May Day
Laborers around the world stormed the streets for May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, in celebration of the working-class and in pursuit of related social and economic legislation. Among the most important issues was the rights of immigrant workers. In Milwaukee specifically, more than 4,000 people assembled, organized by Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant worker’s rights group based in Wisconsin’s largest city. The march was the first of a two-day series of “Days Without Latinxs & Immigrants” actions, held in 18 states around the country.
The group specifically targeted Republican Senator Ron Johnson, who was a main reason immigration reform did not pass on the federal level last year. They also called on President Biden to expand protections for immigrant workers. Milwaukee’s mayor was present at the march, and expressed his support for the group’s efforts, and immigrant rights more broadly.
While much media coverage was centered in Milwaukee — since this was the epicenter of the movement and the homebase of its organizer — similar demonstrations occurred around the country, emphasizing the centrality of immigrant workers in the American economy and the importance of protections for this group.
If you need to talk to an experienced immigration attorney. We’ve helped hundreds of couples traverse the complicated immigration and citizenship process. We would love to help you as well. Call 617-714-4375 or email hello@cambridgeimmigrationlaw.com to get in touch.
The Immigrant Archive Project was founded by Tony Hernandez and Gustavo Pombo in 2008 to document the stories of the United States’ immigrant communities. Now, the visual history project will take its place in the Library of Congress. The Immigrant Archive Project will be included in the Handbook of Latin American Studies Web Archive, a larger collection of culturally significant sites preserved by the Library.
New York city rights activist Ravi Ragbir, an immigrant recently settled a lawsuit with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He argued in court that he was targeted for deportation because of his outspoken criticism of the organization and the larger immigration system. The rights activist has received a three year reprieve from deportation from winning the case, according to The Intercept news.
A private prison company is launching a new pilot program that would place migrants caught crossing the border under house arrest. BI Incorporated, the group responsible, is a subset of the private prison company GEO Group. Immigrants enrolled in this new pilot program “home curfew” would be confined to their place of residence in the United States for 12 hours a day, from 8pm until 8am, until their court hearing. The system relies on electronic monitoring.
The Biden administration recently announced plans to resume a Trump-era practice that returns asylum seekers to Mexico while they await a court hearing in the United States. This “Migrant Protection Protocols” policy will be reinstated mid-November, provided the Mexican government agrees to accept their return. Contracts have already been signed to reopen tent courts, from which asylum seekers will appear for hearings through videoconference.
Language is a powerful tool. Certain words carry harmful connotations, and their use has major political ramifications. In recognition of this, several states have begun changing terminology and drop the use of dehumanizing words like “alien” from state laws. The term –– dating back to the enactment of the country’s first naturalization law in 1798 –– implies an unjust idea of “otherness.” Colorado took action earlier this year, focusing on eliminating the use of “illegal alien” in public service contracts. The bill was first introduced in February of 2020 and entered law in April of 2020. California passed a similar law in September of this year. The decision echoed previous California laws from 2015 and 2016 that removed the term from state labor and education codes. In total, seven states have considered making the change, many in response to Biden’s related policy initiative. Under the Biden administration, “alien” was changed to “noncitizen” in the terminology of federal agencies, and officials have been discouraged from using the word “illegal” in reference to undocumented immigrants. Libraries and media companies have also been leading a movement towards similar changes around the country.