Council member Kshama Sawant, her staff, her Socialist Alternative party, and their partner organizations have done some incredible work over the past several weeks in organizing rallies and protests to give voice to opposition to President Trump’s most abhorrent executive orders and policies. But last week she turned the rhetoric knob to 11, and in so doing argued for some actions that are not just ill-conceived but illegal, dangerous to public safety, and a threat to one of the most important foundations of our democracy. And that places her in clear and direct violation of her duties and responsibilities as a City Council …
Continue readingCategory: immigrants
Daniel Ramirez is Still In Detention. Here’s Why.
Daniel Ramirez Medina’s attorney went into court this morning in the hope of securing his immediate release from an ICE detention facility. That didn’t happen, but they also didn’t leave empty handed.
Continue readingRamirez DACA case goes to crazy-town
One of the big stories this week — locally and nationally — has been the arrest and detention of Daniel Ramirez Medina, a 23-year-old resident of Washington State who was brought to the US illegally as a child and has been a beneficiary of the Obama Administration’s Deferred Access for Child Arrivals (DACA) program since 2014. Last Friday he was arrested and is still being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). And at a time when immigrants — both legal and illegal — are living in fear of the Trump administration’s saber-rattling about immigration policy, this has become …
Continue readingTuesday news roundup: a Welcoming City
The big news this morning is yesterday’s Council resolution affirming Seattle as a “welcoming city.”
Continue reading“Welcoming City” resolution passes
This afternoon the City Council unanimously passed a resolution that affirms Seattle’s status as a welcoming city for all, regardless of immigration status. This isn’t just a feel-good resolution; it lists a number of very specific actions and policies for the city.
Continue readingThursday news roundup: Sanctuary city
The big news this morning is, of course, Trump’s declaration of war against so-called “sanctuary cities” yesterday, and Seattle’s fierce response.
Continue readingCity Council to US Immigration: don’t screw up a good thing
Earlier this week Council member Lorena Gonzalez, the chair of the Gender Equity, Safe Communities, and New Americans Committee, circulated a letter for her colleagues on the City Council to sign. The letter is addressed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and raises concerns about their proposal to increase fees for naturalization. In particular: The fee for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, will increase from $595 to $640 — though they are also proposing a reduced fee of $320 for those whose household income is between 150% and 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The application fee for form …
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