East County News Service

February 15, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Conservatives in Congress are threatening to let the Department of Homeland Security shut down on February 27^th, refusing to fund a measure authorizing funding of Homeland Security unless they can secure approval of language to repeal President Obama’s executive orders on immigration. The agency was formed to protect national security after the 9/11 terrorism attacks in 2001.

By Hayden Parsley

January 28, 2015 (Washington D.C.) - Leaders of the United States House of Representatives have decided to postpone a vote on the “Secure Our Borders Act.” Otherwise known as H.R. 399, the bill was called for by Republicans and would require the Border Agency to stop all illegal border crossings within five years or be penalized.

East County News Service

January 2, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--Starting January 1^st, California has begun issuing special driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. Across San Diego, lines formed as immigrants stepped up to apply for the new licenses, which are valid only for driving and are not valid for use as a federal ID, such as applying for a passport.

By Miriam Raftery

December 16, 2014 (San Diego) – Border Angels founder and San Diego immigrants rights activist Enrique Morones met with President Barack Obama recently at the White House, following a briefing on recent immigration executive action.  Morones told ECM he asked for a second executive action “if the new Congress does not act soon on humane immigration reform.” (You can learn more about Border Angels efforts to help local refugees and immigrants at www.borderangels.org .)

By Miriam Raftery

November 27, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning due to the continued threat of protests and violent incidents in Mexico.  U.S. citizens are advised to avoid road travel within all areas of Guerrero including along the main toll road 95D to and from Mexico City and Acapulco. 

U.S. citizens are also warned not to participate in protests in Mexico, since the Mexican constitution prohibits political activities by foreigners.  Americans are urged to avoid areas of demonstrations, which could result in detention, deportation, or worse.

The region has been rocked by protests over the disappearance of 43 student protesters in Iguala. Burned bodies found in a mass grave may be those of the missing students. There are allegations that they were abducted by police on orders of a mayor and turned over to a gang that murdered them. Mexico’s  President Enrique Peña Nieto has called for constitutional reforms to allow the federal government to takeover local police departments, CNN reports. The Mayor of Iguala and dozens more have been arrested by federal police.

By Miriam Raftery

November 23, 2014 (San Diego) – Families who no longer need to live in fear of separation or deportation have much to be thankful for following President Barack Obama’s immigration reforms announced last week. Locally, immigration activists are sharing their reactions, including Border Angels founder Enrique Morones, who was with President Obama during his historic executive action speech at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas.

“It was wonderful to join old friends that have fought and continue to be with us in the struggle for humane immigration policies, and as we discussed, we still have a long ways to go,” Morones wrote in a letter thanking supporters.  “As I told President Obama, `Gracias, this executive action is why many of us voted for you,” Morones added. “We have much more work to do, more to be included, Si Se Puede!’”

By Leon Thompson and Miriam Raftery

President Barack Obama last night announced immigration reforms, just as       Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before him took unilateral actions to  expand  protections for immigrants after Congress failed to act. 

President Obama 's plan will offer temporary relief from deportation to the parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have been in the country for more than five years, work and pay taxes. He will also extend a program that already allows undocumented migrants brought here as children to stay in the country.  The reforms are temporary, however, and could be undone by a future President and Congress.

Besides offering protections for a limited number of immigrants already in the U.S., the President also announced plans to strengthen enforcement at the border and prioritize enforcement resources to focus on deporting criminals who have convicted felonies, not families or working parents of U.S. citizens.

By Ariele Johannson

November 15, 2014 (San Diego)--The galleries at New Americans Museum on Saturday, November 1, 2014 were filled with visitors who came to celebrate Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, and to learn about this Mexican holiday. The New Americans Museum created an altar installation for dancer and film star Rita Hayworth. The altar was constructed by the museum staff and a group of 18 immigrant students under the guidance of Professor Jose Flores from the University Atonoma de Baja, California where he teaches the origins, analysis, symbolism, and history of Dia de los Muertos. See attached.

By Ariele Johannson

October 30, 2014 (San Diego)--Brightly colored flowers of scarlet, white, orange, violet, yellow, and blue adorn the carpet where student immigrants from as far away as Europe are seated. The friendly group here in the Exhibition Gallery at New Americas Museum is preparing the flowers for a unique exhibit to celebrate Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead on Saturday, November 1, 2014.

The New Americans Museum is creating an altar for the late  dancer and film star Rita Hayworth to be exhibited November 1st from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., along with other open museums and galleries celebrating Dia de los Muertos at Liberty Station that day.

Dia de los Muertos at Liberty Station runs from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m., when galleries and studios are open to the public, some with demonstrations, workshops, altars, and “Meet the Artists” events. There will be performances and live music, food trucks, sugar skulls, face painting throughout the day. Admission to the galleries and studios is free.

A review by Reina Lisa Menasche

September 21, 2014 (San Diego)--What do you get when you cross Neil Simon’s classic 1960s New York comedy “The Odd Couple” with modern day, southern California references and Latino color, characters, innuendo, and ad libs? A surprising and delightful rendition, zestily presented by the Teatro Mascara Magica at San Diego’s Lyceum Theatre. Dave Rivas, co-producer and co-director of the production, is a Spring Valley resident.

The theme of the play remains true to the original and is universal: divorced bachelors, slob versus neat freak, in a friendship strained not only by conflicts over living conditions but also the poignancy of loss and change. But the seasoning on this well-known dish of a show is exotic, original, up to date, and hilarious.

September 17, 2014 (Rancho San Diego)—On September 17th Cuyamaca College will screen a free curated compilation of the best short Latino films that played at this year's festival as part of the celebrations for Latino Heritage Month.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6,2014 (Otay)--U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy’s office has announced that charges have been filed against two suspected smugglers accused of abandoning a pregnant woman to die in the Otay Mountains over the 2013 Christmas holiday.

“We  expressed our concern over the current debate that is focusing on sending the children back while we believe it should be focusing on the care and safety of the children.”—Doug Brunson, UCCLM Committee on Border Justice

View or sign petition: http://tableucc.com/witness/sign-the-petition-central-american-refugee-crisis/

Over 50,000 young children have crossed the border to seek refugee status in the U.S. this year.  Some are fleeing gang violence and drug trafficking, others are escaping grinding poverty or trying to reunite with family already in the United States.  Many have paid large sums to smugglers and made dangerous journeys atop trains to get here from Central America, only to be placed in overcrowded, often unhealthy holding facilities while awaiting determination of their status by understaffed courts.  Some have also endured the verbal abuse of militant protestors seeking to banish them back to the horrors from which they fled.

Inspired by The Rev. Kaji Douŝa’s sermon on Sunday, July 13, members of the United Church of Christ of La Mesa gathered to discuss the child immigration crisis and how the congregation, as a justice-oriented church, should respond.

Photos by Maria Teresa Fernandez and Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2014 (San Diego) – Border Angels, a nonprofit San Diego organization, has received over 10 tons of donated clothing, toys, diapers and food for the Central American refugee families coming to our region.  Now the group has launched a teddy bear drive to “share the love with our refugee children,”  said Enrique Morones, founder of Border Angels.  Donated items can be dropped off at the Border Angels office at 2258 Island Avenue in San Diego.  The group also seeks an East County drop-off location.

This is not the group’s first effort to help people in need locally.  Border Angels successfully raised donations to help wildfire survivors in our region, as well as to help victims of the Easter Sunday earthquake just over our border several years ago. 

The wave of Central American immigrants fleeing violence and risk of death in their homelands have been the subject of controversy.  Anti-immigration protesters blocked several busloads of the refugees in Murrietta, chanting racial slurs. Five of the protesters were arrested after some tackled law enforcement officers.  Now, as people across the nation and around the world have seen video of the controntation, many have stepped forward to help the immigrant children and their families.