Regulations on Export of US Weapons

Administration Eases Regulations on Gun Exports

America's guns: Made in the US, killing in Mexico

Urge Congress to Stop Arming Human Rights Abusers

Compilation summary of above articles: The Trump administration is looking to shrink regulations on the export of US weapons abroad by shifting responsibility from the State Department to the Department of Commerce. Many fear this will further promote human rights violations in Mexico and places like it, as previously seen with US weapons in Ayotzinapa and Nuevo Laredo. Alianza Americas is calling on US citizens to inform their elected representatives of their discontent with this proposed shift in responsibility and ask them to support limits of US gun exports to Mexico.

Trump's New Ally in Mexico

“Mr. López Obrador’s administration, which came into office saying it would not cooperate with Mr. Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, has gone along with it on several fronts, including accepting women and children despite earlier promises to take only adult male asylum seekers." This article explores the ways in which the Mexican president, called "AMLO" for his initials, is collaborating with and furthering the reach of Trump's policies on migrants.

Trump's Dangerous Scapegoating of Immigrants

On February 5, President Donald Trump delivered his second State of the Union address. Journalist Eric Lach writes that, over the last two years, the president has learned to dress up anti-immigrant rhetoric in the bureaucratic language of federal policy. However, during his remarks, the president “offered unfiltered immigrant scapegoating” blaming immigrants for almost “all the sins” of the United States. The president claimed that “working-class Americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal immigration” including the problems of “reduced jobs, lower wages, overburdened schools and hospitals, increased crime, and a depleted social safety net.”  

Loss of TPS and Economic Impact

When the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of migrants from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti (among other nations), it placed TPS holders at risk of being deported and separated from their families in the United States. It also set the stage for disruptions in the workforces of several states where the economic contributions of TPS recipients are significant. This article discusses those economic impacts.

Trump’s New Wall to Keep Out the Disabled

This article explores the disenfranchisement of disabled immigrants under the proposed public charge regulation. Due to the fact that private insurers don't cover meal preparation, household care and help with bathing, eating or dressing, most disabled people receive these services through Medicaid. Under the proposed regulation, the use of Medicaid would jeopardize an immigrant's legal status.

Court Blocks Citizenship Question on U.S. Census

A federal judge in New York has blocked the Commerce Department from asking respondents of the 2020 Census if they are U.S. citizens. In addition to providing vital information regarding population size and income, census data is utilized in the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and disbursement of federal funds. Including a question of this nature may induce fear and discourage participation of noncitizens which could lead to the exclusion of millions of U.S. residents from the process. 

When the Numbers Don't Seem to Add Up

Sometimes statistics about immigration can seem contradictory or confusing. This article dives into some of those numbers, focusing on the rapidly increasing number of asylum requests among individuals seeking entry into the United States.

Challenged About the Wall

In this fascinating and easy-to-absorb piece, the author recounts being challenged by a Trump supporter to make a solid case against building a border wall. Her response is a practical, eleven point list of reasons that the wall is impractical, ineffective, and full of damaging consequences. What makes her list unique, however, is that she drew these conclusions from analyzing all conservative or right-wing data! Because she spoke with the language of her challenger, her points were impossible to refute. For those of us who struggle to know how to converse with someone whose priorities seem so different from ours, this article gives helpful language to begin conversations!

Migrants Are Fleeing Horrors Created by the U.S.

Noam Chomsky explains how U.S. policies and interventions helped create conditions of poverty and violence in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador that people are fleeing. 

How Latinos Are Shaping America’s Future

This article explores the rising influence of Latinos communities across the United States. From the sleepy, rural town of Wilder, Idaho to urban hubs such as Los Angeles, American cities  have been shaped by generations of Latinos who interweave Hispanic and American traditions into their communities. Stunning photos, personal stories, and an exploration of "Latinidad", or shared cultural identity of Latinos of different races or natural origins who live in the United States, make this article from National Geographic a compelling read. 

When a Nation Erased Birthright Citizenship

In 2010, the government of the Dominican Republic called a constitutional convention to exclude the children of anyone “residing illegally in Dominican territory” from the birthright citizenship clause which mainly targeted people of Haitian descent. In this article, the author draws parallels to the rhetoric and efforts of the Trump administration to end place-based birthright citizenship. 

Stop Saying ‘Migrant Caravan’

This easy-to-read piece explains the importance of language regarding the Central American exodus happening right now, and encourages us to more properly name it a refugee crisis. "There is no migrant crisis," she writes, "There is, however, a refugee crisis. That crisis is the effect of at least a half-century (and, arguably, twice that) of calamitous US political intervention in Central America."

Responding to Anti-Semitic Violence With Solidarity’s Sacred Power

In this piece, Rabbi Brant Rosen reflects on the tragic antisemitic massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue and concludes that "[m]oments such as these must remind all targeted minorities that we are always stronger when we resist together."

Trump and the Reality at the Border

(From the Center for Migration Studies) In this op-ed, Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), writes that President Trump uses “grotesque and inhumane rhetoric” to make the public think that the individuals and families fleeing horrific violence and poverty in Central America are criminals and terrorists coming to harm Americans. In regards to the migrant caravan, President Trump’s “blatant effort to stoke more xenophobia and fear” ignores the fact that the caravan is “mostly ordinary men, women and children — part of a long tradition of families coming to the United States to make their lives better.” Furthermore, Trump’s characterization of the situation at the US-Mexico border is misleading. Although arrests along the border have increased since Trump took office, they are “well below the historic peaks of two decades ago.” 

The Refugee Caravan

In this piece by the New Yorker's Jonathan Blitzer, the root causes and emergence of the refugee crisis in Central America which led to this most recent exodus is explored in an easy-to-understand, relatable manner. Blitzer humanizes the refugees and helps readers understand what the decision to flee was like for many of those traveling with the caravan.

Administration Denying Asylum

This article evaluates the power of the President within current law to use an executive order to effectively close the US-Mexico Border. The author offers multiple legal arguments in support of an in opposition to the use of executive orders as proposed by the Trump Administration to deny the migrants currently traveling through Mexico as part of the Honduran/Central American exodus the right to seek asylum in the US.

Honduran Refugee March

A Refugee Crisis Caused by US Policy and US Partners: On October 12, 2018, hundreds of women, men, children, youth and the elderly decided to leave Honduras as a desperate response to survive. This article calls for respect of the human dignity of these migrants, while outlining the impact of US policy in creating the current crisis.

Complicating the Narrative on Nicaragua

Nicaragua has been ravaged by political unrest for most of this year, and the details are complicated and often poorly-represented by different media outlets. This article strives to take a deeper look at the history, causes and complications of Nicaragua’s dangerous political climate.