Cameroonian Asylum Seekers Transferred After Protesting Conditions in ICE Custody
In immigration news, 150 women from Cameroon who have been imprisoned for months in a for-profit ICE detention center in Texas have been transferred to other remote immigration jails, in apparent retaliation for their protests over indefinite detention and dangerous conditions.
In a letter sent to the advocacy group Grassroots Leadership last month headlined “A Cry for Help,” the Cameroonian women complained of medical neglect at the T. Don Hutto immigration jail, writing, “Some of our sisters are sick and not being well treated. Others are running mad due to trauma and stress. … The medical department is very rude to us, they tell us we’re pretending to be sick even when someone is in serious pain.”
The Cameroonian asylum seekers also say they’re being discriminated against, writing, “Almost all the white women we came in with and even others who came after us have been released on parole and bond but we’ve been denied both parole and bond.” Advocates fear the women now face possible deportation in retaliation for speaking out against the conditions in T. Don Hutto. The facility has for years been plagued by allegations of abuse.
Advocates Decry Criminalization Of Austin Homeless Population
AUSTIN, TX — Advocates for the homeless population in Austin had scheduled a Monday press conference to decry municipal efforts to "re-criminalize" the homeless in dealing with the problem of people living on the streets.
On Sunday, organizers of the "Homes Not Handcuffs" initiative announced a postponement of the press conference: "Because of conflicting events scheduled due to the cancelation of SXSW and the rapidly developing coronavirus emergency, we are postponing tomorrow's Homes Not Handcuffs press conference and will reschedule it in the near future," officials wrote in an emailed update.
Coalition members from several of Austin's largest grassroots organizations — including the ACLU, Grassroots Leadership, Texas Appleseed, the Austin Lawyers Guild, University United Methodist Church, Front Steps, and the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance — had scheduled the gathering to voice their opposition to a petition calling for punitive action against the homeless in Austin, officials said in a press advisory. They are joined on a letter by over two dozen local, state and national service, religious, community, legal and advocacy organizations, organizers added
Following a Protest, ICE Transfers Dozens of Asylum Seekers to an Isolated Laredo Facility
In retaliation for protesting poor medical treatment, dozens of women detained at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, which houses asylum seekers, were suddenly transferred to a facility in Laredo last week. The move follows reports from immigration advocacy group Grassroots Leadership that those involved in the protest were barred from having visitors, including legal aid providers and members of the community.
In a statement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that 80 detainees held an “impromptu ‘sit-down’ protest” last Monday. “The detainees told facility staff they would continue their protest until they were released from custody; however, those actions compromised security protocols at the facility and blocked access to services including visitation, court, and the dining area,” an ICE spokesperson said.
According to ICE, facility staff told detainees that they may be transferred if they did not comply with requests to clear “critical pathways.” The agency confirmed that 47 women were ultimately moved to the Laredo Detention Center.
This D.A. election could bring a big change in how Austin, Texas treats drug addiction
When Michael Bryant was found with illegal drugs last year, it landed him in jail for about a month, exacerbating his problems with addiction.
Bryant, who is now 33, had been struggling with drug addiction for much of his life, and the problems got worse in 2015, when he moved to Austin from New York after a difficult breakup. In February 2019, police found him with less than two ounces of marijuana a small amount of methamphetamines. He was charged with second-degree drug possession for the methamphetamines, even though Bryant says he had less than a gram diluted with water in a syringe.
His public defender told him that given the other drug-related felonies on his record, there was likely little he could do to avoid jail time, Bryant said. He badly needed treatment, and said he was just coming around to the idea of rehab. But before he could get help, he became entangled in the legal system and now owes thousands of dollars to probation.
“I don’t think that throwing people in jail and convicting them and throwing them in prison for small charges like that is going to do them any good,” Bryant said. “Those people aren’t going to get the help they need. They’re just going to get right out of prison and go right back to using drugs.”
Official: ICE transfers 47 immigrants after protest at Taylor detention center
ROUND ROCK U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has transferred 47 immigrant women who were part of a “sit-down” protest Monday inside a detention facility in Taylor, an ICE official said.
The women were transferred to the Laredo Detention Center, said Richard Rocha, an ICE spokesman, in an email Thursday.
The women were part of a group of 80 female detainees protesting at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Rocha said.
“The detainees told facility staff they would continue their protest until they were released from custody; however, those actions compromised security protocols at the facility and blocked access to services including visitation, court and the dining area,” Rocha said.
Staff told the women who did not comply with requests to stop the protest that they might be transferred, he said.
Early Arrival: Court Sides with Trump Over Withholding Sanctuary City Funds
The Trump administration can withhold millions of dollars from law enforcement agencies in states and cities — including New York — that resist assisting the federal government in immigration enforcement, a federal appeals court ruled. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan found that the Trump administration is allowed to impose conditions on the release of the federal funding, which comes in the form of grants. Three other appeals courts previously sided with a lower court’s ruling that it was unlawful for the White House to tie the grant money to cooperation with federal authorities.
Justice Department officials celebrated their victory. “Today’s decision rightfully recognizes the lawful authority of the attorney general to ensure that Department of Justice grant recipients are not at the same time thwarting federal law enforcement priorities,” Alexei Woltornist, a Justice Department spokesman, said. The ruling comes as the Trump administration continues to target New York and New Jersey for both states’ resistance to assisting the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.
“President Trump’s latest retaliation against his hometown takes away security funding from the number one terrorist target in America, all because we refuse to play by his arbitrary rules,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City said in a statement. New York City received about $4 million per year through the funding the administration is attempting to withhold. The states involved in the New York case may be able to request a review of the ruling from the full Second Circuit or Supreme Court. The New York Times
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Advocates Sue ICE Over Sanctuary Fines
In the summer of 2019, multiple women living in sanctuary received notice that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was intending to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from each of them. Immigrant rights groups sued ICE on Wednesday seeking answers about how and why the Trump administration levied six-figure fines against sanctuary leaders. The notices were abruptly withdrawn after national uproar, but they were re-issued several months later. The lawsuit was filed by Austin Sanctuary Network, Free Migration Project, Grassroots Leadership and the Center for Constitutional Rights in the Southern District of New York. The Haitian Times
Immigrant Rights Groups Sue ICE
NEW YORK – A collective of immigrant rights groups has a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking answers about how the Trump administration decided to target sanctuary leaders with six-figure fines.
In the summer of 2019, a number of high-profile activists in sanctuary—all women who fled persecution in their countries of origin—were notified of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency’s intent to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from each of them.
These notices were abruptly withdrawn, only to be re-issued several months later. The Freedom Of Information Act sought documents concerning this unprecedented spate of civil fines against people who have chosen to take sanctuary while pursuing their legal remedies to remain in the U.S.
“It is so painful to have to continue to endure attacks from ICE when all I want is to be free. These fines couldn’t have been anything other than retaliation for the love and support that I have received from my community here in Austin, TX,” said Hilda Ramirez, an activist and leader of Austin Sanctuary Network who has lived in sanctuary in an Austin, Texas church since 2016. “Behind closed doors, ICE officials have admitted they are targeting me for political reasons, but then they deny it publicly. It is time that ICE tells us exactly why they are targeting me and other women who are in sanctuary,” continued Ramirez. Ramirez was one of a handful of sanctuary leaders who received such an “intent to fine” notice in 2019.
Demandan al gobierno de EEUU por multas millonarias contra indocumentados en ‘santuarios’
Nueva York, Estados Unidos —Una demanda contra el gobierno Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York.
La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes, a la cual accedió la AFP, acusa a la policía migratoria (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas "excesivas" e "inconstitucionales", y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto.
"Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos", dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500.000 dólares.
Demandan al gobierno de EEUU por multas millonarias contra indocumentados en ‘santuarios’
Nueva York, Estados Unidos —Una demanda contra el gobierno Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York.
La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes, a la cual accedió la AFP, acusa a la policía migratoria (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas "excesivas" e "inconstitucionales", y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto.
"Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos", dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500.000 dólares.
ICE enfrenta demanda por imponer multas millonarias a ocho mujeres migrantes
Una demanda contra el gobierno Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York. La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes, a la cual accedió la AFP, acusa a la policía migratoria (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas “excesivas” e “inconstitucionales”, y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto. “Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos”, dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500,000 dólares. Las notificaciones fueron retiradas sin explicación, pero se volvieron a emitir varios meses después.
Immigrant Rights Groups Sue ICE for Immediate Release of Information Concerning the Continuing Retaliation Against Immigrants in Sanctuary
February 26, 2020, NEW YORK — Amid a week of action lead by a collective of immigrants taking sanctuary across the U.S., Austin Sanctuary Network, Free Migration Project, Grassroots Leadership, and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking answers about how the Trump administration decided to target sanctuary leaders with six-figure fines.
In the summer of 2019, a number of high-profile activists in sanctuary —all women who fled persecution in their countries of origin— were notified of ICE’s intent to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from each of them. These notices were abruptly withdrawn, only to be re-issued several months later. The FOIA sought documents concerning this unprecedented spate of civil fines against people who have chosen to take sanctuary while pursuing their legal remedies to remain in the U.S.
“It is so painful to have to continue to endure attacks from ICE when all I want is to be free. These fines couldn’t have been anything other than retaliation for the love and support that I have received from my community here in Austin, TX,” said Hilda Ramirez, an activist and leader of Austin Sanctuary Network who has lived in sanctuary in an Austin, Texas church since 2016. “Behind closed doors, ICE officials have admitted they are targeting me for political reasons, but then they deny it publicly. It is time that ICE tells us exactly why they are targeting me and other women who are in sanctuary,” continued Ramirez. Ramirez was one of a handful of sanctuary leaders who received such an “intent to fine” notice in 2019.
Mujeres indocumentadas demandan a gobierno de EU
Nueva York. Una demanda contra el gobierno de Trump que busca frenar millonarias multas contra ocho mujeres indocumentadas que se refugiaron en iglesias para no ser deportadas, algunas con sus hijos, fue presentada este miércoles en una corte federal de Nueva York.
La demanda de un puñado de organizaciones de defensa de los inmigrantes acusa al Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) y al departamento del Tesoro de querer imponer a estas mujeres multas “excesivas” e “inconstitucionales”, y exige acceso a información gubernamental al respecto
“Es muy injusto que esta administración nos esté multando por esta cantidad de dinero que no tenemos. Están buscando la forma de intimidarnos”, dijo en una teleconferencia de prensa la mexicana Edith Espinal, refugiada en una iglesia de Columbus, Ohio, desde el 2017, quien recibió en el verano boreal una carta del gobierno amenazándola con una multa de casi 500,000 dólares.
Advocates Sue ICE for Targeting Sanctuary Leaders With Retaliatory Fines
Immigrant rights groups don’t want the Trump administration to continue targeting sanctuary activists—all of whom are women—with excessive, six-figure fines. Austin Sanctuary Network (ASN), Free Migration Project (FMP), Grassroots Leadership and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit on February 26 against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), the U.S. Department of the Treasury (DOT), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in the Southern District of New York, according to a group emailed statement from the organizations.
Advocates are demanding access to documents outlining how and why the government is imposing outrageous fees on activists, especially because they appear to be retaliatory in nature, says the emailed statement. “The need for this information is extremely urgent, as massive fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars have been levied against several women in sanctuary who have spoken out against these fines and U.S. immigration policy,” CCR said in another statement posted in their web site.
Study finds stark racial disparities for low-level drug offenses in Travis County, Texas
A coalition of criminal justice reform groups has found significant racial disparities in arrests and incarceration rates for people in possession of a gram or less of controlled substances in Travis County, Texas. A new report on the findings comes as the county’s largest police department, in Austin, faces accusations of institutional racism and overzealous policing of people for drug use, even in cases where both the City Council and the county prosecutor have said they will not prosecute.
The report, released Tuesday by four Texas-based organizations, shows a sharp uptick in the overall number of drug arrests across the county. “Between 2013 and 2017, the number of low-level Possession of a Controlled Substance (POCS) cases in Travis County increased by 43 percent,” while the county’s courts experienced a 67 percent increase in new felony drug possession cases, the report states. Travis County stands out from the rest of the state, with an increase in drug possession cases that was 2.5 times higher than other Texas courts.
What Kim Ogg gets wrong about work, poverty, and crime
At a community conversation held in Houston’s Third Ward last summer, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said she wants to send a message: “Put down your gun and pick up an employment application.” The video received hundreds of comments after activist Shaun King posted it on Facebook. Many responses focused on how her remarks seemed tone deaf from a prosecutor who was elected to bring fairness and equity to Harris County’s criminal legal system.
“The idea of just putting the guns down and picking up a job application sounds innocent, but it’s one of the long-living white supremacist ideas that completely ignores the many barriers put in place for POC [people of color], especially those with backgrounds that her office unnecessarily charges,” Monique Joseph, a field organizer with Texas Advocates for Justice, told The Appeal in a text message. ”Her comment is ultimately condescending and feeds into the stereotype that Black men don’t want to work and, therefore, deserve to be treated harshly by the system.”
Travis County told to ‘do better’ and invest in drug treatment over arrests, report says
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Authorities must take a different approach towards addressing drug use in Travis County, according to the authors of a newly released report.
Earlier this month, the four criminal justice groups involved in a study into drug possession arrests revealed some of their findings.
They found that black residents of Travis County are disproportionately harmed – despite making up just 9% of the population, black people accounted for 29.4% of drug possession arrests between June 2017 and May 2018.
Now, the four organizations involved in the study – the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, Grassroots Leadership, and the Civil Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law – have released the full report.
Of the arrests analyzed, about half arose from motor vehicle stops, typically for minor traffic violations.
Low-Level Drug Possession Arrests Are Hurting Travis County, Report Finds
Low-level drug possession arrests are ineffective and harmful to people who need community-based help, rather than jail time, a new report concludes.
The report, released Tuesday by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Grassroots Leadership, the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance and the UT Law Civil Rights Clinic, analyzed Travis County data that found people of color are disproportionately arrested for these kinds of crimes.
Though black people made up less than 9% of Travis County's population between 2017-2018, for example, they accounted for almost 30% of possession arrests made during that time.
Headlines
Racial Disparities in Drug Arrests: The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, Grassroots Leadership, and UT Law Civil Rights Clinic have released preliminary key findings of a new report highlighting racial disparities in low-level drug possession arrests in Travis County. Analyzing less-than-a-gram drug possession arrests in a one-year period, findings revealed Black residents represented 29.4% of the arrests studied while only comprising less than 9% of the county's population. In arrests involving Latinx individuals, 57% originated from motor vehicle stops. For Black motorists, that number was 44%. The report will be published in full later this month.