Source: CBS News
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Prince William Starts First-Ever Royal Visit in Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Source: FRANCE 24 English
18 Attorneys General File Multi-State Suit Against Trump Administration Family Separation Policy
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Barbara
D. Underwood today announced a lawsuit challenging the Trump
Administration's policy of forced family separation on the U.S. southern
border. The multi-state lawsuit was filed by a coalition of 18 Attorneys
General in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of
Washington.
"The federal government's horrendous
treatment of immigrant families arriving at our border is
unconstitutional and in direct opposition to everything this state and
this nation stand for," Governor Cuomo said. "In New
York, we will challenge this policy every step of the way. It's time for
this country to look in the mirror and remember who we are and what we
are about. We must protect immigrant children and defend our principles,
our rights, and our basic humanity."
"Keeping children separated from their parents is inhumane, unconscionable, and illegal - and we're filing suit to stop it," said Attorney General Underwood. "By
tearing children away from their parents and sending them hundreds of
miles away, the Trump administration has already caused unfathomable
trauma to these children, while undermining New York's fundamental
interests in protecting their health, safety, and wellbeing. This is not
who we are as a country, and we won't stand by as the Trump
administration undermines the Constitution and our rights."
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
New York to Provide Free Legal Assistance to Airport Detainees or Those Affected by the Travel Ban
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that lawyers will be available through the Liberty Defense Project to offer free legal services to individuals currently detained on immigration charges at airports statewide or affected by the federal policy. This action is in direct response to the discriminatory federal travel ban upheld by the Supreme Court earlier today. The Liberty Defense Project is administered through the Office for New Americans, which has helped more than 200,000 New Americans navigate the naturalization process since 2013.
"The Trump administration's travel ban is a stain on this country's history, and the Supreme Court's ruling encourages and contributes to a culture of profiling and religious discrimination," Governor Cuomo said. "This policy is clear religious bias camouflaged as national security. In New York, we are taking action to protect the rights of immigrants, and we will never stop fighting against hate and discrimination in all its forms."
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"The Trump administration's travel ban is a stain on this country's history, and the Supreme Court's ruling encourages and contributes to a culture of profiling and religious discrimination," Governor Cuomo said. "This policy is clear religious bias camouflaged as national security. In New York, we are taking action to protect the rights of immigrants, and we will never stop fighting against hate and discrimination in all its forms."
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Rev. Al Sharpton on SCOTUS Travel Ban Ruling: 'We Will Push Back...'
NEW YORK — Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder of National Action Network
(NAN), issued the following statement following this morning’s Supreme
Court decision upholding President Trump’s travel ban on individuals
from
Muslim-majority countries.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision marks another
outrageous step backwards for religious and racial justice around the
world. The Supreme Court’s decision to the anti-Muslim bias clearly
apparent in this policy is unfathomable – the ban is
rooted in Islamophobia and has been phonily sold to the American public
for the sake of ‘security.’
“Trump has made it clear time and time again he
wants a migration ban on individuals from all Muslim countries. We at
NAN have no patience for the ongoing efforts by this administration to
undermine religious freedom, a basic building block
of our nation. We will push back at every step and every available
juncture on any whiff of intolerance and prejudice.”
Source: Mercury
Monday, June 25, 2018
New Services Provided to Aid Immigrant Children in New York
Earlier today, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will be providing a broad array of services and resources for unaccompanied minor children, including immigrant children that have separated from their parents as a result of the federal Government zero tolerance policy.
Source: NYGovCuomo
Hispanic Leaders and Power Showcased at the Humanity of Connection
Pictured left to right are Humanity Connection honorees Ricardo, Rivera, Griselle Vila, Erin Schrode, AT&T’s Tanya Lombard, Latinovations Maria T. Cardona, AT&T’s Sonia Perez, Honoree Armando Lucas Correa, and Honoree Monica Ramirez. (Click photo to enlarge it.)
On June 20, AT&T hosted the Humanity of Connection, at Lincoln Center in New York. The event celebrated the remarkable achievements of
some of our country’s most prolific Hispanic leaders.
Honorees included the following: Armando Lucas Correa, Editor in Chief, People en Español, Monica
Ramirez, Co-Founder & President, Alianza Nacional de
Campesinas, as well as Ricardo Rivera, Erin Schrode, and Griselle Vila,
World Central Kitchen, #ChefsForPuertoRico.
The
Humanity of Connection film that was screened was directed by Rafael
Jimenez, who has been committed to creating compelling content for
over two decades. Jimenez is passionate about quality story-telling
and creating content that features Latinos.
Acclaimed filmmaker Robert
Rodriguez introduced
The Humanity of Connection film via video.
The Humanity of Connection
was co-created by Tanya Lombard and Executive Producer Keith Clinkscales
to celebrate the power of human connectivity and the technologies
that chronicle and connect the remarkable achievements of the Hispanic
Culture.
This year's event focused on the unique power,
presence, integrity and culture of Latino people along
with several key Latin American executives at AT&T.
The
themes celebrated included the positive impact Latinos
have on America’s economy and business, Latinos increasing role in
American government and leadership, the value and humanity
of migrant workers, celebrating the diversity within Latino culture in
the US, and the power of Hispanic image in the arts, film and print.
Source: Mercury
The Wiretap Rooms: The NSA’s Hidden Spy Hubs in Eight U.S. Cities
By Ryan Gallagher, and Henrik Moltke
The secrets are hidden behind fortified walls
in cities across the United States, inside towering, windowless
skyscrapers and fortress-like concrete structures that were built to
withstand earthquakes and even nuclear attack. Thousands of people pass
by the buildings each day and rarely give them a second glance, because
their function is not publicly known. They are an integral part of one
of the world’s largest telecommunications networks – and they are also
linked to a controversial National Security Agency surveillance program.
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco,
Seattle, and Washington, D.C. In each of these cities, The Intercept has
identified an AT&T facility containing networking equipment that
transports large quantities of internet traffic across the United States
and the world. A body of evidence – including classified NSA documents,
public records, and interviews with several former AT&T employees –
indicates that the buildings are central to an NSA spying initiative
that has for years monitored billions of emails, phone calls, and online
chats passing across U.S. territory.
The NSA considers AT&T to be one of its most trusted partners and
has lauded the company’s “extreme willingness to help.” It is a
collaboration that dates back decades. Little known, however, is that
its scope is not restricted to AT&T’s customers. According to the
NSA’s documents,
it values AT&T not only because it “has access to information that
transits the nation,” but also because it maintains unique relationships
with other phone and internet providers. The NSA exploits these
relationships for surveillance purposes, commandeering AT&T’s
massive infrastructure and using it as a platform to covertly tap into
communications processed by other companies.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
Netflix Communications Director Fired for Using N-Word in Meetings
By Mattha Busby
Netflix has fired its communications director for using the N-word at least twice during meetings.
Jonathan Friedland, a former Disney executive, said he felt “awful” for what he described as a “lapse".
In an internal memo sent to Netflix employees, chief executive Reed Hastings apologised for not firing Mr Friedland sooner.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Independent
The Week Ahead in Washington
Axios' Alayna Treene and the AP’s Lisa Mascaro preview the week ahead in Congress and at the White House.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Supreme Court Decision Day Sights and Sounds
A look at the scene outside the U.S. Supreme Court on what may be the
final day of its term as it releases the remaining decisions on the
docket.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Malcolm X on Prison Reformation (1962)
This video was published on YouTube on April 26, 2017.
Source: Malcolms Disciples
Trailblazers in Black History: Gen. Roscoe Robinson Jr.
This video was published on YouTube on February 3, 2016.
Source: STL TV
Supreme Court Grants Appeal of Florist Who Refused to Serve Gay Wedding
by Pete Williams
WASHINGTON
— The U.S. Supreme Court Monday granted the appeal of a Washington
state florist who was fined after she refused to sell flowers to a gay
couple for their wedding, and the court erased a lower court ruling
against her.
The move came after the court gave a narrow victory on June 4 to a Colorado baker who
refused to make a cake for a gay wedding. That decision affected only
him and offered no guidance on how to referee similar disputes between
same-sex couples and business owners who cite religious objections in
refusing to serve them.
Click here for video.
Source: NBC News
Sen. Kamala Harris Not Ruling Out 2020 White House Run
by Kasie Hunt
SAN DIEGO — Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., says she isn't ruling out a
2020 run for president in her most direct comments yet about her
political future.
In an interview that aired Sunday on MSNBC's
"KasieDC," Harris said she's focused on the 2018 midterm elections. "I'm
focused on a lot of other things as a higher priority" than running for
president, she said.
Pressed on whether she was ruling out a 2020 bid, Harris said: "I'm not ruling it out, no."
Click here to watch the interview.
Source: NBC News
The Parents of Antwon Rose Speak Out for the First Time
This report was published on YouTube on June 24.
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Request: Creating a Safer Guardianship System
The following statement was submitted by Rick Black, Director of the Center for Estate Administration Reform (CEAR).
National victims and their families, advocates:
Please send a short note to this committee at comments@aging.senate.gov
asking for their engagement in stopping the abuse and financial
exploitation of vulnerable American adults through the actions of local
courts. Anyone can choose to abuse; family members, guardians, lawyers,
police, and judges. CEAR wants all vulnerable adults protected and the
abusers criminally prosecuted. However, in adult guardianship, the
system that appoints the professional guardian routinely protects them
and gives them omnipotent powers to mentally, psychologically, and
financially exploit the alleged incapacitated person and their loving
and legitimate family or caregivers.
This
abuse is fully sponsored by the legal community and is a national
issue. This nation’s probate and adult guardianship systems were
developed and protected by attorneys in each state who recognized long
ago how easy conscription into guardianship gave them a pot of gold to
draw from or steal with a judge’s protection. Over the last 40 years
the abuses and schemes played out on America’s vulnerable adults by the
legal community has only gotten worse. Trust and probate fraud are
rampant as well as local and state law enforcement have refused to
investigate complaints. Now is the moment for our #MeToo movement. We must let Congress hear our voices!!
Ranking
member Senator Bob Casey hails from Pennsylvania, my home state. His father was governor of the state and worked for the law firm Elliott
Greenleaf in Scranton, PA. Stewart Greenleaf is a partner there and is
the current Chairman of the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee. Pennsylvania Senator Greenleaf has been an ardent defender of
guardianship in Pennsylvania and continues to strengthen the rights of
attorneys and the guardians they protect through state legislation.
Senator Casey is likely completely misinformed about the issues in Pennsylvania.
Eastern
Pennsylvania in particular has many judges fully and publicly committed to the
guardianship mills they run. Any claim, fabricated or otherwise, by
their Bar associates to warrant a guardianship is validated in orders. Hearings aren’t held, objections are denied, abuses and theft ignored,
estate documents are denied, and downstream oversight not provided as
the court rules based on the chorus of calumny coming from the
prevailing attorneys who gain full access and control of an estate.
Trading Threats: EU Will Respond to Any US Tariffs on European Cars
This report was published on YouTube on June 24.
Source: euronews.
Brexit Business Woes: British MPs Criticise Business Leaders for Voicing Brexit Concerns
This report was published on YouTube on June 24.
Source: euronews.
Erdogan Wins: With Re-election, Turkey's President Gains Sweeping Powers
This report was published on YouTube on June 24.
Source: euronews.
EU Leaders Call for Joint Solutions to Migrant Crisis
This report was published on YouTube on June 24.
Source: euronews.
Mayor de Blasio Makes Announcement on NYCHA Repairs and Renovations
Coverage begins at the 22:10 mark.
Source: NYC Mayor's Office
Don’t Take a Vacation from Protecting Your Private Information
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, along with the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection, today reminded taxpayers they must remain vigilant throughout the year to guard against fraud, identity theft, and tax scams.
Con artists don’t take a break for the summer; they continually target sensitive personal data and account information.
“Scammers prey upon honest taxpayers in every season,” said Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Nonie Manion. “This means we must all keep in mind common scam tactics, stay informed as new ones emerge to thwart the defenses in place, and report suspicious activity to the proper agency.”
New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, “Scammers do not take a break and New Yorkers need to be vigilant to protect their private data to avoid losing time and money. We recommend consumers consistently monitor their information and take a few simple steps to protect themselves from unscrupulous scam artists this summer and all year around.”
Be aware of common scam tactics
Threatening calls—Scammers who use this tactic try to bully or trick victims into turning over private information, or convince them to wire money to pay a tax debt or fine. If a caller, perhaps posing as a NYS Tax Department or IRS agent, threatens an arrest or fines, it’s a scam. If you receive a phone call or email from someone about your tax return, a refund, or a possible debt you may owe, and aren’t sure if it’s legitimate, call the Tax Department to verify it. The Tax Department and the IRS will never make threats over the phone and will never request personal or financial information by email.
Unusual emails—Phishing emails often contain links that can activate malware or lead to phony websites that request personal information. Misspellings or unfamiliar logos in the email or subject line are obvious clues that it’s a scam attempt. To be safe, simply delete these emails and any that are unsolicited, and never click the links within them. Hovering over the links, however, may reveal an unusual webpage address (URL) that confirms the sender’s true intent. Remember, the Tax Department never requests personal or financial information by email.
Offer to collect payment in person—If a caller claiming to be from the Tax Department offers to meet you at a specific location for payment, you’re being scammed. This is never an option with the Tax Department. Hang up immediately.
Request for a specific type of payment—If you’re being told to pay through a prepaid debit card or an iTunes gift card, this is a tell-tale sign of a scam. The Tax Department provides various payment options, but the use of gift cards isn’t one of them. If you’re only given one specific way to make a payment, it’s a scam.
Report It
If contacted by a scammer posing as an IRS agent, contact the IRS. Learn more at the IRS webpage Tax Scams: How to Report them.
If you’re contacted by a con artist claiming to be from the New York State Tax Department, visit the Tax Department’s Report fraud, scams, and identity theft webpage.
If you suspect a return preparer filed or altered a return without your consent, report it to the NYS Office of Taxpayer Rights Advocate at (518) 530-HELP (option #2) or file a tax preparer complaint online.
Source: The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
Action Taken to Protect New Yorkers' Private Info Held by Credit Rating Companies
The Department of Financial Services has issued a final regulation to protect New Yorkers from the threat of data breaches at credit reporting agencies, such as the Equifax breach that exposed the personal private data of millions of New Yorkers. The new regulation, which incorporates comments received during a public comment period, requires credit reporting agencies with significant operations in New York to register with DFS for the first time and to comply with New York's first-in-the-nation cybersecurity standard. The annual reporting obligation also provides the DFS Superintendent with the authority to deny, suspend and potentially revoke a consumer credit reporting agency's authorization to do business with New York's regulated financial institutions and consumers if the agency is found to be out of compliance with certain prohibited practices, including engaging in unfair, deceptive or predatory practices.
"As the federal government weakens consumer protections, New York is strengthening them with these new standards," Governor Cuomo said. "Oversight of credit reporting agencies ensures that the personal private information of New Yorkers is less vulnerable to the threat of cyber-attacks, providing them with peace of mind about their financial future."
Under the new regulation, all consumer credit reporting agencies that reported on 1,000 or more New York consumers in the preceding year must register annually with DFS beginning on or before September 1, 2018, and by February 1 of each successive year for the calendar year thereafter. The registration form must include an agency's officers and directors who will be responsible for compliance with the financial services, banking, and insurance laws, and regulations.
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
FBI Investigates the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz
District 18 Bronx County, New York
You
should know that rumor has it the National Puerto Rican Day Parade
Board of Directors has quietly decided to dedicate next year’s parade to
the Mayor of
San Juan Puerto Rico, the Honorable Carmen Yulin Cruz, in order to help
her aspiration of becoming the Governor of Puerto Rico.
But
now, it is important for you to know the mayor and her administration are being investigated by the FBI for corruption
- according to many Puerto Rican news media outlets.
Among
the Puerto Rican news media outlets reporting this conduct are: El
Vocero de Puerto Rico, theBlaze.com, Telemundo PR and many others.
Mayor
Yulin Cruz and her administration are under fire for allegedly
obstructing critical supplies from reaching victims of the Category-4
Hurricane, Maria,
that leveled much of the small island of Puerto Rico less than a year
ago.
You
should know my dear reader that for many weeks after Hurricane Maria,
Mayor Yulin Cruz made headlines for her comments about President Trump
and the Governor
of Puerto Rico’s administration slow response to the victims of Puerto
Rico. It now appears it was not Governor Rosello and President Trump’s
slow aid keeping the supplies from reaching the residents of San Juan,
but hers, according to the Epoch Times report.
I
don’t know how the FBI investigation will affect the future plans to
dedicate next year’s National Puerto Rican Day Parade to Mayor Carmen
Yulin Cruz. Nor
do I know if Mayor Yulin Cruz’s aspiration to run for Governor of
Puerto Rico will have to be put on ice.
As I used to say to my friends Jose Rivera and Isreal Martinez, “We’ll see.”
This is Councilman Rev Ruben Diaz, Sr and this is what you should know.
Sitting New York City Democrats Under Fire from Their Own
By Bridget Bowman
Outsize Democratic energy has been directed at unseating Republicans
this election cycle, but in New York City, Democrats are taking aim at
their own. Four veteran lawmakers are unloading their campaign war
chests to fend off intraparty opponents.
These Democrats aren’t
worried about losing their primaries Tuesday. They say they’re simply
taking their races seriously. But it’s a new experience for some
incumbents, who have rarely faced contested primaries.
While Democratic
primary challengers have been rare so far this cycle, it’s not a
surprise that they’re popping up in the liberal bastion of New York
City. And the new burst of party enthusiasm following the 2016
presidential election has helped get them some attention.
“I
certainly wouldn’t have been able to run this race four years ago,” said
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old organizer for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. She’s taking on House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley in the 14th District.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Roll Call (via Empire Report New York)
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Health Care Provisions Announced for Transgender New Yorkers
A series of aggressive actions have been enacted to counter the Trump Administration's expected efforts to legalize discrimination against transgender individuals seeking access to health care. In anticipation of the federal government's rollback of a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed the New York State Department of Health to issue regulations prohibiting health care providers from discriminating against transgender patients.
Cuomo also directed the New York State Department of Financial Services to issue regulations expanding the scope of anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals when it comes to accessing health insurance, and to issue a circular letter reminding industry participants that discrimination on the basis of gender identity is already prohibited in New York in certain policies.
More information is available here.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
More information is available here.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
LGBT Memorial Honoring Victims of Hate and Intolerance Opens
Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the opening of New York's official monument honoring the LGBT community, including those lost in the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016, and all victims of hate, intolerance and violence. The memorial, designed by artist Anthony Goicolea, is located at the western edge of Greenwich Village, in Hudson River Park.
Source: NYGovCuomo
Source: NYGovCuomo
President Trump's Immigration Policy is an 'Unsolvable Riddle'
By Governor Andrew Cuomo
The current border immigration debacle is even worse than it appears to be, and that is saying something.
Governmentally, the Trump administration either incompetently or diabolically created a currently unsolvable riddle. The President's dual mantra of "tough on the border and not separating families" is presently unobtainable for him.
If he detains the family, the children must be separated by the dictates of the long-held federal courts' Flores consent decree, which mandates the length of time and conditions under which children can be held in detention facilities. In short, they may not be held in detention centers with their parents for longer than 20 days. This situation was exploded on April 7 when Attorney General Jeff Sessions went to the "zero tolerance" arrest policy, forcing child separation and an unprepared Department of Health and Human Services to shuffle children all over the country.
The Flores decree is also why the President's Executive Order creating "family detention centers" to unite children is a scam. The executive order was not the "reversal" the press heralded. It was a political pirouette. It was not a 180-degree turn, it was a 360-degree turn in which he ended where he started. The President appeared sympathetic but maintained his position.
The executive order had two little-noticed caveats. It said "to the extent permitted by law," which it is not. And it said Sessions should renegotiate the Flores decree to allow the executive order to be implemented, which has virtually no chance of success. The federal government has tried to renegotiate Flores before and failed. Even the plan of 20,000 children on Department of Defense bases was a scam because it too violates the Flores decree. In short, none of the President's proposals are viable.
Meanwhile more people are arriving at the border every day, making the problem worse.
So what's next? The President cannot solve the problem and he knows it. Only Congress can solve it by passing a law that specifically overrides the Flores decree. They will need Democrats to agree, which is highly unlikely (I hope). The law would either need to allow family detention centers akin to the President's 20,000-capacity DOD camps (which would be a human rights atrocity not seen since the World War II Japanese internment camps), or stop arrivals by building the President's wall (I'm sure the President's preferred option). The third option is a supervised family-monitoring program such as those with legal counsels or American family custody programs, which are humane and proven to be effective (probably the Democrats' preferred option).
Any new immigration policy along the President's lines would require new legislation. Interesting, and perhaps telling, was the President's statement on Thursday that the Republicans shouldn't waste time on the immigration issue until after November. The statement made two points. One, he needs more Republicans in Congress to pass his preferred options, and second, it signals that he intends to keep this issue alive through November. With this administration, one must wonder that maybe this was not an unanticipated blunder, but a diabolical plan to continue the polarization of the American people over the immigration issue that helped elect the President in the first place and to inject intensity into the Republican base that is now lacking.
Either motivation is revolting. Politics aside, it means there is no end in sight and these children will be left to languish. The trauma is already inflicted and maybe lifelong. More children will be caught in Trump's trap and added to the list until a new policy is decided by Congress.
HHS has placed these children in foster care programs with no coordination with the states. Ironically, the states are responsible to run and manage these foster care facilities, and not only was the placement done without state knowledge, but the individual programs are under a federal gag order not to tell the states. How can a state regulate a program if it doesn't know who is in it? The children require services and interventions that many of these programs may not all be equipped or prepared to provide given the volume of children separated from their families. At a minimum, HHS should bring the states into the process to provide mental health, counseling, legal, education and reunification services to all of the affected children.
The children are political pawns. It is an American disgrace. For HHS not to allow states to provide resources takes this federal action to a new and disgusting level violating humanity and American values. Americans want to help these children. Let them.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Governmentally, the Trump administration either incompetently or diabolically created a currently unsolvable riddle. The President's dual mantra of "tough on the border and not separating families" is presently unobtainable for him.
If he detains the family, the children must be separated by the dictates of the long-held federal courts' Flores consent decree, which mandates the length of time and conditions under which children can be held in detention facilities. In short, they may not be held in detention centers with their parents for longer than 20 days. This situation was exploded on April 7 when Attorney General Jeff Sessions went to the "zero tolerance" arrest policy, forcing child separation and an unprepared Department of Health and Human Services to shuffle children all over the country.
The Flores decree is also why the President's Executive Order creating "family detention centers" to unite children is a scam. The executive order was not the "reversal" the press heralded. It was a political pirouette. It was not a 180-degree turn, it was a 360-degree turn in which he ended where he started. The President appeared sympathetic but maintained his position.
The executive order had two little-noticed caveats. It said "to the extent permitted by law," which it is not. And it said Sessions should renegotiate the Flores decree to allow the executive order to be implemented, which has virtually no chance of success. The federal government has tried to renegotiate Flores before and failed. Even the plan of 20,000 children on Department of Defense bases was a scam because it too violates the Flores decree. In short, none of the President's proposals are viable.
Meanwhile more people are arriving at the border every day, making the problem worse.
So what's next? The President cannot solve the problem and he knows it. Only Congress can solve it by passing a law that specifically overrides the Flores decree. They will need Democrats to agree, which is highly unlikely (I hope). The law would either need to allow family detention centers akin to the President's 20,000-capacity DOD camps (which would be a human rights atrocity not seen since the World War II Japanese internment camps), or stop arrivals by building the President's wall (I'm sure the President's preferred option). The third option is a supervised family-monitoring program such as those with legal counsels or American family custody programs, which are humane and proven to be effective (probably the Democrats' preferred option).
Any new immigration policy along the President's lines would require new legislation. Interesting, and perhaps telling, was the President's statement on Thursday that the Republicans shouldn't waste time on the immigration issue until after November. The statement made two points. One, he needs more Republicans in Congress to pass his preferred options, and second, it signals that he intends to keep this issue alive through November. With this administration, one must wonder that maybe this was not an unanticipated blunder, but a diabolical plan to continue the polarization of the American people over the immigration issue that helped elect the President in the first place and to inject intensity into the Republican base that is now lacking.
Either motivation is revolting. Politics aside, it means there is no end in sight and these children will be left to languish. The trauma is already inflicted and maybe lifelong. More children will be caught in Trump's trap and added to the list until a new policy is decided by Congress.
HHS has placed these children in foster care programs with no coordination with the states. Ironically, the states are responsible to run and manage these foster care facilities, and not only was the placement done without state knowledge, but the individual programs are under a federal gag order not to tell the states. How can a state regulate a program if it doesn't know who is in it? The children require services and interventions that many of these programs may not all be equipped or prepared to provide given the volume of children separated from their families. At a minimum, HHS should bring the states into the process to provide mental health, counseling, legal, education and reunification services to all of the affected children.
The children are political pawns. It is an American disgrace. For HHS not to allow states to provide resources takes this federal action to a new and disgusting level violating humanity and American values. Americans want to help these children. Let them.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
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