THE SPEAKER OF … WHITE NATIONALIST CONSPIRACY THEORIES
Republicans finally elected a House Speaker; one who is not surprisingly anti-LGBTQ, pro-gun, anti-abortion and anti-immigrant, but the extent of his embrace of dangerous white nationalist conspiracy theories about immigration was revealed by research conducted by America’s Voice. It’s not just that Speaker Mike Johnson has used his platform on the Judiciary Committee and in conservative media to promote dangerous “invasion” rhetoric embraced by many Republicans, but he has asserted that Biden’s immigration policies amount to an intentional government plot to undermine the power of GOP voters. AV Political Director Zachary Mueller said Johnson “must be aware that his rhetoric echoes the chants in Charlottesville and has deep roots in antisemitism.” Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent picked up on AV’s research, writing “The Louisiana Republican’s views show how fringe conspiracy theories have gone mainstream in the Republican Party at the highest levels of power,” and quoted Executive Director Vanessa Cárdenas who said, “Johnson has gone farther than most of his Republican colleagues in elevating alarmist and dangerous rhetoric.” Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) cited AV’s research in her press release opposing the candidacy of Rep. Johnson, saying “It should be unacceptable to allow someone who peddles replacement theory and stood with violent insurrectionists to overturn the election to be our Speaker.” House Judiciary Democrats tweeted out a video clip to illustrate AV’s point, while a number of pro-immigrant advocates used AV research in pieces reacting to the elevation of Speaker Johnson (see examples here, here, here).
FIVE YEARS AFTER TREE OF LIFE ATTACK, HATEFUL RHETORIC STILL ON THE RISE
Today marks five years since a white nationalist who subscribed to the great replacement theory carried out a horrific antisemitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, murdering 11 beloved community members. The victims included a married couple that had been together for more than six decades. But since this horrific domestic terror attack, this white nationalist theory has become a mainstay of Republicans – including new House Speaker Johnson. We know that the rhetoric from political leaders can have deadly downstream consequences. When members of Congress use this rhetoric, like describing migrants as an “invasion,” it “fuels the threat landscape we encounter,” Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas testified this past summer. Now one of the most powerful officials in the nation, leaders and experts are calling on Speaker Johnson to repudiate these beliefs. “Our communities are terrified – and the last thing we need are elected leaders who further normalize bigotry and extremism,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “As we mark five years since the Pittsburgh attack, it’s crucial that Speaker Johnson unequivocally reject these conspiracy theories and all forms of hate – and move forward an agenda aimed at breaking the cycle of extremist violence, rather than fueling it.” Read more here.
AN IMMIGRANT’S DREAM: ‘I HOPE TO BE IN THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD’
In their weekly column, America’s Voice En Español Director Maribel Hastings and Spanish-language Advisor David Torres write about Lixania, “one of the more than 7.7 million people of Venezuelan origin who are currently displaced around the world, searching for a better place to live. Her story is personal and, at the same time, similar to others who, like her, cross nations, jungles, deserts, rivers, and seas to arrive at the promised land, the United States, in search of safety, work, and a better future. Hers is, literally, a story that shows the real human face of migration.” Hastings and Torres add: “Indeed, Lixania’s words clearly summarize what millions of migrants are promising to accomplish in a nation that they have decided to call home, despite the rhetoric of rejection and discrimination that dominates the issues of migration and politics these days.” Their column was also published at a number of outlets including La Opinión, El Tiempo Latino and Radio Bilingüe. Read their column in English here and in Spanish here.
EL PASO WINS COMMUNITY I.D. CARD PROGRAM
In a major win led by advocates and local residents, the El Paso City Council unanimously approved a community identification card program helping El Pasoans that are unable to access a government-issued license or ID. People experiencing homelessness, formerly incarcerated individuals, and undocumented immigrants can struggle to obtain identification cards, barring them from being able to access some services. But under the new pilot program, eligible El Pasoans will be able to apply for a community I.D. card at a number of local libraries, allowing them to open bank accounts, adopt a pet, purchase certain public transportation passes, and more fully access El Paso Police and Sheriff’s Departments services, just to name a few services. It stands to greatly improve the daily lives of thousands of people and was due in no small part to sustained advocacy by the Border Network for Human Rights and other El Paso area champions. The pilot program’s unanimous passage also comes as state lawmakers are approving dangerous and extreme laws that hurt not just immigrants, but all Texans. Texas-based America’s Voice Campaigns Manager Mario Carrillo said “cities across the state must continue showing that there is a different way forward, one that is more welcoming of migrants, much like El Paso has been for families like my own.” Read more here.
SPEAKER JOHNSON SAID NO TO DREAMERS, FARMWORKERS AND VETS, YES TO CHILD DETENTION
As noted earlier, House Republicans finally elected a new Speaker this past week. But in handing Louisiana Rep. Johnson the gavel, House Republicans have elevated one of the chamber’s most extreme members to one of the most powerful positions in the nation. His voting record on immigration alone speaks volumes, from voting against Dreamers, immigrant military service members and the farmworkers who feed him, and for the draconian bill known as the Child Detention Act. Click here to share our AV graphic looking at Speaker Mike Johnson’s anti-immigrant record.
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS
The Department of Labor has proposed new regulations for the H-2A guest worker program that would reduce abuse, exploitation and trafficking of the farmworkers who feed us – and United Farm Workers needs your help making sure those proposed regulations get finalized. The proposed DOL regulations would greatly improve conditions for H-2A farmworkers, including by prohibiting employers from confiscating workers’ travel documents. “These changes are urgently needed,” UFW said. “Just last year, a federal investigation uncovered how H-2A employers ran a human trafficking ring, described by prosecutors as ‘modern day slavery’ in Florida, Texas, and Georgia.” Under law, proposed regulations must be open for a certain period of time for public comment. This is where your voice is essential. You can help make a difference in the lives of the farmworkers by clicking here and using UFW’s easy tool to quickly submit a public comment in support of the proposed regulations. The comment period closes Nov. 14, so make sure to act now for farmworkers.
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