Hanukkah Jew-bashing —in NYC

Gee, good thing we don’t have to worry about anti-Semitism anymore. From AP via

Somali immigrant gets 10 years in terror plea

On Nov. 27, Somali immigrant Nuradin Abdi was sentenced to 10 years in prison in US District Court in Columbus, Ohio, for his role in an alleged plot to bomb a shopping mall. Abdi, a cell phone salesperson before his… Read moreSomali immigrant gets 10 years in terror plea

Report blasts HIV care in Homeland Security detention

In a 71-page report released on Dec. 7, Human Rights Watch urged the Department of Homeland Security to upgrade its care and treatment of immigration detainees with HIV, the virus associated with AIDS. According to the watchdog organization, the agency… Read moreReport blasts HIV care in Homeland Security detention

Canada rules US not safe for refugees

Canada’s federal court ruled on Nov. 29 that the US breaches the rights of asylum seekers under the United Nations Refugee Convention and the Convention Against Torture. Justice Michael Phelan cited the example of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who… Read moreCanada rules US not safe for refugees

Border Patrol raids protested in Idaho

A US Border Patrol official confirmed on Nov. 13 that agents investigating human smuggling on commercial bus lines arrested more than 100 illegal immigrants in the area of Twin Falls, Idaho, over the past week. The number of people arrested… Read moreBorder Patrol raids protested in Idaho

Florida ICE agent rapes detainee

On Nov. 16, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Wilfredo Vazquez was arrested by federal agents in Tampa, FL, and charged with three counts of knowingly causing a detainee under his supervision to engage in a sexual act. According… Read moreFlorida ICE agent rapes detainee

Somali ex-detainee wins damages from NJ prison farm

On Nov. 13, in its second day of deliberations, a federal jury in Newark, NJ, awarded former asylum seeker Hawa Abdi Jama of Somalia $100,000 in damages after finding the private company that ran an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth… Read moreSomali ex-detainee wins damages from NJ prison farm

California tops marijuana eradication record

Your tax dollars at work. From the marijuana advocacy site CelebStoner, Nov. 14: California crop report: Nearly three million pot plants destroyed California not only leads the nation in pot production, but also in plant eradication. With the outdoor harvest… Read moreCalifornia tops marijuana eradication record

LAPD drops Muslim mapping plan

A glimmer of hope—but it’s pretty terrifying that this was under consideration, even by the supposedly enlightened Chief William Bratton. Some of us remember the mass detention of Southern California Muslims by immigration authorities in 2002. From AFP, Nov. 16:… Read moreLAPD drops Muslim mapping plan

House passes thoughtcrime prevention act

In a little-noted move, the US House of Representatives Oct. 23 passed the “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007” (HR 1955), which is being widely assailed by civil libertarians. The bill, if it becomes law, would establish… Read moreHouse passes thoughtcrime prevention act

Illinois high school students face expulsion for anti-war protest

Nearly two dozen high school students in Illinois have been suspended and face possible expulsion for holding a peaceful protest against the war in Iraq. On Nov. 1, students at Morton West High School in the town of Berwyn locked… Read moreIllinois high school students face expulsion for anti-war protest

Immigrants faced “climate of intimidation” in California fires

Immigrant rights groups and the ACLU say authorities have created a climate of intimidation at evacuation centers set up to help people displaced by wildfires in southern California. As wildfires forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people, more… Read moreImmigrants faced “climate of intimidation” in California fires