The Sanctuary - Recent Diaries

My Last Twitter Session From The Reform Immigration for America Summit

kyledeb — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:25:34 GMT

As I said, previously, I'm not going to blog the Reform Immigration for America summit until I have the time to process everything. I will cover the last session open to the press live from twitter, though. I hope you follow along.

Secretary of State Clinton in El Salvador and Honduras: Defining Obama's Latin American Policy

MATTorg — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:59:35 GMT

A solid article by Ray Walser with The Heritage Foundation about the balancing act between U.S.-Latin American relations and foreign policy-

Recently, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton specified the three guiding "D's" of U.S. foreign policy: defense, development, and diplomacy. When she heads south for the inauguration of El Salvador's new president and the May 31-June 2 annual high-level meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS), the secretary needs to pack a fourth "D": democracy...
Recently, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton specified the three guiding "D's" of U.S. foreign policy: defense, development, and diplomacy. When she heads south for the inauguration of El Salvador's new president and the May 31-June 2 annual high-level meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS), the secretary needs to pack a fourth "D": democracy.

El Salvador's New President: The End of an Era

Although incoming President Mauricio Funes of the leftist Farabundo Marti Front (FMLN) has sent some hopeful signals that he intends to pursue a Brazilian-style social democratic course, he will be under heavy pressure to veer sharply to the radical left.
In attendance at both events will be Venezuela's Hugo Chávez. Notwithstanding his fawning public relations offensive aimed at winning over President Obama at this past April's Summit of the Americas, Venezuela's populist president wants to put the FMLN and Funes in his hip pocket. He hopes to lure Funes into becoming an active member of ALBA, his "Bolivarian" coalition, along with Cuba, Bolivia, and Nicaragua. With Honduras leaning in Chávez's direction and Guatemala troubled by political and security turbulence, Chávez sees himself as the arbiter of Central America's future development.
The challenge for the Obama Administration is to face the reality that, with the end of the 20-year reign of the pro-U.S. National Republican Alliance (ARENA) in El Salvador, the U.S. has lost a close regional ally. The Administration must look seriously at deteriorating economic and political conditions in Central America, where poverty, violence, drugs, and vendetta politics raise the specter of lawlessness, un-governability, and potential instability.
The foundation of a viable U.S.-El Salvador relationship rests on respect for the democratic process, preservation of the rule of law, and open, market-friendly policies. Mutual cooperation in areas such as counter-drug and anti-gang activities--hallmarks of previous years--need to be preserved. If El Salvador becomes another Latin platform for advancing an anti-American agenda, it will negatively impact negatively future levels of U.S. assistance through the Millennium Challenge project and USAID as well as on U.S. immigration matters...
by Ray Walser, Ph.D.

Two Brooklyn troupes to engage in diplomacy through dance

MATTorg — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:54:27 GMT

Washington diplomats want to sell the rest of the world on the USA by sending out some special emissaries - two small modern dance troupes from Brooklyn.
The Fort Greene-based African-American modern dance companies will head overseas early next year as part of DanceMotion USA, a cultural diplomacy program launched Wednesday by the State Department and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A company from San Francisco will also make the trip.
Officials hope to use culture and art to improve America's image by sending the dancers to countries - such as Venezuela, Nigeria and Brazil- where its reputation has suffered in recent years...
Washington diplomats want to sell the rest of the world on the USA by sending out some special emissaries - two small modern dance troupes from Brooklyn.
The Fort Greene-based African-American modern dance companies will head overseas early next year as part of DanceMotion USA, a cultural diplomacy program launched Wednesday by the State Department and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A company from San Francisco will also make the trip.
Officials hope to use culture and art to improve America's image by sending the dancers to countries - such as Venezuela, Nigeria and Brazil- where its reputation has suffered in recent years.
"[Art] transcends language. It transcends politics," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alina Romanowksi. "The people who [come to see] the artists in many cases have never met Americans. ... We have an opportunity to reach out to countries that don't usually engage with Americans."
Romanowski said sending the 15 dancers around the world was part of President Obama's attempt to use "smart power" rather than military muscle. "We are using all the tools in our diplomatic tool kit," she said.
Urban Bush Women artistic director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar said she was "speechless" when she learned the seven-member troupe had been selected to make the four-week tour through Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. "It's an opportunity for us to bring our stories and our culture and way of life to them," she said...
BY ERIN DURKIN
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Photo: University of California SD

Obama chooses ambassador to the Vatican

NLinStPaul — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:41:19 GMT

Obama has followed-up his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court with the nomination of Miguel Diaz, a Catholic theologian and scholar, to serve as ambassador to the Vatican.

Miguel H. Diaz, 45, a Cuban-born professor of theology at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville who was an adviser to President Obama's campaign, would be the first Hispanic to serve as envoy to the Vatican since it established diplomatic ties to the United States in 1984.

Word I've seen so far on this pick is that its not only the first time a Hispanic has been nominated for this post, but is a ground-breaker in other ways.

It's an interesting pick on several different levels. The U.S. and the Holy See have only had formal diplomatic relations since 1984, and in those 25 years, most of the ambassadors have been politicians or personal friends of the president who appointed them. <...>
But the selection of Díaz marks the first time that a Catholic expert has filled the position.

Here's a bit more about Diaz' background.

The son of a waiter and a data-entry operator, Diaz was the first person in his family to attend college. He taught religious studies and theology at Barry University, the University of Dayton and Notre Dame. From 2001 to 2003, he was academic dean at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla.
Diaz is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian. He is past president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, and a father of four.

This pick is also sure to upset the wingers in that Diaz is a one of 26 Catholic leaders and scholars who signed a statement hailing Sebelius as "a woman of deep faith" and citing her a record on immigration, education, health care and reducing abortion rates in Kansas.

And finally, he is a consultant to the Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, who list their current projects as:

Consistent ethic of life
Reduce poverty
Building a moral economy
Worker rights

Given that over over one third of U.S. Catholics are Hispanic and, of church-attending Catholics under age 30, a full 60% are Hispanic, this choice certainly makes sense. I'm sure it won't get the attention the Sotomayor nomination has garnered. But its no less of a statement about the changing face of the U.S. and the way in which our first African American President recognizes that.

Even "progressives" don't get it

richmx2 — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:39:35 GMT

Admit Impediments (from Mexfiles.net)

J.D. Lown isn't the first guy to fall in love with a Mexican, nor the first to decide to be with the one you love, not love the one you (could be) with. Nor, is it all that unusual that this is a same sex relationship. But, having been only recently re-elected mayor of San Angelo Texas (pop: about 90,000) with a whopping 89 percent of the vote, his "defection" has been noteworthy.

I've written on the travails of cross-border romances before, though my May 2007 piece, "Amercian Exiles" was about the relatively less complicated issue of a married (as in legal in all 50 states type marriage) couple, and a woman engaged to a Mexican man. Glenn Greenwald, the respected Salon columnist and civil rights attorney, has written eloquently and passionately about the specific problem faced by same-sex couples when it comes to immigration.

Nearly all reports on Lown's decision have been supportive (even - extremely suprisingly - from far right-wing sources like "Free Republic, though Freepers think gay guy's leaving the U.S.... or at any rate, not bringing in Mexicans, is what's positive about this) BUT...

... when even a gay, progressive writer, Pam Spaulding, headlines her post "TX: mayor resigns because of relationship with man here in the country illegally" there's a problem. A big problem.

I can see - from the Matt Phinney's article in the San Angelo Times-Record - how she got the impression that the unnamed Mexican partner is an "illegal" :

Lown said in a telephone call late Wednesday afternoon from Mexico that he has started a relationship with someone who does not have legal status in the United States.

Lown said he did not want to take the oath of office knowing he was "aiding and assisting" someone who was not a citizen.

"I made the final decision when I knew it was the right decision to make for me and my partner and our future - and for the community," he said.

But nothing in Phinney's article says the partner was "illegal"... only that he isn't a United States citizen. Since Lown met his partner when the partner was a student at San Angelo State University, one presumes the Mexican was on a student visa*... and could have been in the United States on either a temporary visitor's permit, or was facing the end of his student visa ... or it crossed Lown's mind to do something illegal, like convince his partner to stay without residency papers.

Ms. Spaulding is a writer I respect - she is an important voice in the blogsphere, not the gay blogosphere, nor the progressive blogosphere, but the whole kit n' caboodle. What she says matters. And what's disappointing is that even U.S. "progressives" have not been willing to look at immigration issues in general, and fall into the easy trap of confusing "Mexican" with "illegal" with no understanding of the difficulties and whimsical nature of the immigration process. That "progressive" writers feel comfortable using a term like "illegal" is bothersome enough. That they either don't know - or don't care - to study immigration issues is a huge disappointment, and doesn't bode well for reform of what's a massively complicated, ineffective government policy.

* Which appears to be the case, according to ggw59" who commented on Pam's post and seems to know the (former?) mayor.

Immigrant Women Changing the face of America

MATTorg — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:54:26 GMT

Do you speak fluent English? Earn a salary above the poverty line? Have health care? Function in society without facing discrimination? CONGRATULATIONS! You're the minority! Read on for a fantastic article about women in the immigration process written by Christina F. Pereda with New America Media-
Immigrant Women Changing America ... and Themselves
An historic poll on women immigrants to America shows how the face of immigration is changing.

New America Media this week released a historic poll on women immigrants to America that shows how the face of immigration is changing. A majority of immigrants are now women, mothers and workers, stewards of their households. This is the major finding of the poll conducted by Bendixen & Associates and released at a forum discussion and news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
During the presentation of the poll results, Sergio Bendixen defined it as "looking into the souls of millions of people in an attempt to understand what motivates them and the challenges they face." The poll has considered their demographics, reasons to migrate and their will to overcome obstacles to keep their family together.
The result shows that women immigrants' main challenges are helping their children succeed and keeping their families together. The obstacles are formidable. 79% of Latin Americans, 73% of Vietnamese, 70% of Korean and 63% of Chinese acknowledged speaking little or no English. They also confront anti-immigrant discrimination, lack of health care and low-paying employment.
Bendixen said that this is something that shakes the perception that immigration is always about economics and dollars. In fact, many of the women start out in low-paying jobs even though they may have held professional positions in their home countries. In the United States they might work as a hotel maid, waitress, house cleaner and textile worker...
These results indicate that women may be putting devotion to the well-being of their families ahead of personal job status and pride in choosing to emigrate...

http://www.alternet.org/story/140090/immigrant_women_changing_america_..._and_themselves/

Jury Finds Teens Not Guilty in the Brutal Death of Luis Ramirez

rachelfirm — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:42:17 GMT

Last summer, three teens in Shenandoah, PA, attacked and beat a Mexican immigrant to death. After shouting increasingly violent threats and racial slurs at Luis Ramirez, the three teens proceeded to beat him so badly that he was left convulsing on the ground and foaming at the mouth. He died two days later in the hospital.

I followed the story closely. I just read through some of my older posts and thought this line was worth repeating:

America will look back in shame on events like this.

As though right on cue, this past Monday, the three teens responsible for the violent and hateful death of Luis Ramirez were found not guilty of murder and were acquitted of ethnic intimidation charges. They were found guilty of simple assault. Not surprisingly, this verdict was delivered by an all-white jury.

As Dave Neiwert at Alternet wrote:

the weight of evidence against the accused was so powerful that it's clear the all-white jury -- like similar juries in the South during the Civil Rights struggle -- was not going to convict two young white men of murdering a Mexican. Even if, as Friedman [in the video above] says, "the only reason he is dead is because he was Mexican."

If you, like me, are outraged by verdict, please sign this petition from MALDEF, asking the Department of Justice to thoroughly investigate the case, to ensure justice is served.

Also, be sure to read the full piece by Neiwert, which gets the heart of the issue - bigotry and racism that is going unchecked and unpunished.

Supreme Court Rejects Use of ID Theft Charges Against Undocumented Immigrants

rachelfirm — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:38:45 GMT

Last May, in Postville, Iowa, nearly 300 undocumented workers were rounded up SWAT-style and shuffled through a joke of a justice system. Many of the immigrants were threatened with a two year prison term for "aggravated Identity Theft" or told they could plead guilty to a lesser charge and face a term of 5 months and then be deported.

At the time, I wrote about the injustice of the "aggravated identity theft" threat - seeing as how the majority of the immigrants facing charges had absolutely no idea that the numbers they were using to work long hours in terrible conditions belonged to actual people. A legal interpreter who stepped forward after the Postville case told the New York Times later that:

He suggested many of the immigrants could not have knowingly committed the crimes in their pleas. “Most of the clients we interviewed did not even know what a Social Security card was or what purpose it served,” he wrote. He said many immigrants could not distinguish between a Social Security card and a residence visa, known as a green card. They said they had purchased fake documents from smugglers in Postville, or obtained them directly from supervisors at the Agriprocessors plant. Most did not know that the original cards could belong to Americans and legal immigrants.

Well, on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled on the side of justice and declared that the use of Aggravated Identity Theft in cases against undocumented immigrants is not lawful.

“The court’s ruling preserves basic ideals of fairness for some of our society’s most vulnerable workers,” said Chuck Roth, litigation director at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago. “An immigrant who uses a false Social Security number to get a job doesn’t intend to harm anyone, and it makes no sense to spend our tax dollars to imprison them for two years.”

This step towards preserving due process and fairness is too little too late for the immigrants rounded up in Postville, or the hundreds of raids conducted under the enforcement-only Bush era.

Let's hope this step is accompanied later this year by comprehensive reform of our immigration system. I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating that even fixing small wrongs, like this ruling has done, will not fix the overall system. We need reform.

A Family Divided by 2 Words, Legal and Illegal

MATTorg — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:59:03 GMT

The NYT published an excellent piece in their ongoing series, "Remade in America" about immigrants in the United States. Titled, "A Family Divided by 2 Words, Legal and Illegal," the article takes a look at families comprised of both legal and undocumented immigrants, as well as some U.S. citizens.
Several moving tales.
http://matt.org/english/blog/category_1/immigration.html

POSTED BY DANIELA AT 03:09 PM

A Family Divided by 2 Words, Legal and Illegal

MATTorg — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:25:31 GMT

The NYT published an excellent piece in their ongoing series, "Remade in America" about immigrants in the United States. Titled, "A Family Divided by 2 Words, Legal and Illegal," the article takes a look at families comprised of both legal and undocumented immigrants, as well as some U.S. citizens. Several moving tales: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04...

Report: Download the new Pew data on Mexican immigrants in the U.S.

MATTorg — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:20:35 GMT

We recommend you download the full factsheet released recently by the Pew Hispanic Center detailing information about Mexican immigrants and immigration to the United States. You can download it here: http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/47.pdf

POSTED BY DANIELA AT 11:02 AM

Op/Ed: Immigrant Children in Legal Limbo

MATTorg — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:15:07 GMT

The New York Times' editorial blog, "Room for Debate," published a series of op/eds from immigration experts titled "Immigration Children in Legal Limbo," focusing specifically on the DREAM Act-

Legislation (called the Dream Act) sponsored by Senators Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and Richard Lugar, Republican of Indiana, would give some of these young immigrants a chance to become permanent residents. It would extend to those who have stayed out of trouble, graduated from high school and either finished two years of college or two years of military service, and there would be a six-year conditional status period.
We've asked three immigration specialists what to do about this particular immigrant population, which is estimated at one million people. The discussion also includes the perspective of two young immigrants, Prerna and Nick, who were brought to the United States by their parents and who have been here a decade or more. They asked that their last names not be used because they do not have legal papers.

An Article of Archives of U.S.-Mexico Relations

MATTorg — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:03:43 GMT

Slate Magazine culled together a series of articles it published, in partnership with the New America Foundation, on U.S.-Mexico relations. We've reprinted here in full:

How can two countries that share a 2,000-mile border and centuries of history know so little about each other? As President Barack Obama prepares for his April 16 visit to Mexico, Slate and the New America Foundation teamed up to produce a series of articles that explores the strained relations between the United States and Mexico.
Our Model Neighbor: Ignore the bad press; Mexico has undergone an economic and political transformation over the last decade," by Barbara Kotschwar. Posted April 14, 2009.
"Calderón's War of Choice: How Mexico's war on drug cartels is like the war in Iraq," by Jorge Castañeda. Posted April 14, 2009.
"Distant Neighbors: The massive misunderstandings that plague the relationship between the United States and Mexico," by Andres Martinez. Posted April 14, 2009.
"What Turkey Can Teach Us: In search of a more perfect union with Mexico," by Parag Khanna. Posted April 14, 2009.
Plus, great editorial cartoons about Mexico.
From Slate's archives:
"Dispa! tch From the Mexican Border: Why the security fence will never be built," by Eliza Barclay. Posted Feb. 19, 2007.
"Flight Simulator: When crossing the Mexican border-or pretending to-is a walk in the park," by Ian Gordon. Posted Dec. 29, 2006.
"Dispatch From Oaxaca: What happens when a tourist destination becomes a war zone?" by Jan Jarboe Russell. Posted Dec. 21, 2006.
"What's a Double-Layer Fence?: The latest trend in border protection," by Daniel Engber. Posted Sept. 25, 2006.
"Mexican Standoff: Will Mexico have a new president any time soon?" by Eliza Barclay. Posted July 10, 2006.
"On Patrol With the Minutemen," by Judd Slivka. Posted April 6, 2006.
"Frist, Do No Harm: Why we don't need an immigration reform bill," by Jacob Weisberg. Posted April 5, 2006.
"Baja, Top to Bottom," by Seth Stevenson. Posted Dec. 16, 2005.
"Mexican Standoff: The complex-and imbalanced-legalities of cross-border justice," by Noah Leavitt. Posted Dec. 14, 2005.
"How the Border Changed Us," by Judd Slivka. Posted Dec. 7, 2005.
"Identity Crisis: Why we shouldn't worry about Mexican immigration," by Francis Fukuyama. Posted June 4, 2004.
"Rest in Paz: The death of a Mexican hero," by Sarah Kerr. Posted April 26, 1998.

Op/Ed: Immigration reform & hard times

MATTorg — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:27:41 GMT

The New York Times has been writing many editorials on immigration, and this one on the urgency of immigration reform during an economic depression is really worth a read-

Reform was thwarted in the last two Congresses by obstructionist Republicans committed to the delusion that expelling 12 million people amounts to a realistic policy. The country has suffered mightily in the meantime. American workers and businesses continue to be undercut by the underground economy. The economic potential of some of the country's most industrious workers is thwarted. Working off the books - and living in constant fear of apprehension - they earn less, spend less, pay less in taxes and have little ability to report abuses or to improve their skills or job prospects.
The ingredients of reform are clear: legalization for the 12 million, to yield bumper crops of new citizens, to make it easier to weed out criminals and to end the fear and hopelessness of life in the shadows; sensible enforcement at the border that focuses resources on fighting crime, drugs and violence; a strengthened employment system that punishes businesses that exploit illegal labor; and a future flow of workers that is attuned to the economy's needs and fully protects workers' rights.

The last point has been a sticky one with some unions. The agreement between the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and Change to Win - a rival federation that includes service employees, the Teamsters and carpenters - will center on a new approach to future immigration, a compromise in which an independent national commission calibrates the size of temporary-worker programs each year, based on conditions in labor markets. It may not be a perfect plan, but after years of vitriol, it's encouraging to hear calmer voices outlining smart reform.
We expect to hear more from Mr. Obama soon. It will take courage to defend the wisdom and necessity of fixing the immigration system. It will take even more courage to engage in the serious fight to do so. It is what the country needs and what American voters elected Mr. Obama to do.

Immigration Accord by Labor Boosts Obama Effort

MATTorg — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:53:28 GMT

AFL-CIO and Change to Win, two major national labor organizations have decided to work together on comprehensive immigration reform.

Great news, reports the New York Times:

John Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and Joe T. Hansen, a leader of the rival Change to Win federation, will present the outlines of their new position on Tuesday in Washington. In 2007, when Congress last considered comprehensive immigration legislation, the two groups could not agree on a common approach. That legislation failed.

The accord endorses legalizing the status of illegal immigrants already in the United States and opposes any large new program for employers to bring in temporary immigrant workers, officials of both federations said. "The labor movement will work together to make sure that the White House as well as Congress understand that we speak about immigration reform with one voice," Mr. Sweeney said in a statement to The New York Times.

Nominee for U.S. attorney under fire for role in Postville raid" (Waterloo Courier, April 5, 2009)

Tony Sanchez — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 03:57:06 GMT

As the May 12th anniversary of the Postville Iowa Agriprocessors ICE raid is near, I am writing call attention to a very troubling injustice that is developing that only rubs salt in the wound. We all should be outraged how immigrants working in Postville were treated like slaves and then denied any form of justice in swift and chaotic criminal court proceedings orchestrated by the Northern Iowa United States Attorney's office. Apparently the reports about the shame of Postville didn't reach the US Senate because unbelievably now one of the lead federal prosecutors responsible for the egregious and inhumane Postville, Iowa prosecution has been recommend to be promoted to the powerful position of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. Ms. Stephanie Rose is the nominee of United States Senator Tom Harkin to be the next United States Attorney of the Northern District of Iowa. (U.S.A) The White House is now reviewing Senator Harkin's questionable recommendation. The President's legal team will be conducting a background check on Ms Rose's personal and professional record before deciding whether to formally nominate her to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Accordingly there is time to impact this appointment and I am told that the White House will be very interested in learning about Ms. Rose's sorry record as a prosecutor.

As Deputy Criminal Chief of the Northern District U.S.A. office, Ms. Rose played a pivotal leadership role in policy making in an U.S.A. office widely known for ruthless tactics and rarely granting mercy in arguing sentencing cases. As Deputy Criminal Chief, she helped design, organize and execute the unprecedented use of expedited trials to convict 306 undocumented workers at the Postville.

Wasn't Ms Rose just a low-level prosecutor doing her job?

No! Ms. Rose was Chief Deputy of the Criminal Division of the USA office Northern District of Iowa. Starting in 2008, she had a leadership and managerial role in the USA office for policy, personnel and operational decisions.

It is impossible to understand what grounds Ms Rose and her colleagues had for choosing to exercise their prosecutorial discretion in this case with such aggression and lack of respect for due process, other than the requirements of their own ambition. They brought the full force of the USA office to bear on the most vulnerable members of a community with full knowledge that the U.S. Department of Labor was conducting an ongoing investigation of child- labor and wage violations at the plant where these same workers were being victimized. All of these workers were laboring in one of our most physically demanding industries, meatpacking-- an industry that historically has relied on immigrants. The workers were doing nothing more than striving to support themselves and their families. Rather than treat them with dignity, Ms Rose and her colleagues chose to grind them down further. They took advantage of the workers' lack of resources, limited rights, and lack of powerful friends.

Even if that were not the case, Ms Rose and her team helped in expending vast resources to no useful end - a massive raid, the arrest hundreds of people, negotiated pleas, all done with cattle-call trials in cattle-ground trailers, and jailed hundreds of people for five months each, after which they were deported. Why did they bother? The workers were deportable anyway and the same end could have been achieved without all of the shameful pageantry. That, of course, would not have given Ms. Rose and her colleagues the chance to splash themselves all over the headlines and build their statistics. Postville was a massive failure on many levels, not the least of which was a failure of prosecutorial judgment. The fact that Ms Rose played a "central role" in this travesty is very disturbing. Her role in Postville should render her unfit to be a viable candidate to serve as a USA in the Obama Administration.

• Wasn't Ms Rose just following orders from "Washington"?

The Nuremburg defense is clearly not appropriate for a USA candidate. Underlying Ms. Rose's assertion that she was "just following orders" is a frightening misconception regarding her role as a prosecutor. The attempt to minimize her leadership role in developing the Postville plan and the execution of the prosecutorial operation speaks volumes about her readiness to assume the responsibilities of the USA position. Ms Rose and her supporters have misjudged Postville as another "notch on her belt" and rather as a dark stain on her record.

In Postville, Ms Rose was acting as an officer of the court and as a federal prosecutor. Ethically and morally, her hands were not tied once she was approached about developing and executing the Postville prosecutorial plan. Even if the "raid was initiated by Washington," as Chief Deputy of the Criminal Division and as an Assistant USA, Ms Rose had several options as the "rough draft" of the Postville plan was given to her for development and execution. It was her responsibility to carefully review and scrutinize the plan for any ethical or constitutional due process problems. The ethical and constitutional issues created by the plan and its execution were numerous and obvious to even a novice criminal attorney. Either Ms. Rose was not able to see the problems and understand the numerous defects in the plan or she chose to overlook them and push ahead anyway. Either conclusion raises serious question about her judgment and fitness to be an USA at this point in her career.

USAs and Assistant USAs alike are regularly approached by both state and federal law enforcement officials and requested to initiate federal charges in questionable cases. The USA and the Assistant USA are under no obligation to bring charges and prosecute a case if they believe there are ethical or constitutional defects present. In fact, the exact opposite is true. A USA and an Assistant USA are both obligated to raise any and all ethical and constitutional issues present in a case no matter who initiated the case or investigation. USAs and Assistant USAs are the gatekeepers of our constitutional rights to be protected from overly aggressive law enforcement officers or politically motivated prosecutions. If the USAs or Assistant USAs are unable to correct any ethical or constitutional issue identified, they are obligated to not bring charges, step away from the case, and raise the issues at a higher level of authority or even resign.

Hard to do? Yes, absolutely, but it happens every day in USA offices across the country. The person who refuses to prosecute on the grounds of ethics and constitutional concerns is just the kind of person we need as an USA. Such a refusal shows the maturity, wisdom and ethical standards we should expect from a federal prosecutor. There are many such attorneys in the practice of law and in the Department of Justice. Last year, for example, four senior Assistant USAs in the Minnesota USA office chose to step down from their managerial roles after identifying ethical issues with the USA and her method of operation. Hard to do? Yes, but they were right to do it and the USA resigned soon afterwards.

Regrettably rather than display leadership by standing up to federal law enforcement officials or by identifying the ethical and constitutional issues present, she instead "jumped on-board" the case with both feet and worked with vigor to enact the plan that was ultimately executed. The Postville operation serves as a gage of her legal maturity, judgment and ability to assume the leadership role required by the USA position. The record clearly shows her performance failed to serve the ends of justice and her temperament was not up to the challenge.

Amazingly, Ms Rose was quoted as saying any criticisms over the court proceedings at National Cattle Congress have come from people outside the process. First of all, that's not true. Dr. Erik Camayd-Freixas was the federal interpreter at Postville and was so upset by what he saw that he blew the whistle on the on the sham proceedings. Second, Ms. Rose and her colleagues worked to close off the process to anyone who might have slowed it down, such as immigration attorneys who actually understood the consequences of what the public defenders were advising their clients (all 17 of them per attorney) to do. Thus her complaint that any criticism came from "outside the process" is disingenuous at best. It also ignores the well-written statement attorney Rockne Cole provided Congresswoman Lofgren and her committee. This statement details Ms Rose's "central role" in the Postville prosecutions. After hearing Ms Rose's briefing on what was going to happen, Mr. Cole readily spotted numerous ethical problems with the operation and declined to participate. Third, Ms. Rose has chosen to ignore the numerous objective investigations that have severely criticized her prosecutorial operation as "clearly rigged for the wholesale imposition of mass guilt." In sum, her critique of Postville lacks insight and judgment. Here twelve years of experience in the Northern District office appear to have stunted the development of her leadership and judgment.

"Kangaroo courts" was Congressman Baca's description of the prosecutions Ms Rose called a "ton of good work."

With a shaking voice, Baca recounted the emotional testimony of mothers who had to explain to their children why they were wearing ankle bracelets. After being arrested in a May 12 immigration raid and charged with identity theft, they now have nothing to do but wait for their court dates and deportation orders which, in some cases, won't be until 2009. In the meantime, Baca says, "These women are left captive, wearing ankle bracelets. They can't work, they can't support their children, and they can't leave."

What made the Iowa raids different, Baca says, was that immigrant workers faced criminal charges of identity theft, were processed en masse and coerced into pleading guilty. In other words, he argues, they were "denied due process" and tried in "kangaroo courts."

Baca, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told reporters from the U.S. ethnic media that he and his colleagues are dedicated to finding out how this happened "in America, where we have the Bill of Rights."

(http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ce7953ad4149539e7a24dee3e7809fc6)

• Will Ms Rose "be grilled" regarding her role in Postville at a Congress confirmation hearing?
No. Senator Harkin has sent her name to the White House Legal Counsel and US Attorney General. (While many Senators have released their recommendation letters to the public, Senator Harkin has chosen not to do so). A background check will be conducted by the FBI as part the White House review of Ms. Rose's potential nomination. If approved by President Obama, Ms. Rose's nomination will then be sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee where her "packet" will be reviewed along with other nominees for USA appointments. At some point, the Committee will consider and vote on her nomination. This process does not include a hearing in which questions are posed to her. If the Committee approves her nomination, her name will be voted on by the full Senate. Once a Senator makes a recommendation, most of this process is pro forma. The only way to stop Ms. Rose's appointment is to raise a big red flag with the Obama administration in hopes they will decide not to nominate her for the USA appointment.

Conclusion: Ms Rose is not ready to be the next United States Attorney of the Northern District of Iowa!

The fact Ms Rose views the Postville prosecutions as a success story is very troubling.
Her support for the operation from the beginning and now even in hindsight raises serious questions about her ethical standards, judgment, maturity, and ability to handle aggressive federal agents' intent on building statistics for political and career building purposes. In Postville, she faced numerous challenges but displayed none of the sensitiveness to fair play and human decency required to protect against the abuse of power. Instead, she worked with vigor to bring the full force of the federal government down upon the downtrodden workers of Agriprocessors even as it was known to her and the government these same workers were in fact victims of an unscrupulous employer. Ms Rose clearly is not up to handling the leadership challenge the USA position requires at this point in her career.

Senator Harkin's pick was made with no input from the Civil Rights groups or the Hispanic community. His pick is a great insult to us all who care about Justice.

"Nominee for U.S. attorney under fire for role in Postville raid" (Waterloo Courier, April 5, 2009) http://www.wcfcourier.com/arti...

Thankfully, top lawyers in Iowa are fighting her nomination but they could use some help!!

Please contact the groups listed below and ask them to ask President Obama to stop Stephanie Rose's nomination:

1. The Hispanic House Caucus: chc@mail.house
2. The Hispanic National Bar Association: dcabrera@hnba.com
3. ACLU: media@dcaclu.org
4. American Immigration Lawyers Association: executive@aila.org

Please help stop Ms Rose's nomination!

What would you ask Obama & Calderon about next week?

MATTorg — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:55:24 GMT

1. What do you want Presidents Obama and Calderon to talk about? Rank among immigration, border violence, family separations, mutual economic recovery, and any others you think are important!

2. If you would meet with the Presidents, what would you tell them is the most important issue for our two countries?

Emanuel Now a Backer of Immigration Action

MATTorg — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:54:40 GMT

More good signs on the potential for immigration reform this year! Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, has not always been a supporter of a massive immigration overhaul, but has now moved into the comprehensive immigration reform camp, reports the Wall Street Journal.
From the story-
Mr. Emanuel has long been a voice of caution on easing rules for immigrants, fearing such a position could hurt Democrats at the polls. That stance has antagonized Hispanic lawmakers and activists, who favor a clearer, easier path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants.
But as chief of staff, Mr. Emanuel has taken concrete steps that are sending a different message. He pushed hard for Congress to act fast on a children's health-insurance bill, including a provision lifting Clinton-era restrictions on benefits for legal immigrant children. He has also arranged for members of the Hispanic media to get special briefings by White House senior officials every two weeks. He did the first one, and put other aides on notice that they were expected to do the same.

'It doesn't matter what Rahm thinks,' Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said of the immigration issue. 'It matters what President Obama thinks.'
"You don't get to say no," he told colleagues at a senior staff meeting early in the administration.
While Mr. Emanuel once predicted that comprehensive immigration reform wouldn't be considered until the second term of a Democratic president, he now says conversations on the issue will begin this year to lay the groundwork for possible action in 2010. The issue is also likely to arise next week when President Barack Obama travels to Mexico to meet with President Felipe Calderón.
For his part, Mr. Emanuel said his views haven't changed, though people may be viewing him in a new light now. In any case, he said, his job now was to represent the president's views.
"It doesn't matter what Rahm thinks," he said in an interview. "It matters what President Obama thinks."

Obama to Push Immigration Bill as One Priority

MATTorg — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:52:32 GMT

Exciting news on the immigration reform front! The Obama White House plans to start looking for a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants very soon -- with a bill in the works for sometime in the fall, after a summer and spring's worth of discussion and open debate.
From the New York Times piece-
Mr. Obama will frame the new effort - likely to rouse passions on all sides of the highly divisive issue - as "policy reform that controls immigration and makes it an orderly system," said the official, Cecilia Muñoz, deputy assistant to the president and director of intergovernmental affairs in the White House.

Mr. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May, administration officials said, and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall.
Some White House officials said that immigration would not take precedence over the health care and energy proposals that Mr. Obama has identified as priorities. But the timetable is consistent with pledges Mr. Obama made to Hispanic groups in last year's campaign.
He said then that comprehensive immigration legislation, including a plan to make legal status possible for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, would be a priority in his first year in office. Latino voters turned out strongly for Mr. Obama in the election.

Game On: Obama will Move on Immigration Reform this Year

rachelfirm — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 04:23:57 GMT

Originally posted at Standing FIRM:

Yesterday, President Obama heard our cries for immigration reform, and he has responded to our calls for action! An article appeared in the New York Times breaking the story of Obama's intention of moving on comprehensive immigration reform this year. All I have to say is - it's about time!

According to the article Obama "plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday." The President will speak publicly about his intentions in May and will begin rounding up a team of experts and advocates this summer, in order to begin crafting the legislation.

This news is an affirmation that Obama will make good on his campaign promises of immigration reform.

He said then that comprehensive immigration legislation, including a plan to make legal status possible for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, would be a priority in his first year in office.

This is a politically savvy move - Latino and New American voters turned out in record numbers for Obama this past November. But the bottomline may not be political, it may be that this is the right move for the economy. Immigration reform is a crucial part of any plan to get our economy back on track. Not only will bringing workers out of the shadows increase wages across the board, it will increase our tax base, reward responsible employers and ensure fairness in the labor market. If we want a level playing field where both American and immigrant workers are treated fairly and if we want to make sure everyone pays their share of taxes, we need comprehensive immigration reform.

The article goes on, unfortunately, to cite too of the most infamous anti-immigrant groups in the country, FAIR and Numbers USA. Both groups are quoted giving reasons for why moving on immigration reform would be "politically disastrous" for Obama. But, they seem to have underestimated both the President and the groundswell of support for reform that we have been witnessing across the country.

Just last month, Mr. Obama openly recognized that immigration is a potential minefield.
"I know this is an emotional issue; I know it’s a controversial issue,” he told an audience at a town meeting on March 18 in Costa Mesa, Calif. “I know that the people get real riled up politically about this."
But, he said, immigrants who are long-time residents but lack legal status “have to have some mechanism over time to get out of the shadows.”

Immigrants need a way out of the shadows in order to help fix our economy. Fair and NumbersUSA clearly have no understanding about economic policy and no sense of what it will take to mend our communities and bring prosperity back to our families. They are driven by their ant-immigrant agenda, no matter the cost.

Across the country, advocates are gearing up for May 1st, a day typically used to celebrate immigrant rights and remembered for the massive immigrants marches in 2006. Advocates, immigrants, faith leaders, community leaders and elected officials are all ready to stand with the President and make sure that immigration reform is passed in 2009.

Anticipating opposition, Mr. Obama has sought to shift some of the political burden to advocates for immigrants, by encouraging them to build support among voters for when his proposal goes to Congress.

Marissa Graciosa of FIRM made this statement earlier today:

We endorse President Obama’s call for immigration reform and admire his courage to fight for something we all know must get done. This is the kind of bold and visionary action we expect from our political leaders. Climbing our way out of this economic crisis means forward thinking policies that include fixing a broken immigration system that has created a servant class in our midst. America’s economy cannot recover if we allow 12 million immigrants to continue to live and work in the margins of our society.
Obstructionists will throw everything at this Administration’s attempts to create a society which recognizes the inherent value and worth in us all. For too long we have shrunk in the face of key decisions that must be made to get our country back on track. We will not allow this to happen.
We’ve seen first hand the pain of immigrant families ripped apart by unjust raids. Our communities and our nation have suffered long enough.

You know what that means? That means that our time is NOW. We must not only continue to fight for reform, but we have to bring our efforts to the next level.

Mr. President, you can count on us to make just and humane immigration reform happen this year. Game on!