-
MWEG Deep Dive Recap: Immigration Op-Ed Tutorial with FWD.us
For our inaugural Deep Dive event, MWEG hosted two communications professionals from FWD.us to talk about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — and how to advocate for it. FWD.us is a bipartisan organization working to fix the failed immigration and criminal justice systems that have locked too many out of the American dream for too long. In their presentation, Leezia Dhalia, immigration press director, and Alexis Sosa, communications fellow, shared the facts about DACA and why defending it is important. Leezia is a DACA recipient herself, having been brought to the U.S. from Canada as a pre-teen. DACA protects 750,000 young immigrants — Dreamers — who have…
-
Executive Order on Immigration Does Not Make Our Country Safer
President Trump announced his intentions of “prohibiting immigration into our Country” and just last week signed an executive order halting the issuance of green cards, a legal avenue to citizenship. This order covers a very narrow area of immigration law, implies migrants are worsening the effects of the pandemic, and does nothing to make our country more secure. The executive order largely targets individuals who have been seeking entry to the U.S. legally for years or, for some, decades. The Associated Press observed, “the proclamation Trump signed Wednesday will most affect the parents, adult children and siblings of citizens and permanent residents hoping to one day join them in the country.” According to the wording…
-
Public Charge SCOTUS Ruling
Last Monday the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s “public charge” policy change is legal. This change “dramatically increases the government’s ability to reject green cards for people who are deemed likely to depend on government aid, such as food stamps, housing assistance, and Medicaid,” according to The Hill. The administration has advertised the rule change as a way to ensure self-sufficiency among immigrants; however, immigration attorneys argue that the rule is both ambiguous and discretionary. It will allow the government to turn away immigrants who have never used public services. In addition, because of this discretion, people can’t know whether accessing specific services will or won’t matter in…
-
Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government in Response to the Supreme Court’s 5-4 Decision to Uphold Travel Ban
June 26, 2018 As members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we are deeply disappointed and dismayed at today’s Supreme Court ruling upholding the latest iteration of the Trump administration’s travel ban. We believe there are multiple factors that make this travel ban unprecedented, and we cannot discount or ignore the greater context in which the ban was issued. Therefore, we feel we must take this opportunity to speak out against any policies or practices rooted in animus towards Muslims. God’s parenthood of all humankind makes us literal sisters and brothers. We are one family. As Russell M. Nelson, our current living prophet, said only recently, “That understanding inspires us…
-
MWEG-Arizona Holds Vigil at the Border
Powerful moments at the Arizona vigil at the border wall. Participants were intently watched by border patrol agents the entire time, and the media turned up in force. One participant wrote: We had two television stations, two local newspapers, and a reporter from Buzzfeed. All stayed nearly the entire time. We sang, we prayed, and we shared our light – all with a backdrop of daily life in Mexico playing out behind us. As two children curiously watched us from the stoop of the bodega on the other side of the wall, I was moved by our common humanity. #familiesbelongtogether #MWEGvigil #arizona
-
Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on the Separation of Children from Their Families at the Border
May 31, 2018 Under the direction of the White House, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security are engaged in the unconscionable practice of separating children from their parents at the border in a horrific and misguided effort to discourage immigration. Many of these families are refugees who are fleeing unspeakable horrors in their home countries and are seeking asylum in the United States. As members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government we join with other individuals and groups from all across the political spectrum to unequivocally denounce this practice as cruel, inhumane, and entirely indefensible. Our democracy is founded on principles of honor, justice, and an absolute respect for…
