Congress Avoids Financial Catastrophe, But Fails to Solve Budget and Immigration Reform – The United States has avoided a financial catastrophe that would have forced the government to default on its bills and left millions without their social security payments, thanks to an agreement in Congress to raise the debt ceiling. The fate of the budget reconciliation plan and, within the plan, the reform to legalize millions of immigrants, remains in limbo. Hundreds of activists marched at the White House and thousands mobilized across the country to call on Democrats prioritize the reform. José López Zamorano brings us the details from Washington.
Police Chief Greets New Rules Preventing Deportation of Undocumented Immigrants Without Due Cause – New rules announced this week from the Department of Homeland Security to enforce immigration law instruct federal agents not to necessarily detain or deport any undocumented immigrant who crosses their path. The new rules require that they use discretion and prioritize those who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. Immigrant advocates have responded with a mixture of optimism and concern. But Andy Harvey, the police chief of a Texas border town, welcomed the new rules, which he believes will boost trust between the police and the migrant community. Listen to the full interview in the archives of Línea Abierta for Tuesday, October 5th, at radiobilingue.org.
Pandemic Causes Farm Worker Families to Lose Income and Education – With the return to in-person classes in California schools last month, cases of students infected with Covid-19 increased. And although the outbreaks are decreasing, some families face life-altering consequences after being exposed to the virus through schools. Madi Bolaños, a public radio reporter at KVPR and member of the Central Valley News Collaborative, presents the story of two families affected by the pandemic in Raisin City, a small town in Fresno County in California’s Central Valley.
