#michigan immigration attorney

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Prem Thakker at Zeteo News:

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) is being accused of antisemitism by elected officials and mainstream journalists for saying something she never said. 

Here’s how it happened:

Sept. 12: Earlier this month, the Michigan lawmaker called out her state’s Democratic attorney general, Dana Nessel, for announcing charges against 11 pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Michigan. “Instead of getting justice, not one criminal charge in the Flint Water Crisis, you're going to spend time in trying to use the power of your office to silence people's First Amendment right,” Tlaib said during a Black-Palestine solidarity panel, moderated by Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan.

Sept. 13: “This is a move that’s going to set a precedent, and it’s unfortunate that a Democrat made that move,” Tlaib elaborated in an interview with the Detroit Metro Times. “You would expect that from a Republican, but not a Democrat, and it’s really unfortunate.” ”We���ve had the right to dissent, the right to protest,” she added. “We’ve done it for climate, the immigrant rights movement, for Black lives, and even around issues of injustice among water shutoffs. But it seems that the attorney general decided if the issue was Palestine, she was going to treat it differently, and that alone speaks volumes about possible biases within the agency she runs.”  Nessel’s prosecutions were also criticized by groups including Michigan’s ACLU chapter. Sept. 20: Days later, Tlaib was the target of a racist editorial cartoon that implied she was part of Hezbollah. The cartoon depicted the only Palestinian member of Congress saying “Odd. My pager just exploded,” in reference to the Israeli military terrorist attacks on Lebanon.

[...]

Sometime Tuesday, Jewish Insider edited the original story, without adding a correction or clarification. “Tlaib has also claimed that Nessel is only charging the protesters because she’s Jewish” became “Tlaib has also suggested that Nessel is only charging the protesters because she’s Jewish.” 

Of course, this manufactured lie about Tlaib has wholly obscured that Tlaib was victim to a racist cartoon donning the pages of publications like the National Review; that she had actually begun garnering support and sympathy from her colleagues; and that Tlaib’s “original sin” was speaking out in defense of students protesting their tuition supporting a US-funded genocidal campaign in Palestine. Tlaib’s original remarks criticizing Nessel focused on the prosecution of pro-Palestine protestors, critiques shared by advocacy groups, including the Michigan chapter of the ACLU. Most of the charges are against students, including Jewish students, who refused to vacate a campus encampment after police ordered them to leave as they demanded the school divest from “weapons manufacturers and war profiteers complicit in the genocide in Palestine.” The arrests came as police allegedly used batons, and “Deep Freeze,” self-described as the “most intense, incapacitating agent available today,” to arrest the students.

Prem Thakker writes in Zeteo News debunking the ridiculous accusation that Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is “antisemitic” because she criticized AG Dana Nessel (D) for prosecuting pro-Palestinian protesters.

[whitesinhistory]

On August 3, 1919, several days of racial violence targeting Black communities in Chicago, Illinois, came to an end after intervention by the National Guard. After five days of gunfire, beatings, and burnings, 23 African Americans and 15 white people had been killed, 537 people injured, and 1,000 African American families left homeless.

During the Great Migration, Chicago was a popular destination for many Black people leaving the South in search of economic opportunity and a refuge from racial terror lynching. From 1910 to 1920, the city’s Black population swelled from 44,000 to 109,000 people. The new arrivals joined thousands of white immigrants also relocating to Chicago in search of work. Many Black newcomers settled on Chicago's South Side, in neighborhoods adjacent to communities of European immigrants, close to plentiful industrial jobs. 

Although African American people had fled the Southern brand of racial violence, once in Chicago they still faced racial animosity and discrimination that created challenging living conditions like overcrowded housing, inequality at work, police brutality, and segregation by custom rather than law.

In the second decade of the 20th century, segregation in Chicago was not as legally regulated as in Southern cities, but unwritten rules restricted Black people from many neighborhoods, workplaces, and "public" areas—including beaches. On July 27, 1919, a Black youth named Eugene Williams drowned at a Chicago beach after a white man struck him with a rock for drifting to the “white” side of Lake Michigan. When police refused to arrest the man who had thrown the rock, Black witnesses protested; white mobs responded with widespread violence that lasted five days.

Over that terrifying period, white mobs attacked Black people on sight, set fire to more than 30 properties on Chicago’s South Side, and even attempted to attack Provident Hospital—which served mostly Black patients. Six thousand National Guard troops were called in to quell the unrest, and many Black people left Chicago after the terrifying experience.

Though state officials announced a plan to investigate and punish all parties responsible for violence and destruction of property during the unrest, many more Black people were arrested than white. The subsequent grand jury proceedings resulted in the indictment of primarily Black defendants. Later testifying before a commission investigating the roots of the Chicago violence, the Cook County district attorney admitted this was due to bias in his department of white officers.

"There is no doubt that a great many police officers were grossly unfair in making arrests," he said in 1922. "They shut their eyes to offenses committed by white men while they were very vigorous in getting all the colored men they could get."

[beardedmrbean]

Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast appeared to catch the State Department’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer off guard with a line of questioning about his race during a hearing Tuesday.

Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in the history of the State Department, repeatedly answered “I do not know” when Mast asked her what race he is. Mast used his time during a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee for Oversight and Accountability to question why the State Department examines race and ethnicity in hiring processes.

“Can you tell me, am I white?” Mast asked Abercrombie-Winstanley. The ambassador took a long pause before telling Mast she would have to ask Mast to tell her how he characterizes himself.

“That’s exactly right, I would have to tell you not just how I characterize myself but what I am,” Mast said. “But I’m asking, do you know if I’m white?”

“I do not know,” Abercrombie-Winstanley answered. She gave the same answer when Mast proceeded to ask whether he’s half-black, Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander or brown.

Mast, originally from Michigan, represents a district in south Florida just north of the Miami area. He’s half-Latino, with his maternal grandparents having immigrated to the United States from Mexico.

“It shouldn’t matter that I’m half-Mexican, it shouldn’t matter whether I’m able-bodied, or ambulatory or not ambulatory, that doesn’t have anything to do with what my background is,” Mast continued. Being an effective Foreign Service Officer “has nothing to do with how somebody looks,” he said.

Abercrombie-Winstanley, the daughter of a secretary and attorney with an undergraduate degree from George Washington University and a masters degree from Johns Hopkins, is a career diplomat. She previously served at State Department posts in Iraq, Indonesia, Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia before serving as Ambassador to Malta during the Obama administration. She will be departing her current post later this month.

[unknownworlds4]

As the United States 2022 Midterm Elections come to a close, both Democratic and Republican parties have celebrated a number of historic victories in the past few weeks. These victories have resulted in a very diverse field of elected candidates.

Alabama

The first woman to be elected to the Senate from Alabama: Katie Britt

Two women, Dixie Bibb Graves and Maryon Pittman Allen, have previously been appointed to the office to fill vacancies.

Arizona

First Latino Republican elected to Congress from Arizona: Juan Ciscomani

Arkansas

First woman to serve as Governor of Arkansas: Sarah Huckabee Sanders (a position previously held by her father Mike Huckabee from 1996 to 2007)

First woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor: Leslie Rutledge

With the election of Sanders and Rutledge, Arkansas will be one of two states with women serving concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor, the other being Massachusetts.

California

First Latino elected to the Senate from California: Alex Padilla (he was previously appointed to the position to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris when she became Vice President)

First elected Black Secretary of State of California: Shirley Weber (Weber was appointed last year to replace Alex Padilla)

First elected Filipino Attorney General: Rob Bonta (Bonta was appointed last year to replace Xavier Becerra who left to become Secretary of Health and Human Services)

First openly LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress: Robert Garcia

First woman and first black woman elected Mayor of Los Angeles: Karen Bass

Colorado

First Latina elected to Congress from Colorado: Yadira Caraveo

Connecticut

First Black woman to serve as Secretary of State of Connecticut: Stephanie Thomas

Florida

First member of Generation Z elected to Congress: Maxwell Frost

Georgia

First Muslim women elected to the Georgia State Legislature: Nabilah Islam and Ruwa Romman

Illinois

First Latina elected to Congress from Illinois: Delia Ramirez

First openly gay person elected to Congress from Illinois: Eric Sorenson

First Muslim elected to the Illinois State House: Abdelnasser Rashid

Iowa

First Arab American to serve in the Iowa State Legislature: Sami Scheetz

Maryland

First Black governor of Maryland: Wes Moore

First Asian American Lieutenant governor: Aruna Miller (her family is from India)

First Black Attorney General of Maryland: Anthony Brown

Massachusetts

One of two of the first openly Lesbian governor is US history and first woman governor of Massachusetts: Maura Haley (the other being Tina Kotek)

With the election of Haley and her running mate Kim Driscoll, Massachusetts will join Arkansas as one of two states with women serving concurrently as both governor and lieutenant governor.

First Black woman to serve as Attorney General of Massachusetts: Andrea Campbell

Michigan

First Black Republican elected to Congress from Michigan: John James

First Indian American elected to Congress from Michigan: Shri Thanedar

Minnesota

First ever Transgender person elected to the Minnesota State Legislature: Leigh Finke

Montana

First ever Transgender person elected to the Montana State Legislature: Zooey Zephyer

First openly nonbinary person elected to the State Legislature: SJ Howell

Nevada

First Latino to serve as Secretary of State of Nevada: Cisco Aguilar

New Hampshire

First ever Transgender man elected to a state legislature in the US: James Roesener

New York

First woman to be elected governor of New York: Kathy Hochul (she assumed the position last year after her successor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, resigned in disgrace)

First candidate elected from a House of Representatives race between two openly gay candidates: George Santos

Ohio

Longest serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives: Marcy Katpur (began serving in 1982)

Oklahoma

First Native American elected to the Senate from Oklahoma in over a century: Markwayne Mullin (Member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)

Robert Owen, also Cherokee, served in the position from 1907 to 1925.

Oregon

One of the two first openly Lesbian governors in US history: Tina Kotek (the other being Maura Haley)

First Latinos elected to Congress from Oregon: Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Andrea Salinas

Pennsylvania

First Black lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania: Austin Davis

First Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania: Summer Lee

Vermont

First woman and first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Vermont: Becca Balint

With the election of Balint, Vermont loses its distinction of being the only state to never send a woman to Congress

First woman to be elected Attorney General of Vermont: Charity Clark

Washington

First Latino Democrat elected to Congress from Washington: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (her predecessor, Jaime Herrera Butler, was the first Hispanic member of Congress from Washington)

[wavyphoenix-png]

I [don’t] hate to get on the screen and write dissertations on this commute to work but fuck it, everyone else is doing it. I wasn’t shocked by the election results at all. Could you imagine that your opponent chooses to run a campaign motivated by Christian nationalist sentiments, and to offset that as a democrat, you in turn take a center-right approach at best to appeal to right-wing voters? A great deal of whom are operating from the far right and have had their minds made up about you from the very beginning? Simultaneously ostracizing the demographics of those who vote blue and identify as progressive? I mean, what did she think the Joe Rogan appearances and Liz Cheney endorsements were gonna do?

Some fingers are being pointed at Kamala’s identity as a woman, and Black woman as to why she lost, but how valid of a statement is that? Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian woman was re-elected in Michigan, a region in which Kamala was absolutely put through the wringer (Dearborn was not jackin her vibe AT ALL and as a Muslim, albeit not Arab I completely understand.) Somali-American rep. Ilhan Omar still stands in her state of Minnesota even in spite of her identity and as she was outspoken about her position on the genocide in Palestine. So what gives? Whether you believe Kamala ran a good campaign or not, the fact of the matter is that she ran a campaign almost wholly disconnected from the youth, the marginalized, and the progressive, and she’s paying the ultimate price for it; defeat in crushing and humiliating fashion. In fact, liberalism in itself is paying the ultimate price for consistently falling short of people’s political, social, environmental, & overall material demands.

Now, what do I mean by disconnected? Let’s take a good look. Firstly, let’s take a good look at the elephant in the room that is to continue amplifying a genocide (only to walk it back last minute by saying that if she wins, she’ll “end the war” in Gaza.) It’s not 2004 anymore. American sensationalism doesn’t work on the general public in the manner it did when Condoleezza Rice was still the National Security Advisor. Sure, a Civics course could tell you that she wasn’t in charge of arming the colonial state in the Middle East, but all signs pointed towards her not stopping in the event that she won — a humanitarian catastrophe and an environmental disaster.

Furthermore, rather than to actively contrast Trump in immigration policies, she completely decided to mirror his stance in such — all while remaining passive about the Cop City project in Georgia, regressing beyond the mean with the rights of trans individuals, and a lengthy list of grievances that no person running from the left would ever take on in a public eye.

And after all of it, my second biggest gripe of it all? The gilded approach of co-opting Black culture and marketing her identity as a benchmark of progress within the community. Fixating less on identifying and building a true relationship and good rapport with the average proletariat, and more on trying to buy endorsement through the means of celebrity worship while running with center-right practices. Maybe this is what it was like watching the 2004 Lakers lose to the Pistons in the finals despite buying more depth in previous all-NBA talent. Analogy aside, isn’t it ironic having to hear “do we believe in freedom?” from an Attorney General who has made countless amounts of black people difficult in the prison industrial complex, turned Vice President who’d actively seek to continue the colonial occupation in Palestine?

Do we still believe in freedom when it’s niggas my age getting tear-gassed for begging our colleges to divest from a colonial apparatus committing murder several and several miles across the ocean? Or when that’s brought up, does it then become “I’m speaking?” So much for skipping the primaries and leaving us with one of the most uncharismatic, and detached candidates I’ve known in my lifetime. Not to mention she’s a perpetual loser who managed to lose the most winnable election of my lifetime and possibly even beyond than that.

My heart truly just weeps for those of whom reproductive rights are up in the air. Citizenship. Livelihood. All that. My heart also weeps for the black girls Miss Harris ran high and dry by not even showing up to her own speech at (Howard?) after losing. I mean, what leader does that?

I wanna switch gears real quick though. Don’t interpret this as me being mad, but rather emphatic. Interpret me as emphatic when I say that I think you niggas who sided with Trump are absolutely some of the most soulless, decrepit, pathetic people to grace the Earth. ESPECIALLY, if you are of a marginalized group. You telling me that he could walk you down with a declining cognitive state, re-rock Weimar Republic rhetoric and you’re on board with it? Block me back and debate ya mother twin, I’m so deadass. At least I can understand why someone may have voted Kamala. With Donald, you’ve basically voted against my best interest and those who look like me. We don’t need to be amicable.

The reality is, regardless of whomever were to take office, the Western world altogether has taken a shift towards fascist ideology with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Your savior will never live in Capitol Hill. In this landscape of white nationalism, we truly have are ourselves, and we’re really going to have to band together for the foreseeable future, because it’s increasingly clear that we are living in an empire in decline. Go link up with ya local Grassroots organization. Show up for ya community. I truly refuse to lose hope no matter how bleak it look. I truly can’t stress enough — ALL WE TRULY HAVE IS COMMUNITY

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are gearing up for a closely contested race in the upcoming U.S. presidential election on November 5, with both candidates making final appeals in critical battleground states. Several third-party candidates are also participating in the election. Here’s a summary of the candidates: Democratic Party Kamala Harris Harris, 60, secured the Democratic nomination after President Biden withdrew from the race, aiming to present a fresh vision for America that contrasts with Trump’s agenda. With a background as a U.S. senator and California attorney general, she made history as the first woman and person of color to serve as vice president. If elected, she would be the first female president in the country’s history. Polls indicate that Harris holds a slight edge over Trump, leading nationally by 44% to 43% in a Reuters/Ipsos survey published on October 29. Other polls show tight competition in essential battleground states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, and Nevada. In the closing weeks of her campaign, Harris has intensified efforts to portray Trump as a danger to democracy, citing his inflammatory remarks. She is advocating for reproductive rights and supports a national law to ensure access to safe abortion. Harris’s economic proposals include tax cuts for most Americans, measures against price gouging, affordable housing initiatives, and a child tax credit. She has suggested raising the corporate tax rate to 28% and eliminating taxes on tips. Regarding immigration, she aims for stricter border controls and efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking. Her stance on climate and energy aligns with Biden’s focus on addressing climate change. Harris has worked to maintain a positive relationship with the tech industry while addressing concerns related to competition and privacy. On foreign policy, Harris is expected to largely follow Biden’s approach on key issues such as support for Ukraine and Taiwan and seeking peace in Gaza while condemning Hamas. She has garnered endorsements from various labor organizations and leaders across different sectors. Republican Party Donald Trump At 78, Trump is running for president for the third time, having won the Republican nomination in July. He continues to claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him, campaigning amid significant legal challenges, including recent indictments related to his efforts to contest the election results. During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump became the first president to be impeached twice and has characterized his legal troubles as politically motivated, promising “retribution” against adversaries. He has chosen Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate. Trump’s campaign includes promises of mass deportations, ending birthright citizenship, and imposing new tariffs on imports. He aims to prioritize American workers, proposing cuts to taxes on tips and overtime, lowering corporate taxes, and expanding access to federal lands for energy companies. In terms of foreign policy, Trump has pledged to fundamentally change the U.S. relationship with NATO and to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, potentially through negotiations that might require territorial concessions from Kyiv. He has received backing from police organizations and former officials, though some Republicans have criticized his personal attacks on Harris. Third Parties & Independents Libertarian Party: Chase Oliver The Libertarian Party nominated Chase Oliver, 39, who previously ran for a Georgia Senate seat in 2022. Green Party: Jill Stein Jill Stein, a physician aged 74, returns as the Green Party nominee, focusing on climate action and economic reform. Independent: Cornel West Cornel West, a philosopher and activist, initially ran as a Green Party candidate but has since declared himself an independent, advocating for poverty reduction and guaranteed housing for all.

[news365times]

[ad_1] Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are gearing up for a closely contested race in the upcoming U.S. presidential election on November 5, with both candidates making final appeals in critical battleground states. Several third-party candidates are also participating in the election. Here’s a summary of the candidates: Democratic Party Kamala Harris Harris, 60, secured the Democratic nomination after President Biden withdrew from the race, aiming to present a fresh vision for America that contrasts with Trump’s agenda. With a background as a U.S. senator and California attorney general, she made history as the first woman and person of color to serve as vice president. If elected, she would be the first female president in the country’s history. Polls indicate that Harris holds a slight edge over Trump, leading nationally by 44% to 43% in a Reuters/Ipsos survey published on October 29. Other polls show tight competition in essential battleground states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan, and Nevada. In the closing weeks of her campaign, Harris has intensified efforts to portray Trump as a danger to democracy, citing his inflammatory remarks. She is advocating for reproductive rights and supports a national law to ensure access to safe abortion. Harris’s economic proposals include tax cuts for most Americans, measures against price gouging, affordable housing initiatives, and a child tax credit. She has suggested raising the corporate tax rate to 28% and eliminating taxes on tips. Regarding immigration, she aims for stricter border controls and efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking. Her stance on climate and energy aligns with Biden’s focus on addressing climate change. Harris has worked to maintain a positive relationship with the tech industry while addressing concerns related to competition and privacy. On foreign policy, Harris is expected to largely follow Biden’s approach on key issues such as support for Ukraine and Taiwan and seeking peace in Gaza while condemning Hamas. She has garnered endorsements from various labor organizations and leaders across different sectors. Republican Party Donald Trump At 78, Trump is running for president for the third time, having won the Republican nomination in July. He continues to claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him, campaigning amid significant legal challenges, including recent indictments related to his efforts to contest the election results. During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump became the first president to be impeached twice and has characterized his legal troubles as politically motivated, promising “retribution” against adversaries. He has chosen Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate. Trump’s campaign includes promises of mass deportations, ending birthright citizenship, and imposing new tariffs on imports. He aims to prioritize American workers, proposing cuts to taxes on tips and overtime, lowering corporate taxes, and expanding access to federal lands for energy companies. In terms of foreign policy, Trump has pledged to fundamentally change the U.S. relationship with NATO and to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, potentially through negotiations that might require territorial concessions from Kyiv. He has received backing from police organizations and former officials, though some Republicans have criticized his personal attacks on Harris. Third Parties & Independents Libertarian Party: Chase Oliver The Libertarian Party nominated Chase Oliver, 39, who previously ran for a Georgia Senate seat in 2022. Green Party: Jill Stein Jill Stein, a physician aged 74, returns as the Green Party nominee, focusing on climate action and economic reform. Independent: Cornel West Cornel West, a philosopher and activist, initially ran as a Green Party candidate but has since declared himself an independent, advocating for poverty reduction and guaranteed housing for all.

[dankusner]

Was Trump truthful in Rogan interview?

POLITIFACT

In a three-hour interview with podcaster Joe Rogan — a conversation that lasted even longer than one of Donald Trump’s rally speeches — the former president repeated falsehoods about the outcome of the 2020 election.

The conversation came less than two weeks before Election Day and ranged from claims about life on Mars to illegal immigration to his plan to impose tariffs on everyday goods.

Here we’ll fact-check what Trump said about the 2020 election. ‘I won that second election’ in 2020.

Pants on Fire!

Joe Biden earned his victory by winning more votes in the Electoral College.

Biden received 306 electoral votes compared with Trump’s 232.

Biden’s path to victory included the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Although the popular vote doesn’t determine who wins presidential elections, Biden received about 7 million more votes nationwide than Trump.

The 2020 election’s outcome was verified in multiple ways:

States certified the results.

Trump and his allies lost more than 60 lawsuits.

Congress accepted the results, after Trump supporters’ violent riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

A group of conservatives, including former federal judges, examined every fraud and miscount claim by Trump and his allies and concluded that they 'failed to present evidence of fraud or inaccurate results significant enough to invalidate the results.'

Republicans in Trump’s own administration, including his then-attorney general, Bill Barr, told Trump his statements about the 'stolen' election were '(expletive).'

Republican state election officials, including in Georgia, said that the election was secure and that Biden won.

PolitiFact has documented some examples of voter fraud in 2020, such as people casting votes on dead relatives’ behalf.

But these instances were not enough to change the race’s outcome.

States used ‘COVID to cheat’ in the 2020 election.

Pants on Fire!

Many states made voting easier during the pandemic by mailing a ballot or an application to receive a ballot to registered voters.

Some states that previously required voters to have an excuse to vote by mail loosened that rule.

Trump is free to disagree with these changes, but he is wrong — and ridiculously so — to characterize them as cheating.

These changes were made openly, through executive orders, administrative actions or law.

And when a state expanded access to voting by mail, that was available to Republican voters, too.

States ‘were supposed to get legislative approval to do the things they did,’ such as changing the rules for mail voting.

Rejecting a Trump argument in lawsuits over the 2020 election results, various courts ruled that states do not have to run every election policy through their legislature; instead, if necessary, state officials can act on their own.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, for instance, sued four battleground states that went for Biden, arguing that their election procedures violated their states’ laws.

In a one-page ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the lawsuit, concluding that Texas had no business challenging the way other states conduct elections.

Experts said changing election rules without passing legislation is common.

'It is often the case that there are gaps in election statutes that state and local election officials routinely fill according to their delegated authority,' said Rebecca Green, an election law professor at the College of William & Mary.

'So to say that all decisions about how elections are run must emanate from the legislature is not consistent with explicit delegated authority to state election officials.'

Changes made without formal sign-off by legislatures were made not only in Democratic or battleground states, but also by Republican officials in solidly pro-Trump states.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum issued an order in March 2020 suspending the requirement that each county operate at least one in-person polling place for counties that approved voting by mail.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued an executive order allowing concerns about COVID-19 to be a valid excuse to vote absentee for the November 2020 election.

In Paxton’s state, Gov. Greg Abbott added extra days of early voting for the general election, citing challenges posed by the pandemic.

After Hurricane Michael hit northern Florida in October 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott cited emergency laws in his order to lift some rules related to mail ballots and in-person voting.

‘If you take a look at Wisconsin, they virtually admitted that the election was rigged, robbed and stolen.’

Pants on Fire!

Trump requested recounts in Wisconsin, but those recounts upheld Biden’s victory;

Biden gained a net 74 votes when the recount was complete.

The state certified Biden’s victory.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit seeking to ban absentee ballot drop boxes, concluding that the issues were not 'cleanly presented.'

A probe led by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman — who has aligned with Trump and promoted his false claims — turned up no evidence that the election was incorrectly called.

The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty also found no evidence of widespread fraud. And state auditors found that voting machines worked properly.

[plethoraworldatlas]

Calls grew on Monday for CNN and two of its top on-air personalities to apologize for claiming that U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib made an antisemitic remark during a recent interview after the journalist who interviewed the Michigan Democrat confirmed that the reporters were lying.

During the September 13 interview with Detroit Metro Times reporter Steve Neavling, Tlaib—the only Palestinian American member of Congress—condemned Democratic Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for setting a "dangerous precedent" by prosecuting University of Michigan students who peacefully protested against Israel's war on Gaza, for which the key U.S. ally is on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice. Charges against the Michigan protesters include trespassing on their own campus and obstructing police.

"We've had the right to dissent, the right to protest," Tlaib said during the interview. "We've done it for climate, the immigrant rights movement, for Black lives, and even around issues of injustice among water shutoffs. But it seems that the attorney general decided if the issue was Palestine, she was going to treat it differently, and that alone speaks volumes about possible biases within the agency she runs."

Nessel, who is Jewish, accused Tlaib of antisemitism in a Friday social media post comparing the congresswoman's comments to a cartoon drawn by Detroit News automotive reporter Henry Payne and published in the right-wing National Review implying Tlaib is a member of Hezbollah, the Lebanese political and paramilitary group.

Enter Jake Tapper, CNN's lead Washington anchor, who critics have long accused of pro-Israel bias. On Monday, Tapper interviewed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, asking the Democrat to respond to Tlaib's purported assertion that Nessel is only prosecuting Palestine protesters "because she's Jewish."

...

During a live broadcast on Monday, CNN anchor Dana Bash lamented what she called the "sad reality" that "antisemitism is everywhere and it comes from both ends of the political spectrum."

"But politicians sometimes sidestep calling it out when it comes from a member of their own party," she added, referring to "a Democratic congresswoman's accusation that the state's Jewish attorney general was letting her religion influence her job."

There was no such "accusation."

...

Neavling accused Whitmer of "adding to the lie."

"I'm the reporter who interviewed Rashida Tlaib," he said in response to a social media post by Tapper. "She never said Nessel did this because she's Jewish. Never. You're spreading lies."

On Monday, Detroit Metro Times also published a fact-check by Neavling underscoring that Tlaib never said what Nessel, Tapper, and Bash claim.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"CANADIAN OFFICER WHO DEPORTED MAN SHOT AND KILLED," Vancouver Sun. July 26, 1912. Page 1. ---- G. Herbert, Travelling Inspector of Immigration Department, Murdered by Undesirable. ---- SHOOTING OCCURRED ON AMERICAN SHIP ---- Detroit Police Have Difficulty Keeping Back Crowd - Lynching Threatened. ---- (Sun's Leased W. A. P. Wire.) DETROIT, Mich., July 25. - H. G. Herbert, a travelling immigration inspector of the Canadian government, was shot and instantly killed by William Auld Ferguson shortly after on today, after the boat was within a few feet of the dock at the foot of Woodward avenue, in this city. Mr. Herbert, whose home was in Ottawa, this morning signed an order that barred Ferguson from Canada. He happened to be on the same boat as the deported man, intending to stop at Detroit, take the steamer Bois Blanc and go to Amherstburg to make inspection there.

Remembered Face. Ferguson, who claims to have been night watchman in an olive factory at California, remembered Herbert's face and as the boat approached the dock, drew a 38-calibre revolver and before he could be stopped, put five bullets into the inspector's body.

Ferguson was regarded as an undesirable citizen by the Canadian govenment.

About fifty people were on the cat and crowded close to the rails, fearing that the man would turn the weapon in their direction.

Threaten Lynching. When the boat landed a throng gathered on the dock. Ferguson was shed into the United States customs office and the crowd jammed closely about the doors and windows. Several threats were heard and one deep lunged fellow shouted for a rope.

A wagon load of officers from the central police station was rushed to the scene and pushed the crowd back. Detective Cotter snapped a pair of handcuffs on the prisoner and he was hustled into an automobile patrol and taken to the central police station..

Subject of King. "Why didn't they let me land?" Ferguson exclaimed again and again, while he was in the customs office. Then taken to the police station he said he was a Scotchman by birth and still a subject of King George.

"I was on my way to Hamilton, where I have work," he said, "when I was turned back by the Canadian officials. They say they warned me back because I am a cripple."

In U. S. Jurisdiction. Inspector Thomas Robertson, of the immigration staff, notified William D. Scott, superintendent-in-chief of imigration at Ottawa.

Prosecuting Attorney Tuttle, United States district attorney for the eastern strict of Michigan, will, as soon as has had an opportunity to look to the matter, take measures to prosecute the murderer.

The ferry boat is a registered American vessel; the crime was committed the Detroit river within American waters and there is no question whatever as to the prosecutor's jurisdiction. Arguments have been put up to the contrary.

[naturecoaster]

Brijbag Law Announces the Appointment of Jesus M. Rosas, Esq., as Associate

Brijbag Law and Brian Brijbag announce the appointment of Jesus M. Rosas, Esq., as an associate. His main area of practice is personal injury with emphasis on litigation. JR will manage the litigation division of Brijbag Law. Brijbag Law Announces the Appointment of Jesus M. Rosas, Esq., as Associate JR obtained a BA degree in law from the University of Arizona in 2015. He was one of the first graduates with this degree. After graduation, he moved to Florida where he obtained his juris doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2023. During law school, JR concentrated on his degree in litigation practice. He was fortunate to learn litigation skills from judges and practicing attorneys with extensive experience in the legal arena. Prior to attending law school, JR had extensive experience as a skilled Spanish interpreter. He was employed by CyraCom International in both Tucson, AZ, and Tampa, FL. In Tucson, he served as a Spanish Interpreter and in Tampa he was the Interpreter Supervisor. Needless to say, he is fluent in both English and Spanish. While in Tucson, JR also served as an Immigration Assistant Intern, in the fall of 2014 for the International Rescue Committee, where he interviewed refugees and asylees and prepared their immigration forms. He is practice ready certified by Lexis-Nexis in March of 2021. His focus is assisting clients get justice for their injuries. “I’m thrilled to join the team and start serving the community; let’s humanize personal injury,” said Attorney Rosas During his free time, JR enjoys boxing and spending time by the water. Just like a boxer, JR is disciplined, strategic, and focused on achieving positive results. About Brian Brijbag and Brijbag Law Attorney Brian Brijbag has over 20 years of experience in personal injury after having worked in the medical field in multiple roles. Brian is a longtime resident of the Nature Coast of Florida and now enjoys raising his family in the community. A graduate of Springstead High School, Brian has long been a supporter of the Nature Coast serving as a past chairperson of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, a Florida motivational speaker, sponsor of the Brijbag Invitational High School Wrestling Tournament, and is founding member of the Brooksville Band Shell Bash. Brian is the author of 7 Deadly Sins of Your Florida Personal Injury Case: A Victim’s Guide to Florida Personal Injury Claims, as well as the author of Southern Chivalry: Environmental Hazard Risk Communication & Perception In a Small, Southern Neighborhood. Brijbag law practices in the Florida state courts and the middle district of Florida Federal Courts. Brian holds a juris doctor degree from Western Michigan University T.M. Cooley Law School. He holds the following degrees from the University of Southern Florida:  Master of Public Health, Master of Applied Anthropology, Bachelor of Arts in Applied Anthropology, and Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. Brijbag Law is located at 5329 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, Florida 34606. Call 352-358-5880 to schedule an appointment or email contact@BrijbagLaw.com. For more information about Brijbag Law go to www.BrijbagLaw.com. Read the full article

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Chris McGreal at The Guardian:

Donald Trump has pledged to shield police officers from legal accountability if he is re-elected as president after falsely claiming the US is in the grip of a wave of violent crime that he blamed on the Black Lives Matter movement and people crossing the Mexican border.

Speaking to police officers in Michigan on Tuesday, the former president sought to pin responsibility for the imagined crisis on his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, whom he characterised as among “Marxist district attorneys” with a record of being anti-police and pro-criminal during her term as the district attorney in San Francisco in the 2000s.

At the same time, Trump lamented his own legal difficulties, including his criminal convictions for fraud in New York and other looming prosecutions. “They go after guys like me, but they don’t go after guys that kill people,” he said. Flanked by local sheriffs in Howell, a small city in greater Detroit where a group of white supremacists marched last month chanting “We love Hitler, we love Trump” and carrying signs reading “White Lives Matter”, Trump painted a picture of Americans living in fear of leaving their homes because of crime. “It’s just insane, but you can’t walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot, you get mugged, you get raped, you get … whatever it may be,” he said.

The former president claimed that this alleged crime wave materialised when Joe Biden and Harris took office. “Since Comrade Kamala Harris took office, her administration’s crime statistics show she’s presided over a 43% increase in violent crime. These are all government numbers,” he claimed. In fact, official statistics show that violent crime is at an almost 50-year low in the US. Nonetheless, Trump pledged to “crack down on local Marxist DAs who refuse to enforce the law” while, he said, ruining the lives of police officers for doing their jobs. “Over the past four years, the Marxist left has waged a vicious war on law enforcement in our country. They’ve taken away the dignity and the spirit and the life of some of these police officers, and that’s why you see it – the crime is so out of control in our country,” he claimed.

Trump said that the police “have a lot of difficulty with the laws of our land”. “We’re going to get rid of that difficulty, because they shouldn’t have difficulty, our police,” he said. Trump added: “We’re going to be guaranteeing immunities.” The former president accused Harris of a “pro-crime, anti-police record”. “She repeatedly endorsed defunding the police,” he said. “If she ever had a chance, she would do whatever she could to defund the police because that’s where her spirit is, that’s where her heart is, and we can’t have a president like that.”

In 2020, then senator Harris gave support to the “defund the police” movement in the wake of a white police officer’s murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Harris said at the time that it was right that BLM questioned the amount of money spent on “militarising” police departments at the expense of social services, housing and education.

[...] Trump blamed much of the imagined increase in crime on people crossing the Mexican border, for which he also blamed Harris as the supposed “border tsar”, even though immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than US citizens. He also claimed that some Latin American countries are exporting their criminals to the US.

See Also:

Daily Kos: Trump sinks deeper into hatred while Democrats unite in joy

[worldofwardcraft]

On the road to nowhere.

March 13, 2023

If you're a Republican in Michigan, we at WoW are here to offer our sincerest condolences. Sadly, your party is traveling the same route taken by California's GOP when it self-destructed nearly 20 years ago. For decades, California was a reliably red state, electing a string of Republican governors and senators. It even provided the nation with two of our most lawless GOP presidents: Richard "I am not a crook" Nixon and Ronnie "I don't recall" Reagan.

Today, however, California Republicans are confined to small enclaves around the state, and none are currently to be found holding statewide office. There are only 18 Republican representatives in the State Assembly (out of 80) and just eight senators (out of 40). As of October 2020, a mere 24% of the state's voters are registered Republicans.

The collapse of the Golden State's once-powerful GOP began with a far-right 1994 ballot initiative (Proposition 187) pushed by Republican governor Pete Wilson, which denied public services — including vaccines and public education — to undocumented immigrants. Unsurprisingly, California's growing Latino population rejected both the initiative and the Party responsible for it.

Now, in Michigan, Republicans are once again determined to place themselves on the wrong side. This time over Trump and election denialism. Frankly, Michigan's GOP was already in trouble. Last November, all its statewide candidates lost, including for governor (Tudor Dixon by 10 points), attorney general (Matt DePerno by 8) and secretary of state (Kristina Karamo by 14). The Party is also dead broke and in debt to the tune of $2.3 million, mainly because its MAGA-mad leaders and candidates (like the ones mentioned) are scaring away donors.

Last month, when Michigan GOPers held their annual convention in Lansing, the cash-strapped party not only had to charge delegates a $50 registration fee, it also couldn't afford to pay Arizona election conspiracist Kari Lake to be its headline speaker.

Moreover, even choosing a party chair turned into a virtual demolition derby. After going through 11 hours and 10 candidates, the convention ended up repudiating the Trump-endorsed DePerno and chose instead Kristina Karamo — a bigger loser and much crazier election denier. Which led to half the delegates walking out of the hall angry and believing they’d been robbed — typical feelings among Republicans nowadays. In her acceptance speech, Karamo declared what was obvious to all: "Our party is dying."

As one observer noted, by electing Karamo to lead Michigan's Republicans, "they’ve solidified Democratic control of this state for years to come." Evidently, those who ban books about history are condemned to repeat it.

[beardedmrbean]

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri is facing a massive polling deficit behind her primary challenger, prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County, Wesley Bell, according to a poll obtained by the New York Post on Sunday.

Bush, who like other ‘squad’ members has been vocally anti-Israel, is now up against a 23-point deficit against Bell as her primary approaches on Aug. 6, according to the poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates for the CCA Action Fund. In June, fellow ‘squad’ member Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York was also confronted with a massive polling disadvantage after being outspokenly anti-Israel, going on to eventually lose his primary against now Democratic nominee George Latimer on June 25.

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 07: (L-R) U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) speak at a press conference on the Israel-Hamas war outside of the U.S. Capitol on December 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. A group of Democratic lawmakers joined by members of Doctors Against Genocide called on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Like Bowman and other squad members, Bush has previously been criticized by pro-Israel Democrats for her comments and legislative action following the Oct. 7 massacre. Bush has continuously called for a ceasefire while at the same time voting against legislation that would condemn Hamas and antisemitism, prompting various pro-Israeli groups to endorse her opponent.

Shortly after Oct. 7, the House voted to condemn Hamas for beginning an “unprovoked war on Israel” after “slaughtering Israelis and abducting hostages in towns in southern Israel, including children and the elderly.” Bush, along with Democratic ‘squad’ members Bowman, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Rep. Ilan Omar of Minnesota and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, all voted against the bill.

In February, Bush and Tlaib were the only two members of the House to vote against a bill that “imposes immigration-related penalties” on Hamas terrorists.

Many pro-Israeli groups, including the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), the Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) PAC and the American Israel Affairs Public Committee (AIPAC), have now publicly endorsed Bell over Bush.

“Mr. Bell’s record stands in sharp contrast to his opponent, Congresswoman Cori Bush, whose opposition to the Democratic agenda and longstanding enmity towards Israel was underscored by her vituperative statements and votes since the October 7th terrorist attacks,” Mark Mellman, Chairman of DMFI PAC, said in a press release. “We’re going to do everything we can to help Wesley Bell defeat Congresswoman Cori Bush.”

The poll surveyed 300 likely Democratic voters from June 28 to July 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7%.

Bush’s congressional campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

[npzlawyersforimmigration]

Congratulations David H. Nachman, ESQ. of Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak Law Group, P.C. - Immigration and Nationality Law on being named among Bergen County’s Top Lawyers 2022! The selection was based upon a peer-reviewed survey issued by the independent firm Professional Research Services of Troy, Michigan.

NOTE: Inclusion in the Top Lawyer list cannot be purchased; it is solely based on the attorney’s standing among their peers.

[governmentagencynews]

DETROIT — Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office apprehended six unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses during a nationwide enforcement effort Oct. 22 through Nov. 4. The law enforcement action ERO conducted resulted in a total of 138 arrests nationally, including some with an executable final order of removal.“This operation, carried out by ERO Detroit deportation officers, is essential to public safety across Michigan and Ohio,” said Matthew Putra, acting field office director for ERO Detroit. “Our communities are safer now that these offenders who prey on the innocent and who commit acts of sexual violence are off our streets.” This enforcement operation was implemented to address unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate U.S. attorney’s office. Individuals listed here will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings. Arrested in the Detroit Field Office area of responsibility, which includes Michigan and Ohio: A 33-year-old citizen of Bhutan in Cincinnati, convicted by the Butler County Court of Common Pleas of felony gross sexual imposition and misdemeanor sexual imposition. A 28-year-old citizen of Democratic Republic of the Congo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, convicted by the 17th Judicial Circuit Court for Kent County on two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. A 40-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic in Columbus, Ohio, convicted by the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas of felony pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor. A 39-year-old citizen of Mexico in Grand Rapids, Michigan, convicted by the 17th Judicial Circuit Court for Kent County of possession of child sex abuse material and surveilling an unclothed person. A 37-year-old citizen of Mexico in Cincinnati, convicted by the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas of six counts of felony gross sexual imposition. A 24-year-old citizen of Cameroon in Troy, Michigan, convicted by the 6th Circuit Court in Pontiac, Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland. ICE officers apply prosecutorial discretion when making apprehension and removal decisions, as do law enforcement officers in different agencies and offices throughout the country. Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions federal immigration judges make. In fiscal year 2021, ERO arrested 12,025 individuals with aggravated felony convictions. Offenses associated with noncitizens arrested in FY 2021 included 1,506 homicide related offenses, 3,415 sexual assaults, 19,549 assaults, 2,717 robberies and 1,063 kidnappings. ICE’s ERO directorate upholds U.S. immigration law at, within and beyond our borders. ERO's work is critical to the enforcement of immigration law against those who present a danger to our national security, are a threat to public safety, or who otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration system. ERO operations target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal noncitizens and gang members, as well as individuals who have otherwise violated our nation's immigration laws, including those who illegally reentered the country after being removed and immigration fugitives ordered removed by federal immigration judges.

ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol also assist in targeting and apprehending foreign fugitives or Fugitive Arrest and Removal cases who are wanted for crimes committed abroad and who are now at-large in the United States. ERO manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification and arrest, domestic transportation, detention, bond management, and supervised release, including alternatives to detention. In addition, ERO removes noncitizens ordered removed from the U.S. to more than 170 countries around the world. Members of the public can report crimes and/or suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in your community on Twitter @ERODetroit.