Immigrants Return to the Streets on May Day, This Time for Licenses – Thousands of immigrants and their allies celebrated International Workers Day with coordinated public events in ten states under the slogan, “Driving Without Fear,” a reference to the request for states to issue driver’s licenses to the undocumented. In Madison, more than 10,000 people marched to Wisconsin’s capitol and some 180 companies closed their doors in support of the call for a “Day without Immigrants.” Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the executive director of Voces de la Frontera, shares her perspective.
Trump’s Proposed Changes for Asylum Seekers Condemned – This week, President Trump announced a plan that mandates tougher requirements for asylum seekers in the United States. The draconian measures include charging fees and withdrawing work permits from asylum seekers. Legislators and activists promise to open a new legal battle to defend the thousands of Central American families that are trying to exercise their legal right to asylum. José López Zamorano reports from Washington.
High Expectations in Texas Ahead of Reauthorized Federal Juvenile Justice Law – In Texas, a federal law that has been protecting minors in the criminal justice system since 1974 has finally been reauthorized. The renewed law seeks to reduce the number of kids incarcerated in adult prisons, avoid jailing minors for certain offenses, and address the problem of the disproportionate numbers of Latino and African-American youth crowding the criminal justice system. Mariana Pineda reports from Houston on the impact of this law in Texas, one of few states where 17-year-olds are tried as adults.
