Portside

Immigration reform is desperately needed. Dreamers and TPS recipients need their legal status maintained and millions more need legal protection. It should be possible for those millions of immigrants working in this country to gain a route to legalization and citizenship.  Instead, the Trump White House demands a border wall, more ICE, more border guards, and even less legal protection for immigrants.

There were no federal laws concerning immigration until 1924. When a massive influx of new immigrant groups came at the turn of the 20th century — Italians from Southern Europe and Jews from Eastern Europe — a backlash developed. A new law required for the first time that immigrants to the U.S. have visas, introducing the concept of “having papers” to American immigration policy.

Progressive leaders said they will punish House and Senate Democrats politically, including by withdrawing endorsements in 2018, if they do not demand passage of the Dream Act by the end of the year. Pressure is on Sen. Schumer and Rep. Nancy Peloisi who have signaled they may back GOP effort to fund government without DACA or CHIP action. Progressive activists say that approach is unacceptable.

The "dreamers," young recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—are the true children of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). More than anyone, they have paid the price for the agreement. Yet they are the ones punished by the administration of President Donald Trump, as it takes away their legal status, ability to work and right to live in this country without fear of arrest or deportation.

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President Donald Trump wants to impose a police state on undocumented immigrants. Workplace raids - sometimes called 'silent raids' - have been a mainstay of immigration enforcement, will likely ramp up. Now - predawn raids, arrests and deportation of undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of the most minor criminal offenses, and stops of dark-complexioned motorists and pedestrians - will become the norm, in the new anti-immigrant policy to be soon rolled out.

The State of California's elected officials are exploring ways to combat President Trump's Executive Order cutting off funding to sanctuary cities. National legal experts say that Trump's sanctuary cities order is unconstitutional because, at its core, the order is an attempt to commandeer state and local officials in violation of the 10th Amendment.

In 2012, President Obama passed DACA, a legislative policy to ensure that certain undocumented immigrants to the United States who entered the country before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 receive a renewable two-year work permit, a Social Security Number and exemption from deportation. Donald Trump has vowed to end DACA once he enters office, making hundreds of thousands of young people fearful of deportation and that their education could be in jeopardy.

Tonight President Obama issued an Executive Order to reform some of the broken immigration system in the country. This is not unprecedented - previous presidents have also used Executive Orders to accomplish their goals. Here is Pres. Obama's speech; along with responses from immigrant and immigration activists around the country, many outlining what more is needed.

The Border: Songs and Stories. Freddy Fender - Across the Borderline. Arlo Guthrie and Emmylou Harris - Deportees. Ice El Hielo - La Santa Cecilia. Illegal Immigrants, Dangerous Border — One Story. Deported: Kelly's Story.