Five Big Questions for the Future of the Immigrant Rights Movement

Moving forward, this movement will have big problems to tackle, and many questions loom large. Our next steps should respond to these key tasks and questions…

By Marisa Franco, Truthout

May 2, 2017

Heightening immigration enforcement has been one of the campaign promises on which President Trump has acted most aggressively in his first 100 days. As a result, May 1 -- which has long been a day to elevate workers and immigrant rights struggles -- was definitely circled on movement organizers' calendar this year. Yesterday, thousands marched, bringing memories of the tidal wave of immigrant rights mobilizations that occurred on May Day in 2006. Perhaps when the final tallies come in, this year's numbers will fall short of 2006. However, May Day 2017 proved that the immigrant rights movement has changed considerably.

First, the immigrant rights movement has become more militant. This year's May Day actions spanned from mass marches to banner drops and, in some places, acts of civil disobedience, disruption and direct action. Today's immigrant rights movement is authentically intergenerational and unapologetic about challenging the old conceptions of who immigrants are. It is more visibly queer and trans and is looking to explicitly connect resistance against deportations to resistance against policing and mass incarceration.[...]

Read the full article:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/40433-five-big-questions-for-the-future-of-the-immigrant-rights-movement 

“Do You See How Much I’m Suffering Here?”

Abuse against Transgender Women in US Immigration Detention

By Brian Stauffer, Human Rights Watch
March 23, 2016

Do you see how much I’m suffering here? Do you think anyone deserves to be punished like this? … Sometimes I get anxious. … I thought about killing myself once, but then I regretted it and told myself I wasn’t going to do it. I said, ‘Lord, you gave me my life, why am I going to take it away?’ It’s not His fault they have me suffering here like this.

At any given time, the United States holds scores of transgender women in immigration detention, including many who have fled to the US seeking protection from torture, sexual violence, and other forms of persecution in their home countries related to their gender identity or gender expression.

Once they arrive, the women are locked up for months or even years at a time in jails or prison-like detention centers as they wait for a court to adjudicate their asylum claims, or to be deported for civil immigration violations. While in detention, many experience sexual assault and other forms of abuse and ill-treatment, including denial of access to necessary medical care.

Immigration detention can be a difficult experience for anyone. But it is often particularly harmful for transgender women due to the abuse they have previously endured. Many are traumatized by extended placements in solitary confinement and other physically isolated settings—a practice that authorities often justify as a step to protect them from other forms of abuse in detention. Some are also denied prompt and adequate access to necessary medical care, including hormone replacement therapy and HIV-related care, or have been denied access to that care altogether.[...]

Read the full report:
https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/03/23/do-you-see-how-much-im-suffering-here/abuse-against-transgender-women-us

Transgender Immigrants Detail Detention Abuse

By Cristina Loboguerrero, El Diario La Prensa
August 29, 2013
Translated by Emily Leavitt, Voices of NY

Transgender individuals face a double whammy when it comes to being jailed in immigration detention centers, not only for being undocumented but also because their gender identity isn’t officially defined within the prison system, according to victims and activists.

“I don’t wish it on anybody, it’s like dying while you’re still alive,” said María, 32, a Mexican transgender woman who came to live in New York 10 years ago, fleeing the persecution that she suffered in Mexico City. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.voicesofny.org/2013/08/transgender-immigrants-detail-detention-abuse/

The Best Part of DOMA's Repeal: Its Impact on Immigration Reform

By Charlene Obernauer, Huffington Post
June 29, 2013

The day that the Defense of Marriage Act was repealed will be a moment that many of us in the GLBT community will remember for the rest of our lives. I'll remember where I was when I heard the news, driving in my car to work, listening while a local radio station took comments from listeners about DOMA's repeal. I didn't call in; I just continued to drive, smiling, with tears slowly streaming down my face. While I'll certainly benefit from this change in policy, for bi-national GLBT couples, DOMA's repeal not only legalizes their relationships, but also makes them able to legally live in the same country together. Even immigration reform would not have had this impact on GLBT immigrants.

Early on in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform, the GLBT community -- particularly the 40,000 same sex bi-national couples living in the U.S. -- were told not to expect much from the bill. Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican Senator from Florida known for his strong support for immigration reform, said that he would walk away from his signature issue if GLBT couples were included. For the GOP in the Senate, GLBT rights were a non-starter. And they won: in the final bill that passed the U.S. Senate on June 27th, GLBT bi-national couples were deliberately excluded.

However, a day before the immigration reform vote, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charlene-obernauer/the-best-part-of-domas-re_b_3521577.html

With DOMA Dead, LGBT-Inclusive Immigration Reform Becomes Moot Point

Sen. Patrick Leahy announced that he will not seek a vote on his immigration amendment that would have allowed married gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor their foreign-born spouse for citizenship.

By Sunnivie Brydum, The Advocate
June 28, 2013

When the Supreme Court struck down a key portion of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act Wednesday, it cleared the way for married same-sex couples to access a litany of federal benefits, including tax breaks and military spousal benefits.

But many gay and lesbian couples with a partner who was born outside the U.S. were most excited to discover that the death of DOMA means they can finally sponsor their foreign-born spouse for citizenship.[...]

Read the full article:
http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/06/28/doma-dead-lgbt-inclusive-immigration-reform-becomes-moot-point

Latino voters oppose excessive enforcement and punitive measures in immigration reform

By Matt Barreto, Latino Decisions
June 11, 2013

A new poll from Presente.org and Latino Decisions finds that Latino voters firmly oppose excessive enforcement, border security, and punitive measures as part of comprehensive immigration reform. The survey of 500 Latino registered voters asked opinions on a wide range of specific policy measures that have been debated in Congress and finds overall that 81% of Latino voters reject the notion of “border-security-first” approach. [Webinar slide deck here] Instead, Latinos prefer to see a path to citizenship unfold simultaneously with any border security measures. Further, Latinos are firmly opposed to increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns against immigrants. When asked if ICE should be asked to increase the number of immigrants detained 73% of Latino voters said no. When asked if ICE should be asked to increase the frequency of workplace raids 66% of Latino voters said no. Full topline results are posted here.[...]

Read the full article:
http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2013/06/11/latino-voters-oppose-excessive-enforcement-and-punitive-measures-in-immigration-reform/

MAKE THE CALL, SIGN THE PETITION TO SUPPORT SERGIO - It's a matter of life or death!

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United)
November 8, 2012


This week, there were some great victories for workers, immigrants, the LGBT community, and more BUT the work for us and for the people we fight for continues.

One of our leaders of the Dignity at Darden campaign in Los Angeles has been in an ICE detention facility since May of this year. Sergio is a ROC-LA member, a gay man living with AIDS, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Doctors found a tumor in his head - but Sergio is not getting the medical treatment he needs.

Please take a minute to sign this petition: http://action.dreamactivist.org/california/sergio/

Sergio was told he needs chemotherapy as soon as possible but he is not getting the treatment he needs in detention. His health is deteriorating rapidly, and without the proper treatment Sergio could die soon. Santa Ana City Jail has a record of abuses of gay and transgender detainees, delays in medical care, and reports of mistreatment. Sergio needs to be released immediately!

Please take a minute to sign the petition, share it with others, and make a call to ICE!
Call ICE – John Morton @ 202-732-3000

Sample Script: “Hi, I am calling to urge ICE to release Sergio Vazquez Gutierrez (A# 200-243-222) from the Santa Ana City Jail in California. Sergio was recently diagnosed with cancer and a tumor in his head. He needs immediate surgery to remove the tumor before it's too late. Sergio must be released from detention to get the treatment he urgently needs. Let him go!"

Thank You!
ROC United

Lesbian couple sue to stop deportation

Associated Press, SFGate.com
July 12, 2012

Santa Ana--A lesbian couple filed a federal lawsuit Thursday in California seeking to solve their immigration problems and put a stop to the deportation of same-sex spouses.

The suit - which seeks class-action status - was filed on behalf of Philippines citizen Jane DeLeon, who was sponsored for a green card by her employer but can't get a waiver she needs to obtain residency here because the U.S. government doesn't recognize her three-year marriage to her American spouse.

The case is one of several challenges brought by same-sex couples - some of them facing immigration troubles - over the federal Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that prohibits the U.S. government from recognizing same-sex marriages. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Lesbian-couple-sue-to-stop-deportation-3703751.php

David González, Undocumented Immigrant From Costa Rica, Spared Deportation Due to Gay Marriage

Huffington Post
March 12, 2012

David González, a gay Costa Rican immigrant, was spared deportation on Thursday based on the fact that he is married to a male U.S. citizen.

This is the first case of this nature in Texas--where an undocumented immigrant is permitted to stay in the country based on same-sex marriage-- according to LGBT advocates in the state. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/gay-immigrant-spared-deportation_n_1338934.html

Arizona Sheriff Facing Long Odds After Gay Outing

By the Associated Press, via New York Times
February 18, 2012

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu built a reputation as a rising, conservative star by taking a hardline stance against illegal immigration, attacking the Obama administration and appearing alongside Sen. John McCain in a 2010 re-election ad in which McCain urged federal officials to just "complete the danged fence."

But, on Saturday, Babeu's conservative image took a beating as he was forced to confirm publicly that he is gay and was involved in a relationship with a Mexican immigrant who claims the sheriff threatened to have him deported if he revealed their relationship. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/02/18/us/AP-US-Arizona-Sheriff-Congress.html

Read articles from the Phoenix New Times, which broke the story:
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2012-02-16/news/paul-babeu-s-mexican-ex-lover-says-sheriff-s-attorney-threatened-him-with-deportation/
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2012-02-23/news/demands-grow-for-full-investigation-into-allegations-against-sheriff-paul-babeu/

Gay man born in Australia is facing imminent deportation despite being legally married

Makk has been living in the U.S. on legal visas ever since but was denied a green card July 26 because immigration officials are bound by the federal Defense of Marriage Act - which defines marriage as between a man and a woman only - not state laws.

By Nancy Dillon, Daily News (New York)
August 11, 2011

LOS ANGELES - A gay California man born in Australia but legally married to his American husband is facing imminent deportation after federal authorities denied his request for spousal residency.

The case is garnering international attention because the couple helped pioneer gay marriage in Massachusetts in 2004 - and the Australian husband has become the primary caregiver for his AIDS-afflicted spouse. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/08/11/2011-08-11_gay_man_born_in_australia_is_facing_imminent_deportation_despite_being_legally_m.html

URGENT: Help Stop Julio's Deportation

By New York State Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC)
June 20, 2011

Julio came to the United States in 2007, fleeing threats on his life from gang members. Julio is a bright, hard-working college student who has aspirations to contribute and serve his community as a radiologist. He wants to be a role model to younger kids. His life is in your hands.

Sign the Petition to stop Julio's Deportation

Julio, a Bronx Community College student, faces an imminent deportation order after being detained in Greyhound bus. He is set to be deported back to El Salvador, where he faces gang violence due to his sexual orientation.

Please take action and do what Congress have failed to do: protect the rights and life of undocumented youth.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS PETITION AND ACTION ALERT TO 5 OF YOUR FRIENDS!

1. Call DHS – Janet Napolitano (202-282-8495) and ICE – John Morton (202.732.3000)

Sample Script: "Hi, I was calling to ask that Julio Enrique Hernandez Moreno's deportation be deferred. If Julio is returned to El Salvador, he will face gang violence because of his sexual orientation. Julio wants to contribute to this country as a radiologist. Don't deport Julio."

2. Sign the petition and ask all of your friends to sign it!
Together we can stop Julio's deportation, please take 5 minutes and complete these 2 easy steps!

If you or anyone you know is at risk to be deported contact us at info@nysylc.org
Thank you for taking action,

The NYSYLC* YLC Scholarship DEADLINE EXTENDED to Monday, JUNE 27th* do not miss out the opportunity to APPLY and check it out now. NYSYLC Awards program open to everyone regardless of immigration status.

* The NY Dream Act is coming to State Island. Join us at the YLC SI Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, June 25th from 11:30am to 2pm at 2205 Richmond Road (Corner of Todt Hill Rd and Richmond Rd.) Staten Island, NY 10306. For more information email info@nysylc.org

220 5th Ave 26th Street 5th Floor * New York, NY 10001 * 212.419.8765 * info@nysylc.org

For more information:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/06/21/2011-06-21_chance_to_save_student__by_signing_petition.html

Deported AIDS Patients

Frontera NorteSur (FNS)
September 8, 2010

Health officials in the northern Mexican border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, routinely attend persons suffering from AIDS and deported from the United States. Armando Covarrubias Trevino, chief of the Ambulatory Center for the Prevention of AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, told the Mexican press that six deported AIDS victims were seen by Mexican health and immigration officials in Reynosa during the month of August alone. [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.grass-roots-press.com/2010/09/08/deported-aids-patients/

ACLU: Workers and Same-Sex Couples Need Protection in CIR

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Unveiled
Bill Addresses Longstanding Problems in Immigration Enforcement Practices but Fails to Protect Workers and Same-Sex Couples

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2009
CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON – Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), along with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, introduced late Tuesday HR 4321, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP), legislation that takes major strides toward repairing America’s broken immigration system. The American Civil Liberties Union strongly supports responsible reforms to U.S. immigration policy and calls on Congress to ensure that any legislation protects the civil rights, civil liberties and human rights of everyone in the United States, regardless of his or her immigration status. [...]

Read the full press release:
http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/comprehensive-immigration-reform-unveiled

When Xenophobia Meets Homophobia

The killing of Jose Sucuzhañay...challenges Latino/a and LGBT leaders to build a broad-based vision for social justice that acknowledges the linkages between various communities and struggles.

by Marisol LeBrón, NACLA.org
February 2, 2009

An ugly blame game ensued after the passing of California’s Proposition 8, which restricted the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. With exit polls reporting 70 percent of Blacks and 53 percent of Latinos/as supporting the ban on gay marriage, many white members of the LGBT community blamed people of color for the ban’s success.

The December issue of gay news magazine The Advocate stepped into the fray. The cover of the issue provocatively announced, “Gay is the New Black.” Although the cover story's author, Michael Joseph Gross, dismissed blaming Black voters as a "false conclusion" and a "terrible mistake," comments posted to the site took him to task for other reasons. Most comments strongly disagreed with Gross' Black/gay comparison, but many others asked why communities of color and queer communities are still considered mutually exclusive in the mainstream LGBT rights movement. [...]

Read the full article:
http://nacla.org/node/5476

Death on Terminal Island

Over four years, 74 people have died while being held by immigration officials. Victoria Arellano was one.

By Ben Ehrenreich, Los Angeles Magazine
September 2008

Strangely nearly everyone agrees that Victoria Arellano seemed happy. She was locked up on Terminal Island, a place as somber as its name, but her fellow inmates remember her almost as a source of light. She was "muy alegre," says Oscar Santander, who goes by Diana, and who was incarcerated with Arellano at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. Eugene Peba, who was also in custody there, describes her as "very jovial." Walter Ayala became her closest friend. She was "muy contenta," he says, "muy feliz," or at least she appeared to be. "This was a very jolly person," says Clement Lukyamuzi. It makes Edward Bush throw his hands in the air. "How happy can you be over there? I cried all the time!" [...]

Read the full article:
http://www.lamag.com/featuredarticle.aspx?id=9366