citizenship
‘We’re just trying to live our lives’: DACA hits 11-year mark still mired in the courts
WASHINGTON — Thursday marks the 11th anniversary of a program that was created during the Obama administration to temporarily protect undocumented children from deportation. But congressional inaction and legal challenges have led to more than a decade of limbo for the 600,000 people enrolled, with no end in sight. They are often called “Dreamers,” based […]
U.S. sues Arizona over proof of citizenship voting law
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division announced Tuesday that it has sued Arizona over a law signed by the state’s Republican governor in March that requires people registering to vote prove their citizenship to participate in a presidential election or to vote by mail in any federal election. Republican proponents of […]
Arizona could force U.S. Supreme Court to consider proof of citizenship for voter registration
A GOP-sponsored bill signed into law Wednesday in Arizona requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, a mandate that the U.S. Supreme Court has said is unconstitutional. By signing the bill, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey is setting up Arizona for an inevitable legal challenge that will likely allow the U.S. Supreme Court to […]
U.S. House reconciliation package would provide path to citizenship
DACA program participants among the groups that would benefit A provision tucked in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package would direct Congress to chart a path for citizenship for millions of undocumented people. If passed, the House provision would provide a pathway to citizenship for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — often […]
Lawyer behind racist attack on Kamala Harris once billed NC $78K for anti-gay rights work
One supposes that it’s ultimately a somewhat hopeful sign that the sad world of right-wing zealots who promote racist tropes, homophobic fearmongering and kooky conspiracy theories while masquerading as responsible advocates is actually a pretty small one. Unfortunately, the downside to this situation is that every time you turn around, the same troubled souls keep […]
Trump’s destructive war on immigrants is taking a deadly toll
Journalist James Garcia authored a powerful essay recently in the Arizona Mirror that does a good job of summarizing the destructive impact of the Trump administration’s policies toward immigrants. His assessment: we won’t be able to call ourselves a nation of immigrants much longer if Trump’s relentless and bigoted policies aren’t halted soon. This is […]
Hofeller files: GOP mapmaker helped develop Trump’s citizenship Census question
The master mapmaker behind North Carolina’s most contentious and allegedly gerrymandered voting districts apparently also played a role in developing the citizenship question proposed for the 2020 Census by the Trump administration. Thomas Hofeller’s daughter, Stephanie Hofeller Lizon recently turned over several of his hard drives and digital files to voting rights group Common Cause […]
NC’s leading immigrant-led groups denounce Trump’s threat to end birthright citizenship
A coalition of Latinx and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community organizations is speaking out against President Trump’s pledge to issue an executive order ending birthright citizenship. El Pueblo, N.C. Asian Americans Together (NCAAT) and the Southeast Asian Coalition (SEAC) note that the administration’s plan “fans animosity” toward immigrant communities, while placing at risk […]
El Pueblo joins suit accusing Trump administration of racial discrimination with 2020 Census question
Local advocacy group El Pueblo joined a lawsuit last week challenging the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The 2020 document will ask people living in the U.S. if they are citizens (for the first time since 1950). If some people avoid answering the question, the administration wants to […]
We are citizens, Governor, not customers
In case you missed it, columnist Susan Ladd of the Greensboro News & Record hit a home run this week with an outstanding essay entitled “We are citizens of North Carolina, not customers.” Here’s Ladd: “I’m not a customer. I thought it was an odd choice of words when Gov. Pat McCrory first said on the […]
Four Mondays in June
Here’s a quick look at what many consider to be the major cases still awaiting decision as the U.S. Supreme Court heads towards the close of its term in late June, with affirmative action, marriage equality and voting rights topping the list. Though the Court typically releases opinions on Mondays, it could add additional days […]