immigration – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

Strongman Trump

David Posnett — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 05:21:06 +0000

Webster: “Strongman: a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way”

On Sep. 6, 2017, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, was rescinded by Pres. Donald Trump. Congress was given 6 months to fix DACA. Now Trump is asking for measures to curtail legal immigration, specially from countries where the population is not white and for funding for his wall, in exchange for a DACA fix.

At the top of his demands are 2 euphemisms: “the lottery” and “chain migration”.

“The Lottery” (the green-card lottery) issues up to 50,000 visas a year to people from dozens of countries: 5% of the roughly 1 million green cards issued annually. The aim is to mix up the nation’s melting pot. The 95% other green cards are given out based on an employer or a family sponsor. There is a long and tedious background check system in place for all green card applicants.

US immigration quotas have been around for over 100 years and we need not be proud of this. The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the USA through an origins quota. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia.

Even when you have your green card, there is another long waiting period for naturalization. I waited 26 years while working as a doctor in the US for naturalization.

In the context of Trump’s ‘shithole countries’ comment, one has to interpret his rescinding of “the lottery” system as an attempt to favor white versus non-white immigration, a blatant racial move applauded by the likes of David Duke and documented by his tweet that “Americans are Dreamers too”. Lee Zeldin approves!

“Chain Migration” – U.S. citizens and green card holders can petition for a spouse and unmarried children to join them in the USA. But no one can petition for an aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, in-law relative or grandparent, according to USCIS. There is a long queue for certain relatives seeking to come through family sponsorship. For brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, the average waiting period for a visa is over 13 years.

The term ‘chain migration’ is used in the history books to describe the phenomenon of one family migrating to a new country (usually because of persecution or economic disaster), and then, when they find the new location to be safe and conducive to prosperity, they signal their extended family, or even their entire community, to join them. All immigrants to the US have followed this pattern, the Italians, the Irish, the Germans, including the Trump family!

So why all the hoopla? Because Trump wants to stir up emotion among his base. To this end he uses stories of individuals who entered this country via the lottery program and that committed atrocities, like the Uzbek terrorist’s attack in Lower Manhattan on Oct. 31, 2017.

This brings me back to DACA. Just like rescinding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), rescinding DACA is quite unpopular, regardless of your politics. In the case of CHIP, the democrats prevailed and the program was saved. In both cases, Trump is/was trying to hold Democrats hostage: either you vote for funds for my wall, and my changes to legal immigration or you lose DACA. And for good measure Republicans (and that includes FOX news of course) will tar Dems with the responsibility of having doomed DACA!

Yes, these are strongman tactics and they are “cruel, unjust, and harmful”.

Zeldin has this to say: “My priority will always unapologetically remain with fighting for the people following the laws, rather than the ones breaking them.”

Uhm? A 5 year old child brought to this country (and now many years later a DACA recipient) was breaking the law? What does Zeldin expect? Is the 5 year old from Ecuador supposed to tell his/her parents “I am not going with you because you are breaking the US laws”. I say “Lee Zeldin, take a moment and think about your own kids.” This is a tragedy and we, as a nation, are complicit: these families were not prevented from coming and this has been occuring over many years and many administrations both Republican and Democratic. For 8 years that Obama was president the Republicans fought tooth and nail to prevent comprehensive immigration reform. Now they have inherited the mess. And their proposed solution: strongman tactics that are “cruel, unjust, and harmful”.

Sources:

Here’s what you need to know about the diversity visa lottery program

Jeff Sessions announces DACA program to be rescinded

How the United States Immigration System Works

Donald Trump’s misleading claim about chain migration, unlimited sponsorship of distant relatives

What has Zeldin Actually Done ?

David Posnett — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 16:06:25 +0000

Letter to the Editor by Tina Plesset, published in the East Hampton Star, 3/17/2017

“What Has He Done?”

Educators and kids are doing what our leaders should be doing — implementing a hopeful worldview through example. Our Representative Lee Zeldin has talked about anti-Semitism, but what has he done?

Recently, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, an associate professor of education and sociology at American University, writes that children of all ages are “experiencing extraordinarily high levels of stress about their safety and the well-being of their friends and families. Educators across the country have reported heightened anxiety and fear among their students.” Dr. Miller-Idriss says, “The rallying cries of the past few months have been about resistance and persistence,” and she writes that this movement has taught positive lessons in regard to social justice.

However, the main point of her article is to say that while these protest actions teach a sense of agency and purpose, they don’t make children feel safe or hopeful. Her call to action is for parents and educators to help their children and students to be helpers, and to “reach out to offer support,” as evidenced by mosques and churches that have come to the aid of defaced cemeteries and communities that have had fund-raising campaigns to resettle refugees.

While we haven’t experienced overt anti-Semitism in my neighborhood of East Hampton, we do have neighbors to protect in our community who are facing an inhumane deportation program. Fortunately, our town board has led the way with town meetings and issuing policies to protect our neighbors. This is responsible leadership.

In the past month, members of New York’s First Congressional District have been looking for Representative Lee Zeldin through phone calls, letters, emails, and a FaceTime meeting, to take action on these issues. To his credit, he has issued a statement saying, “The recent threats and property crimes targeting institutions and symbols of Jewish faith demonstrate that the rising tide of anti-Semitism in the United States and globally must be combated forcefully and decisively.”

Talk is cheap; what has he done? Has he visited a Jewish cemetery that has been defaced or a synagogue to personally express his support for the Jewish community? Has he spoken with immigrants to allay their fears? Has he visited schools, colleges, and universities to tell those who need to be protected that he is there for them? Has he come out and disavowed the biased right-wing news media that has been fueling the fires of anti-Semitism, bias, and hate?

However we slice and dice this issue, we come to an age-old principle, “Actions speak louder than words.” Given the recent actual violence and threats against the Jewish community and the rampant fear among our immigrant neighbors, only positive actions by Lee Zeldin now will give us the hope needed to lift us from the hate we are witnessing. The right-wing media continues to spew hateful messages, perhaps to foment the violence we are seeing. It is time for Mr. Zeldin to commit to action. I hope Representative Lee Zeldin has the courage of leadership to show the way for all of us — his constituents and neighbors. Now is the time. He owes this to his children and ours.

Respectfully,

TINA PLESSET

Fascist Regime in the Making?

David Posnett — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:43:20 +0000

Several reports from today describe how US citizen Khizr Khan is essentially threatened with losing travel privileges. Khizr Khan is an American citizen born in Pakistan and a muslim. He is the father of an American soldier killed in Iraq and well known to the American public for his brave stand at the Dem convention.

He has canceled a speaking engagement in Toronto after being notified that his U.S. travel privileges were under review. It is unclear which U.S. agency ordered the review or who told him of the change in his travel privileges.

Khan had planned to speak at a luncheon in Toronto in a discussion about President Trump’s administration, according to Ramsay Talks, a Toronto-based speaker series.

The organization said in the same statement that Khan, a U.S. citizen for over 30 years, was notified Sunday evening that his travel privileges were being reviewed.

“Mr. Khan will not be traveling to Toronto on March 7th to speak about tolerance, understanding, unity and the rule of law,” said Ramsay Talks.

Travel restrictions on German jews were a hallmark of Nazi policy leading up to WWII.

While this story needs to be confirmed, and the details understood, the intent to sow fear and confusion is quite clear. And the signs of a fascist regime in the making are equally clear.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-khan-idUSKBN16D2MI?utm_source=applenews

http://www.salon.com/2017/03/06/khizr-khan-gold-star-muslim-american-father-says-his-freedom-to-travel-abroad-is-under-review/?source=newsletter

The Trump/Bannon plan

David Posnett — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 20:54:50 +0000

Two seminal pieces were just published in the NYT. (1) A factual description of today’s growing and aggressive ICE. (2) An annotated and explained version of Bannon’s CPAC presentation.

These stories should be an eye opener for everyone.

Trump’s transition is far from chaotic. In fact, Executive Orders have been issued that address each and every one of Bannon’s priorities:

1) National security and sovereignty: the wall, the travel ban, revised immigration rules, pipeline, deregulation to strengthen big business; disruption of all trade agreements; legalizing the Church’s involvement in politics; nomination of a young, brilliant candidate for SCOTUS, who believes strongly in the Church’s role at the centre of national identity and law.

2) Deconstruction of the state: appointment of heads of each department that have long argued that their new departments should be defanged and in some cases eliminated; leaving some 2000+ positions vacant to allow heads of departments (Secretaries) room to eliminate positions and shrink the Federal Government.

3) Reinforcement of the power of the White House: a co-opted Congress; relentless campaign to delegitimize and sideline the free press as the sole remaining opposition of note; dissemination of propaganda “alternative facts” to justify their most outlandish policy measures and decisions; appointment of generals to key positions (National Security Adviser, Head of Homeland Security, Head of ICE, Defense Secretary) thus increasing ties between the military and the White House; strengthening of the role and expansion of ICE, border patrols, internal memos alluding to the option of deploying the reserves to patrol the streets and enforce new laws against migrants and foreigners; laying the foundations for a massive expansion of largely outdated and unnecessary military hardware that nevertheless are symbols of strength against the marauding hordes that are waiting to swoop on this weak and hitherto fore, defenseless country.

We do indeed have the seeds of a fascist state already in place.

This makes a lot of the wooly discussion of the Democrats vaguely tangential. We need to keep the eye on the ball if one is to nip this in the bud. We now need to be highly focused and disciplined. We need to prioritize.

It certainly does not bode well for an independent Congress. And whether SCOTUS will remain an independent branch of government remains to be seen. However, if one puts the above argument to the Republicans, some will see the light.

One way that Congress can reclaim their independence, and their constitutional role, is to investigate the Russian connection to the Trump campaign. Where there is smoke, look for the fire. One needs to collect evidence regarding violations of the emoluments clause. One needs to examine those tax returns. These are tools for Congress to fight back and save their very existence. Hitler dissolved the Reichstag (equivalent to the Congress) only 3 months after coming into power claiming emergency powers.

Our congressman in New York’s CD-1 is Lee Zeldin, and he is a jew. He is young, but I am sure he has some grasp of history. Keep reminding him that he can stand up to fascism and if he does, he will go down in the history books as having saved America. These times demand brave men and women.

The #AmericanDream

David Posnett — Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:41:29 +0000

(Pie and photo by Helen Atkinson-Barnes)

Author: Helen Atkinson-Barnes, published in this week’s Sag Harbor Express

Why are all these people protesting? I’ve been hearing this question since the day after the election, when college students across the country, including my daughter, first flooded in to the streets. I continue to hear this question asked – sometimes sincerely other times cynically – following more recent uprisings. Many seem bewildered or incensed, by the Women’s March, the spontaneous airport demonstrations against the immigrant ban, the uproar on social media and in the press about conflicts of interest, and the flood of visits, phone calls and letters to members of congress.

I’ve also heard those questioning the protests answer their own question by dismissing people speaking out as “senseless,” “unpatriotic,” or even as just a bunch of “whiny,
spoiled brats.” I would reply by saying that these protests are as American as apple pie.

We who speak out are doing so in an effort to protect the principles that make this country great. In accordance with these ideals, the protests so far have been overwhelmingly positive and peaceful. To borrow from Martin Luther King Jr: We have a dream.

We have a dream of a respectful nation: that no matter who you are–no matter your color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, income, religion, age, disability, or country-of-origin–we are all members of the human race. We all have the right to be treated fairly and to be measured by our deeds and not by our identities.

We have a dream of an informed and thoughtful nation: with public education for all and a free and honest press celebrating truth and the open exchange of ideas.

We have a dream of a healthy nation: where all people are protected from disease and unsafe conditions and are able to get care when they are sick.

We have a dream of a pristine nation: with unspoiled public parks for all to visit, clean water for all to drink, pure air for all breathe, and a safe climate for all to inhabit.

We have a dream of a connected and accessible nation: with well-repaired public roads and bridges; walkways, waterways, and parks; public transportation and telecommunications.

We have a dream of a safe nation: a place where people can live free from the fear of international terrorism and of domestic violence, of street violence and of systemic
violence.

We have a dream of an open nation: not a country that is shut off behind walls, punitive tariffs, and immigration bans, but instead interconnected with the world to boost prosperity and peace through trade and travel.

Haven’t we all been taking this dream for granted? These values are under attack by those in our government who would trample on the truth with “alternative facts,” stir up fear and resentment or use power for personal advantage.

Civilization depends upon civic engagement, which must not end at the ballot box. I hear too many people say, “Suck it up, it’s out of your hands now,” or “It’s just too painful to pay attention.” I get it. But it also can be empowering to take action. And while we need to pace ourselves, and pick our battles, at the very least we should try.

Like apple pie, protest is sweetly and deeply American. Whether individual or collective, a conversation or a rally, written or spoken, somber or satiric, painted, sung or knit–peaceful protest is not just a right in the United States, but a responsibility that is essential to the preservation and defense of democracy and our shared American Dream.

Kudos to Senators McCain & Graham

David Posnett — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 01:44:40 +0000

I rarely agree with any Republican but these guys have shown guts and backbone by telling Trump the truth. Must read:

http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/1/statement-by-senators-mccain-graham-on-executive-order-on-immigration

Makes me have faith in humanity. @LeeZeldin, do you have the guts to do likewise? Or are you still Trump’s puppet?