Monday Open Thread | Kamala Harris: Congress Needs to Reexamine ICE

Posted on June 25, 2018 by SouthernGirl2

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Congress should reconsider the nation’s immigration enforcement system and possibly “start from scratch” by eliminating the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

“There’s no question that we’ve got to critically reexamine ICE and its role, and the way that it is being administered, and the work it is doing,” Harris said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “And we need to probably think about starting from scratch.”

Harris’ remarks came in response to a question from host Kasie Hunt about whether she supports abolishing ICE.

Progressive activists have pushed Democratic lawmakers to support abolishing ICE, the government’s chief immigration enforcement arm that was established in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in response to President Donald Trump’s push to reduce the numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. from Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

Trump’s efforts range from banning citizens from certain countries from entering the U.S. to ramping up deportations of undocumented immigrants, shrinking the number of refugees accepted into the country, cracking down on students who overstay their visas and the “zero tolerance” policy at the border with Mexico that led to children being separated from their parents.

About SouthernGirl2

A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
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62 Responses to Monday Open Thread | Kamala Harris: Congress Needs to Reexamine ICE

  3. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    Why the tax returns for Trump’s charitable foundation are so important
    06/25/18 10:42 AM
    By Steve Benen

    It’s been a couple of weeks since the New York attorney general’s office accused Donald Trump’s charitable foundation of being little more than a slush fund, which, among other things, made illegal in-kind contributions for Trump’s campaign. The scope of the legal issues raised by the New York court filing are still coming into focus.

    …………………………….

    The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold added the other day that Trump’s signature appeared “just below a stern warning from the IRS: Providing false information could lead to ‘penalties of perjury.’”

    In 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Donald J. Trump Foundation stated that none of its money had been used to benefit Trump or his businesses. But the New York attorney general found that, in each of those years, Trump had used his charity’s funds to help one of his businesses. In 2013, the attorney general alleged, Trump also failed to disclose an improper gift to a political group.

    This suggests we’re not just talking about a possible one-time bureaucratic slip-up. Trump and his family stand accused of running a fraudulent charitable operation and repeatedly lying in official legal documents about the nature of the foundation’s work.

    The Post’s article added, “It is a felony to knowingly file a false tax return, with potential penalties of up to $100,000 in fines and up to three years in prison. In rare cases – where prosecutors could prove the falsehood to be deliberate – people have been convicted of signing false tax returns.”

    Reply
  4. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    Sounds of Silence: The Absence of Protest Anthems in the Age of Trump
    The Resistance.

    …………………………..

    Yet despite this ever-growing coterie of concerned citizens, there remains one group conspicuously absent: American musicians.

    The last time Americans faced an internal crisis came during the Vietnam era. At that time, musicians took the lead in expressing their disdain for the current political climate. Artists such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, and Edwin Starr all offered their songs of protest during these tumultuous times. Combined with the growing popularity of protest anthems like “We Shall Overcome” it became apparent that music would be one of the driving forces behind this era’s large-scale fights for social justice. Despite potentially alienating part of their listening audience, these musicians chose to use their platform as a way to draw attention to the issues of the day and to make a statement about exactly where they stood on those issues.

    Flash forward nearly 50 years and what we have in the year 2018 is a glaring absence of musicians in The Resistance. Even previously politically-active musicians like Bruce Springsteen and U2 have refused to create anti-Trump songs for public release. In fact, other than Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” one can argue that there hasn’t been a truly critical piece of music released in the past 17 months. Yes, there have been some songs used to fundraise, especially for Puerto Rico, but as a whole, the vast majority of prominent musicians have stayed clear of making political statements. At a time when The Resistance is growing by the day, the music industry has simply been a non-factor and has not used its influence in any meaningful way.
    ……………………………

    In addition, many artists are most likely hesitant to alienate their fans. They know that it takes a certain income-level to attend a concert and typically those that do have the resources to attend a show would make up a variety of political beliefs. Music can be a great unifier that brings together people of all backgrounds and ideologies. To intentionally ostracize part of your fan base would be a huge risk for any band or artist. To say to 30-50% of one’s fans that they are wrong in their beliefs could potentially be a terrifying gamble and one that musicians simply are not willing to take. They might private advocate for certain policies or state their concerns in interviews

    Reply
  8. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 12:51 pm

    Please read this story about women escaping domestic violence in Central America. The lede alone. https://t.co/fencMnjbj2 via @HuffPostPol by @quasimado pic.twitter.com/xzkwnAC6FS

    — Samantha Storey (@samanthastorey) June 25, 2018

    Reply
  9. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    The media & #Immigration advocates are dissecting the long game Stephen Miller has been methodically been playing. The logistics behind the recent separation of children from parents has been a year in the making. https://t.co/XROqdN2Hva

    — ⛓ Susan Pai and Allies ⛓ (@susanpai) June 25, 2018

    Reply
  10. Liza says:
    June 25, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Yeah, do they really want to talk about “civility”? And how civil was it for Trump’s third wife to pull a stunt with a statement on her jacket while supposedly on a “humanitarian” trip to visit victims of her husband’s cruelty?

    https://twitter.com/eugenegu/status/1011281610870681606

    Reply
  12. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    Comment from another blog:

    It is telling that many of those who make their living in the political industrial complex, whether Democrat or Republican or Washington Post editorial page, find the idea of socially shunning people because of their politics to be abhorrent. Their shudders are a symptom of the fact that DC is indeed a swamp—a friendly swamp, where all the gators and slugs and mudfish meet up at the end of the day for cocktails, because to them, politics is a job.

    To the rest of us, politics is the use of power in a way that has very real effects on our lives.

    Reply
  13. Liza says:
    June 25, 2018 at 12:17 pm

    OMG. So she fixes her hair, puts on eye makeup and red lipstick and goes on local TV to cry and play victim to save her very lucrative cannabis business.
    https://twitter.com/510oscar510/status/1011247890595921920

    Reply
    • rikyrah says:
      June 25, 2018 at 12:26 pm

      Phuck.Outta.Here.

      Reply
      • majiir says:
        June 25, 2018 at 2:53 pm

        Another example of WWT, White Women’s Tears. It was she who decided to call the police on a little kid for selling water on a hot day. If the kid had been white and had been selling lemonade, she would have purchased some and would have never called the cops on him/her. She would have thought it was “so cute.” Don’t tell me some of us aren’t treated differently by others of us. By recording the incident and posting it to social media, the little girl’s mother let everyone know who and what she is, and she’s not liking it. She can go on TV and cry as much as she wants to, it doesn’t move me to have any sympathy for her.

        Reply
  16. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 11:40 am

    Much more important than ~takes~ about civility or “why trump won” is that the GOP has successfully entrenched itself via gerrymanders, filibusters, and the judiciary to be very insulated from public opinion. https://t.co/qiCo4ObKW0
    — Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) June 25, 2018

    Reply
  18. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 11:12 am

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to Texas Republicans by reviving electoral districts drawn by the state legislature that had been thrown out by a lower court for diluting the influence of black and Hispanic voters.

    In a 5-4 ruling, the conservative-majority court largely accepted the state’s argument that the Republican-led Texas legislature acted in good faith when it adopted new electoral maps in 2013 for state legislative and U.S. congressional seats. Republican President Donald Trump’s administration had backed Texas in the case. The court did rule, however, that one of the state legislature districts was unlawful.

    https://www.politicususa.com/2018/06/25/u-s-top-court-largely-backs-texas-republicans-over-electoral-maps.html

    Reply
  19. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 11:11 am

    Judge in case contesting Trump’s family separation policy speeds up the clock: Federal government has until tomorrow morning, Pacific time, to respond before he rules on proposed injunction. pic.twitter.com/PaG3tOOfKG

    — Roque Planas (@RoqPlanas) June 25, 2018

    Reply
  20. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 11:09 am

    Dr. King had these muthaphuckas nailed a half-century ago

    ………………..

    Dr. King: “[the white moderate] who constantly says “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t agree with your methods of direct action;”

    The WaPo: “Those who are insisting that we are in a special moment justifying incivility . . . .” pic.twitter.com/2Ci8SOfssd

    — Mangy Jay (@magi_jay) June 24, 2018

    Reply
  21. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 11:07 am

    Here is my bottom line about ‘ civility’

    To be honest…I don’t have THE LUXURY to be civil to them…because they mean nothing BUT hostility to me and mine.

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      June 25, 2018 at 11:29 am

      Their crying about the lack of civility is such bullsh!t. No one has time for it, and I was very annoyed to see MSNBC giving them a platform.

      Reply
  22. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 11:01 am

    UH HUH

    THREAD

    @paulkrugman
    So Trump wants to expel illegal immigrants without due process. To say the obvious, who determines if they’re illegal? Suppose an ICE agent stops me on the street and says “you’re illegal”; at what point do I get to show evidence that I’m not? 1/
    https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1011241388690812928

    Reply
  24. Liza says:
    June 25, 2018 at 10:36 am

    This morning on MSNBC they were talking about “civility”. This is the latest distraction. People who are either committing, supporting, or complacent about crimes against humanity are crying that they are not being treated with civility. They are not being allowed to enjoy their Mexican food in restaurants.

    This is a distraction. DO NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.

    https://twitter.com/AZIndivisible1/status/1011092908450013184

    Reply
  25. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Oakland residents call cops on uniformed black firefighter conducting yard inspections
    Travis Gettys TRAVIS GETTYS
    25 JUN 2018 AT 10:47 ET

    A uniformed black firefighter was reported to police by alarmed residents as he conducted city-mandated inspections near homes in Oakland.

    Kevin Moore was carrying a radio and clipboard as he conducted yearly vegetation inspections, when a neighbor called police to report him as suspicious, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

    His colleague Megan Bryan was also serving May 16 when she got a call from a 911 dispatcher asking whether firefighters were doing the checks, and she knew why the caller was alarmed — which angered her.

    “I knew that he was the one on that street,” Bryan said, pointing out that white firefighters were never reported as suspicious.

    Another resident emailed home security footage earlier that day to a community liaison officer, who then forwarded the footage to the fire department official who oversees the inspections.

    “It’s obvious he’s doing an inspection,” said Vince Crudele, of the Oakland Fire Department. “Kevin’s wearing his blue wool firefighter pants, he’s got a radio and (a department) jacket and shirt on.”

    Reply
  27. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 25, 2018 at 9:58 am

    Haley and Jay called me this morning singing “Happy birthday to you..chop! chop! chop!”

    LOL!

    Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 9:54 am

    Residents discover railroad owns home, land
    By HALEY BEMILLER, Wausau Daily Herald

    Diane Neumann has owned a house on Depot Street in Schofield since 1994 — or so she thought.

    It turns out her home is split down the middle, and much of it doesn’t belong to her.

    Neumann and her neighbors learned this year that a portion of their properties are owned by the Canadian National Railway, despite the fact that they’ve spent years paying mortgages and property taxes, the USA Today Network-Wisconsin reported. The homes sit just feet away from a set of railroad tracks. But until now, Neumann said, the railroad has never been a problem.

    According to a recent plat survey, the railroad’s land extends along Depot Street starting at Ross Avenue and right through the homes of Neumann and her neighbors. The land where Depot Street sits also belongs to the railroad, not the city.

    Neumann is stuck. She planned to sell the home to her daughter, who has been living there with her family for a few years, but she can’t sell a house that isn’t hers. And based on the survey, Neumann can stake a claim only to part of the kitchen and a back room.

    “They own more than half of my house,” she said.

    ……………………………..

    Turonie said the city caught wind of a potential issue a year ago. The city found records from the mid-1990s indicating that the former owner of the now-abandoned home worked with a private attorney to secure land from the railroad, he said. The railroad wasn’t owned by Canadian National then, and the city wasn’t involved or aware at the time, he said.

    Reply
  29. SouthernGirl2 says:
    June 25, 2018 at 9:42 am

    When those birthday numbers keep going up but you still got it….

    Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 9:30 am

    Trump boasts he’s ‘gutted’ the ACA, avoids blame for consequences
    06/25/18 09:20 AM
    By Steve Benen

    Donald Trump was in Nevada over the weekend, campaigning in support of Sen. Dean Heller (R), and reflected on the vote Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) cast against the Republicans’ plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The president told supporters:

    “It’s all right, because we’ve essentially gutted it anyway.”

    Seven seconds later, Trump added:

    “Just remember, if you see [premiums going up], it is the Democrats’ fault.”

    The president’s supporters cheered with approval, seemingly oblivious to the rhetorical whiplash. Trump is absolutely certain that, in his words, he’s “essentially gutted” the backbone of his own country’s health care system, and he’s equally certain that the consequences of his actions should be blamed on the one group of people who have no control over the levers of federal power.

    There’s no reason for any sensible person to take this seriously, but it is worth understanding why Trump seems a little defensive on the issue.

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 9:08 am

    GOP Amendment Would Pull Governor From Elections Board Loop
    Some North Carolina Republican lawmakers are determined to remove the power from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his successors from appointing the members of the state panel administering elections and ethics laws.
    June 22, 2018, at 7:37 p.m.
    By GARY D. ROBERTSON, Associated Press

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republican legislators are determined to remove the power from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his successors to appoint members of the state elections and ethics panel, and are seeking to insert that restriction in the North Carolina Constitution.

    House Republicans late Friday unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment that would put all appointments for the board under the control of the General Assembly. The amendment would have to be approved by voters.

    Cooper currently picks all nine members. For more than 100 years, until recently, the party of the governor held the majority of the seats on the board tasked with administering elections.

    GOP legislators and Cooper have been fighting over the election board’s composition and powers since just after Cooper defeated Republican Gov. Pat McCrory in late 2016. It’s part of a multi-front approach by Republicans to rebalance powers with the governor. Cooper says it’s all been a raw GOP power grab.

    The amendment to be debated early next week in the final days of this year’s work session would establish a constitutional requirement for eight-member board, with no party being allowed to hold a majority of the seats.

    Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 9:02 am

    White Extinction Anxiety
    By Charles M. Blow
    Opinion Columnist
    June 24, 2018

    Last week Pat Buchanan was on “The Laura Ingraham Show” to discuss the humanitarian crisis Donald Trump has created at the border by ripping children away from their parents.

    He was not particularly sympathetic to these families’ plights, instead choosing to focus on the demographic danger facing whiteness: “This is the great issue of our time. And, the real question is whether Europe has the will and the capacity, and America has the capacity to halt the invasion of the countries until they change the character — political, social, racial, ethnic — character of the country entirely.”

    He continued: “You cannot stop these sentiments of people who want to live together with their own and they want their borders protected.” Make no mistake here, Buchanan is talking about protecting white dominance, white culture, white majorities and white power.
    ……………………………..

    Strip all the other rationales away from this draconian immigration policy. This is at the core: White extinction anxiety, white displacement anxiety, white minority anxiety. This is the fear and anxiety Trump is playing to. Politico Magazine dubbed Trump “Pat Buchanan With Better Timing.”

    White people have been the majority of people considered United States citizens since this country was founded, but that period is rapidly drawing to a close.

    ……………………………..This is happening. America will soon be a majority-minority country.

    White America is growing older, there are fewer white women of childbearing age, and the white fertility rate is lower than that of Hispanics and blacks.

    All manner of current policy grows out of this panic over loss of privilege and power: immigration policy, voter suppression, Trump economic isolationist impulses, his contempt for people from Haiti and Africa, the Muslim ban, his rage over Black Lives Matter and social justice protests. Everything.

    Trump is president and is beloved by his base in part because he is unapologetically defending whiteness from anything that threatens it, or at least that’s the image he wants to project. It is no more complicated than that. These immigrant children crying out for their mothers and fathers are collateral damage, pawns in a political battle to wring strict legislation out of Congress — medieval torture displays meant to serve as deterrents.

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 8:57 am

    Heather Locklear got arrested AGAIN?
    Uh uh uh
    Get help, Heather.

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 8:55 am

    Good tweets against Huckabeast:

    You’ve been in hiding for a week as your admin kidnaps & incarcerates children in cages, loses track of thousands of babies & children. Your stain of discrimination is everywhere. We’ve also seen the way you treat @Acosta @AprilDRyan, anyone who insists on accountability & truth. https://t.co/HNgfoNyB54

    — meta (@metaquest) June 23, 2018

    Actually, you are extremely rude and condescending to those in the @whca that don’t fit into Trump’s vile racist bigoted misogynist paradigm. You malign everyone who isn’t in goose-step with your hate-filled agenda. It’s all on tape. https://t.co/HNgfoNyB54

    — meta (@metaquest) June 23, 2018

    Reply
  35. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 8:51 am

    Let’s be appreciative for the simple things – like it’s good cherry season, and one can snack on beautiful, sweet cherries :)

    Reply
  46. rikyrah says:
    June 25, 2018 at 4:24 am

    Good Morning Everyone 😄😄 😄

    Reply

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