By Miriam Raftery

December 5, 2016 (Sacramento) — President-Elect Donald Trump has threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. But now California officials are fighting back.

This week, two bills have been introduced in the California Legislature aimed at trying to protect immigrants.

Meeting Nov. 12 planned for communities of color concerned about the election outcome

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Estela de los Rios, past victim of a hate crime in El Cajon

November 11, 2016 (San Diego) – Maria, a maid and legal U.S. resident who has raised her daughter here,  tearfully put her elderly,  frail mother on a plane Wednesday night and said goodbye,  perhaps forever.  “She is going back to Mexico, before Donald Trump can deport her,” Maria told East Magazine.

President-Elect Trump has vowed to deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants in America—including those brought here as children and the parents of U.S. citizens.  Even children who were brought here as babies, who have never known any other home.  Even ill and elderly parents such as Maria’s mother,  who has survived cancer and suffers from  diabetes.  Maria fears she is too ill to survive long on her own in Mexico—but the prospect of her mother languishing in a detention camp was even more frightening.

East County News Service

September 20, 2016 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont College English Department's Creative Writing Program is presenting the Fall 2016 Reading Series, Thursday, Sept. 29 – Monday, Dec. 5.

Prominent Latinos drop support of Trump after speech;

Illegal immigration at lowest level since 1972;

Fact checkers find many false statements in Trump’s speech.

By Miriam Raftery; Photo by Gage Skidmore

September 1,2016 (San Diego) – Just hours after returning from meeting Mexico’s president, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump delivered a fiery speech in Arizona in which he stereotyped Mexicans as rapists and murderers, called for a revival of an “Operation Wetback” deportation program similar to a widely criticized program under the Eisenhower administration, but  tougher.  

He announced plans to cancel President Obama’s actions to protect people brought here as children and parents of U.S. citizens.  He made clear that his goal is to ultimately deport every undocumented immigration in the U.S.  “Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation,”Trump stated. “Our message to the world will be this: You cannot obtain legal status,or become a citizen of the United States, by illegally entering our country. Can’t do it.”

As for undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S., his words are striking fear. “They have to go back."

East County Magazine reported on complaints about a CCA private immigration detention facility in San Diego County back in 2011

By Miriam Raftery

August 29, 2016 (Washington D.C.) – Just one week after the U.S. Justice Department announced plans to phase out its use of 13 private prisons due to reports of serious abuse and ineffectiveness, as ECM reported,  Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson today called for a review to determine if use of private immigration detention facilities should be eliminated. The review should be done by November 30.

East County News Service

August 21, 2016 (Lemon Grove) – Mexican Consul General Rafael Laveaga will hold a Mobile Consulate at the Lemon Grove Library (3002 School Lane, Lemon Grove) on Saturday, August 27^th from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Federal immigration detention facility in Otay Mesa run by Corrections Corporation of America, a private prison company exposed for abusive actions at other locations investigated

August 21, 2016 (Washington D.C.) — Private, for-profit prisons are more dangerous and less effective than government-run prisons, a new report by the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General concludes.   On August 18th, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates announced that the Justice Dept. will be “reducing—and ultimately ending—our use of privately operated prisons.”

By Jonathan Goetz

Top: Photo Credit: Robert Longer

Right: Photo Credit: Emily Davenport

Bottom: Photo: Tom Lemmon

August 17, 2016 (San Diego) -- Throughout California yesterday, legislators and community leaders fasted in support of agricultural workers, who do not currently receive the same overtime benefits as non-agricultural workers despite the physically demanding nature of their job. This could change if South Bay Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez’ Assembly Bill 1066 is passed and signed into law.

By Miriam Raftery

June 26, 2016 (San Diego)--President Barack Obama’s executive orders to protect an estimated 5 million immigrants, or nearly half the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., from deportation have been blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The actions puts many immigrants brought here as children and parents of undocumented immigrants at risk of eventual deportation; their fate now depends on the outcome of the next election. The high court ruling also takes away new healthcare coverage recently granted by California to certain undocumented people.

Here’s what you need to know:

East County News Service

Photo: Sanders Twitter feed

May 21, 2016 (San Diego) -- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders today toured Friendship Park, a meeting place for separated families between San Diego and Tijuana.

“All of this tells us why we need comprehensive immigration reform,” Sanders said after hearing the stories of families who can only see their loved ones on weekends. “I would hope that the Republicans in Congress understand that we have a very, very broken immigration system and that it must be reformed and that they should in fact work with Democrats to pass comprehensive immigration reform. If not and if I am elected president of the United States, I will use the executive powers that the president has to do that the best that I can.”

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

By Chris Jennewein

Photo: The owner of a flower shop. Courtesy UC Riverside

April 24, 2016 (San Diego) - If Republican front-runner Donald Trump succeeds in building his border wall, it may choke off the fastest growing source of new businesses in California.

East County News Service

March 21, 2016 (San Diego) – Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is having some unintended consequences: motivating immigrants to become citizens so that they can register to vote against Trump if he is the Republican party’s nominee in November.

East County News Service

February 22, 2016 (Campo) — An 11-year-old girl died in a fiery three-vehicle crash at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 8 westbound in Campo.  Four other people are hospitalized with moderate to major injuries from the collision last night at 9 p.m.

Including Eva No Duerme with Golden Globe winner Gael Garcia Bernal

East County News Service

January 28, 2016 (San Diego) -- The programmers for the San Diego Latino Film Festival, presented by Fashion Valley, are pleased to announce the official Spotlight Films selections for its 23rd edition, set to take place March 10-20 at AMC Fashion Valley 18. 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: A private detention facility run by Corrections Corporation of America at Otay Mesa for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

December 26, 2015 (San Diego) – The University of California has divested over $25 million of its holdings in private prison corporations, in response to a resolution by the Afrikans Black Coalition, a student advocacy group.

“The goals of the private prison industry are to profit from the incarceration, labor and rehabilitative treatment of black and immigrant lives,” said Kamilah Moore, organizer with the coalition.  In an e-mail statement, she added  that by selling the shares, the UC system has sent a message that it is “against human rights abuses,” the Daily Bruin reports.

The rise of private prisons in modern times began in 1984 and has mushroomed since then. According to the U.S. Justice Department, by 2013, private prisons were housing 19.1% of all federal prisoners and 6.8% of state prisoners, reaping billions of dollars in revenues.  Private prison corporations also operate immigrant detention facilities, with over 23,000 immigrants currently behind bars. But serious questions have been raised about both racial injustice and failure to live up to promised cost savings.