Update from the Southern US Border
On the Ground in Poland to help Ukrainians Fleeing War
What’s happening on the ground in Poland where Ukrainians are fleeing to by the thousands? A local Sammamish resident and his brother are there to help.
Here is information on their project, Suitcases for Ukraine.
Producer: Yuko Kodama
Photo Credit: Lance and Thury Foster
KBCS Border Stories – Living Undocumented
How does being undocumented impact your life? Does it impact where you go shopping for groceries, where you rent your apartment, whether you drive or buy a car or have access to a cell phone? Dulce Garcia, Executive Director of Border Angels, speaks to how being undocumented shaped who she is today.
Courthouse ICE Arrests
The New York Times has published a number of articles on the trend of ICE arresting undocumented immigrants at courthouses. Monserrat Padilla, Co-Director of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) describes the increase of ICE arrests at public courthouses here in Washington state.
You can call the WAISN 24 hour hotline at 1-844-724-3737 for help, information and resources.
The Northwest Detention Center and The City of Tacoma
Demonstrators demanding the shut down of the Northwest Detention Center disrupted a Tacoma City Council hearing on Tuesday. It was organized by La Resistencia and supported by more than a dozen other local organizations. KBCS’s Samuel Britt was there to give us a snapshot of why the protestors were there that afternoon.
Border Crossing
The border town of Arivaca, Arizona, is no stranger to migrants crossing through the desert and mountains in hopes for a better life in the U.S. The documentary film Undeterred, shows how militarizing the border can result in migrants dying in the desert and in the neighborhoods of towns on the border. The film was featured at the 2018 Social Justice Film Festival in Seattle. KBCS’s Ruth Bly recorded the panel discussion following the screening.
Yes! Magazine: Sanctuary Policies and Deportation
We have some new information about how the US government is addressing deportations. According to a new study from the Pew Research center, nationwide deportations made by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2017 increased 30% from the previous year. These increases are not distributed evenly. In regions where city and state governments worked hand-in-hand with ICE, deportations increased more than 75%. In regions where sanctuary policies are more prevalent, increases remained relatively low. YES! Magazine’s Bailey Williams speaks with magazine fellow Micheal Dax who wrote the article “A Year Later, Fewer Deportations in Cities That Adopted ‘Welcoming’ Policies“.
Maru Mora-Villalpando: The Department of Licensing and ICE
Maru Mora-Villalpando is an Undocumented Immigrant rights Activist, founder of NWDC Resistance and #Not1More Deportation. In January, 2018, she was served a letter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ordering her to appear in immigration court at an unspecified date. Then, in February, 2018, the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) admitted that it furnished records to a request from ICE about Mora-Villalpando and other undocumented Washington residents. KBCS’s Yuko Kodama spoke with Mora-Villalpando last month about her experience with the DOL and how she expects the state to respond to the DOL’s actions.
Activist Reflects on Immigration Issues and DACA
KBCS’s Yuko Kodama recently spoke with Maru Mora Villalpando, community organizer of Northwest Detention Center Resistance and activist and organizer for #Not1More Deportation, about immigration issues and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
A Family Torn Apart by Immigration Policy
According to Frontline, immigration detention facilities have held an average of 30,000 detainees per day since 2008. KBCS’s Jim Cantu spoke with Ashley Brown, a mother whose husband of ten years is being held in the Northwest Detention facility. She describes how her husband was detained by ICE agents as he stopped to buy breakfast on the way to work, and how his detention impacts her family.
