In the latest episode of our podcast “A is for America”, we spoke with Natalia Alonso and her mom, Monica, two local heroes who leapt into action after the devastating June 5 workplace raids on Corso’s Flower and Garden stores in Sandusky and Castalia, Ohio. After the raid took away more than 100 workers, Natalia began collecting donations and supplies for the children, teenagers, and families left behind. Our interview with Natalia begins at 14:30, and you can donate to her Facebook page here.
This week, the Trump Administration failed to meet its first deadline for reuniting children and families that DHS and HHS separated at the border. That the Administration so haphazardly took these children from their parents without any plan, preparation, or ability to reunite them is an outrage, especially since some of the children were apparently not allowed to take baths, go to the bathroom, or brush their teeth while in detention. Sign our petition calling for an investigation here.
Jeff Sessions is trying to gut asylum law, by preventing those fleeing domestic abuse or gang violence from obtaining asylum. As Sonia Nazario wrote at the New York Times magazine this week, there’s a good reason why we have international law, which the Trump Administration is ignoring at the peril of women and children. Also read about the challenges that gay and trans migrants face here.
Finally, Donald Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, a concerning development not least because of Kavanaugh’s views on expansive presidential powers, and how he thinks Trump might be allowed to use these powers on immigration.
“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/epsiode-19-natalia-and-monica-alonso-corsos-raids