Wednesday, January 29, 2025

No Boxes To Check.

[Editorial]

Have you ever thought to see the day when you feared getting your passport confiscated? Have you ever thought about hiding your passport in fear of it being taken away?

 Have you ever thought that you would see churches synagogues and mosques invaded by border patrol agents?

Have you ever thought that you would see citizen of our country live in fear of being picked by the border patrol because of their heritage?

Have you ever thought you would people rounded up and put in to concentration holding camps?

Right now Trump has been targeting Democratic cities to raid schools, places of worship by border patrol agents. CNN has reported that,
Immigrant advocacy groups in Chicago also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the weekend arguing officials targeted the city for being a sanctuary jurisdiction — a term broadly applied to cities that have policies in place designed to limit cooperation with or involvement in federal immigration enforcement actions.

The groups claimed the administration’s planned operations targeted the city for its sanctuary status and amount to a violation of their First Amendment right to free speech and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure, according to the court filing .
The peaceful Quakers have sued...
Quaker groups file suit over the end of policy restricting ICE arrests in houses of worship
The suit appears to be the first from a faith-based organization challenging the change in court.
NBC News
By Laura Strickler
January 27, 2025
 
 
A group of Quaker congregations is suing the Department of Homeland Security for changing a policy that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from carrying out operations in so-called “sensitive locations” such as houses of worship, playgrounds, schools and hospitals without approval from supervisors.

The policy, which had been in place under multiple administrations — including during President Donald Trump’s first term — was rescinded last week.

[...]
 
“A week ago today, President Trump swore an oath to defend the Constitution and yet today religious institutions that have existed since the 1600s in our country are having to go to court to challenge what is a violation of every individual’s constitutional right to worship and associate freely,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which is providing the lawyers representing the Quaker groups.

Perryman said the lawsuit addresses more than churches that act as sanctuaries. “The troubling nature of the policy goes beyond just houses of worship with sanctuary programs — it is that ICE could enter religious and sacred spaces whenever it wants,” she said.
I have a feeling that you are going to see a lot more lawsuits by churches synagogues and mosques saying it is a firmly held religious beliefs to give sanctuary to the undocumented immigrants. What is Trump going to do with ICE when they claim "Religious Freedom"?

*****

The summers I live out on the tip of Cape Cod and every store, every restaurant, and grocery store hires summer people on H-2B and J-1 visas hires seasonal workers in landscaping, Camp Counselor, Au Pair, and Summer Work Travel. They all have been squashed!

WGBH Boston public media when this happen back in T45 during his first term…
At this time of the year, The Friendly Fisherman on Cape Cod is usually bustling with foreign students clearing tables and helping prepare orders of clam strips or fish and chips.

But because of a freeze on visas, Janet Demetri won't be employing the 20 or so workers this summer. So as the crowds rush back, Demetri must work with nine employees for her restaurant and market — forcing her to shutter the business twice a week.

“It's really disturbing because we are really busy,” said Demetri. “We can't keep up once the doors are open.”

The Trump administration announced last month that it was extending a ban on green cards and adding many temporary visas to the freeze, including J-1 cultural exchange visas and H-2B visas. Businesses from forestry to fisheries to hospitality depend on these visas, though there are exceptions for the food processing sector.
No one wants to work out on the Cape… minimum wage workers typically stay in shared apartments or dormitory-style housing, often subsidized or included as part of compensation packages.
Hardest hit by the ban are beach communities and mountain getaways up and down the East Coast from parts of New Hampshire to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Businesses said they want to hire Americans but are in regions with tiny labor pools that are no match for the millions of tourists visiting each summer. Companies also face the challenge of convincing unemployed workers, many who are still collecting federal benefits, to take a job in the hospitality industry amid a pandemic. Rising housing prices as well as a lack of child care amid the pandemic also pose hurdles.
This summer on the Cape will be the same Trump first term with businesses struggling to find staff… that means higher prices! In order to get American student workers they are going to not just raise salaries but raise them by a lot!
Patrick Patrick, who has relied upon 10 to 15 J-1 visa holders to work at his army navy surplus store in Provincetown, Massachusetts, got none this year. He reduced the store’s hours and isn’t offering dressing rooms or customer services.

“If you are in hospitality, accommodations or restaurants and you truly have no staff, you can’t fake it,” said Patrick, who is also the local chamber of commerce president. “We are faking it. We’re throwing merchandise on the floor and letting customers walk on it and hopefully, they buy it. You can’t do that in a restaurant.”
This is the time when you see businesses hiring for the summer but with Trump freezing work visas it is once again going to be a long hot summer while Trump “Makes America Great Again” with skyrocketing inflation!

All because of Trump’s xenophobia, he doesn’t what people from "Shithole countries" [Trump's words no mine] coming here.

[/Editorial]

2 comments:

  1. With Trump's hectic first week in office I am waiting to see when those who voted him start having serious thoughts about their vote. I noticed his favor rating has dropped four points in one week: 56 down to 52. His administration already conceded it cannot do very much about the higher prices. The younger generations should not complain about grandpa always saying "I remember when this or that cost $____." Yep, I remember the good old days when I scrounged around for empty soda bottles to finance my Topp's baseball card collect, buying a pack of five cards for a nickel. Redemption value of a small glass soda bottle (Coke) was two cents, while a quart bottle was a nickel. So, get use to inflation and don't expect proclamations by any politicians to reduce prices. And, do you really expect this administration to go after companies that are guilty of unfair or illegal practices. Just suck it up! You can start of with I remember when eggs by $__________.

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  2. Richard Nelson1/30/25, 11:26 AM

    "This summer on the Cape will be the same Trump first term with businesses struggling to find staff… that means higher prices! In order to get American student workers they are going to not just raise salaries but raise them by a lot!" I would have to wonder what are they paying the foreign workers? I think the problem goes beyond who we can get for cheap labor not only in the restaurant, landscaping, etc businesses but up to the corporations in this country. You know hire a work force from India and you do not have to pay a living wage, insurance, etc. The corporations try to pull this all the time with their contracted workers. We in the Service Employees Union had to fight damn hard over the years for a living wage, vacations, holidays with pay, insurance and all the benefits of that white comfortable class in america gets. I would love to see the day when all workers in all fields organize and fight back. We have not even scraped the surface with the ideas of the IWW. (One Big Union) When I read the above article it becomes plain to see that we do indeed need a workers party in the U.S. Until that time if Johnny and Benny can't get their clams on time well so be it. Isn't life more than that. Perhaps then Johnny and Benny will join the workers party and help to set things right. The case of Mom and Pop paying a living wage, with insurance etc. is a whole other discussion.

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