Category: American Injustice System,

Walmart ‘surprised’ old store Is a migrant shelter. Records hinted at the possibility.

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Modern Parenting,, Money, Class, and Poverty,, Race,Leave a comment

Walmart said it was “surprised and deeply disturbed” to learn that one of its former Texas stores was being used to house migrant children who had been separated from their parents. “We sold the building in 2016 to a developer and had no knowledge then of its intended use today,” the giant retailer said in a Twitter post last week.

…As part of the sales agreement, Walmart made a long list of what the building could not be used for — mostly to thwart rivals and prevent adult or alcohol-related businesses from moving into the space.

The developer could not convert the property into a grocery store or a discount department store that might compete with Walmart. Also banned: a billiards parlor, slot machines and video stores selling NC-17 films.

There also could be no nude or “bathing suit-clad” models or dancers in the former store, according to real estate documents.

The deed did offer some potential uses, exceptions to the restrictions that included an “emergency care center, urgent or non-urgent medical service provider, or flea market.”

…But real estate records pointed to the potential use. A Walmart executive signed a document that indicated the buyer was purchasing the property with a $4.5 million loan from a nonprofit that runs migrant children shelters.

Walmart ‘surprised’ old store Is a migrant shelter. Records hinted at the possibility.

hmmmm

Trump admin discussed separating moms, kids to deter asylum-seekers in Feb. 2017

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Race,Leave a comment

Notes from a town hall held for Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum officers on Feb. 2, 2017, show that the agency’s asylum chief, John Lafferty, told the officers they might have to “hold mothers longer” and “hold children in HHR/ORR,” an acronym for facilities for children run by HHS.

…In the town hall two weeks after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Lafferty laid out a number of policies specifically intended to lower the number of immigrants claiming asylum. According to the notes, he provided attendees with the latest asylum numbers, which were at their highest point in 20 years in 2016, and then said the administration was “in the process of reviewing” a number of policies, including separation of parents and children, to try to curb those numbers.

…Some of the proposals, like raising the bar for passing the initial interview for claiming asylum, have already been implemented. Other policies, like detaining “almost everyone coming over,” have run into logistical difficulties.

…NBC News has found that some women are separated from their children even if they are legally claiming asylum and not being referred for prosecution. [emphasis: mine] In those cases, the children are kept in the same facility, but they are still separated for days without being told whether they will be reunited.

Former USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez, who served under the Obama administration, said families who presented themselves for asylum between ports of entry were not previously prosecuted.

Trump admin discussed separating moms, kids to deter asylum-seekers in Feb. 2017

Aggggggggggggggggggggggggggggh!

All four living former first ladies condemn Trump border policy

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Race,Leave a comment

All four living former first ladies — Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama — have stepped out of political retirement to condemn the Trump administration’s practice of separating parents and children at the border.

…”Those who selectively use the Bible to justify this cruelty are ignoring a central tenet of Christianity,” the former first lady said. “These policies are not rooted in religion. What is being done using the name of religion is contrary to everything I was ever taught.”

Clinton added, “Jesus Christ said, ‘Suffer the children unto me,’ not ‘let the children suffer.'”

…Meanwhile, Bush, who almost never speaks out on political issues, broke partisan ranks in a Washington Post op-ed.

“I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart,” she wrote.

…Bush laid the blame squarely on the president’s policies — namely, the Department of Justice’s “zero tolerance” policy with which it began.

…”These images are eerily reminiscent of the Japanese-American internment camps of World War II, now considered to have been one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history. We also know that this treatment inflicts trauma; interned Japanese have been two times as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease or die prematurely than those who were not interned,” she wrote.

Rosalynn Carter called the policy of separating families “disgraceful and a shame to our country.”

Michelle Obama also weighed in to support Bush.

The current first lady, Melania Trump, commented over the weekend on what’s happening at the border, pushing for bipartisan cooperation to end the separation of migrant children from their parents at the border.

 

“Mrs. Trump hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform,” according to a statement from her spokeswoman. “She believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart.”

All four living former first ladies condemn Trump border policy

hmmmm

California woman who knows her rights forces Border Patrol off Greyhound bus at agricultural checkpoint – NY Daily News

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Race,Leave a comment

“We are being boarded by Border Patrol. Please be prepared to show your documentation upon request,” the driver said, according to her June 7 Facebook post, written a day after the incident.

An unabashed Smalls, who knew her rights, immediately sprang into action, informing other passengers that the agents’ actions were illegal.

“This is a violation of your 4th amendment rights. You don’t have to show them *s- -t*!!! This is illegal,” she said, according to her Facebook post.

…She even used Google translate to help her deliver the same message in Spanish.

Smalls said the woman seated next to her, who didn’t speak English, “looked terrified.”

Smalls loudly accused the agents of harassment and racial profiling, exclaiming they had “no legal right or jurisdiction here,” she wrote in the Facebook post.

Her resistance paid off — the Border Patrol agents allegedly retreated and told the bus driver to “go ahead.”

California woman who knows her rights forces Border Patrol off Greyhound bus at agricultural checkpoint – NY Daily News

Go Girl!

National Guard soldiers Trump sent to border are shoveling manure, changing flat tires

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Military,Leave a comment

The National Guard troops that President Trump sent to the U.S.–Mexico border in April are performing menial tasks to assist U.S. Border Patrol.

A soldier told Politico on Thursday that they have been feeding Border Patrol’s horses and shoveling manure.

Sgt. Jonathan Sanchez, a cook, told the outlet that he often does maintenance on Border Patrol’s vehicles.

…Other tasks include clearing out vegetation, repairing Border Patrol facilities, working as office clerks or operating a complex network of security and remote camera systems.

…In order to keep them safe, National Guard troops are not permitted to patrol or participate in detainment operations for migrants crossing the border, officials told the outlet.

Late last month, the president of the labor union representing Border Patrol agents criticized Trump’s deployment, calling it a “colossal waste of resources.”

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said last month that they have “seen no benefit” from the National Guard presence.

National Guard soldiers Trump sent to border are shoveling manure, changing flat tires: report | TheHill

Of course.

Trauma inflicted on border kids proves Americans ‘have lost our minds,’ mental-health expert says

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Money, Class, and Poverty,, Race,Leave a comment

The trauma endured by children separated from their parents at the border — many of whom are fleeing chaotic or violent circumstances back home — will devastate them psychologically for years to come, experts say.

…Inside those facilities, children are devastated: an audio clip published by ProPublica captures the sounds of children sobbing for their parents, begging to be allowed to call a family member.

“It is a form of child abuse,” Dr. Colleen Kraft, head of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told CBS News after she’d spent time in a Texas facility where kids under 12 are being held.

Kraft said she was told staff members there weren’t allowed to hug or hold crying children at the facility to comfort them.

…Every interaction a child has with adults lays the groundwork for their identity and sense of self, so that doesn’t bode well for children in a setting where they’re reportedly not even allowed to be hugged, Kinder said.

“What we say to them, what we do, how we look at them, how we interact with them — all of those interactions add up to a sense of self,” she said. “I can promise you that these interactions are laying neural pathways that are not positive.”

Trauma inflicted on border kids proves Americans ‘have lost our minds,’ mental-health expert says | Immigration | Dallas News

hmmm

California is on the verge of three important steps toward police accountability

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Local Interest,Leave a comment

Californians have lost much of their former ability to monitor the performance of police officers and agencies, due in large part to a series of unfavorable court rulings and to the timidity of elected leaders who repeatedly bowed to pressure from law enforcement labor unions. The Legislature now has taken up a modest yet valuable bill that would allow the public to learn which officers fired their weapons, used other serious force or lied about their actions.

…Without such data, it is nearly impossible to learn which officers account for disproportionate injuries, deaths and public liability. Nor is it possible to determine whether agencies operate effective internal investigations and unbiased disciplinary systems. That leaves police departments shockingly free of real oversight from the public they serve.

…Unlike teachers and sanitation workers, though, law enforcement officers take up badges and weapons and are uniquely granted the authority to arrest or even kill in the name of the law. In return, some modicum of access to police records is required to prevent abuse of that enormous power.

The bill, authored by Democrat Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, is so measured that the state’s district attorneys have dropped their opposition. It would make public the currently confidential reports that police departments prepare on a variety of incidents involving officers, including discharging a firearm or using a Taser or other electroshock weapon, striking a person on the head or neck or taking any action that results in serious injury or death.

Access also would be granted to records that show an officer sexually assaulted a member of the public, or lied or falsified evidence in the course of a police investigation or criminal prosecution.

California is on the verge of three important steps toward police accountability

Oversight and access to compromising information about officer performance and malfeasance? I’ll believe it when I see it in action.

Ecuadorean Dad Has Deportation Suspended After His Arrest During Pizza Delivery

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Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was among a handful of politicians who called for an investigation into the case and an emergency stay, stating that “his arrest and detention raise serious legal and policy concerns.”

“There is absolutely no legitimate reason to proceed with an expedited removal and to do so would be inhumane,” Cuomo said in a letter addressed to Thomas Decker, field office director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs Enforcement.

Ecuadorean Dad Has Deportation Suspended After His Arrest During Pizza Delivery | HuffPost

hmmmmm

Meet Mariah Parker, the Georgia Politician Who Was Sworn in on a Copy of Malcolm X’s Autobiography

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Local Interest,, Race,Leave a comment

Meet Mariah Parker, the Georgia Politician Who Was Sworn in on a Copy of Malcolm X’s Autobiography | Teen Vogue

nice

These Programs Are Helping Prisoners Live Again On The Outside

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,Leave a comment

Jacobs says a person’s successful re-entry into society can be viewed through how adequately they are able to meet six basic life needs: livelihood, residence, family, health, criminal justice compliance and social connections. Those needs manifest differently, depending on the phase an inmate is in when they’re released. Jacobs breaks these phases down into three categories: Survival, stabilization and self sufficiency.

…But sometimes successful re-entry can begin with something as simple as giving a former inmate a ride.

Take the “Ride Home Program” from the Anti-Recidivism Coalition in California, which was recently profiled in The New York Times Magazine. It employs former inmates to pick up ex-prisoners on the day they are released to help guide them through the changed world.

ARC’s drivers spend all day with the newly released prisoners — they buy them food and some clothing, give them advice on finding work and getting a haircut, as well as help with calling family on smartphones or showing photos of family members on Facebook. In other words, they start to reintroduce them to the culture — and being former inmates themselves, they can deliver that message in a uniquely empathetic way.

…MacKenzie found programs at the time covering a wide array of subjects — from vocational education to electronic monitoring — and found no “single explanation” for programs that weren’t effective. But she speculated it could be due to something as simple as poor implementation. It also could be because the programs are focused on “punishment, deterrence, or control” or don’t do enough to change the individual’s thought process during the program course work.

These Programs Are Helping Prisoners Live Again On The Outside | HuffPost

hmmmm

CSU Police Body Cam Video Released, 911 Call: ‘Hands In Pockets’ Caused Concern « CBS Denver

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Race,, Schools,Leave a comment

“Thomas called me frantic, (saying) ‘Somebody called the police on us, because we were quiet,’” Lorraine Gray said.

Lorraine said she was confused, especially since the university was so highly respected by her children.

…“All year, (Thomas) kept talking about how he wanted to go. His dream school is CSU,” Lorraine Gray said. “He, and his brother whose graduation is in a few weeks, decided to take a campus tour together. Kind of a brother bonding thing.”

The boys would never finish the tour, after being separated from the group by police.

…The woman who called police, only identified by the university as a 45-year-old white woman, told 911 dispatch she was suspicious of the way the Gray brothers looked, and their mannerisms. She told dispatch she believed at least one of the brothers was Mexican.

CSU Police Body Cam Video Released, 911 Call: ‘Hands In Pockets’ Caused Concern « CBS Denver

Becky, this is why we can’t have nice things.

The policing of black Americans is racial harassment funded by the state

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Media and Culture,, Race,Leave a comment

These days 911 is dead serious. Anyone in the United States can dial those three numbers and summon people with guns and handcuffs to participate in their anti-black paranoia. It’s racial harassment, sponsored by the government and supported by tax dollars.

…This does not mean that it is acceptable: everyday racism is aggravating, health draining, and, for its survivors, labor intensive. Everyday racism requires a performance when a black person navigates white spaces. You conspicuously display your work ID. You look down on the elevator. You whistle Vivaldi.

The people who call the police can fill a black person with a productive rage or a corrosive kind of hate.

…The main problem is the response of the state. “We’ll send a squad over right away.” The caller has offered a short pitch for a white supremacist fantasia, and now the dispatcher green-lights it. She sends a crew over to the set identified by the caller and the spectacle is produced.

Black people are forced, by armed officers of the government, to justify their presence. They have the burden of proof; the person who called the police is assumed to be correct.

…The US criminal legal process is all about keeping people – especially African American men – in their place. Even when trespassing white space is not an arrestable offense, it can occasion a fraught encounter.

…When Public Enemy described 911 as a joke, they weren’t even talking about the police. Their complaint was that paramedics didn’t show up when they were summoned to the hood. Those were the first responders who the community would have welcomed.

The policing of black Americans is racial harassment funded by the state | US news | The Guardian

Sigh….

N.J. cop caught on camera punching woman during beach arrest

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,Leave a comment

Video showed the officer straddling the woman in the sand, and wailing away at her head as he ordered her to “stop resisting.”

…Neither the officer who hit Weinman nor another cop that grabbed her legs or a third one who stood by has been identified.

N.J. cop caught on camera punching woman during beach arrest

Until we insist on orderly and lawful behavior from “officers of the law,” we will never be a society of law and order.