexico, worked directly with Mexican drug cartels, or sent operatives via Mexico into the United States.” One recent exception wasthe arrest of two individuals on the terror watchlist attempting to cross the border in early 2021. Notably, both of these individuals were caught and stopped from crossing the border. Sources Fact: Immigrants do not endanger public health https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/public_health_experts_letter_05.18.2020.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/exams/medical-examination-faqs.html#3 Fact: Immigrants cannot vote until they become citizens. https://www.ncsl.org/research/immigration/states-offering-driver-s-licenses-to-immigrants.aspx https://www.uscis.gov/forms/explore-my-options/proof-of-citizenship-for-us-citizens#:~:text=You%20are%20a%20U.S.%20citizen,%2D550%2C%20Certificate%20of%20Naturalization%3B&text=Form%20FS%2D240%2C%20Report%20of,of%20United%20States%20Citizen%3B%20or Fact: Immigrants create jobs and improve the United States economy. https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/immigrants-to-the-u-s-create-more-jobs-than-they-take https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/locations/national/ For background, readers should look at Operation Wetback under President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the so-called Mexican Repatriation project of the 1930’s. The implementation of Operation Wetback was a result of Attorney General Herbert Brownell's tour of Southern California in August 1953. It was there that he made note of the "shocking and unsettling" issue that was illegal immigration.[2] The short-lived operation used military-style tactics to remove Mexican immigrants—some of them American citizens—from the United States. Though millions of Mexicans had legally entered the country through joint immigration programs in the first half of the 20th century and some were naturalized citizens who were once native, Operation Wetback was designed to send them to Mexico.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wetback Operation Wetback was a follow-up to the prior Mexican Repatriation when as many as 2 million were deported, many of them children. Up to 40% of those deported were U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Repatriation Currently there is a competition among Republicans to be the toughest on immigration policy by focusing on fentanyl, which commonly begins production in China. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2/text#toc-HB7761D89FC4C49ACBD0DF56E657FC6AE North Star is currently conducting an election for a new caucus steering committee for the 2024/2025 years. Nominations have been completed.
All North Star members are eligible to vote and will receive a ballot from Opa Vote. Many already have received their ballots. Please vote for up to 9 members. It is not a rank choice ballot. Candidates statements will be posted on our list serve. Statements are posted here. The list serve is accessible by North Star members only. North Star Steering Committee candidacy statement https://groups.google.com/g/dsa-north-star-all-members/c/AYqGJVmz8wg If possible, we will also post these statements here. You may still join the North Star Caucus here. https://www.dsanorthstar.org/join-us.html It is too late to join the caucus and vote in this election. The new steering committee will take charge on Jan.1. 2024 While the Right is far from a monolith, we can’t overlook the current, dangerous convergence of its messy factions, which makes it stronger than it’s been in decades. Throughout the articles that follow, our contributors describe both the threat it poses and its weak points. Here's a look at what's inside this special issue:
Or, you can subscribe for just $2.00 an issue, and we'll start your subscription with the "Spread of the Far Right" issue. The common message is clear: Today’s rising, increasingly international, increasingly authoritarian Right is not just a sideshow of the “culture war.” It’s the fight of our time. And it demands an answer to an old left question: Which side are you on? In solidarity, Kathryn Joyce Issue Editor posted. In solidarity. Matthew B. Hallinan
November 22, 2023 Without a higher moral vision, the left is just another player in an endless saga of bloodshed and suffering. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is perhaps, the most complex political dispute on the planet. What makes it so complicated is that both sides see themselves as victims, and each depicts the other as an aggressor. And on one level, both are right. Israel was born of antisemitism. This is an important starting point for understanding the conflict. There is a tendency of many on the left to see Israel as simply an instrument of Western Colonialism. While certain Western Powers did play an important role in the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, seeing Israel from this perspective fails to take into account the impulse that drove millions of Jews to seek refuge there. Zionism, the idea that Jews should return to their ancient homeland in Palestine, was initiated by Theodor Herzl in response to the Dreyfuss Affair. Dreyfuss was a French Army officer who in 1896, was wrongfully accused of spying for the Germans. His trial and conviction revealed a shocking level of antisemitism, not only in the French military, but also, in the larger society. Herzl, an assimilated Austrian Jew, was devastated by this revelation. Doubting that Jews would ever be accepted as full citizens in European society, he issued a call for a First Zionist Congress to meet in Basel in 1897. Zionism played an important role in the birth of Israel. But it actually came on the scene quite late. It did not have a major demographic impact in Palestine until the rise of Hitler and the Nazis during the 1930s. In 1922, even with support from the controlling colonial power, Great Britain, Jews constituted only 11% of Palestine’s population. By 1931 that number had grown to 16%. After 1934 (when Hitler was appointed chancellor) immigration gained momentum, and by 1945, Jews constituted 31% of the population of Palestine–Muslims 60%, Christians 8%. The end of WWII left millions of European Jews without homes or a homeland. Most did not want to return to countries that either could not protect them, or actively collaborated with the Nazis. This added a new dimension to Zionism. More than simply a safe place to practice their religion, the creation of a Jewish state was increasingly seen as fundamental to their survival. The Holocaust had convinced most that they must acquire a capacity to defend themselves. They needed a state of their own. “Never again” would they allow themselves to be led like lambs to the slaughter. That’s pretty much where the founders of Israel were coming from. A people traumatized by an organized, methodical effort of a major industrial power to physically exterminate them. I do not see Zionism, as such, as the driving force in the creation of Israel. The main impulse was survival. Zionism provided a religious and mythological framework that connected a vast array of different nationalities to a cultural core and to a land from which they had been separated from for 2000 years. Religion in Israel is more than a belief system: it is a “deed” to the land. The Palestinians My involvement with this issue began in 1987 when a Palestinian friend invited me to travel to Jerusalem to spend a few weeks in their home. From what little I knew about this conflict, I was sympathetic to the Palestinians–but more sympathetic to the Israelis. I held a view that I believe was widespread in the American left at that time. I thought the Jews did what they had to do to secure their survival—what any people in their place would have done. At the same time, I understood that the creation of Israel inflicted a wound on the Palestinians. However, I saw the on-going conflict as due to the stubbornness of the Palestinian: their refusal to come to terms with the existence of Israel and their unwillingness to accept a solution that could be mutually acceptable. My friend knew my thinking on the situation and organized a trip that would allow me to see things from a different perspective. We visited every major city and refugee camp in the West Bank and Gaza, and talked with a wide variety of different Palestinian activists and groups. I didn’t take long for me to recognize what was wrong with my previous point of view. I had not understood what the Palestinian realty was all about. The debate over relative victim-hood disappears when you are over there. One people have all the rights and the power to enforce them—the other have no rights. They are essentially powerless. That doesn’t mean that Israelis are always abusing and mistreating Palestinians. It means that whenever there is a conflict between an Israeli and a Palestinian, it is ultimately up to some Israeli (police, judge, administrator, military officer, etc.) to decide how to settle it. That’s the bottom line to living under military occupation. If military power, the ability to defend themselves and control their own fate, is the central motif of Israeli culture, powerlessness, the subjugation by outsiders, has been defining feature of Palestinian history. It began when their homeland, without their consultation or consent, was divided in two to provide the territory for the new Jewish state. They rejected the decision of a UN, which at that point in time, was dominated by a few major Western Powers. They attempted to resist militarily, but were overwhelmed in a short, one-sided war. By the end of that war, somewhere between 700,000 and 900,000 thousand Palestinians lost their homes and ended up in refugee camps–many in Gaza. Indeed, the current population of Gaza consists largely of the descendants of those refugees. The 1948 war—the “Nakba,” or catastrophe for the Palestinians–was only the beginning of their tragic saga. A critical turning point came in 1967 when another war resulted in the Israeli conquest of what was left of the land granted to the Palestinians by the UN resolution–the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. For the past 56 years, Israel has controlled these territories and has prevented the Palestinians from consolidating them into a nation. Instead, they have subjected them to one form or another of military rule. Unless you are living and travelling with Palestinians, walking in their shoes so to speak, it is difficult to get a true picture of what a military occupation is all about. It is a life of constant harassment, humiliation, and insecurity. Military checkpoints are everywhere, making any trip to see friends or relatives an unpredictable and complicated hassle. Everything the Palestinians want to do—buying a new car, remodeling a kitchen or putting a new bathroom in one’s house, requires written permission: interminable paperwork. Decisions are arbitrary, and denials cannot be appealed. And then there is the relentless encroachments of the settlers—bullying and threatening their way onto the land, seizing farmsteads and homes that lack “proper documentation” or are on “sacred” soil—mentioned in the Bible. Their threats are backed up with automatic weapons and the certainty that in stealing other’s lands, they are doing God’s work. Many of the settlers are Americans. I talked with a number of them—one who had spent the summer of 1967 in San Francisco (the Summer of Love –“come to San Francisco with flowers in your hair”). They see immigration to Israel as “returning” to their real home–a place they have been disconnected from for over 2000 years. Apparently there is no statute of limitations when it comes to abandoned real estate in Palestine. They see the Palestinians who live in the villages and cities, the people whose parents, grandparents and distant ancestors built the houses, erected the fences and planted the olive trees, as “squatters:” illegitimate interlopers who need to find some other place to live. Young Palestinian men are rounded up on the word of informants they cannot confront or cross-examine. 40% of Palestinian men have been arrested and held under one or another of the 1600 military orders that control every aspect of Palestinian life. When charged with a crime, Palestinians are tried in Israeli courts and can only be represented by Israeli lawyers. Because they are not citizens of Israel, they cannot vote in Israeli elections and thus, have no political or peaceful means to influence the laws and policies they have to live under. Israelis like to talk about their generosity in granting Gaza self-rule. One only has to go to Gaza to see what a poor gift that was. Gaza is a little strip of desert surrounded by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It has no natural resources and 96% of its water is undrinkable. It is one of the most densely populated places on earth, made up of impoverished war-refugees and their descendants. 80% of its residents live below the poverty line. It has been accurately described as an “open-air prison.” Israel did not give it—it dumped it. A slow-burning fuse Palestinians are not fools—they know what is going on. They have been haggling and negotiating with Israel since 1967 to get control over the lands taken in the war. Negotiating with Israel, according to a joke going around, is like this. Two men decide to have lunch together. They order a number of different plates, and at some point, they begin to argue over how to divide up the bill. While the argument is proceeding, one of the men begins eating off the plate of the other. That’s a pretty apt description of the Palestinian’s experience in negotiating with Israel. Because I don’t want to write a book on this subject, I would like to end this blog with a few final thoughts. I will write more later. 1) For a historical overview, I would recommend reading Simha Flapan’s book—“The Birth of Israel: myths and realities.” He uses historical documents, dairies and personal papers to establish that Israel’s Zionist leadership –all of them, from Ben Gurion on– did not accept the boundaries laid down by the UN, but intended to eventually bring the whole of Palestine under Jewish control. That was, and still is, the Zionist vision of Israel. That is why Israel never published a map of its boundaries—leaving expansion open– and that is why it did everything in its power to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state—which would have set limits to its growth. 2) The establishment of settlements, which began under Begin, was aimed at creating “facts on the ground.” The goal was (and is) to establish an irreversible process of Israeli takeover of the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel has short-circuited the negotiation process—and has made creating a Palestinian state extremely difficult. 3) The new right-wing Israeli government is giving the green-light to settlement expansion. 4) The formation of an alliance between the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Israel threatens the one leverage the Palestinians have had in their struggle with Israel—the ability to deny Israel peace and normal relations with the Arab World until the Israelis come to terms with the Palestinians. This new alliance promises to side-line the Palestinian issue, reorganizing power relations in the Middle East without solving the Palestinian issue. How to Look at Hamas All of the above was well known to Hamas. They acted to derail the process towards a new political arrangement in the Middle East. I believe they knew exactly what they were doing. They consciously and deliberately designed a horrific crime against unarmed Israeli civilians. They knew that this went to the core of Israel’s very purpose for being—a state to protect its people from slaughter. They knew that Israel would not be able to control its rage and desire for revenge, and that in order to destroy Hamas, who was ensconced in the population centers of Gaza, it would have to deal a devastating blow to innocent Palestinians. This would enrage the Arab and Muslim world, and bring an end to any efforts for a reconciliation with Israel. So far, it looks like Hamas has achieved what it set out to accomplish. Indeed, it may even have succeeded in giving life to the moribund goal of Two-state solution. Is Hamas to be congratulated? Do the ends justify the means? It appears that many on the left are prepared to accept Hamas’ slaughter of innocents, and to see their brutality as merely payback for past wrongs done by Israelis to Palestinians. This thinking will spell the death of the left. The ends do not justify the means—the means determine the ends. Wanton brutality and inhumanity only begets more of the same. Many of us have lived long enough to see how movements that sought to embrace the highest human ideals were undermined by brutal methods—the purges of Stalin, the Cultural Revolution of Mao, and the killing fields of Pol Pot. In 1948, over 100 Palestinian villagers—men, women, and children were slaughtered at Deir Yassin by the Irgun. And the Palestinians have never forgot it. Just as the Israelis will never forget October 7. Reconciliation between these two peoples can never be built on acts of cruelty and brutality. Hamas is an outlaw movement. It must be held responsible for its crimes. I believe that it will end up doing more harm to the Palestinians than to the Israelis . Without a higher moral vision, the left is just another player in an endless saga of bloodshed and suffering. Published on Portside. Matthew B. Hallinan received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. In Beyond Biology, he brings together his years of study and independent research to answer a question that has long fascinated him: How could humans have gone through the same kind of evolutionary process as every other animal and yet have come out so different? This question has been central to Hallinan’s intellectual life. His passion for the subject is not driven simply by curiosity, but rather by a sense that time is growing short for us to come to terms with our place in the natural world. More The following post is a viewpoint by Ashike Siddique, the Chair of the DSA National Political Committee concerning the active campaign on several public media sites of some individuals to resign from DSA. This is an individual statement of Ashike Siddique. Like most posts on North Star, the statement is not necessarily representative of the members nor the elected leadership of the North Star Caucus. Judge DSA by our organizing—look at the streets, not the tweets. A response to the open letter by former DSA members published in TNR
Democratic Socialists Are Deepening the Struggle for a Free Palestine by Ashik Siddique, newrepublic.com November 17, 2023 “What would you have done during the Civil Rights Movement?” As a growing left movement comes to see history as something we must shape here and now, questions comparing historical moments to today have become a common refrain. When future generations look back to today, one of theirs will doubtless be: What did you do to stop what is, as one prominent Holocaust scholar put it, the “textbook case of genocide” in Palestine? For members of Democratic Socialists of America, the answer is clear: anything and everything we can. We feel deeply that “there is only one viable future. We either all live together, or we all die together,” as activist and attorney Noura Erakat said recently. But for a handful of now-former members who have spent the last month announcing their resignations from the largest socialist organization in the country with pieces like “Out of Loyalty to Democratic Socialism: Why We Are Leaving DSA,” which ran in The New Republic last week, the question does not appear to be worth asking. Instead, each article focuses mainly on the wording of select tweets and statements, frequently parroting misleading claims that have already been comprehensively addressed. At a time when so many are taking serious risks to stand on the right side of history, it’s disappointing to see a few outliers take the bait. But for the rest of our 80,000 members, what’s more important is that we use this opportunity to push public focus back on what matters above all else: our organizing to stop a genocide. It started quickly. As chapters immediately sprung into action organizing and supporting rallies across the country, members also worked nationally to make the most of our mass base and connections to Congress through our No Money for Massacre phone banks, which have already made nearly 250,000 calls. These phone banks, often attended by 100 people at a time, have turned mass support into mass action by bringing an unprecedented level of constituent calls pushing reps to sign on to the cease-fire resolution. And equally important, they’ve provided a foundation of constituent calls in support of members like Representative Rashida Tlaib, which enables our already leading electeds to take even further political risks—most notably Tlaib openly calling out President Biden for supporting a genocide, resulting in a rare and reprehensible censure vote. Physically, DSA chapters everywhere are anchoring every type of action imaginable. Metro DC DSA collaborated with a large coalition of Palestine solidarity groups led by American Muslims for Palestine to organize a massive protest in D.C. last month with tens of thousands of people, and DSA members across the country were proud to participate in the largest Palestine mobilization ever in D.C. on November 4. NYC-DSA co-led its own largest-ever rally with Adalah Justice Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, and other organizations where over 150 people were arrested (including socialist elected officials), successfully forcing the media there to finally talk about what is actually happening: a fight to stop a genocide. All across the country, DSA members have organized rallies and sit-ins, tabled in our communities, organized students, bird-dogged elected officials into supporting a cease-fire, blocked military cargo ships from port, protested at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, and more—often at substantial personal risk. This is the unique power DSA can bring. Union leaders DSA members helped elect, like Brandon Mancilla in UAW, are making history demanding a cease-fire, and more members are organizing their own labor unions in the same direction. From state legislation like Not On Our Dime! to Cori Bush’s Ceasefire Now Resolution, our elected members are opening up a whole new front in the fight to free Palestine within the state itself. We don’t know where all this will go, but we’re in uncharted territory that we must keep forging forward in. And we have made dent after dent at a level long thought politically impossible. In 2001, I remember when every member of my family bought American flags to display outside our homes in hopes of heading off Islamophobic hate crimes, while fewer than 10 percent of U.S. voters opposed the march to war and a single member of Congress voted against it. In 2023, the U.S. political establishment is working to revive the 9/11 playbook in support of an equally destructive response to attacks in Israel: unlimited military funding for the mass death of Muslims and brown people abroad, and mass vilification and repression of those at home who stand against the escalation of atrocities. But the results look vastly different today. In just weeks, a bloc in Congress including DSA Representatives Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has grown to nearly 20 times Representative Barbara Lee’s lone vote against war in 2001, bravely standing against a war from within its very source: the halls of the federal government. Even more starkly, the fiercest propaganda effort in decades has fallen flat on its face, with a supermajority 66 percent of voters supporting a cease-fire. You don’t need a poll to see this: Just look to the streets, where day after day, people from all walks of life are joining protests in a growing mass movement for Palestine. This didn’t just happen: The difference is a resurgent organized left. Thanks to herculean organizing for decades by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, or BDS, movement globally and across the United States, growing visibility of Palestinians speaking for themselves about conditions on the ground, increasing normalization by DSA elected officials, and too much more organizing to count, the ruling-class strategy of manufacturing consent for war is nearing the end of its rope. “From the streets to the halls of power” is not just a slogan but a description of what makes DSA such a unique threat to the status quo. Even our own enemies agree: Pro-war propaganda is hitting a wall in part because organizations like DSA are so effective at bringing together diverse people across differences, and fighting across issues in a way that makes us stronger in each, for a shared vision of universal liberation of all people. While the online attention economy is designed to elevate the most incendiary outlier opinions, the vast majority of DSA members believe that ultimately, the cycle of extreme violence in the region will continue until we defuse its root in the everyday violence of occupation and apartheid, which, as Brazilian socialist educator Paulo Freire wrote, dehumanizes both the oppressor and oppressed. We are united too in knowing that, as famed democratic socialist Martin Luther King Jr. said in his essential “Beyond Vietnam” speech, which would alienate even his own allies: “The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.” Ultimately, those leaving DSA or focusing more on the wording of tweets than on building the largest anti-war movement in decades are a slim minority in DSA. They fail to see that, rather than losing our way, DSA is continuing to carve the path socialists always have: the risky one leading the way forward, regardless of whether it is comfortable to do so, until we’ve dragged the rest of the world along with us. So wherever you are, stop doom scrolling, and start organizing. We have a genocide to stop today, and a world to win tomorrow. On November 9, The New Republic published an open letter signed by two dozen DSA members announcing their resignation from the organization. DSA’s Ashik Siddique asked us for space for a reply, which we’ve published below. https://newrepublic.com/article/176969/democratic-socialists-america-struggle-free-palestine Ashik Siddique @ahSHEEK Ashik Siddique has been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s National Political Committee since 2021, and is currently serving as chair. by Duane Campbell
U.S. immigration policy is a mess. It was made worse by the Trump administration, 2016-2020. And, it is unlikely to change in the current political era. In his campaign this week Trump has promised the largest deportation in U.S. history. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/us/politics/trump-2025-immigration-agenda.html? For background, readers should look at Operation Wetback under President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the so-called Mexican Repatriation project of the 1930’s. The implementation of Operation Wetback was a result of Attorney General Herbert Brownell's tour of Southern California in August 1953. It was there that he made note of the "shocking and unsettling" issue that was illegal immigration.[2] The short-lived operation used military-style tactics to remove Mexican immigrants—some of them American citizens—from the United States. Though millions of Mexicans had legally entered the country through joint immigration programs in the first half of the 20th century and some were naturalized citizens who were once native, Operation Wetback was designed to send them to Mexico.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wetback Operation Wetback was a follow-up to the prior Mexican Repatriation when as many as 2 million were deported, many of them children. Up to 40% of those deported were U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Repatriation Currently there is a competition among Republicans to be the toughest on immigration policy by focusing on fentanyl, which commonly begins production in China. The current Mexican government of Andrés Manuel López Obradorhas made major strides toward advancing democracy and the rule of law in Mexico since 2018. This effort is not at all complete. Illegal, well-armed, cartels control some areas of Mexico. There are at least four major cartels, and dozens of affiliated cartels. For example, the Sinaloa cartel is the largest. Based in Culiacán, the cartel also controls Juarez and much of the border area. Others cartels operate freely in other regions of the country. This week Ron DeSantis, Nickie Haley, and Vivek Rasmaswamy each have proposed some version of sending in U.S. military or a few missiles to take out the cartels. U.S. police intervention in Mexico was tried and advanced during prior Mexican governments. 1990-2018. It failed. Little progress was made, in significant part due to corruption of the government offices. If the U.S. were now to act upon Republican statements and fire a couple of missiles into Mexico the result would be to advance the control of one of the cartels over a different cartel. We know this from prior efforts. For example, the joint Mexican/ US effort from 2006-2014, weakened some cartels, and strengthened the Sinaloa cartel. In reality, the U.S. intervention helped the Sinaloa cartel. Suppose, as candidate Vivek proposed this week, we send in a few missiles to take out a cartel. Well, first, that would strengthen other cartels who would be pleased to move into their territory. And then, suppose the Sinaloa cartel responded by sending a few missiles into Dallas or Ft. Worth? What would be our next steps? What the Mexican government has been asking for as policy, particularly in the last 20 years, is that the U.S. should assist by controlling the shipment of guns and arms from the U.S. to the cartels. Mexico manufactures almost no weapons. It is illegal there. The guns, bombs, and other weapons are coming from the U.S. market. The Mexican Government is often out-gunned in efforts to oppose cartel violence. The cartels get their massive weapons from the U.S. Why do you suppose the proposal to limit gun sales and transfers is not discussed in the U.S. in Republican circles? And, why is it so little discussed in U.S. media ? President Lopez-Obrador’s alternative proposals are to build a more democratic state. To create jobs for young people so they will have careers rather than join the cartels. And, he is working to rebuild a police force that is not corrupt. He urgently needs control of gun traffic from the U.S. What could the U.S. do? Well, first, we should get control of gun manufacturing, sales, and theft in the U.S. We are not doing this because the U.S. gun lobby controls one of the two political parties and half of the second party. In place of building a wall that does not work and building massive new detention centers as proposed by candidate Trump, the U.S. could spend the money to provide adequate electronic searches of vehicles crossing the border. Most Fentanyl comes in in large trucks. Not in back packs. This has been a part of the Biden Administration’s proposal for immigration reform. The Republican Congress refuses to fund such a policy. Duane Campbell |
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