Tag Archives: immigration

A trio of updates about that bogus SOS letter

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Most counties reacted skeptically, as well they should. The Texas Tribune reached out to 13 of the 15 counties with the most registered voters on Monday; Galveston was the only one that indicated it would immediately send out letters, even … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Civil rights groups push back on bogus SOS letter

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Lawyers with 13 organizations — including the Texas Civil Rights Project, the ACLU of Texas, the League of Women Voters of Texas and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund — are demanding that the state rescind an advisory sent to … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

It’s “Let’s lie about vote fraud” season again

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib wrote about this in the best possible way, but the shrieking ghouls are out there in force doing what they can to whip up fear. The Texas secretary of state’s office announced Friday it would send local election … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

MALDEF Census lawsuit in court

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Census lawsuit #2. In a federal courtroom in Maryland on Tuesday, lawyers representing the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Senate Hispanic Caucus and several Texas-based nonprofits that advocate for Latino and Asian residents will set out to convince U.S. District … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on MALDEF Census lawsuit in court

Plaintiffs win in Census citizenship question lawsuit

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration’s plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, with an opinion that found the move by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Furman’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Paxton sues San Antonio over “sanctuary cities” law

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is gonna be ugly. Texas is suing the city of San Antonio for an alleged violation of the state’s new anti-“sanctuary cities” law, in the state’s first enforcement action against a city under the controversial statue. The lawsuit, filed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Southwest Key sues city over permit for child detention warehouse

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Screw them. The Austin-based nonprofit trying to open a shelter to house migrant children east of downtown sued the city of Houston Friday, alleging a discriminatory, baseless and politically motivated campaign to prevent it from opening the facility. Southwest Key … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

DACA lives another day

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

But don’t relax just yet. A federal district judge on Friday denied the state of Texas’ request that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program be put on hold after Texas and nine other states sued to halt the Obama-era … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DACA lives another day

Trump administration denying passports to US citizens born near the border

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is infuriating. On paper, he’s a devoted U.S. citizen. His official American birth certificate shows he was delivered by a midwife in Brownsville, at the southern tip of Texas. He spent his life wearing American uniforms: three years as … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Trump administration seeks to dismiss MALDEF lawsuit over Census citizenship question

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to keep all these Census lawsuits straight. As multiple court fights over the addition of a citizenship question to the once-a-decade census heat up, the Trump administration is working to keep several Texas groups representing Latino and Asian … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Trump administration seeks to dismiss MALDEF lawsuit over Census citizenship question

The DACA hearing

Posted on August 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about this. The state of Texas will continue to incur irreparable financial harm if an Obama-era immigration program isn’t halted immediately, attorneys for the state argued in Houston on Wednesday. But lawyers representing nearly two dozen recipients … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The DACA hearing

One federal court orders DACA restored

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

But hold on, because there’s another ruling to come. A federal judge on Friday upheld his previous order to revive an Obama-era program that shields some 700,000 young immigrants from deportation, saying that the Trump administration had failed to justify … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Census lawsuit proceeds

Posted on July 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in New York on Thursday allowed a lawsuit challenging the addition of a citizenship question to the Census to move forward. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman’s decision rejected the Trump administration’s request to dismiss the lawsuit, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Census lawsuit proceeds

Business groups file brief opposing Paxton’s anti-DACA lawsuit

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is good. A federal lawsuit by Texas officials earlier this year seeking to order the end of the federal immigration program called the Deferred Act for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, will have “immediate, irreparable injury” to Texas businesses and … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Still waiting on families to be reunited

Posted on July 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Horrible story remains horrible. The clock is ticking on a court-ordered Tuesday deadline for the federal government to reunite migrant parents with kids under 5 who were taken from them at the border. With a mere four days left, government … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Census lawsuit may proceed

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge said Tuesday that there was a “strong showing of bad faith” by the Trump administration in adding a controversial question about US citizenship to the 2020 census. The judge hinted that he would allow the case to move forward … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

No indefinite detention of asylum seekers

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That title is one of those things I can’t believe I have to write. A federal district judge has ruled President Donald Trump’s administration’s practice of indefinitely detaining some asylum seekers can’t proceed, dealing a major blow to what immigration … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Demography and our destiny

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Trends keep on trending. Harris County continues to grow more diverse, with population increases among every ethnic and racial group, except non-Hispanic whites between 2016 and 2017, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. In Harris County, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Demography and our destiny

“Families Belong Together”

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Make some noise, then make sure everyone you know gets out and votes. As the temperature inched to the triple digits and sweating crowds swarmed the south lawn of the Texas State Capitol, speakers declared with grief, hope, indignation and … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The family separation crisis is far from over

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

For one thing: Although the zero-tolerance policy was officially announced last month, it has been in effect, in more limited form, since at least last summer. Several months ago, as cases of family separation started surfacing across the country, immigrant-rights … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Our typically feckless state leaders

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Way to set an example for the rest of us, y’all. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick frequently talk tough about illegal immigration, but they refuse to publicly support the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy that’s spurred outrage for … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Mayor Turner says “No!” to the child detention warehouse

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Damn right. Mayor Sylvester Turner called on the owner of a building east of downtown Houston and the nonprofit hoping to operate the former warehouse as a detention center for immigrant children separated from their families at the nation’s southern … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

Say “No!” to warehousing “tender age” children

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We cannot allow this. The large vacant warehouse in downtown Houston has housed women and families who were once homeless and adults displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Until now, however, it has never sheltered small children who are on their own … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , | 93 Comments

Once, twice, three times a lawsuit

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There’s actually now five lawsuits and counting over the Census citizenship question, but “three” fit my headline better. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over its decision to add a controversial question about US citizenship … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Once, twice, three times a lawsuit

Justice Department won’t defend DACA, either

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Even less of a surprise. Agreeing with a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas against the Trump administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the U.S. Justice Department told the courts late Friday the program should … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

More Census litigation

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Also good. The Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus are suing the Trump administration in hopes of blocking the addition of a citizenship question to the once-a-decade census of every person living in the United States. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Dreamers can litigate in support of DACA

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal district judge has allowed a group of young undocumented immigrants to intervene in a lawsuit where the state of Texas seeks to put an end to the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. Brownsville-based … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Dreamers can litigate in support of DACA

The “sanctuary cities” connection to the SCOTUS sports betting decision

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The state’s rights aspect of this ruling may have other applications. Seven of the nine justices — five conservatives and two liberals — backed a robust reading of the Constitution’s 10th Amendment and a limit on the federal government’s power … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Paxton sues to end DACA

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This guy, I swear. Following through on a months-old promise, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Tuesday to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, leading a seven-state coalition against an Obama-era immigration measure that protects hundreds … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Harris County is not growing the way it used to

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And the reason for that is that people aren’t moving here the way they used to. Quite the opposite, in fact. There’s been a lot of publicity lately about the fact that in the last couple of years, Harris County … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From the “Answering my own rhetorical question” department

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody could have seen this coming! Ever since Texas’s “sanctuary cities” ban was first proposed in late 2016, the measure’s Republican backers have painted it as a public safety measure targeting criminals — without racist or anti-immigrant intent. But records … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on From the “Answering my own rhetorical question” department

Multiple cities and states sue over Census citizenship question

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Seventeen states, the District of Columbia, and six major cities sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over the addition of a controversial new question about US citizenship to the 2020 census. This is the third major lawsuit against the administration’s action, after California and the NAACP sued last week, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Everybody should be counted

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The 2020 Census has big challenges, especially in Texas. But even two years out from the 2020 count, local officials, demographers, community organizers and advocates say they are worried the census could be particularly tough to carry out in Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

More on the status of SB4

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ed Sills sent this one-pager from MALDEF to his mailing list; there’s no link and I couldn’t find it on the MALDEF webpage, so I’m just going to copy and paste here: What did the Fifth Circuit Court decide? On … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment