In this week’s episode of our podcast “A is for America”, we record from Netroots Nation 2018, the annual progressive conference that is being held in New Orleans, Louisiana this year. We spoke with a number of advocates and activists on the immigration issues that they’re working on today and what catches their attention in the Trump era.
Hundreds of children remain separated from their parents, many of whom have already been deported. The best way to reunite these families would be to bring the parents back to the U.S., reunite them with their children, and allow them to continue pursuing their asylum claims. But the Trump Administration has not made moves toward any of that, even though a 14-year-old was reported molested in a Phoenix shelter, and a toddler died after being released from ICE custody.
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) called on DHS chief Kirstjen Nielsen to resign, while a Houston Chronicle editorial today called for everyone who has played a part in hurting immigrant children to face “consequences”. A top ICE official this week called detention centers “summer camps” — prompting Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to ask him if he’d send his children to one.
“A is for America” is a podcast which tells stories from the front lines of a changing America. Each week, we’ll be talking to advocates and experts working in immigration reform, immigrants’ rights, immigration politics, and the forefront of what it means to be a new American. Tune in next week for more.
https://soundcloud.com/aisforamerica/episode-22-netroots-nation