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myattorneyusa · 5 years

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EOIR Swears in 27 New Immigration Judges (Oct. 11, 2019)

Introduction

On October 11, 2019, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) held an investiture ceremony to swear in 27 new immigration judges [PDF version]. The ceremony was presided over by Deputy Chief Immigration Judge Mary Cheung. The 27 new immigration judges were selected by U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

The 27 new immigration judges will sit on 17 immigration courts and adjudication centers across the United States. In this post, we will provide brief biographical information for each of the new immigration judges with reference to their professional profiles provided by EOIR. We will examine the courts receiving new immigration judges in alphabetical order after first examining the new judges in New Jersey and New York City immigration courts.

Please see our growing index article to learn about previous appointments to the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) [see index].

Common Abbreviations

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OLPA)

List of Immigration Courts Receiving New Immigration Judges

Elizabeth Immigration Court (New Jersey)

New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court (New York)

New York — Varick Immigration Court (New York)

Bloomington Immigration Court (Minnesota)

Chicago Immigration Court (Illinois)

Dallas Immigration Court (Texas)

Fort Worth Immigration Adjudication Center (Texas)

Houston Immigration Court (Texas)

Miami Immigration Court (Florida)

Miami (Krome) Immigration Court (Florida)

Omaha Immigration Court (Nebraska)

Philadelphia Immigration Court (Pennsylvania)

Phoenix Immigration Court (Arizona)

San Diego Immigration Court (California)

San Francisco Immigration Court (California)

San Juan Immigration Court (Puerto Rico)

Elizabeth Immigration Court (New Jersey)

One new immigration judge has begun hearing cases at the Elizabeth Immigration Court.

Pallavi S. Shirole, Immigration Judge, Elizabeth Immigration Court

2017-2019: Associate legal advisor for the National Security Law Section, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in the District of Columbia.

2016-2017: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Portland, Oregon.

2015-2017: Director of law program at a high school.

2010-2015: Assistant state's attorney for the Office of the State's Attorney, in Baltimore.

Law degree from University of Baltimore School of Law in 2009.

New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court (New York)

Five new immigration judges were sworn in to sit on the New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court.

L. Batya Schwartz Eherens, Immigration Judge, New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court

2012-2019: Private practice as partner in New York-based immigration law firm.

2006-2012: Private practice as immigration attorney in New York.

Law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 2003.

Deborah E. Klahr, Immigration Judge, New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court

2018-2019: Supervisory immigration officer and then section chief with the New York City Field Office, USCIS, DHS, in New York.

2017-2018: Senior immigration services officer with the Newark Field Office, USCIS, DHS, in Newark, New Jersey.

2013-2017: Asylum officer and supervisory asylum officer with the Newark Asylum Office, USCIS, DHS, in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

2000-2013: Private practice as an immigration attorney at various New York and New Jersey law firms.

1997-1999: Staff attorney for the Bar Association for the City of New York, in New York.

1992-1996: Private practice in New York.

Law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1992.

Thomas N. Kouris, Immigration Judge, New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court

2010-2019: Private practice in New York.

Law degree from Boston College Law School in 2009.

Laura N. Pierro, Immigration Judge, New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court

1999-2018: Prosecutor in various capacities for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, in Toms River, New Jersey.

1997-1998: Law clerk to three criminal judges of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth Vicinage, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.

Law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1997.

Cathy Sagesse, Immigration Judge, New York — Federal Plaza Immigration Court

2016-2019: Assistant chief counsel, Office of the General Counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Miami, Florida.

2007-2016: Assistant state attorney for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office in Miami, Florida.

Law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2007.

New York — Varick Immigration Court (New York)

One new judge began hearing cases at the New York — Varick Immigration Court.

Forrest W. Hoover III, Immigration Judge, New York — Varick Immigration Court

2008-2019: Judge advocate, defense counsel, prosecutor, and military judge for the U.S. Marine Corps in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Okinawa, Japan.

1999-2005: Logistics officer for the U.S. Marine Corps in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Okinawa, Japan; and Quantico, Virginia.

Retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2019 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2008; Master of Criminal Law Degree from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in 2012.

Bloomington Immigration Court (Minnesota)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Bloomington Immigration Court.

Monte G. Miller, Immigration Judge, Bloomington Immigration Court

2001-2019: Assistant and senior attorney with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Criminal Division, in Minneapolis.

2017-2019: Trial judge with the Navy-Marine Corps Trial Judiciary.

2012-2017: Appellate judge with the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals.

1994-2019: Judge advocate and military judge for the U.S. Navy in many locations.

Remains captain and judge advocate in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law in 1993.

Chicago Immigration Court (Illinois)

One new Judge began hearing cases at the Chicago Immigration Court.

Jushua D. Luskin, Immigration Judge, Chicago Immigration Court

2015-2019: Commissioner at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission.

2011-2015: Arbitrator at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission.

2003-2011: Private practice in Illinois.

2000-2003: Judge advocate for the U.S. Navy.

1999-1999: Of counsel to the State's Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor's Office, in Illinois.

1998-1998: Assistant state's attorney, in Champaign County, Illinois.

Law degree from the University of Michigan in 1997.

Dallas Immigration Court (Texas)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Dallas Immigration Court.

Jason D. Ferguson, Immigration Judge, Dallas Immigration Court

2016-2019: First assistant district attorney for the 119th Judicial District of Texas, in San Angelo, Texas.

2012-2016: Assistant district attorney for the 51st and 119th Judicial Districts of Texas, in San Angelo.

2010-2012: Assistant district attorney for the 31st Judicial District of Texas, in Pampa, Texas.

Law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 2009.

Fort Worth Immigration Adjudication Center (Texas)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Fort Worth Immigration Adjudication Center.

Shelly W. Schools, Immigration Judge, Fort Worth Immigration Adjudication Center

1997-2019: Judge advocate, prosecutor, defense counsel at the trial and appellate level, staff judge advocate, and trial judge in the U.S. Air Force at many locations.

Retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel in 2019.

Law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1997.

Houston Immigration Court (Texas)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Houston Immigration Court.

Erica J. McGuirk, Immigration Judge, Houston Immigration Court

2012-2019: Associate counsel with USCIS, DHS, in Houston, Texas.

2003-2012: Senior attorney and assistant chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, ICE, DHS, in Houston.

2002-2003: Assistant chief counsel, Office of the District Counsel, with the former INS, DOJ, in Houston.

1998-2002: Trial attorney with the Office of the Solicitor, Department of Labor, in Dallas, Texas.

Law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1998.

Miami Immigration Court (Florida)

Three new judges began hearing cases at the Miami Immigration Court.

Christina M. Martyak, Immigration Judge, Miami Immigration Court

2006-2019: Assistant chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, ICE, DHS, in Miami, Florida.

2005-2006: Assistant statewide prosecutor for the Florida Office of the Attorney General, in Miami.

2000-2004: Assistant state attorney for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, in Miami.

Law degree from St. Thomas University in 2000.

Ian D. Midgley, Immigration Judge, Miami Immigration Court

2014-2019: Supervisory administrative law judge with the Office of Medicare Hearing and Appeals, Department of Health and Human Services, in Miami.

2008-2014: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Orlando, Florida.

2006-2008: Active duty judge advocate for the U.S. Navy, in Yokosuka, Japan.

2001-2006: Active duty judge advocate for the U.S. Army, in Kitzingen, Germany, and at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.

Serves as judge advocate for the U.S. Navy Reserve (since 2009).

Law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1998.

Irene M. Recio, Immigration Judge, Miami Immigration Court

2014-2019: Branch chief at the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), USCIS, DHS.

2013-2014: Adjudications officer and supervisor at the Immigrant Investor Program Office, USCIS, DHS, in the District of Columbia.

2012-2013: Adjudications officer at AAO, USCIS, DHS, in the District of Columbia.

1997-2011: Private practice in various capacities in Washington D.C.

Law degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1995.

Miami (Krome) Immigration Court (Florida)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Miami (Krome) Immigration Court.

Jorge L. Pereira, Immigration Judge, Miami (Krome) Immigration Court

2008-2019: Assistant chief counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Miami, Florida.

1996-2008: Private practice at two law firms in Miami.

1995-1996: Assistant state attorney for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office in Miami.

Law degree from St. Thomas University School of Law in 1995.

Omaha Immigration Court (Nebraska)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Omaha Immigration Court.

Alexandra Larsen, Immigration Judge, Omaha Immigration Court

2004-2019: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Omaha, Nebraska.

2012-2014: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

2011-2012: Deputy chief and chief of OLPA, District Court Litigation Division (DCLD), ICE, DHS, in the District of Columbia.

2008-2011: Associate legal advisor for the DLCL, ICE, DHS, in the District of Colimbia.

2007-2008: Judicial law clerk for Judge Donald E. O'Brien in the United States District Court for the District of Iowa, in Sioux City, Iowa.

2002-2007: Private practice in Nebraska and Washington D.C.

Law degree from Creighton University School of Law in 2002.

Philadelphia Immigration Court (Pennsylvania)

One new judge began hearing cases at the Philadelphia Immigration Court.

Bao Q. Nguyen, Immigration Judge, Philadelphia Immigration Court

2016-2019: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in San Antonio and Pearsall, Texas.

2006-2016: Private practice in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Utah.

Law degree from the Temple University School of Law in 2005.

Phoenix Immigration Court (Arizona)

Three new judges began hearing cases at the Phoenix Immigration Court.

Robert C. Bartlemay Sr., Immigration Judge, Phoenix Immigration Court

2010-2019: Senior attorney with OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Phoenix.

2007-2010: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS.

1983-2007: Judge advocate for the U.S. Air Force in many locations.

Law degree from the University of Toledo in 1983.

Joseph S. Imburgia, Immigration Judge, Phoenix Immigration Court

2002-2019: Attorney and military judge, including Chief Circuit Military Judge for the Pacific Circuit, with the U.S. Air Force at many locations.

Retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2019 with the rank of colonel.

Law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2002; Master of Laws in 2009 from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School.

Melissa B. Karlen, Immigration Judge, Phoenix Immigration Court

2008-2019: Assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, DOJ, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Assistant chief counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in Los Angeles, California.

2002-2007: Deputy prosecuting attorney with the City and County of Honolulu Prosecutor's Office, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2001-2002: Private practice.

Law degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2001.

San Diego Immigration Court (California)

One new judge began hearing cases at the San Diego Immigration Court.

Guy G. Grande, Immigration Judge, San Diego Immigration Court

2015-2019: Assistant chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, in San Diego, California.

1994-2015: Private immigration practice.

Law degree from the University of San Diego in 1994.

San Francisco Immigration Court (California)

Two new judges began hearing cases at the San Francisco Immigration Court.

Andrew J. Caborn, Immigration Judge, San Francisco Immigration Court

2015-2019: Assistant chief counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in San Francisco, California.

2008-2014: Senior deputy district attorney and deputy district attorney for the Tulare County District Attorney's Office, in Tulare, California.

2008-2008: Private practice in Los Angeles, California.

Law degree from Whittier College in 2007; Master of Laws degree from the University of California, Berkley, in 2015.

Gregory L. Simmons, Immigration Judge, San Francisco Immigration Court

2009-2013: General courts-martial trial judge, in California.

1989-2009: Judge advocate for the U.S. Marine Corps in many locations.

Retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2013.

Law degree from Baylor University School of Law in 1989; Master of Laws degree in 1996 from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in 1996.

San Juan Immigration Court (Puerto Rico)

One new judge began hearing cases at the San Juan Immigration Court.

Pedro J. Espinal, Immigration Judge, San Juan Immigration Court

2016-2019: Deputy chief counsel, OLPA, ICE, DHS, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

2009-2011: Adjudications services officer, USCIS, DHS, in San Juan.

2007-2009: Adjudications services officer, USCIS, DHS, in New York.

2004-2007: Private practice in San Juan.

Law degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 2004.

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/politics/trump-administration-to-deny-more-visa-applicants-whove-used-public-assistance/

Trump administration to deny more visa applicants who've used public assistance

The Trump administration is preparing to further expand rules that would disqualify more visa applicants living abroad and in the U.S. believed by the administration to be using too many public services. The move comes as data appear to show more people are getting their visas denied.

Interested in Immigration?

Add Immigration as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Immigration news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

According to an analysis of State Department data by the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank that focuses on immigration and other matters, visa denials have shot up 40 percent over the past two fiscal years.

In fiscal year 2018, for example, 13,450 visa applicants were denied because the government determined they might pose too much of a strain on public resources. In the previous year, there were 3,237 such denials. Those figures could include people whose applications spanned multiple years.

Satisfying income requirements and having a sponsor already in the U.S. made it more likely a visa application would get approved under past administrations. But the new policy requires all applicants to clear other hurdles, with department staff evaluating factors including health, age and education.

“It’s what we’ve been calling the invisible wall,” said Jeffrey Gorsky, a senior immigration attorney at Berry Appleman & Leiden and former chief legal adviser for visas at the U.S. State Department, adding, “One way to slow immigration is to just clog up the system.”

The use of, or the likelihood an applicant might use, assistance programs in the future, is just one factor in an application. However, the National Foundation for American Policy and other immigration experts said that the president’s 2017 executive order on “extreme vetting” — aimed at changing how immigrants and visitors to the U.S. are processed — was also directly responsible for increased visa denials.

John Moore/Getty Images, FILE

Immigrants prepare to become American citizens at a naturalization service on Jan. 22, 2018 in Newark, N.J.

Responding to questions from ABC News about what prompted the policy change, the State Department cited that 2017 executive order.

Democracy Forward, a nonprofit, anti-corruption group, sued the Trump administration for modifying the visa denial policy last year. The group also criticized Trump’s comments to a conservative news outlet this week in which he said that he doesn’t “want to have anyone coming in that’s on welfare.”

Many public assistance programs in the U.S. are already off-limits to new immigrants, but there are some exceptions for women and children and certain states provide more assistance. The vast majority of non-citizens don’t have access to healthcare or many other services, according to the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute.

Although immigrants with no legal status can enroll in public schools, they’re generally ineligible for federally funded nutrition assistance programs.

“The president’s recent comments underscore the discrimination behind this change,” said Karianne Jones, a Democracy Forward lawyer. “This is another example of the Trump Administration using fear tactics to try to deter immigrants and their families from accessing public services critical to their health and well-being.”

John Moore/Getty Images, FILE

Signage beacons immigrants and their families to a naturalization ceremony on Feb. 2, 2018 in New York.

In court documents responding to the Democracy Forward lawsuit, the government acknowledged the new State Department policy would result in more people getting their visas rejected.

“It is true that application of the new guidance, compared to the earlier guidance, could potentially lead to individuals being denied visas on ‘public charge’ grounds more frequently,” federal lawyers for the administration said in a court statement.

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advsimranjeetsinghsidhu · 4 years

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The brand new Jersey chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and attorneys Michael DiRaimondo, Brian O'Neill and Elizabeth Trinidad declare the federal authorities is risking their well being by requiring them to look within the Newark Immigration Court for shoppers who are usually not being detained. In keeping with Allan Pollack, an immigration lawyer and former chair of the brand new Jersey Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, attorneys had been advised on Thursday by their purchasers within the Elizabeth Detention Center that they would want to look on Friday. However, that imaginative and prescient is marred by lengthy traces on the airports--- getting your luggage checked, getting right into a aircraft with carry on luggage and no overhead place, and at last the immigration and customs line ups. However, immigration lawyers one asylum officer who spoke with BuzzFeed News on situation of anonymity mentioned the charge was discouraging. “This is a penalty towards asylum candidates,” the officer added. Canada immigration lawyers “The bigger drawback is that humanitarian functions by their nature ought to be free,” the officer mentioned. immigration lawyers in Canada Within the US, asylum-seekers will probably be charged $50 on asylum purposes beginning in October. immigration lawyers in Canada The asylum charge is simply considered one of many adjustments included within the rule issued by USCIS, which is primarily funded by immigrants’ functions, immigration comparable to filing for a inexperienced card or work permit.

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A federal choose in New York on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from imposing a coverage in the course of the coronavirus pandemic that permits the federal government to deny everlasting residency to immigrants who officials consider are seemingly to make use of public advantages. The Trump administration’s rule, nonetheless, altered how the federal government decides if somebody is a public cost, permitting officials to deny inexperienced playing cards to these who're decided possible to make use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Section eight housing vouchers and help, public housing, or most types of Medicaid. However, the great factor is that a few of the businesses have derived methods folks can acquire the accident and incapacity insurance coverage, as lengthy because the people comply with the correct procedures. There are just a few of those nightly now, or what appears to be like like this, immigration on the orange halves we've out for the Baltimore Orioles. “Doctors and different medical personnel, state and native officials, and employees at nonprofit organizations have all witnessed immigrants refusing to enroll in Medicaid or different public funded well being protection, or forgoing testing and therapy for COVID-19, out of worry that accepting such insurance coverage or care will enhance their danger of being labeled a public cost,” Daniels wrote in his ruling.

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legaleaseus · 4 years

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FAQs: What happens to my immigration appointment at this time of COVID-19 coronavirus?

What happens to my immigration appointment at this time of COVID-19 coronavirus? Can I travel during the pandemic? Will I become a public charge if I am sick and I use Medicaid?

These are just a few of many questions we have received from our clients regarding government response to COVID-19 and how it may affect their immigration case. We have listed below some frequently asked questions and answers, which we will update as we receive new information:

I am sick but I have an upcoming appointment with immigration. What should I do?

It is important to take care of your health especially at this time. If you are sick, you should see a doctor and get proper medical attention. If you have an immigration interview, biometrics appointment or court hearing, you should reschedule it until you are well enough to attend.

See important alert from USCIS: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) wants to ensure the safety of those whom we serve and our employees. Please do not visit a USCIS office if you are sick or start to feel symptoms of being sick. We will help you reschedule your appointment, without penalty, when you are better. If you have an illness or are exhibiting symptoms, we recommend you cancel and reschedule your USCIS appointment.

For the safety of our employees and those that we serve, if you or someone with you appears ill or meets any of the conditions listed above, the officer may cancel your appointment or interview. We will assist you in rescheduling your appointment, without any penalty.

How do I reschedule my appointment?

Call the USCIS Customer Services Hotline at 800-375-5283 to reschedule by providing your receipt number and explaining the reason for your request to reschedule.

I have heard that certain USCIS offices are closed due to COVID-19. How can I find out about local office closures?

The USCIS has a dedicated webpage showing status offices whether they remain open or closed. As of the date of publication, all Field Offices are open. For those previously served by Fort Benning, GA field office, your case is now being handled at the Montgomery, AL field office; Fort Jackson, SC, your case is now at Greer, SC; and for those previously served by Fort Sill, OK, your case is now at the Oklahoma City, OK field office.

All Application Support Centers (ASC) are open with the exception of Fargo, ND which will be closed from 12 p.m. on March 18, 2020 through March 23, 2020 due to a temporary move. The ASC will reopen at 10 a.m. on March 24, 2020.

All Asylum Offices are open. So, if you are well enough, you must attend your interview. However, effective March 12, all asylum decision pick-up appointments at the New York Asylum Office and the Newark Asylum office will be cancelled and decisions will be mailed.

I have a scheduled hearing at immigration court, but I am sick. I don’t want to be deported because I did not appear. What should I do?

If you do not have an attorney, you should contact the court clerk at immigration court where your case is being heard and explain your situation. Click here to get the contact information for the court hearing your case. You should also check if there are any updates regarding your court hearing by calling the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)’s 800 number: 800-898-7180 and entering your Alien Number (“A #”).

I have a scheduled check-in with my ICE Deportation Officer, but I’m sick. What should I do?

If you have a scheduled check-in with your Deportation Officer, you should contact them to inform them of your illness and to make the necessary arrangements to ensure that you continue compliance. Here is the contact information for ICE Field Offices. The Seattle Field Office is currently closed due to possible COVID-19 exposure. The office may be reached via email: [email protected] for any inquiries.

I am a U.S. permanent resident who is currently abroad. I have heard about the Trump European Entry Travel Ban. Will I be stranded overseas?

On March 11, 2020, the Trump Administration announced travel restrictions for foreign nationals who were physically present in the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. This travel restriction takes effect on March 13 at 11:29pm.

The following foreign nationals are exempt from the travel restrictions:

Lawful permanent resident (green card holder)

Spouse of a lawful permanent resident or U.S. citizen

Parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident is unmarried and under the age of 21

Sibling of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, provided that both are unmarried and under the age of 21

Child, foster child, or ward of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or who is a prospective adoptee seeking to enter the United States pursuant to the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications

Those traveling at the invitation of the United States Government for a purpose related to containment or mitigation of the virus

Crewmembers or any alien otherwise traveling to the United States as air or sea crew

Diplomats with A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3 (as a foreign government official or immediate family member of an official), E-1 (as an employee of TECRO or TECO or the employee’s immediate family members), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, or NATO-6 (or seeking to enter as a nonimmigrant in one of those NATO categories)

Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and spouses and children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces

Select others whose entry would not pose a significant risk of introducing, transmitting, or spreading the virus or those whose entry would be in the interest of national security.

According to the Trump administration, those who are exempt will be directed to further screening upon arrival on U.S. soil.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THOSE APPLYING FOR A GREEN CARD: If you are sick and in need of medical treatment, it is important to focus on getting the help that you need. If you are concerned about being found to be a public charge for use of Medicaid, for example, you should know that state-sponsored Medicaid is not included in the public charge determination - only state/federal cash assistance and federal public benefits.

Also, even if you have previously received public benefits, this does not automatically mean that you will be found ineligible for permanent residence. This is only one factor that USCIS evaluates in its totality of the circumstances determination.

Since these are very recent developments, we don’t know as of yet how this will all be implemented in practice. The government stated that they will be issuing guidance soon. We are following this closely and will update this post accordingly. If you are affected by this development and would like to set up a consultation, please contact us, we are here to help! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Tumblr for up-to-date immigration news.

RELATED CONTENT:

FAQs: What is "public charge" and how does it affect green card applications?

FAQs: Taxes and your Immigration Status

What happens at a naturalization interview? What should I expect during my citizenship interview appointment?

Rasoulpour Torregoza is the law firm for immigrants, by immigrants. We are founded on the motto of LegalEase: we do away with the legal jargon and make law easy to understand, so you can focus on what’s important to you – going for your American Dream. Contact us at (888) 445-7066 or [email protected]. We are also on social media and on Skype: @LegalEaseUS. || www.LegalEase.us This website and blog constitute attorney advertising. Do not consider anything on this website or blog legal advice as the law is dynamic, particularly in the immigration field and nothing in this website constitutes an attorney-client relationship being formed. Set up a one-hour consultation with us before acting on anything you read here. Past results are no guarantee of future results and prior results do not imply or predict future results. Each case is different and must be judged on its own merits.

#Changes and Updates #Travel Tips #Interview Tips

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paulbenedictblog · 4 years

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Anchorage: Leaders of the whisper Senate majority and minority dispute Attorney Frequent Kevin Clarkson is violating the whisper structure by not defending a law that encourages development companies to make use of Alaska workers on whisper contracts. The Anchorage On each day basis Files reports Senate President Cathy Giessel and Minority Leader Tom Begich, in separate letters, dispute Clarkson can need to be defending the law unless it’s dominated on by a expend. Clarkson says he took an oath to defend the U.S. and Alaska constitutions. He says native-hire law violates these constitutions, and it's a ways lustrous to pause imposing it. On the time of its passage, Alaska’s native-hire law turned into as soon as believed to be in accordance with the law, and it has remained in pressure for 30 years. A development firm challenged the law this yr.

Usa today Arizona

Tucson: In this metropolis widely credited as the birthplace of the 1980s Sanctuary Hobble – an effort by churches to relieve refugees from Central The US and shield them from deportation – a neighborhood of activists is having a search to revive that history of aggressively resisting immigration authorities. Voters will mediate Tuesday whether to designate Tucson as Arizona’s simplest sanctuary metropolis, an instantaneous divulge to President Donald Trump and to the anti-illegal immigration law that set a highlight on the whisper simply about a decade ago. Many in Tucson are desirous to send Trump a message that disapproves of his immigration insurance policies. Nonetheless even some on the left concern the measure would merely plot the ire of the president and his allies in the Arizona Legislature without improving instances for migrants.

Usa today Arkansas

Minute Rock: North Minute Rock has its eyes on the future as the metropolis builds upon its downtown district, however college district officials are looking out to be particular it doesn’t neglect the previous by the use of the Ole Major Excessive College constructing, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. The North Minute Rock College District not too lengthy ago announced plans to safe a job pressure to safe path to the Board of Training on learn how to receive the historical constructing that's adjacent to the sizzling high college, which opened in 2015. Board members will counsel one particular person each for the committee along with three at-mountainous positions and one designated region for the North Minute Rock Historical previous Price. The duty pressure will meet and document to the College Board. Board President Tracy Steele mentioned he has already fielded loads of calls from other folks who are looking out to be on the board.

Usa today California

San Francisco: The originate of the commercial Dungeness crab season is customarily delayed by per week to lower the threat of whales getting entangled in fishing traces. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife mentioned opening day of the season would possibly perchance well be postponed from Nov. 15 to Nov. 23. The department mentioned the earlier date affords “a critical threat” of whale entanglement. CDFW Director Charlton Bonham mentioned fishing, environmental and administration agencies had been consulted prior to making the preliminary resolution. The recreational crab season began Saturday. Affirm health officials warned other folks not to devour the interior organs or guts of crab caught in two coastal areas due to the presence of domoic acid, a naturally going down toxin that can region off vomiting or diarrhea when consumed.

Usa today Colorado

Denver: A whisper legislative committee fashioned in the wake of a deadly taking pictures at a suburban college has proposed 5 bills that legislators hope will extinguish colleges safer. The Denver Put up reports the meantime committee didn’t introduce any bills on controversial topics, equivalent to gun modify or arming teachers, for the length of its work following the Could well 7 assault on STEM College Highlands Ranch. Police, teachers and others suggested committee members that Colorado has magnificent capabilities to prevent violence, however they aren’t ancient consistently statewide. Lawmakers additionally expressed divulge about gaps and duplication in the whisper’s college safety capabilities. The committee’s draft bills accepted closing week for consideration by the 2020 Legislature encompass bills that will reorganize the Safe2Tell nameless tip gadget and effect a working neighborhood to proceed learning college safety.

Usa today Connecticut

Hartford: The leader of a coalition of cities and cities all around the whisper says municipal officials are coping with an “environmental crisis” of diseased trees, warning the first critical blizzard this yr would possibly bring down loads of all around the whisper, as properly as thousands of tree limbs. Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Govt Director Joe DeLong despatched a letter Thursday to Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, seeking extra sources and relieve coping with the fallout of trees infested and therefore weakened by emerald ash borer beetles and gypsy moth caterpillars. Over the weekend, utility crews had been restoring energy to communities plagued by a solid Halloween evening storm that left in the attend of loads of downed wires. In Marlborough, native officials dispute a form of the limbs fell on energy traces on story of the trees had been too brittle to resist the high winds.

Usa today Delaware

Newark: Beginning early subsequent yr, the metropolis’s law enforcement officials will seemingly be wearing yet another piece of instruments: body cameras. At a Newark City Council assembly closing week, council members accepted a simply about $630,000 search facts from for video instruments, including 60 body cameras. The devices worth about $350,000. The relaxation of the money will coast in direction of replacing dashboard cameras in Newark patrol vehicles and updating video instruments in interview rooms. The $628,867.77 required for the total instruments, that will seemingly be offered by Axon, previously identified as Taser World, will seemingly be paid out over 5 years. Federal and whisper grants will conceal $152,640, while the several $476,227.77 will seemingly be paid through Newark’s 2019-2023 Capital Enhancements Program.

Usa today District of Columbia

Washington: The mayor and the chair of the D.C. Council have nominated two other folks to symbolize the metropolis on the regional transit authority board. The Washington Put up reports D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson nominated used federal transportation decent Stephanie Gidigbi to again as without a doubt some of the district’s two vote casting members on the Washington Metropolitan Build of living Transit Authority board. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser nominated Lucinda Babers, a deputy mayor for infrastructure. The board spots had been vacated when Councilman Jack Evans and Corbett Mark resigned their seats after an ethics scandal. Evans resigned this summer season after a factual memo announcing he knowingly violated board ethics was public. Mark later resigned after he lied regarding the findings of the ethics probe. The plump D.C. Council must approve the nominations.

Usa today Florida

Orlando: A brand recent document is recommending a brand recent board, inspector stylish and ethics standards for the scandal-plagued Florida Digital College. The Orlando Sentinel reports the ideas released Friday by the Florida Department of Training additionally dispute Florida’s public on-line college wants to implement cybersecurity measures. The college had a facts breach closing yr, and its used stylish counsel resigned following an investigation by the Sentinel that documented accusations of substandard spending and behavior. Gov. Ron DeSantis and whisper lawmakers ordered a whisper takeover of the on-line college, which operates as its hang $240 million public college district serving more than 200,000 students. All Florida public high college students are required to resolve at the least one virtual class, and many expend the college as the provider.

Usa today Georgia

Atlanta: A memorial service turned into as soon as held over the weekend to endure in thoughts the victims of the Atlanta puny one murders in the 1970s and 1980s. WSB-TV reports dozens of individuals, including some household members of the victims, gathered for the service Saturday. The string of murders of mostly shadowy boys insecure the metropolis between 1979 and 1981. The service integrated the lighting of candles, songs and a procession of hearses. “The wretchedness is still here,” mentioned Catherine Leach, who misplaced her son Curtis Walker 40 years ago. Wayne Williams turned into as soon as given two life sentences in 1982 for convictions in the deaths of two adults, belief to be among 29 shadowy adolescents and younger adults killed. Police blamed him for the several killings however never charged him. There turned into as soon as a renewed push to reexamine proof in the case.

Usa today Hawaii

Honolulu: An environmental advocacy neighborhood has filed a lawsuit against a federal company for what it says is a failure to guard habitat for 14 endangered species on Hawaii island. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the Middle for Natural Range says the failure to designate critical habitat for the vegetation and animals in a properly timed formulation is a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit names Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Provider as defendants. The national organization says the Fish and Wildlife Provider listed 15 plant and animal species in Hawaii as endangered in October 2013. The lawsuit says the company turned into as soon as required beneath the act to designate critical habitat however has simplest done so for without a doubt some of the safe species.

Usa today Idaho

Boise: About 35,000 Idaho residents have signed up for Medicaid beneath expanded coverage in the first few days it has been offered. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare mentioned Monday that’s more than a third of the estimated 91,000 other folks who are eligible. The company began taking capabilities Friday. Idaho voters licensed Medicaid expansion closing yr with an initiative that handed with 61% of the vote, however lawmakers earlier this yr added restrictions requiring 5 waivers. Federal officials have yet to approve any of the waivers, however enrollment is persevering with with coverage starting Jan. 1. The expansion affords Medicaid to other folks earning up to a most of 138% of the federal poverty level. That most is ready $17,000 a yr for one particular person and $35,500 for a household of 4.

Usa today Illinois

Peoria: Officials at Bradley University are marking the first half of a $100 million recent industrial and engineering constructing. The (Peoria) Journal Star reports university officials devoted the constructing in a Friday ceremony attended by loads of. Officials dispute the constructing’s effect will allow students to higher collaborate with an originate atrium and broad hallways. Crews are still striking the final touches on the 270,000-square-foot Enterprise and Engineering Convergence Middle as college and workers transfer in. Classes will originate interior a few weeks. The constructing can have 200 offices, dozens of faculty rooms and more than 40 specialized labs. Work is yet to originate on the 2d half, that will encompass the constructing’s closing cruise and require demolition of the used engineer constructing.

Usa today Indiana

Indianapolis: A whisper legislative panel is recommending that Indiana’s factual age for procuring cigarettes be raised from 18 to 21. The Legislature’s public health glimpse committee accepted the suggestion closing week after listening to testimony not too lengthy ago on the trade that has failed to near among lawmakers for several years. The Journal Gazette reports the proposed age trade would conceal both used and electronic cigarettes. Committee chairman Sen. Ed Charbonneau of Valparaiso says he doesn’t query action unless at the least the 2021 legislative session, when a brand recent whisper funds is assumed to be, on story of Indiana cigarette tax revenue would possibly decline with the trade. Sen. Vaneta Becker of Evansville countered that the whisper would possibly peek a loss in tax revenue before the whole lot however will assign on lengthy-term health prices.

Usa today Iowa

Iowa City: The University of Iowa has developed a short-term card to permit students who lack utterly different forms of identification to vote in Tuesday’s election. The card turned into as soon as created at the nudging of student authorities organizers committed to making vote casting more accessible to students in the wake of changes to the Iowa Code in 2017 requiring IDs at the polls. Student authorities collaborators are hopeful this week’s blended metropolis-college election will again as a take a look at shuffle for the short-term IDs, main up to the 2020 presidential election. In step with the Iowa secretary of whisper’s field of job, unregistered residents can vote on the day of an election by exhibiting proof of residency and a college-issued photo ID – however that ID must encompass an expiration date. The UI’s fashioned student ID card would not encompass one, however the short-term playing cards attain: Nov. 6, upright sooner or later after the election.

Usa today Kansas

Topeka: Abortion opponents pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban the job in the whisper are assembly resistance from utterly different anti-abortion groups. Two legislative committees have suggested that lawmakers assign in thoughts the divulge for the length of the 2020 legislative session. The ideas near as lawmakers strive to resolve learn how to answer to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that the whisper’s structure guarantees a appropriate to abortion. Kansas Files Provider reports that at a listening to closing week, some advocates pushed for a “personhood amendment” that will ban all abortions in Kansas. Nonetheless some of the whisper’s largest anti-abortion groups dispute the personhood amendment will not be helpful. Anti-abortion legislators have customarily deferred to Kansans for Life on abortion coverage components for more than twenty years. That neighborhood argues that an incremental formulation builds public toughen for increased restrictions.

Usa today Kentucky

Gigantic Rivers: Officials dispute they’ve set in a riverbed bubbler and sound gadget in a lake as an experimental and environmentally pleasant intention to attend an invasive fish from spreading. The Paducah Sun reports federal, whisper and native officials are conserving an match Friday to showcase the deployment of the bio-acoustic fish fence at Barkley Dam in western Kentucky. This would possibly be evaluated over the route of the next three years, despite the undeniable truth that officials hope to have a study some preliminary results subsequent yr. Loads of agencies in Kentucky and Tennessee are combining funding, skills or workers to relieve pause the unfold of Asian carp. Lyon County Come to a resolution-Govt Wade White says if the bio-acoustic systems proves efficient, it's a ways customarily ancient in utterly different areas to deter the unfold of the fish.

Usa today Louisiana

Lafayette: A volunteer search-and-rescue neighborhood says it has changed its title to handbook clear of bewilderment with a equally named organization whose leader is accused of taking money from a fundraiser supposed for adolescents. The director of Pinnacle Search and Rescue, previously identified as Cajun Navy 2016, suggested KADN-TV it accelerated its title trade when the president of a separate neighborhood known as The US’s Cajun Navy turned into as soon as charged with fraud two weeks ago. Files retail outlets document the trade additionally comes as its hang president, Jon Bridgers, faces fraud prices after a house owner mentioned he agreed to realize contracting work on a apartment however never done. Pinnacle Search and Rescue director Ben Husser mentioned some had been confusing the two organizations. Both groups encompass personal boat householders who relieve rescue operations.

Usa today Maine

Portland: Gun modify advocates dispute they thought to attend pushing for tighter gun controls in Maine, no topic the failure of a flurry of proposals to transfer forward for the length of the impending legislative session. Democrats proposed several changes to the whisper’s gun licensed pointers for the session that begins in January, however the Legislative Council rejected most of them and tabled one. Proposals need the council’s approval to transfer on to legislative committees and the plump Statehouse. Individuals of the Maine chapter of Mothers Establish a query to of Hobble for Gun Sense in The US dispute the proposals would’ve safe adolescents from attainable college shootings and gun accidents in the house. Republican Sen. Jeffrey Timberlake, who sits on the council, mentioned the proposals didn’t upward thrust to the extent of emergency legislation, which is the blueprint of the session.

Usa today Maryland

Germantown: A resolution by a county govt to ban a police position from displaying a “skinny blue line” flag is drawing criticism from Gov. Larry Hogan. The wood flag turned into as soon as a reward from a local resident in recognition of National First Responders Day. It turned into as soon as to be displayed in the Fifth District Plight. Files retail outlets document that Democratic Bernard Law Bernard Law Montgomery County Govt Marc Elrich mentioned the flag affords a image of “toughen” to a few however is a image of “dismissiveness” to others. The “skinny blue line” flag has been labeled by some as a response to the Murky Lives Topic circulation. Hogan, a Republican, mentioned in a series of tweets Sunday that he turned into as soon as “offended and disgusted” that Elrich had prohibited officers from displaying the flag.

Usa today Massachusetts

Wellfleet: A marine biologist is reporting a interesting upward thrust in series of sunfish stranded on Cape Cod beaches. The abnormal-having a search migratory fish, which is prepared to develop to easily about 9 feet lengthy and weigh thousands of kilos, would possibly very properly be came all over in mid- to slack summer season off the whisper’s whisk. Marine biologist Carol “Krill” Carson tells the Cape Cod Occasions that a couple dozen or more are in most cases came all over stranded on beaches yearly. So a ways, about 130 had been stranded this yr. Carson says this yr is “out of modify,” noting the stranding season begins in mid-August and runs through ecember. She has a network of about 30 volunteers who relieve her in returning the fish to the ocean or taking tissue samples if it’s dreary. The sunfish is succesful of lengthy migrations to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in the winter.

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Lansing: The whisper is reducing or removing charges assessed on other folks who register to make use of marijuana for medical causes. The Marijuana Regulatory Company announced closing week that recent principles are in stop. The application fee for a two-yr registry card is now $40, down from $60. A $10 fee to interchange, replace, add or resolve away a caregiver has been eliminated. Caregivers, who provide sufferers with marijuana, will no longer deserve to pay a $25 background test processing fee. Marijuana Regulatory Company Govt Director Andrew Brisbo says the whisper has worked onerous to streamline the formulation for cardholders, not simplest reducing charges however additionally making it more straightforward for sufferers to put together for and receive their playing cards.

Usa today Minnesota

St. Paul: An enterprising college student who drove to Iowa each weekend to take loads of of Krispy Kreme doughnuts that he then sold to his hang potentialities in the Twin Cities position has been warned by the confectionary huge to pause. There had been no Krispy Kreme retail outlets in Minnesota for 11 years. Jayson Gonzalez, 21, of Champlin, Minnesota, would pressure 270 miles to a Krispy Kreme store in Clive, Iowa, pack his automobile with up to 100 bins of a dozen doughnuts, then pressure attend north. He charged $17 to $20 per box and mentioned a few of his potentialities spent simply about $100 every time. Gonzalez mentioned he failed to receive a bargain from the shop in Iowa. Nonetheless lower than per week after the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported on his money-making plan, Gonzalez got a telephone call from Krispy Kreme’s Nebraska field of job telling him to pause. In an announcement Sunday evening, Krispy Kreme mentioned it’s having a search into the topic.

Usa today Mississippi

Glendora: Males carrying a white nationalist flag had been caught on security cameras looking out to film in entrance of a brand recent memorial to lynching victim Emmett Unless. Patrick Weems, govt director of the Emmett Unless Memorial Price, says cameras captured the incident Saturday. Security footage from the commission reveals the boys, one carrying a neo-Confederate neighborhood flag, filming at the positioning. They're seeing working away when a security terror sounds. Weems says he believes they had been filming a propaganda video. Unless turned into as soon as 14 when he turned into as soon as beaten and killed in 1955 after he whistled at a white woman. The memorial is at the positioning the put Unless’s body turned into as soon as pulled from a river. A bulletproof memorial to Unless turned into as soon as devoted Oct. 19 after the first three markers had been vandalized.

Usa today Missouri

Cape Girardeau: A program that helps younger men reach their plump attainable is earning accolades from southeast Missouri leaders and members of the Legislature’s Murky Caucus. The Southeast Missourian reports the Honorable Younger Males Club affords mentoring for college students in the Cape Girardeau College District, however its organizers hope to lengthen in other areas. This technique turned into as soon as begun in 2016 by four used Southeast Missouri Affirm University soccer gamers, including one now with the Baltimore Ravens, Aaron Adeoye. The utterly different three not too lengthy ago hosted a gathering to present the advantages of the program. The match turned into as soon as organized by used Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. Co-founders dispute students who resolve half in the program have better grades, increased attendance and fewer suspensions than their chums.

Usa today Montana

Billings: Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Financial Prognosis point to that Montana outpaces neighboring Wyoming by the use of recreation economies. The Billings Gazette reports that in accordance with facts from 2017, the analysis locations Montana’s total out of doorways recreation worth at $2.3 billion, when put next with $1.6 billion in Wyoming. This is the first national document to drill into whisper-by-whisper recreation economies. Rachel VandeVoort, director of the Montana field of job of Start air Game, mentioned the whisper-by-whisper analysis is useful in making choices, equivalent to investing in habitat, retaining public or personal lands, or contributing funding to recent opportunities. University of Wyoming economics professor Gain Godby attributes the disparity between the two states to Montana’s increased inhabitants and more urban areas, which methodology more businesses catering to hunters, anglers, skiers and bikers.

Usa today Nebraska

Omaha: The Salvation Military’s annual Tree of Lights campaign is region to receive underway in the position this week with the annual lighting of metal Christmas trees in entrance of American National Monetary institution branches in central Omaha and in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In Omaha, loads of are anticipated to internet Friday for the lighting of a 75-foot mountainous, 2-ton metal tree with more than 60,000 LED lights and 600 lit snowflakes, topped by a 6-foot valuable particular person. The match substances live tune, meals, reindeer and utterly different Christmas-themed choices. Across the Missouri River, the Salvation Military will additionally gentle a Christmas tree atop the American National Monetary institution branch in Council Bluffs and again refreshments. The lighting ceremonies kick off the Salvation Military’s purple kettle bell-ringing pressure.

Usa today Nevada

Reno: A brand recent commander has been chosen to lead Nevada’s 152nd Airlift Soar, in most cases identified as the “Excessive Rollers.” Col. Jacob Hammons, an F-16 pilot from Las Vegas, replaced Reno native Col. Eric Wade for the length of a trade-of-account for ceremony Saturday at the Nevada Air National Guard atrocious. “(I’m) furious, ready to receive going,” Hammons mentioned. The 152nd Airlift Soar entails 1,016 airmen, most of whom again one weekend a month and two weeks each yr as used guardsmen in a reserve pressure that helps the federal authorities foreign, in accordance with the Nevada Air National Guard. The unit affords tactical airlift worldwide and expeditionary strive against toughen. It additionally operates the U.S. Woodland Provider’s Modular Airborne Fireplace Combating Machine, which transforms cargo aircraft into firefighting air tankers.

Usa today Contemporary Hampshire

Concord: Fifth graders all around the whisper are heading to the polls this week to elect the next “Kid Governor.” This is the 2d yr the whisper has participated in a national civics program aimed in direction of encouraging civic engagement by instructing students regarding the history of vote casting rights, the qualities of magnificent leaders and the mechanics of campaigns. Bigger than 450 students in six Contemporary Hampshire colleges participated closing yr, deciding on Lola Giannelli, of Nashua, as their first Kid Governor. She has spent the previous yr promoting efforts to guard animals from abuse. The seven candidates hoping to succeed her have platforms that encompass topics equivalent to bullying, underage tobacco use, and college and occupation awareness. Voting began Monday and ends Nov. 12.

Usa today Contemporary Jersey

Trenton: Relating to a third of the whisper’s lawmakers additionally work in utterly different authorities jobs with funds that not simplest lengthen their pensions however additionally elevate ethical questions about whom they again after they forged votes in the Legislature, an investigation finds. The 37 lawmakers conserving more than one authorities job or contract racked up simply about $2.7 million in extra taxpayer earnings previous their $49,000-a-yr Statehouse salaries, the investigation came all over. As a result of quirks in whisper law, longtime lawmakers can still pad their pensions despite the undeniable truth that a series of reforms in the previous decade puny the stout payout for newer legislators. Perfect-authorities groups dispute so-known as double-dipping creates an increased threat of struggle, attainable favoritism and a drain on public greenbacks.

Usa today Contemporary Mexico

Carlsbad: Individuals of this arid whisper’s congressional delegation are procuring for systems to strive against water scarcity here and all around the West. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall is blaming native weather trade for rising water scarcity, caring that Contemporary Mexico snowpacks are getting smaller and unable to adequately feed the Rio Grande and the relaxation of the whisper’s groundwater affords. He and utterly different lawmakers closing week offered the Western Water Security Act of 2019. They dispute the blueprint is to toughen Contemporary Mexico’s water infrastructure and focus efforts on conservation and the restoration of water affords all around the West. The most recent federal drought map reveals a colossal pocket of sensible to excessive drought over the Four Corners plan, the put Contemporary Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet.

Usa today Contemporary York

Contemporary York: The metropolis’s police commissioner is retiring after three years, and a prime deputy will succeed him as the leader of the nation’s largest police department, Mayor Invoice de Blasio mentioned Monday. James O’Neill, 61, moved the police department a ways off from controversial “broken dwelling windows” insurance policies and oversaw persevering with drops in crime. He'll remain on the job unless subsequent month, when he leaves for a job in the personal sector. Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea, a 28-yr department member who began as a patrolman in the south Bronx, would possibly perchance well be the recent commissioner. Shea rose to prominence as the department’s statistical guru, and de Blasio mentioned he's “without a doubt some of the finest-prepared incoming police commissioners this metropolis has ever viewed.”

Usa today North Carolina

Raleigh: A admire hunter who accuses the whisper of misusing his photos from Blackbeard’s flagship says he’ll search facts from for 10 cases the damages he before the whole lot sought, now that a court docket ruling has near down in his need. John Masters of Intersal Inc. says he plans to see $140 million in damages from North Carolina following the ruling Friday from the whisper Supreme Court that the case must return to Enterprise Court. He mentioned an authority gaze had set Intersal’s losses from the whisper’s use of more than 2,000 photos and more than 200 minutes of film at $129 million. He’s seeking one other $11 million for losses over a permit that the whisper denied him, which would have allowed Intersal to see for a Spanish ship. Virtually a quarter-century ago, Masters’ father came all around the wreckage of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, which ran aground in Beaufort, in what turned into as soon as then the colony of North Carolina, in 1718.

Usa today North Dakota

Bismarck: Affirm natural world officials dispute the series of tags issued for the upcoming deer hunt is up by about 10,000. The Game and Fish Department says about 67,500 deer tags had been issued. Wildlife division chief Jeb Williams says the deer inhabitants is trending up in western North Dakota, while the eastern half of the whisper has been slower from the rough winters of 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Bismarck Tribune reports Williams says there are fewer acres idled beneath the federal Conservation Reserve Program than a dozen years ago, which methodology less habitat. In 2018, 64% of impress holders harvested a deer, a puny below the department’s benchmark of 70%. The season opens at noon Friday and ends Nov. 24.

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Columbus: The Ohio Veterans Hall of Popularity will honor 20 veterans at this yr’s annual induction ceremony. Individuals of the 2019 class will seemingly be inducted Thursday at the Engrossing Life Church in the Columbus suburb of Dublin. Gov. Mike DeWine and Deborah Ashenhurst, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Products and services, will honor the class with medals. Officials dispute the final public is invited to the 10 a.m. ceremony. Old Gov. George Voinovich established the Hall of Popularity in 1992 to explore famed decent success, service to the community and selfless acts of veterans following their militia service. Honorees encompass astronauts, volunteers, community leaders, extinct advocates and used authorities officials, among others. The 2019 class joins 875 Ohio veterans inducted since the Hall of Popularity turned into as soon as created.

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Oklahoma City: Bigger than 400 inmates walked out the doorways of prisons all around the whisper Monday as half of what officials dispute is the largest single-day mass commutation in U.S. history. Monday’s birth of inmates, all with convictions for low-level drug and property crimes, resulted from a invoice signed by recent Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt. The invoice retroactively applied misdemeanor sentences for easy drug possession and low-level property crimes that whisper voters accepted in 2016. Stitt has made reducing Oklahoma’s most realistic likely-in-the-nation incarceration fee without a doubt one of his prime priorities and has appointed reform-minded members to the whisper’s Pardon and Parole Board. The board closing week belief to be 814 cases and suggested 527 inmates for commutation. Nonetheless, 65 are being held on detainers, leaving about 462 inmates to be released Monday.

Usa today Oregon

Salem: A timber investment firm is selling more than 3,000 acres along the Columbia River that has been ancient to develop poplar trees. The Capital Press reports Greenwood Resources had ancient the land to develop poplar trees for the U.S. paper industry, however specialists dispute global competition and a low revenue margin have made that complicated. Poplar plantations arose due to steep logging declines on federal land in the Pacific Northwest as paper firms apprehensive about acquiring ample wood chips to shuffle their vegetation. Nonetheless that scarcity never materialized, and efforts to develop increased poplar trees to be used in furniture development had been stymied by competition from alder wood. Alder trees develop naturally in Pacific Northwest forests and don’t can need to be grown on plantations, making them less expensive.

Usa today Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh: After four years of sorting out, the Pennsylvania Turnpike says it plans to transfer forward with a $129 million project to develop into a completely cashless toll gadget in two years, removing loads of of toll-collecting and auditing positions along the most realistic likely intention. Turnpike CEO Sign Compton suggested the Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette closing week that “the blueprint is to have the gadget fully cashless by the autumn off 2021.” Toll cubicles will still be at some exit ramps unless 2026 to file E-ZPass signals or photo license plates so bills would possibly very properly be mailed to drivers. The jobs of the 600 final toll collectors and toll auditors will seemingly be eliminated, however officials dispute they are going to have the choice to transfer into utterly different turnpike jobs or to resolve classes at the turnpike’s expense.

Usa today Rhode Island

Providence: Gun safety advocates desire the whisper’s household court docket judges to require more home abusers to give up their firearms. A document released Monday reveals 34% of home abusers are being ordered to give up their weapons in closing orders of protection. That’s an lengthen from 5% prior to a 2017 whisper law regarding firearm surrenders took stop. In cases the put a defendant is ordered to give up firearms, 36% filed an affidavit – as required beneath the law – to display they no longer have the weapons. The document turned into as soon as compiled by Everytown for Gun Safety and Mothers Establish a query to of Hobble. Moreover court docket files, it depends on observations of knowledgeable volunteers who monitored 289 home violence protection divulge cases between October 2018 and Could well 2019. Some judges disagree about how the law can need to be interpreted.

Usa today South Carolina

Charleston: Affirm authorities are having a search into the funds of Emanuel AME Church, which got millions in donations after a racist assault left nine worshippers at a Bible glimpse dreary in 2015. The Put up and Courier reports Affirm Laws Enforcement Division spokesman Tommy Crosby confirmed the investigation closing week however declined to elaborate. The church’s used secretary, Althea Latham, says she spoke to SLED agents not too lengthy ago regarding the handling of these donations. Latham has lengthy contended that her contract wasn’t renewed lower than two months after the taking pictures on story of she puzzled processing and transparency surrounding the money that turned into as soon as coming in. Church leaders have mentioned her contract simply wasn’t renewed. Latham hopes accountability will receive to the bottom of lingering suspicions over the donations.

Usa today South Dakota

Sioux Falls: Feeding South Dakota is launching its yearly Thanksgiving Meal Power as the nonprofit aims to relieve thousands of households who couldn’t otherwise afford the holiday. Givers who are procuring for learn how to relieve can donate meals or money to Feeding South Dakota through Nov. 23. The nonprofit hopes to distribute 3,400 turkeys and meals to households all over South Dakota on the Saturday prior to the holiday. Donors Greg and Pam Sands will match any on-line monetary donations up to $15,000. A $20 reward is ample to pay for a turkey dinner for a household of 4, in accordance with Feeding South Dakota. Folks can extinguish monetary donations on-line or by telephone at 605-335-0364, ext. 126.

Usa today Tennessee

Ashland City: Neal Ryder turned into as soon as rising safe in half to extinguish his hang puny one meals for 3-month-used son Griffin when he grew a whopping 22.6-pound candy potato. Ryder says he didn’t realize a candy potato would possibly develop that colossal and didn’t assign in thoughts himself a file-setter “by any methodology,” however he would possibly perchance wish done upright that. Guinness World Files reveals that the heaviest candy potato on the earth turned into as soon as grown in Spain in 2004. It weighed 81 kilos and 9 oz, in accordance with Guinness World Files and the Gigantic Pumpkin Commonwealth. Though Ryder’s candy potato is a section of the enviornment file, it'd extinguish Tennessee history. Last yr, an East Tennessee woman grew a candy potato that rang in at simply about 14 kilos. Files reports from that time claimed it turned into as soon as a file.

Usa today Texas

San Antonio: The mesquite, an iconic tree in the Lone Star Affirm, affords a blessing and a curse, the San Antonio Order-Files reports. Ranch manager Farron Sultemeier notes its beans provide slack summer season feed for cattle and natural world. Nonetheless it spreads ridiculously immediate and is practically unstoppably invasive. Texas mesquites additionally safe thorns interesting ample to ruin livestock and puncture a automobile tire. And so they develop so gnarly and zigzag, the wood is solely about ineffective for one thing utterly different than imparting a intrepid smokiness to meat – a signature of Texas barbecue. Nonetheless that soon would possibly trade with two recent, improved sorts developed by California-based mostly completely completely Altman Vegetation. These experimental trees develop erect, spineless and immediate, while still being ready to continue to exist and thrive in the merciless, semi-arid native weather of South Texas. Altman Vegetation not too lengthy ago shipped about 150 of its two experimental hybrids – dubbed Mojave and Sonoran – from California to the San Antonio nursery the put they’ll be propagated. Specimens can need to be accessible for purchase interior a yr.

Usa today Utah

American Fork: A VW bus painted like a shadowy chalkboard is inspiring inventive drawings and bringing other folks together on this metropolis. No topic the put he parks the “chalkbus,” proprietor Jonathan Sherman says he comes attend to get huge recent art work adorning the facets. The On each day basis Herald reports that the story in the attend of the bus inspired a documentary by college students at Utah Valley University. Sherman additionally lets bands cram into the bus to play tune while he drives spherical metropolis. Sherman, a licensed marriage and household therapist, says the bus appears to safe one thing other folks are lacking by connecting them. He takes it each yr to the Out of Darkness Suicide Prevention Stroll in Salt Lake City and lets other folks plot on it there.

Usa today Vermont

Bennington: A non-public boarding college in Contemporary Hampshire has made a divulge to take a closed Vermont college. The Bennington Banner reports the head of Oliverian College in Pike, Contemporary Hampshire, and the board chairman of the used Southern Vermont College enlighten the personal college has offered $4.9 million for the 371-acre campus and structures in Bennington. “We feel that our students and college would thrive here,” says Will Laughlin, head of Oliverian College. Southern Vermont College officials mentioned the closure closing spring after graduation turned into as soon as due to a decline in enrollment and connected debt components that face utterly different little colleges in the Northeast. In step with Oliverian College’s internet living, it’s an alternative college preparatory boarding college for adolescents who have not thrived in used settings.

Usa today Virginia

Richmond: A Catholic congregation of religious ladies folk that serves the elderly is leaving the whisper after 145 years. It’s the seventh time in six years that the congregation has pulled out all around the nation on story of fewer ladies folk have gotten a member of the divulge. The Richmond Occasions-Dispatch reports Minute Sisters of the Poor has about 30 areas in the U.S. and others in extra than 30 countries. Its mission is to again the elderly in nursing homes spherical the enviornment. It came to the Richmond plan in 1874. The divulge announced closing week that it would possibly most likely well be leaving St. Joseph’s Dwelling in Henrico County. The 11 sisters who are leaving don’t yet know yet the put they’ll coast. Nonetheless they would possibly be despatched to any dwelling on the earth that’s shuffle by the religious divulge.

Usa today Washington

Olympia: Affirm officials are notifying voters of a registration error that will have an effect on about 1,000 other folks trying to forged a ballotin the whisper election scheduled for Tuesday. The Seattle Occasions reports officials have contacted voters by telephone and e-mail after detecting a divulge with voter registrations submitted through Washington’s health thought internet living. The safe living affords a voter registration probability for folk enrolling in health or dental coverage and transmits the determining to the Secretary of Affirm’s Office. Officials dispute the Washington Health Support Exchange underwent a gadget upgrade in August that triggered some voter registration facts to be transmitted to the contaminated story in the whisper gadget. Officials dispute the Secretary of Affirm’s Office came all around the registration error closing week and mounted the divulge by Thursday evening.

Usa today West Virginia

Charleston: A natural world decent says a monthlong series of tumble tours to have a study elk drew guests from eight utterly different states. Chief Logan Affirm Park naturalist Lauren Cole suggested the Charleston Gazette-Mail that 227 other folks went on the sold-out tours in September and October. The elk had been at the nearby Tomlin Wildlife Administration Build of living and had been imported from Kentucky and Arizona. They’re half of a Division of Natural Resources effort to restore the species to the whisper. Cole says elk had been viewed on 19 of the 20 tours. She attributed the one tour the put elk weren’t viewed to a neighborhood of hunters who had been pursuing raccoons with dogs. Cole says guests additionally noticed deer, wild turkeys, rabbits and a shadowy endure. The tours additionally had been offered closing yr.

Usa today Wisconsin

Madison: The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the usage of rolling robots to bring meals. The college entered proper into a contact with Starship Technologies this summer season to receive receive admission to to a immediate of 30 robots that resemble coolers on wheels. The robots can navigate sidewalks autonomously, despite the undeniable truth that human controllers can resolve over at a moment’s witness. Students and college can divulge meals from several university restaurants through a Starship app on their phones and explore the robots’ development as they skedaddle to their address. Customers will receive an alert when the robotic arrives. Every shipping will worth $1.99. That money will coast to Starship Technologies. The robots began deliveries Monday on the campus’ north aspect. University officials hope to lengthen service campuswide as soon as the robots have mapped the total position.

Usa today Wyoming

Cheyenne: Gov. Sign Gordon says he's originate to the whisper pursuing a nuclear crash storage facility, though he doesn’t personally imagine it’s the finest industry for Wyoming. Gordon suggested the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s editorial board closing week that if an spectacular cause would possibly very properly be came all over for such an industry in Wyoming, and it has ample safeguards, he’s not going to stand in its intention. The governor says he'll wait to have a study what the Legislature finds in its study of the foundation prior to making a resolution. This week in Casper, the Joint Minerals, Enterprise and Financial Trend Meantime Committee will assign in thoughts a invoice authorizing the governor to negotiate with the U.S. Vitality Department to store spent nuclear gas rods all around the whisper.

From USA TODAY Network and wire reports

Read or Portion this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/facts/50-states/2019/11/05/doughnut-hustle-sizzling-now-chalkbus-blackbeards-remittance-facts-spherical-states/40548501/

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corneliusreignallen · 4 years

Text

The 19 Democrats still running for president and everything else you should know about 2020

The number of 2020 Democratic candidates who are running for president has passed two dozen. | Javier Zarracina/Vox. Getty Images

The biggest questions about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, answered.

The 2020 presidential primary campaign field has started to winnow down, but there are still new candidates jumping into the race four months to go until the first states vote.

Any Democrat with dreams of occupying the Oval Office can see Donald Trump is a vulnerable president who hasn’t broadened his appeal beyond his base. A lot of them are running for their party’s nomination next year to be its standard-bearer in the 2020 election.

There is a clear top tier of four candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden — the early, if unimposing, frontrunner; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has steadily risen to the top of the field; Sen. Bernie Sanders with his solid base of left voters; and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has been trending upward lately. After an early boomlet, Sens. Kamala Harris is down in the polls. Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, and Andrew Yang have also been in the fray for months. A fair number of candidates have left the race: former US Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, among others.

But the field isn’t set yet. Ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg filed for the Alabama primary right a headline of the deadline. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is entering the race. Even Hillary Clinton is taking calls encouraging her to run again, though she says it is exceedingly unlikely she’d seek the White House for a third time.

The Democratic field includes a record number of women and nonwhite candidates, a mix of high-wattage stars and lesser-known contenders who believe they can navigate a fractured field to victory. The debates started in June, with most candidates getting a chance to appear on stage, but the number of participants started to winnow in the third debate in September. The fifth Democratic debate will be held on November 20.

Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary will face Trump, who along with the Republican National Committee has already raised more than $300 million for reelection to a second term. Recent history tells us Americans usually give their presidents another four years. That should lend Trump an advantage. But the president has been historically unpopular during his first term, and he’s now mired in an impeachment inquiry after an explosive scandal in which he asked the Ukrainian president for political dirt on Biden. Impeachment polling doesn’t look great for Trump.

The last few months have demonstrated really anything can happen. It’s silly to pretend anybody knows how this campaign is going to end, and the 2016 election should have humbled all political prognosticators. Still, the 2020 campaign has already started. Here is what you need to know to get oriented.

Who is running for president in the 2020 election?

On the Republican side, there is of course President Donald Trump.

A few Republican officials — former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and popular Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan — have hinted they might challenge the president in a primary. But any primary challenger would be a huge underdog against the sitting president. Republican leaders have said they want to protect Trump by potentially having state parties change the rules for their primaries to guard against an insurgency.

The GOPers trying to supplant him are former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, a libertarian-leaning Republican who has officially entered the race former radio host and former Rep. Joe Walsh, who has apologized for saying racist things on Twitter. Former Rep. Mark Sanford, an ideological conservative who was a member of the Freedom Caucus while he was in the House, briefly pursued a primary challenge but he has already dropped out. No other Republican is going to topple Trump, we can safely say.

On the Democratic side, the field is mostly set after these unexpected late entries, and candidates have started to drop out. The contenders, in rough order of standing, are:

From left: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Jay Inslee, Beto O’Rourke, John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennett, Julián Castro, Tulsi Gabbard, John Delaney, Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Yang, Marianne Williamson.

Former Vice President Joe Biden: Biden thought hard about running in 2016, but he decided against it, being so soon after his son Beau’s death and with the party establishment uniformly behind Hillary Clinton. He’s still very popular with Democratic voters, and the former veep apparently wasn’t sure any of the other potential candidates would beat Trump. Though surely inflated by name recognition, Biden had a sizable early lead in the early Democratic primary polls. However, Warren recently (albeit very narrowly) surpassed him.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): The Massachusetts senator is proudly progressive, though she tends to position herself as wanting to fix capitalism rather than replace it. She wants to outflank Trump on trade and give workers seats on corporate boards and tax extreme wealth. Warren got on the ground early in Iowa and other early states, and like Sanders, is rejecting money from high-dollar donors. (You might have also heard about her releasing a DNA test in an attempt to prove she had Native American roots — a poorly executed early attempt to rebut Trump’s “Pocahontas” taunts.)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT): The 2016 runner-up is running again. He has the biggest grassroots base of any potential candidate, and he has been the leader of the push to move the party leftward. A more competitive field has presented Sanders with a very different race this time. And Sanders recently had a heart attack while on the campaign trail; while he’s recovering, he has openly said he won’t be able to get back to the breakneck speed of events he once had. Still, for many of the Democratic left, Sanders is the only candidate with the credibility to pursue their top-tier issues, like Medicare-for-all.

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg: Something of a viral political star, though he leads a city of “just” 100,000 people, Buttigieg is a military veteran and a Rhodes scholar, and he would be the first openly LGBTQ president in American history. Redevelopment and infrastructure projects have been staples of his tenure as mayor, but he’s also gotten plenty of questions of how he handled racial issues in South Bend.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA): The former California attorney general started generating White House hype almost as soon as she got to the Senate in 2017. As a younger black woman, she personifies the Democratic Party’s changing nature. She’s endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major middle-class tax credit, though her days as a prosecutor may present problems with the progressive grassroots. Harris made a big splash in early polls, but she’s now languishing in the second tier of candidates and hoping her campaign can reset in Iowa.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ): The former Newark, New Jersey, mayor and part-time firefighter is another fresh face with big ideas like savings accounts for newborns, and he’s also running in a Democratic primary with a lot of black voters. He’ll have to contend, though, with his work promoting charter schools (not a favorite of the teachers unions), the perception that he’s close with Wall Street, and the fact he can’t seem to break out of low single digits in the polls.

Andrew Yang: A humanitarian-mind entrepreneur who also served in the Obama administration. He’s running on a policy platform that includes, among other things, a universal basic income that would pay out $1,000 a month to every American over age 18.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN): She will look to blend her folksy, Midwestern manner with some crossover appeal, given her history of working across the aisle with Republicans and winning elections handily in a purplish state. Klobuchar is also known for her willingness to crack down on big tech firms focused on privacy and antitrust issues. She is struggling with a lack of name recognition, however, and she has been the subject of several reports about her alleged harsh treatment of staff.

Former San Antonio mayor and HUD Secretary Julián Castro: Castro got VP buzz in prior elections; now he’s running in his own right after serving in Barack Obama’s Cabinet, on an aspirational message as the grandson of immigrants.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI): Gabbard fires up a certain strain of antiwar progressive. She’ll face tough questions, though, about her apparent friendliness with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and her past comments on LGBTQ rights.

Tom Steyer: The billionaire Democratic donor has decided to enter the arena himself. He first rose to political prominence for his focus on combatting climate change and lately he has been on a crusade to convince congressional Democrats to impeach Trump. Steyer is positioning himself as a (well-funded) outsider running against a host of lifelong politicians.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Bloomberg had toyed with a Democratic presidential run, even though he governed the country’s biggest city as an independent, for a while now. Late in the game, he seems to have decided to finally take a shot, filing for the primary in Alabama ahead of the deadline there. He has a few policy wins that he can tout to Democratic voters, mostly notable on guns, but a centrist billionaire with some policy ideas that are anathema to the progressive base has not been a successful model in 2020 so far.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick: Patrick had sworn off a presidential bid months ago, but he’s reversed course and jumped into the campaign. The ex-gov is a longtime friend and ally of Barack Obama, and he’s trying to position himself as a candidate who can maintain unity within the party and country while still trying to tackle the big problems that have given the more left candidates such lift in the campaign. Whether he’ll succeed is another story: Cory Booker has a similar profile and hasn’t caught on so far, Democratic voters said they were already with the candidates they had before Patrick joined in, and he arguably lacks a signature progressive policy achievement despite eight years governing a liberal state with a Democratic legislature.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO): Bennet is a well-regarded but nationally little-known senator. He tacks toward the center ideologically. The passion that fuels his candidacy is a fervent frustration with the way Washington works now. Bennet believes Americans are not nearly as divided as the parties in Washington and is positioning himself accordingly.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock: Bullock, a two-term Democratic governor in a Trump-friendly state, is campaigning as a Washington outsider who will confront moneyed interests and reform the campaign finance system. He can also claim the successful expansion of Medicaid, with the buy-in of a Republican legislature, to showcase his bipartisan bona fides.

Former Rep. John Delaney: The most notable thing about Delaney is he’s been running for president for over two years, more or less living in Iowa, the first state on the presidential calendar. He was the first choice of just 1 percent of Iowa Democrats in a December 2018 poll.

Former Rep. Joe Sestak: The retired three-star admiral and former Pennsylvania representative in Congress is a late entry to the race, announcing his campaign three days before the first Democratic debates. Sestak is pitching himself heavily on his naval experience — his campaign logo prominently features the moniker “Adm. Joe” — and the global leadership experience he says it provides.

Marianne Williamson: A self-proclaimed “bitch for God” who has been a spiritual adviser to Oprah. Her previous political experience is a failed run for Congress as an independent in 2014.

Miramar, Florida, Mayor Wayne Messam: The mayor of a Miami suburb, it seems safe to assume Messam has the lowest name recognition of any Democrat in the race. The son of Jamaican immigrants, he’s raised wages for city workers as mayor and confronted the Republican-led state government over gun control.

Who has dropped out of the 2020 presidential campaign?

Quite a few Democrats have already given up the ghost.

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke: The former Texas Congress member is maybe 2020’s biggest wild card. O’Rourke built a historically successful fundraising apparatus during his losing 2018 Senate run against Ted Cruz. He’s young, and he gives a good speech. Obama’s old hands seem to like him. The open question is whether his self-evidenced political talents are matched by policy substance.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio: De Blasio, mayor of America’s biggest city and already the unlikely victor of a contentious Democratic primary to get there, touted his progressive achievements in the Big Apple as a model for the nation: enacting universal pre-K, ending stop-and-frisk, and an ambitious local health care program.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY): Gillibrand had evolved over the years from a centrist Democrat in the House to a progressive. She endorsed Medicare-for-all and universal paid family leave; a pillar of her Senate career has been cracking down on sexual assault in the military. Gillibrand was presenting herself as a young mom in tune with the #MeToo era and the Democratic women who powered the party to historic wins in the 2018 midterms.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper: Hickenlooper is a moderate ex-governor who pitched his ability to work across the aisle. On the issues, he touted his record on gun violence, environmental regulations, and expanding Medicaid. He conveyed an everyman persona, having founded a Denver brewery before he ever ran for public office. He decided to run for the Democratic nomination to challenge GOP Sen. Cory Garder in 2020 instead.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee: Inslee centered his work on environmental issues and the threat of climate change. He has pushed a bill to get his home state off coal energy and all other carbon-producing energy sources by 2045. It hasn’t always been smooth — voters in Washington rejected an Inslee-supported carbon fee in 2015 — but the governor hoped to quickly build a profile by focusing relentlessly on humanity’s direst existential threat. He has opted instead to seek a third term as governor.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA): Another Pelosi skeptic who helped lead the unsuccessful rebellion to stop her from becoming House Speaker again in 2016. Moulton, who represents a district in Massachusetts and is an Iraq War veteran, positioned himself as a moderate in contrast to the socialist energy animating the left and seeking to take over his party.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH): The Ohio congressman is pitching himself as the Democratic answer for Trump Country, arguing he can connect with the blue-collar workers the party has lost in the Midwest. He cited the closure of the Lordstown GM plant in his home state as part of his motivation for running. Ryan has a history of long-shot bids: He challenged Nancy Pelosi for the House Democratic leader post in 2016.

Former Sen. Mike Gravel: The 88-year-old former senator, famed for reading the Pentagon Papers into the congressional record, ran 2020’s oddest campaign. Two teenagers convinced Gravel to launch a protest candidacy targeting the center-left and the forever war of mainstream American foreign policy. He endorsed Gabbard and Sanders after he’d exited the race.

Who else might run for president in the 2020 election?

Well, never say never but the field might finally be set with Bloomberg and Patrick. There were a handful of names we were still watching throughout the summer — former senator, Secretary of State and presidential nominee John Kerry and Georgia state senator Stacey Abrams chief among them — but both have since said they will not run. Hillary Clinton would shake up the race if she decided to join, but she continues to tamp down on the speculation she could run again. People are going to start voting soon. We should have all the candidates we’re going to get.

When do candidates have to decide whether or not to run?

Each state has its own filing deadline for federal candidates. A couple states — Alabama and Arkansas — have already had their deadlines pass. South Dakota, on the other hand, doesn’t close the door on candidates until the end of March.

More realistically, it’s difficult to imagine a candidate being viable if they don’t start competing, at the absolute latest, in California or Texas on Super Tuesday, March 3, when they’ll already have missed the first four primary states. Nine other states vote on Super Tuesday too. California’s filing deadline is December 13 and Texas’s is December 9. We are in the final stretch for any other candidates to get off the sidelines and make a run.

When are the next 2020 Democratic presidential primary election debates?

The Democratic National Committee announced it will hold 12 debates, starting in June 2019 and extending into 2020.

The next Democratic debate is November 20 and will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. It could be a much more intimate affair than the 12-candidate extravaganza at the fourth debate in October. Candidates must secure at least 165,000 individual donors, including 600 individual donors from 20 states. Or they must reach 3 percent in the polls in four Democratic National Committee (DNC) approved surveys, or 5 percent in two DNC approved polls from the four earliest primary and caucus states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada.

As Vox’s Li Zhou reports, the candidates who have met the polling and donor thresholds are:

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

California Sen. Kamala Harris

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

Billionaire and climate advocate Tom Steyer

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Two candidates have met just the donor requirement:

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

When are the 2020 Democratic presidential primary election and caucus nights?

The votes that matter won’t be cast for another six months. We have months of formal announcements, speeches, policy rollouts, campaign gossip, unpredictable polling, and some debates before any elections happen, when candidates start collecting the delegates they’ll need to claim the nomination.

Early momentum is always critical, especially in a big field with so many candidates trying to prove that they’re viable. With that in mind, the first two months of the primary schedule:

February 3: Iowa caucuses

February 11: New Hampshire primary

February 22: Nevada caucuses

February 29: South Carolina primary

March 3 (“Super Tuesday”): Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont primaries

March 7: Louisiana primary

March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio primaries; North Dakota caucuses

March 17: Arizona, Florida, Illinois primaries

There are at least three more months of primaries and caucuses after that. But the candidates will focus their attention and organizing on the earlier states, and we should know a lot more about the field and the strongest candidates once the first sprint is over.

How do you win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination?

The short version is you have to win a majority of the delegates.

Every state has different rules for its primary elections or caucuses in terms of allocating delegates. Candidates win delegates proportional to where they finish in the results, though they generally have to hit a minimum threshold of 15 percent to be awarded any delegates.

In terms of numbers, there will be an estimated 3,768 delegates for the 2020 Democratic National Convention (where the nominee will be formally selected) up for grabs during the primary elections. One candidate needs to win at least 1,885 delegates to be nominated.

You might hear talk of a “brokered” or “contested” convention if no candidate gets the necessary delegates to win on the first ballot. But that hasn’t happened for decades, and it’s way too early to think that will happen in 2020. That doesn’t mean it’s not a possibility, but let’s wait for some votes to come in before we start up that parlor game.

Democrats have made one major change from the 2016 primary on “superdelegates” — elected officials, party leaders, and other prominent Democrats who have votes in addition to the regular delegates awarded by state elections. In the past, superdelegates didn’t have to follow any rules and could back whichever candidate they desire and make up their minds at any point in the process. When most of them endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, it gave her a built-in delegate advantage over Bernie Sanders, though she still won enough votes independent of the superdelegates to secure the nomination.

In a series of reforms, the DNC has stripped superdelegates of a vote on the first ballot. So unless the convention has to move to second or third votes because no candidate has a sufficient number of delegates — something that hasn’t happened since the 1950s — superdelegates won’t matter in 2020. (Arguably, they never did. Many pointed out it was unlikely for superdelegates to use their power to overturn the outcome of the primary system, but it nevertheless created consternation within the party.)

Okay. So who will be the next president?

Ha! You almost got me.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/33NKqNM

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shanedakotamuir · 4 years

Text

The 19 Democrats still running for president and everything else you should know about 2020

The number of 2020 Democratic candidates who are running for president has passed two dozen. | Javier Zarracina/Vox. Getty Images

The biggest questions about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, answered.

The 2020 presidential primary campaign field has started to winnow down, but there are still new candidates jumping into the race four months to go until the first states vote.

Who is running for president in the 2020 election?

On the Republican side, there is of course President Donald Trump.

On the Democratic side, the field is mostly set after these unexpected late entries, and candidates have started to drop out. The contenders, in rough order of standing, are:

Marianne Williamson: A self-proclaimed “bitch for God” who has been a spiritual adviser to Oprah. Her previous political experience is a failed run for Congress as an independent in 2014.

Who has dropped out of the 2020 presidential campaign?

Quite a few Democrats have already given up the ghost.

Who else might run for president in the 2020 election?

When do candidates have to decide whether or not to run?

When are the next 2020 Democratic presidential primary election debates?

The Democratic National Committee announced it will hold 12 debates, starting in June 2019 and extending into 2020.

As Vox’s Li Zhou reports, the candidates who have met the polling and donor thresholds are:

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

California Sen. Kamala Harris

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

Billionaire and climate advocate Tom Steyer

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Two candidates have met just the donor requirement:

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

When are the 2020 Democratic presidential primary election and caucus nights?

Early momentum is always critical, especially in a big field with so many candidates trying to prove that they’re viable. With that in mind, the first two months of the primary schedule:

February 3: Iowa caucuses

February 11: New Hampshire primary

February 22: Nevada caucuses

February 29: South Carolina primary

March 3 (“Super Tuesday”): Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont primaries

March 7: Louisiana primary

March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio primaries; North Dakota caucuses

March 17: Arizona, Florida, Illinois primaries

How do you win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination?

The short version is you have to win a majority of the delegates.

Okay. So who will be the next president?

Ha! You almost got me.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/33NKqNM

#Vox - All

0 notes

andresmejerlaw · 2 years

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timalexanderdollery · 4 years

Text

The 19 Democrats still running for president and everything else you should know about 2020

The number of 2020 Democratic candidates who are running for president has passed two dozen. | Javier Zarracina/Vox. Getty Images

The biggest questions about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, answered.

The 2020 presidential primary campaign field has started to winnow down, but there are still new candidates jumping into the race four months to go until the first states vote.

Who is running for president in the 2020 election?

On the Republican side, there is of course President Donald Trump.

On the Democratic side, the field is mostly set after these unexpected late entries, and candidates have started to drop out. The contenders, in rough order of standing, are:

Marianne Williamson: A self-proclaimed “bitch for God” who has been a spiritual adviser to Oprah. Her previous political experience is a failed run for Congress as an independent in 2014.

Who has dropped out of the 2020 presidential campaign?

A few Democrats have already given up the ghost.

Who else might run for president in the 2020 election?

Well, never say never but the field might finally be set with Bloomberg and Patrick. There were a handful of names we were still watching throughout the summer — former senator, Secretary of State and presidential nominee John Kerry and Georgia state senator Stacey Abrams chief among them — but both have since said they will not run. Hillary Clinton would shake up the race if she decided to join, but she continues to tamp down on any speculation she’d run again. People are going to start voting soon. We should have all the candidates we’re going to get.

When do candidates have to decide whether or not to run?

Each state has its own filing deadline for federal candidates. A couple states — Alabama and Arkansas — have already had their deadlines. South Dakota, on the other hand, doesn’t close the door on candidates until the end of March.

When are the next 2020 Democratic presidential primary election debates?

The Democratic National Committee announced it will hold 12 debates, starting in June 2019 and extending into 2020.

As Vox’s Li Zhou reports, the candidates who have met the polling and donor thresholds are:

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

California Sen. Kamala Harris

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

Billionaire and climate advocate Tom Steyer

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Two candidates have met just the donor requirement:

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

When are the 2020 Democratic presidential primary election and caucus nights?

Early momentum is always critical, especially in a big field with so many candidates trying to prove that they’re viable. With that in mind, the first two months of the primary schedule:

February 3: Iowa caucuses

February 11: New Hampshire primary

February 22: Nevada caucuses

February 29: South Carolina primary

March 3 (“Super Tuesday”): Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont primaries

March 7: Louisiana primary

March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio primaries; North Dakota caucuses

March 17: Arizona, Florida, Illinois primaries

How do you win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination?

The short version is you have to win a majority of the delegates.

Okay. So who will be the next president?

Ha! You almost got me.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/33NKqNM

#Vox - All

0 notes

gracieyvonnehunter · 4 years

Text

The 19 Democrats still running for president and everything else you should know about 2020

The number of 2020 Democratic candidates who are running for president has passed two dozen. | Javier Zarracina/Vox. Getty Images

The biggest questions about the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, answered.

The 2020 presidential primary campaign field has started to winnow down, but there are still new candidates jumping into the race four months to go until the first states vote.

Who is running for president in the 2020 election?

On the Republican side, there is of course President Donald Trump.

On the Democratic side, the field is mostly set after these unexpected late entries, and candidates have started to drop out. The contenders, in rough order of standing, are:

Marianne Williamson: A self-proclaimed “bitch for God” who has been a spiritual adviser to Oprah. Her previous political experience is a failed run for Congress as an independent in 2014.

Who has dropped out of the 2020 presidential campaign?

A few Democrats have already given up the ghost.

Who else might run for president in the 2020 election?

Well, never say never but the field might finally be set with Bloomberg and Patrick. There were a handful of names we were still watching throughout the summer — former senator, Secretary of State and presidential nominee John Kerry and Georgia state senator Stacey Abrams chief among them — but both have since said they will not run. Hillary Clinton would shake up the race if she decided to join, but she continues to tamp down on any speculation she’d run again. People are going to start voting soon. We should have all the candidates we’re going to get.

When do candidates have to decide whether or not to run?

When are the next 2020 Democratic presidential primary election debates?

The Democratic National Committee announced it will hold 12 debates, starting in June 2019 and extending into 2020.

As Vox’s Li Zhou reports, the candidates who have met the polling and donor thresholds are:

Former Vice President Joe Biden

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders

California Sen. Kamala Harris

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang

Billionaire and climate advocate Tom Steyer

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Two candidates have met just the donor requirement:

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

When are the 2020 Democratic presidential primary election and caucus nights?

Early momentum is always critical, especially in a big field with so many candidates trying to prove that they’re viable. With that in mind, the first two months of the primary schedule:

February 3: Iowa caucuses

February 11: New Hampshire primary

February 22: Nevada caucuses

February 29: South Carolina primary

March 3 (“Super Tuesday”): Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont primaries

March 7: Louisiana primary

March 10: Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio primaries; North Dakota caucuses

March 17: Arizona, Florida, Illinois primaries

How do you win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination?

The short version is you have to win a majority of the delegates.

Okay. So who will be the next president?

Ha! You almost got me.

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rightsinexile · 5 years

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Arbitrary detention of asylum seekers perpetuates the torture of family separation

This article was written by Nikki Reisch, Anjali Mehta and Ashley Miller. Professor Nikki Reisch is the Legal Director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and works as a supervising attorney at NYU Law School. Anjali Mehta and Ashley Miller are International Law and Human Rights fellows at NYU and both have engaged in human rights research in Latin America. The piece was originally published by Just Security on 15 March 2019 and is reprinted with permission from the authors and Just Security.

While the Trump administration’s official policy of family separation may have formally ended in June 2018, the practice itself did not, nor did the harm it has caused to thousands of families. As congressional hearings last week made clear, many questions remain about how many children have been separated from their parents, where they are today, and what the government knew about the severe, long-term psychological damage inflicted by the forcible separation of parents and children at the border — a practice that, when undertaken deliberately for the purpose of deterring migration, constitutes torture under international law. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen continues to deny the existence of a family separation policy, but a recent report by the Texas Civil Rights Project and news articles citing the Department of Justice’s own records indicate that families crossing the country’s southern border are still being torn apart, without any process or recourse for parents. This ongoing humanitarian crisis, of the administration’s own making, has rightfully preoccupied the new US Congress. What has received less attention, however, is the role that the routine, arbitrary detention of asylum seekers — itself a violation of human rights law — plays in the ongoing torture of family separation. We cannot truly repair the impact of family separation, unless we reckon with the practice of arbitrarily keeping asylum seekers behind bars. Arbitrary detention of asylum seekers in international law

Arbitrary detention is prohibited under international law, including in treaties binding on the United States. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), for example, guarantees that no one shall be subject to arbitrary detention and applies with equal force in the immigration context. Article 31 of the Refugee Convention, which binds the United States through its Optional Protocol, has been interpreted to protect refugees from arbitrary detention. According to Detention Guidelines issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, confining an asylum seeker in civil immigration detention is permissible only when based on an individualized determination that confinement is necessary for a legitimate purpose, such as preventing flight or protecting public safety or national security, and when subject to prompt, independent judicial review. Crucially, international bodies have made clear that detention of asylum seekers must be a measure of last resort, not a default practice imposed automatically or as a broad rule for a large category of people. Deterring asylum applicants or discouraging future migration is not a lawful basis for depriving an individual migrant of liberty, either under international law (see Detention Guidelines at para. 32) or under US law (see the preliminary injunction issued in RILR v. Johnson). US practice of detaining asylum seekers

That is where US practice parts ways with US legal obligations. As reported by Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the United States routinely detains asylum seekers without individualized findings that they pose a flight risk or a danger to the community, and without affording them an opportunity for independent judicial review of their custody. Instead, evidence suggests that deterrence of immigration to the United States is a principal motivation behind the routine jailing of asylum seekers. A memorandum penned by then-Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly in January 2017 asserted that the detention of arriving asylum seekers and other migrants while they await the results of their eligibility hearings “has a significant deterrent effect on illegal immigration.” And a White House press statement issued in April 2018 asserted that “[c]atch and release loopholes encourage more and more illegal immigration into the US, ”implying that detaining migrants would have the opposite effect. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has expressed concern about the widespread use of detention in the United States, noting that deterrence appeared to be the aim. Trends in various Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices reflect the overuse of immigration detention, as evident in crowded detention facilities in California, in violation of migrants’ fundamental right to liberty and the prohibition of arbitrary detention. An ongoing federal lawsuit argues that ICE’s widespread practice of routinely locking up asylum seekers is unlawful. In March 2018, a class action complaint (Damus v. Nielsen) was filed on behalf of detained asylum seekers who were denied release on “parole” at five of ICE’s busiest field offices. The case cited evidence that nearly 100 percent of such parole requests were denied, whereas in the past more than 90 percent were granted. This sharp reversal in the number of requests granted and the use of checkboxes to communicate denials strongly suggest that ICE is not determining the necessity of detention in each individual case. In July 2018, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in Damus, prohibiting those ICE field offices — in Detroit, El Paso, Los Angeles, Newark and Philadelphia — from denying parole to any detained, arriving asylum seeker who has shown a credible fear of returning to their country of origin, “absent an individualized determination, through the parole process, that [the person] presents a flight risk or a danger to the community.” It is unclear, however, if the government is complying with this order. Filings in the case late last year indicate that the parole grant rate, which reportedly had dropped to less than 4 percent between February and September 2017, has remained far below rates in prior years even after the injunction. According to a case status report submitted by the plaintiffs in December 2018, there is evidence that ICE continues to apply categorical criteria to deny parole, and still uses boilerplate language to refuse release rather than provide an explanation of specific factual findings that justify continued detention for each individual. How arbitrary detention compounds torture

Such arbitrary detention is not only illegal on its own; when it is imposed on an asylum seeker who was forcibly separated from her child, it also amounts to torture. The Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) defines torture as an act or omission intentionally conducted by government officials that results in severe suffering and is carried out for an impermissible purpose, such as coercion or intimidation. As Beth Van Schaack explained in an earlier post, the forcible separation of parents and children at the border not only fits this international law definition, but also satisfies the narrower definition codified in US law: it is a deliberate practice that causes severe pain and suffering, carried out by government agents, not based on any finding that the parent poses a danger to the child or is unfit to care for them, but for the purpose of deterring migration and coercing asylum seekers to give up their claims. (Last year, the Washington Post compiled statements from administration officials who admitted that family separation was meant as a deterrent). When an individual forcibly separated from her child is deprived of her liberty for no legitimate purpose and without independent judicial review, that arbitrary detention prolongs the separation and exacerbates the severe suffering experienced by both parent and child. At a hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in February 2019, Dr. Jack Shonkoff, director of the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, testified that prolonged separation “inflicts increasingly greater harm as each week goes by.” He added, “forcibly separating children from their parents is like setting a house on fire. Prolonging that separation is like preventing the first responders from doing their job.” Both in creating an enabling environment for such abuses and in prolonging the harm, the administration is violating international law. As the CAT Committee has clarified in a General Comment on the right to redress and in its jurisprudence on individual complaints, a state’s failure to immediately cease acts of torture or to investigate and remedy them constitutes a continuing violation. Moreover, what appear as mere administrative oversights or omissions may amount to breaches of the state’s legal obligation to prevent torture through reporting mechanisms, as detailed in the Istanbul Protocol on the effective investigation and documentation of torture. A torture prevention handbook published by the UN, Preventing Torture: An Operational Guide for National Human Rights Institutions, stresses that the lack of documentation, particularly in detention settings, heightens the risk of torture. Both the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Human Rights Committee, commenting on Article 7 of the ICCPR, likewise have emphasized that transparency is essential to preventing torture. The Trump administration’s conduct is patently at odds with these standards. Officials have failed to keep track of the extent or nature of the harm done by family separation and the ongoing arbitrary detention of asylum seekers separated from their children, let alone take steps to remedy it. Recent testimony in a series of congressional hearings by Nielsen, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement Scott Lloyd, Chief of the US Border Patrol Carla Provost, and Director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review James McHenry has brought to light egregious omissions on the part of officials. These include the failure to maintain basic records of the number of children actually separated or to voice known concerns about the cruel consequences of family separation. The colossal gaps in record-keeping and stunning silence on the part of the administration regarding the foreseeable trauma inflicted by forcing families apart has exacerbated the suffering of thousands of individuals. The lack of documentation further heightens the uncertainty detained asylum seekers face about their children’s whereabouts and wellbeing, and when or if they will be reunited with them. When so many “bureaucratic failures” pile up — and especially when they represent such egregious departures from standard procedures — they suggest not simply negligence but a deliberate effort to do harm. The Global Justice Clinic at New York University School of Law recently made these international law arguments in an amicus brief filed in the Western District of Texas. The brief supports a habeas petition by an asylum seeker who has been detained in El Paso for almost a year without any judicial review of her confinement. Her detention has prolonged her separation from her young child, who was with her when she arrived at the border in March 2018 and was taken from her the next day. The amicus brief was signed by other legal clinics and law professors with expertise in human rights and immigration law, including former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Mendez, as well as Justice in Motion, an organization working at the intersection of refugee, human rights, and immigration law.

Ending arbitrary detention, reuniting families and remedying torture

Truly ending the horror of family separation—which has been roundly condemned by top UN officials and human rights experts, regional human rights bodies, and world leaders—requires ending the practice of arbitrarily detaining asylum seekers. So long as migrants are kept behind bars without any individualized justification, for the illegitimate purpose of deterring migration, reunification will be impossible. And the suffering inflicted by the forcible separation of parents and children will only continue. By not ordering an end to arbitrary detention of asylum seekers in cases where children have been forcibly separated from their parents, the United States is deliberately causing severe pain and suffering for the impermissible purpose of deterring migration, and that constitutes torture under international law. Moreover, the administration is enabling that torture to continue and impeding justice for the thousands affected by failing to keep records and depriving the public of information about the practices of family separation and arbitrary detention.

Ceasing the ongoing violations is the most urgent priority and the primary, unequivocal obligation of the United States. But it is only the first step. An equally pressing, and perhaps even more daunting, task is to remedy the damage done to thousands of children and parents. The United States has a poor track record in this regard, having historically shirked its obligation to provide effective remedy for torture, at least in the context of the CIA’s secret detention and torture program after 9/11, as the Global Justice Clinic has addressed. (Fionnuala Ni Aolain elaborated on what amount to a “litany of effectively unavailable rights” in her piece for Just Security, “What is the Remedy for American Torture?”).

Some recent lawsuits are beginning to tackle this challenge. Six complaints filed in February by mothers forcibly separated from their children seek monetary compensation from the government for the resulting harm, under the Federal Tort Claims Act. In September, a class action suit was filed seeking compensation and the creation of a mental-health treatment fund for children traumatized by family separation.

It remains to be seen whether the US government will assert immunity or other exceptions in these cases in an effort to maintain impunity for torture. What is certain is that many more such suits and other legal advocacy strategies will be needed to begin to right these atrocious wrongs and, crucially, to prevent them from happening again.

#refugee #torture #detention

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