By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2017 (San Diego) - President Donald Trump’s executive order requires Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to hire 10,000 officers, including 5,000 Border Patrol agents.  But where to find qualified officers and agents is a challenge for the agency—and some proposed solutions are raising concerns.

East County News Service

March 10, 2017 (Sacramento) -- State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, as part of his efforts to ensure parents and students feel safe at schools regardless of their immigration status, this week asked federal law enforcement authorities to explain if they are changing a policy that had avoided immigration actions near schools.

By Miriam Raftery

March 6, 2017 (San Diego) – The Mexican government has announced that it is creating a network of help centers for Mexican immigrants at all consulates in the U.S.

The action aims to help Mexican citizens amid “fear and uncertainty” over President Donald Trump’s executive orders ramping up deportation and construction of a border wall, says Consul General Marcela Celorio in San Diego. 

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2017 (San Diego) – President Donald Trump’s recent executive order allows for deportation of military members’ spouses, children and parents.   His action eliminates protections that the Defense Department put in place during President Barack Obama’s administration.

By Miriam Raftery

February 23, 2017 (San Diego) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement Secretary John F. Kelly has signed sweeping new guidelines that dramatically expand powers of federal authorities to detain and deport many more undocumented immigrants than in the past – including some who have never been arrested or convicted of any crime.

Reprinted from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

February 19, 2017 (San Diego) -- Hoping to persuade Mayor Kevin Faulconer to declare San Diego a sanctuary city, an estimated 2,000 protesters marched through downtown streets Saturday.

East County News Service

Photo:  Iraqi church leaders and families held prayer vigil in 2015 for Christians detained 6 months or more at ICE facility in Otay Mesa

February 11, 2017 (Sacramento) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with the state attorney general from Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, yesterday filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Jennings v Rodriguez, a case involving the federal government’s authority to detain non-citizens pending completion of their removal proceedings.

By Miriam Raftery

February 11, 2017 (San Diego) – Immigration raids in cities across the nation conducted since Friday are striking fear among immigrant communities.  Although the Trump administration has claimed the sweeps are routine, some of those picked up for deportation have no criminal backgrounds, belying President Donald Trump’s post-election promise to focus on criminals.

Two East County representatives oppose measure; Anderson attacks immigrants as criminals despite actual data on crime rates  

By Miriam Raftery

February 2, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) — Two local legislators have taken stands against SB 54, a measure that would prevent state and local authorities in California from cooperating with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants.

East County News Service

January 31, 2017 (El Cajon) -- The Chancellor and leaders at Grossmont-Community College District have sent a letter to students in the wake of  President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders regarding immigration, border security, and a travel ban on people from seven nations, as well as his threat to establish a Muslim registry.  The letter affirms that the district’s governing board will vote February 21 on whether to adopt the following policies:

• Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges are open to all students who meet the minimum requirement for admission, regardless of background, culture, religion, or immigration status. 
• The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District will not release any personally identifiable student information, including data related to immigration status, without a judicial warrant or court order unless authorized by the student or required by law.
• The District will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of individuals based on any protected characteristics such as religion, national origin, race, or sexual orientation.
• The District stands proudly for the heritage of American community colleges as hallmarks of a diverse, engaged, and healthy democracy.

Below is the letter in full:

East County News Service

January 18, 2017 (San Diego) -- Media Arts Center San Diego announces the 24^TH annual San Diego Latino Film Festival, which will take place March 16-26 at the AMC 18 Fashion Valley theaters in Mission Valley.  The festival will occupy five screens for eleven days and will present over 160 films from Latin America, the United States, and Spain.

By Miriam Raftery

January 10, 2017 (San Diego) –  Protests have erupted across Mexico over a 20 percent hike in gas prices due to deregulation ordered by President Peña Nieto. Though cost of a gallon of gasoline is now about $3.50-- nearly as much as a day’s wages (about $4 at a minimum wage job), fueling outrage among impoverished Mexicans.

East County News Service

December 12, 2016 (San Diego) – Some immigration lawyers are warning “dreamers,” children brought to the U.S. by undocumented immigrant parents, not to travel overseas on or after January 20^th. 

That’s the date that Donald Trump is slated to be inaugurated as President.  Trump said during the campaign that he would rescind executive orders by President Obama that provided protection from deportation to young immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which also gave them rights to work and travel for humanitarian, educational or employment purposes. He called for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants.

Source: Newcomers’ Collaborative

November 20, 2016 (El Cajon) -- On Saturday, November 5^th, 2016, 91 Spanish Speakers and at least 24 children attended a resource event coordinated by the Newcomers’ Collaborative, a workgroup of the El Cajon Collaborative. The event provided an opportunity for newcomers to browse local resources and attend workshops on navigating the education system, immigration and civic engagement, Child Welfare Services, domestic violence, equal housing rights and employment. Attendees were also able to apply for public benefits such as Cal-Fresh and Medi-Cal on-site, or ask questions regarding their eligibility or specific case.         

East County News Service

September 20, 2016 (El Cajon) - As part of Latino Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Grossmont College is presenting a Latino Film Festival, with free, public screenings of films that explore Latino/a culture and history at 7 p.m. every Tuesday evening Sept. 20-Oct. 11 in Building 26, Room 220.