The president and Republican opponents of immigration reform are holding the “dreamers” hostage to their demand to build a border wall. I urge Democrats in Congress to compromise and allow President Trump to build as much of his promised wall as Mexico is willing to pay for. Since the president has claimed, hundreds of time, […]
immigration
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Democrats should give Trump his border wall
By Francis Wilkinson Bloomberg View Someone, somewhere, somehow is going to have to give President Donald Trump a piece of wall to stand in front of. It might as well be the Democratic congressional leaders Charles Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. The wall is not a good idea; it’s a colossal boondoggle in the making. That’s […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Mainers denounce Trump's vulgar comments on African countries
Both of Maine’s senators and many others denounced President Donald Trump’s use of a vulgar slur while describing immigration from Haiti and Africa. Participants in a private White House session with members of Congress said Thursday that Trump repeatedly called African nations “shithole countries” during the meeting, an assertion that Trump denied in a vague […]
Posted inNation / World
Donald Trump goes profane, denigrates Africa, Haiti in immigration discussion
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump grew frustrated with lawmakers Thursday in the Oval Office when they floated restoring protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal, according to two people briefed on the meeting. “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” […]
Posted inBusiness
Immigration agents target 7-Eleven stores in nationwide sweep
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at dozens of 7-Eleven stores before dawn Wednesday to interview employees and deliver audit notifications, carrying out what the agency said was the largest operation targeting an employer since President Donald Trump took office. ICE said its agents targeted 98 stores and made 21 arrests, describing the […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Try for real immigration law reform
The U.S. Congress has kicked the federal budget “down the road” once again, extending a Dec. 22, 2017, deadline into the New Year’s date of Jan. 19. Making that deadline will likely be another “Perils of Pauline” spectacle, with many contentious issues requiring resolution, all with the expected threats of “shutting down the government.” One […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
'Dreamers' are people, not bargaining chips
The following appeared in Friday’s Washington Post: After all of President Donald Trump’s bluster about his “great love” for “dreamers,” brought to this country as children through no fault of their own, it turns out he’s content to use them as leverage in a high-stakes game of political horse-trading. Trump seems willing to strip them […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Textile program weaves new Mainers into workforce
WESTBROOK — A city business is partnering with Portland Adult Education and Southern Maine Community College to not only create American-made products, but to train immigrants to be part of the American workforce. A class of eight stitchers graduated Dec. 15 from a program facilitated by Dory Richards Waxman, owner of Old Port Wool & […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Oxford Hills
Fryeburg farm fined for immigration rule violations
FRYEBURG — The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement with a local vegetable farm that willfully violated terms of a nonimmigrant visa program, according to the Labor Department. Under the agreement, Green Thumb Farms has paid $10,164 in penalties to the department and has agreed to comply with the law, applicable regulations and the […]
Posted inMaine
Attorney alleges racial profiling by state police in Portland traffic stop
Warning: This video includes graphic language The attorney for a man charged with illegally re-entering the United States presented police video recordings in federal court Wednesday that he says show a state trooper’s decision to stop and detain a van filled with Spanish-speaking men on Interstate 295 in Portland was a case of racial profiling […]