The recent charges against Patriots owner Robert Kraft for allegedly soliciting prostitution at a Florida massage parlor have brought human trafficking back into the public eye. Unfortunately, all the attention seems to be on Kraft and the several dozen other men facing similar charges. That’s unfortunate, since the main criminals here are the traffickers themselves. …
Many readers here are likely familiar with the troubling use of prison labor in the United States. Somewhat less known is that not only people serving time in American prisons for crimes are forced to work for miniscule wages- this exploitation extends to asylum seekers as well. Approximately 48,000 people are currently held in …
Asylum Seekers Forced to Work for $1/ Day while Waiting for Immigration Courts Read More »
In the recent midterm elections, Colorado’s vote to amend the state’s constitution was easily overlooked because of the extensive focus on the races for congress. But in addition to sending an extra Democratic representative to the House, Colorado voters also just passed a referendum to outlaw slavery in all circumstances. Before November 6th, Colorado’s …
Colorado Votes to Outlaw Slavery: No More Exceptions Read More »
ACLU Justice Tour This weekend I attended an event called ‘The Justice tour’ sponsored by the ACLU of Wisconsin. There were a number of informative panels, including one which focused on mass incarceration. The statistics regarding incarceration, and how Wisconsin evidently has the highest percentage of incarcerated black men in the nation, are staggering. …
The Importance of Restoring Voting Rights to Felons Read More »
“Tell people not to come to our country illegally,” Trump told reporters. “That’s the solution. Don’t come to our country illegally. Come like other people do. Come legally.” This is Donald Trump’s solution to the problem of separated families, given a few days ago when his administration missed the court imposed deadline for reuniting …
Trump Can’t Blame Asylum Seekers for Their Own Mistreatment Read More »
Donald Trump tweeted today that people caught sneaking into the U.S. from Mexico should be sent back immediately, with no judges or court cases. He says that’s the way to stop ‘these people’ from invading our country and uphold law and order. You can read news coverage of his statement here. This matter gets to …
Asylum Seekers Have The Right To Due Process of Law Read More »
Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a significant change this week to how immigration courts will evaluate requests for asylum. His legal logic is reasonable, but that logic shouldn’t be the basis for making asylum decisions. You can read news coverage from CNN here, and the New York Times here. First, let’s clarify what Sessions …
Sessions’ Decision on Solid Legal Ground, But Asylum Is a Moral Question Also Read More »
Last week the New Jersey state legislature was set to make that state the second (after Delaware) to set 18 as an absolute minimum age for marriage. Currently, the law in New Jersey is that 16 and 17 year olds can marry with parental permission, and children 15 and younger can marry with parental consent …
NJ Child Marriage Ban Defeated Due To Orthodox Opposition Read More »
In April, the Atlantic magazine ran an informative article by Graeme Wood about the techniques German immigration authorities use to try to sort legitimate asylum seekers from those who aren’t entitled to that status. In addition to outlining the cultural, political, and economic difficulties connected with absorbing refugees, Wood focuses on the methods used to …
In Interviewing Asylum Seekers, Moral Difficulties the Hardest Read More »
Unfortunately, this news report of a 15 year old girl drugged, raped, and sold for sex is nothing new. I want to highlight it, though, for a couple of reasons. First, while this girl was clearly trafficked there is no allegation that she was physically tied up or restrained. She was held by chains that …
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