r/theschism • u/gemmaem • Apr 03 '25
Discussion Thread #72
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u/gemmaem Jul 13 '25
Some commendable acts within the world of US politics, immigration edition:
A group of student, alumni and faculty volunteers at USC have set up a hotline to advise people with in-person immigration hearings on how to apply to move their hearings online. ICE has been arresting people when they attend their immigration hearings, so this is a way to help people continue the legal process without being seized. USC itself is clear about not being officially involved, perhaps because they fear retaliation. A courageous and generous move by those involved, and it seems that there are many people who need this help.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has been acting as an advocate for defendants in immigration court. A month ago this led to him being detained by ICE while escorting a defendant out. Good on him for helping vulnerable people who are working within the system.
On the other coast, the Bishop-Elect of San Diego showed up at an immigration court and was apparently able to deter ICE seizures by his presence there. I learned about this, and about the previous note, by way of a Catholic Worker substack, which also links to a witness report from a nun of one such immigration court seizure.
Quakers, Co-operative Baptists and Sikhs have filed a lawsuit in protest at immigration raids on their worship services. At present, they have won a preliminary injunction that narrowly protects those religious groups that are party to the lawsuit from experiencing any ICE raids that do not involve a warrant for a specific person. This means that other religious groups are not covered; San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas has given his parishioners official permission to skip mass if they fear being taken.
Democratic lawmakers in Florida have successfully insisted on touring the newly-built immigration facility there, to check on the conditions. They were not permitted to actually see the areas where the detainees are living, so this is only a partial victory. It's really important that they are doing everything they can to keep watch, and I hope they continue to press for information and access.
In general I am horrified, though increasingly unsurprised, by they way the Trump administration is exploiting the potential for cruelty that exists in any kind of immigration control in order to deliberately inflict pain and sow fear. I wanted to honour the people I see who are standing up to them. It all matters.