Caravan to Resist Fear Tactics on Tour from California to Texas – The caravan began in Sacramento with a meeting with lawmakers working to make California a sanctuary state. It made a stop at a detention center in Richmond to serenade incarcerated immigrants, then stood outside the sheriff’s offices in Fresno and Bakersfield, demanding that they cease collaboration with federal immigration agents. Dozens of activists from various groups are part of this Caravan Against Fear, which travels around to denounce the climate of terror in which immigrant communities live and demand human rights protections. The caravan will cross through the border states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and return to Los Angeles in time for the May Day marches.
Fresno Sheriff’s Deportation Program on Thin Ice – While California’s largest counties and even the state government are resisting cooperation with immigration authorities, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is granting immigration authorities open access to inmate records. This practice, which has led to the deportation of immigrants who have committed minor offenses, has spurred frequent acts of public opposition in front of the Sheriff’s Office. Vanessa Rancaño brings the story of a Mexican family split up due to Fresno’s collaboration with the feds.
Attacks on Journalists in Mexico Force a Key Border Newspaper to Close – Days after the murder of Mexican journalist Miroslava Breach of the newspaper Norte de Ciudad Juarez, the media outlet has announced its immediate closure. Oscar Cantú, the founder of the newspaper, which served the border region for nearly 30 years, said he was forced to take this drastic step because of the threat of death faced by his journalists and the impunity enjoyed by the killers.
