TO DO: Guantanamo
Source: Amnesty International

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=519867&msource=W1305EASHR6

	Obama says there is "no justification" for not closing Guantanamo, yet Shaker Aamer is still waiting for justice.
	No time to waste President Obama announced concrete steps to close Guantanamo yesterday, including transferring detainees who have been cleared. Tell Obama to make good on his word and transfer Shaker Aamer to the U.K. today.   Dear MINNIE, President Obama announced concrete steps to close Guantanamo yesterday, including transferring detainees who have been cleared to go to other countries. Tell Obama to turn his words into action and transfer Shaker Aamer today. Shaker Aamer has spent over 11 years in Guantanamo. He has not been charged with any crime, and in fact has been cleared for transfer twice. The British government has repeatedly asked that Shaker be released and returned to the UK, but those calls have gone unanswered. There is no time like the present -- tell Obama to transfer Shaker Aamer today. Shaker is not alone. There are 166 detainees in Guantanamo: dozens have been cleared for transfer. More than half are on a hunger strike. Dozens are being shackled and force fed through tubes to keep them alive as the strike continues into its 4th month. All detainees in Guantanamo Bay have the right to be fairly tried or released. MINNIE, Guantanamo Bay is a place where human rights are denied day after day. And all of this has been done in the name of keeping us "safe." President Obama can show he is serious about closing Guantanamo by moving forward with transfers today. He has the authority to do so under current law. Amnesty activists like you have accomplished amazing feats -- and there is no reason to let up now. Your emails, phone calls, rallies, and tweets are working. You are generating critical public pressure, and we need to dial it up -- we are closer than ever to sending Shaker Aamer home and closing Guantanamo for good. Sincerely, Zeke Johnson Director, Security with Human Rights Campaign Amnesty International USA
TO SIGN PETITION, GO TO: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=519867&msource=W1305EASHR6

Podcast: Immigration Reform/Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA)
Source: ILRC

http://www.ilrc.org/node/4061

the House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this afternoon on S.744 and Lessons Learned from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA).  The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is fortunate to have been actively involved in the enactment and implementation of IRCA.   From our work we learned valuable lessons about specific provisions in IRCA that encouraged potential applicants to come forward and apply for legalization and others that kept many from legalizing. We hope this will help inform the conversation and decision-making.   

Please feel free to circulate.    

Immigration Reform: The Past, Present & Future  New Podcast Featuring Bill Hing and Eric Cohen

In our newest podcast, "Immigration Reform: The Past, Present and Future," you'll hear a discussion between ILRC founder, Bill Hing and our Executive Director, Eric Cohen regarding Immigration Reform. They will share lessons learned from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), specifically concerning the policy efforts and implementation. They also discuss the Senate immigration bill (S.744, "The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act") and provide advice and best practice tips to organizations on policy advocacy and immigration reform implementation. As immigration reform moves forward, legislators and advocates are looking to IRCA to inform their decision-making about how to modify and improve legislation being considered by Congress. We encourage all those engaged in the debate to listen to our podcast and consider the importance of IRCA provisions that fostered maximum participation by potential applicants and facilitated the successful integration of immigrants into our community. Listen now  GO TO: http://www.ilrc.org/node/4061 Visit our Immigration Reform page for updates and new resources.

TO DO: Campaign Finance Reform
Source: People for the American Way

https://secure.pfaw.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=193&autologin=true

Tell the SEC: Make Corporations Disclose Political Spending The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has the authority to pull back the curtain on the secret corporate money that the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling has unleashed into our elections. As the federal agency with the job of protecting investors from corporate abuse, the SEC is well within its authority to require that all publicly traded corporations disclose how they're spending money in an attempt to tilt elections. The SEC isn't going to act without pressure. We're almost at 500,000 public comments urging the SEC to adopt this rule, but powerful groups representing corporate special interests are mobilizing quickly in opposition. Help keep the pressure on -- tell the SEC to require corporations to disclose how they spend their money in politics. ** Remember to edit your message and personalize it to make your action more effective ** RECIPIENTS Securities & Exchange Commission Rule Comments TO SIGN PETITION, GO TO: https://secure.pfaw.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=193&autologin=true

TO DO: Immigration Reform
Source: The March for Innovation

http://www.marchforinnovation.com/





The facts are undeniable: in 2011 alone, 28% of all companies started in the US had immigrant founders, and immigrant owned businesses generated more than $775 billion in revenue for our economy.
We know that immigration reform will strengthen our economy as well as support immigrant families, and today, innovators are using technology to engage the entire country in a virtual march for immigration reform.
Join the March for Innovation!
It’s called the March for Innovation, and the broad coalition taking part understands all the reasons why we must reform our broken immigration system -- to boost our economy, support American workers, ensure our students can thrive, create an inclusive roadmap to citizenship and keep families together.
The two-day march will include live chats and videos with key leaders, social media discussions, and contacting Washington to call for their support for immigration reform. The march will use cutting-edge technology to make sure our message is heard loud and clear: 2013 must be the year we pass lasting reform!

This will be a march unlike anything we've seen-- take part and join the virtual March for Innovation!

With hope,
Donna De La Cruz
Reform Immigration FOR America

TO DO: Food Security/Genetic Engineering
Source: League of Conservation Voters/Food and Water Watch

https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=749

Do you know if the foods you’re eating contain ingredients that are genetically engineered? Right now, there is no law that says food containing genetically modified ingredients must be labeled. Consumers should have the right to know what is in their food, and make the decision about what food they want to buy for themselves.

Let's Label Genetically Engineered Foods
Tell Your Members of Congress to Co-sponsor the Boxer-DeFazio bill!

We deserve the right to know what's in our food. Send your members of Congress a message today! Can you feel it? The groundswell of grassroots support to label genetically engineered foods is overwhelming. Communities all over the country are coming together to force action on the state level, and Congress is taking notice. Ask your members of Congress to co-sponsor federal legislation to label GE foods! By now, you've probably heard about the "Monsanto Protection Act," a rider that was added to the budget bill needed to keep our government running. It seriously limits the ability of our federal agencies to protect consumers against harmful genetically engineered (GE) crops. Monsanto is never going to stop using its money to infringe on our right to safe, healthy food, but we can fight back by giving consumers critical information about what we're eating. Email your members of Congress to support the Boxer-DeFazio bill to label GE foods! It's critical that we win on GE labeling at the state level, and we're working hard with our partners on the ground to make that happen. At the same time, we need strong, uncompromising federal legislation to ultimately ensure that all Americans have the right to know what's in their food. Just as labels list fat, sodium and sugar, labels should tell consumers whether the food we eat contains GE ingredients. It just makes sense. Over 60 countries, including China, Japan and Russia, require GE foods to be labeled. Shouldn't we be next?  Take action to support federal legislation for GE labeling: http://act.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=749

TO DO: Fair Food Program
Source: Walk Free

http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1786&ea.campaign.id=20475&ea.url.id=143707&ea.campaigner.email=YamabHwWT8u0JdhVuxt7IM%2BWWsLykIfG&ea_broadcast_target_id=0

Lured with the promise of good wages and steady work on a Florida tomato farm, Lucas Domingo was trapped in the nightmare of slavery for 2.5 years. Forced to pick tonnes of tomatoes during the day, Lucas and other workers were locked in a U-Haul truck to prevent them from escaping at night. Eventually they got out by punching a hole through the roof.

This isn’t the norm in the tomato industry but is an extreme example of what has happened on farms outside the protection of the Fair Food Program. Which is why many major food chains and super markets have joined the Fair Food Program, using their combined power to enforce a policy of zero tolerance for slavery.  

But Publix Super Markets, a major purchaser of Florida tomatoes, is standing in the way of ending modern slavery in Florida's tomato fields. Publix refuses to join the Fair Food Program. By continuing to do business with tomato farms that do not enforce the Program's principles, Publix could be supporting slavery.

With only two weeks left of the Florida tomato-picking season, there are final quotas to be met and conditions are ripe for worker exploitation. As one Publix representative says “May is prime time”¹ for tomatoes and it is also prime time for Publix to profit from produce that could have been picked with forced labour.

Tell Publix Super Markets CEO William Crenshaw to join the fight against slavery in the U.S. tomato industry now.

Florida has been called America’s ‘ground zero for modern slavery’, where workers like Lucas are forced to work for little or no pay. Thankfully the Fair Food Program is working to enforce a policy of zero tolerance for slavery on tomato farms and has been proven successful.

After decades of abuse, Florida’s workers finally have a chance in the fight against exploitation with the Fair Food Program, demanding a policy of zero tolerance for human rights abuses, including slavery, on tomato farms.

Tell Publix to join the Fair Food Program and put an end to modern slavery in the Florida fields. 

We think Publix will make the right choice and join the fight against slavery in the U.S. tomato industry, but it won’t happen without public pressure. Please take action today and forward this message to your friends and family to send as many messages to Publix as possible at this critical time.

Thank you for your support,

Debra, Kate, Mich, Nick, Amy, Jess, Ryan, Hayley and the Walk Free Team

^{______________________________
1 http://www.publix.com/featured/ASP/fltomatoes.do}

---

Walk Free is a movement of people everywhere, fighting to end one of the world's greatest evils: Modern slavery. 

Article: Immigration Reform
Source: Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alisa-wellek/path-to-citizenship-immigration-reform_b_3313172.html

Alisa Wellek

Deputy Director, Immigrant Defense Project

Putting an End to Sledgehammer Justice: Lawmakers Must Heed the Call for a Fair and Inclusive Path to Citizenship

Posted: 05/21/2013 4:34 pm

The current immigration bill falls short of overhauling our broken immigration system. The heart of the bill is clearly the pathway to citizenship, but what's missing from the conversation is the number of individuals who will actually be barred from this path. Provisions in the bill and several amendments that senators will vote on this week exacerbate the current denial of due process rights in the immigration system. They aim to further exclude immigrants, both undocumented individuals and green card holders, leaving them off the path and without a fair day in court before facing permanent separation from their families.

Over the years, America's attempts to toughen our immigration laws took away, in many cases, the ability of immigration law enforcement and judges to consider the individual circumstances of a person's case. Few other legal systems, criminal or civil, are as rigid or mechanical as our current immigration laws. An offense that disqualifies someone from legalization or triggers deportation lasts forever, even if it was a mistake that occurred years ago.

Among the many proposed amendments this week, Senator Grassley's amendments #21 and#22 take away the bill's already limited due process protections that allow immigration judges and officials to weigh individual circumstances in some cases before ordering deportation. In addition, Senator Sessions' amendment #22 automatically exclude from legalization, with no possibility of discretion, several single misdemeanor convictions. These amendments lack any sense of proportionality, automatically and permanently excluding people from legalization for offenses that were often deemed punishable with only a small fine in criminal court.

Law enforcement leaders like Robert Johnson, former president of the National District Attorneys Association, and Steven Jansen, Vice-President of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys have shown that these short-sighted policies undermine public safety and the work of the criminal justice system. Immigration Judges, such as Judge Dana Leigh Marks, President of the National Association of Immigration Judges and Judge Paul Grussendorf, have also increasingly called for the restoration of discretion to immigration courts.

As Mr. Jansen explains, "Crime prevention and community safety demand a more nuanced approach, one that appreciates the ripple effect caused by mandatory deportations that leave communities depleted by unemployment and single parent households struggling to feed their families. The criminal justice system has been crafted to give us the leeway to consider these human factors when rendering punishment." He adds, "Legislation should consider a provision that allows immigration authorities and law enforcement to consider the humanitarian factors in every case before ordering deportation or denying a path to citizenship."

The case of Howard Bailey is a heartbreaking example. In 1989, Howard came to the United States at age 17 as a lawful permanent resident, with his mother who is a U.S. citizen. He joined the Navy after graduating high school and was soon deployed to the Persian Gulf to serve in Desert Storm. In 1995, soon after he returned home after service, some acquaintances sent Howard a package containing marijuana. Federal agents had been tracking the package and arrested Howard. Howard had never before had any interaction with the criminal justice system. His lawyer recommended that he take the plea and serve 15 months.

Upon his release, Howard was determined to rebuild his life. He saved up money to start a business. He first owned and ran a small restaurant with two employees and later started a trucking business, employing up to five drivers. He was able to buy two homes. His wife and children were always the center of his life. He became a mentor for other returning veterans.

In 2005, Howard applied for citizenship. He honestly reported his conviction from 10 years earlier and supplied all the records related to the case. After five years of delays, Howard's application was denied. Immigration officers handcuffed him in front of his wife and children and he was placed in deportation proceedings. Howard spent nearly two years in immigration jails far from his home. He tried to fight his case and ask a judge to consider his individual circumstances: an armed service veteran who defended the United States, a lawful permanent resident who owned a business and employed several people, a husband with a wife and two children who were dependent on him. But because, under current law, a judge has no ability to consider these circumstances, the judge had to mandate his detention and deportation based on Howard's old criminal conviction from more than fifteen years before,.

Howard was deported in May 2012 and is now in Jamaica, a country he hasn't seen in 24 years. He can no longer support his family and lives in constant fear for his own life, as deportees are stigmatized in Jamaica and targets of violence. At the same time, his family in the United States is deteriorating. His 16 year-old daughter has gone from being an honor roll student to barely passing and has attempted suicide. His 18 year-old son is struggling and starting to get into trouble. His home is in foreclosure, and his business has shut down.

Every day, lawful permanent residents, asylum seekers, and undocumented people who have lived in the country for decades battle disproportionately harsh laws that result in permanent exile and separation from their families. This is due in large part to the fact that many immigrants are not allowed to have their individual circumstances, such as family ties and length of time in the country, considered before being detained and deported. Under the current Senate bill, there are only a few exceptions or waivers to overcome bars to gaining or keeping legal status. People like Howard Bailey would still be permanently exiled and separated from their family despite all that they have accomplished in their lives. Proposed amendments now seek to remove even the limited chances for some people to have their cases heard and considered.

Immigrants should not be treated only as the sum of their mistakes in a nation that values second chances. Immigration judges must be given back the power to grant a second chance and cancel someone's deportation after looking at other aspects of a person's life. Judicial discretion must be restored and expanded, and limits must be made on the number and categories of offenses that would exclude long time green card holders' ability to maintain legal status and undocumented individuals' eligibility to pursue the path to citizenship.

Article: Private Prison Industry/Art & Music
Source: Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/2013/05/20/the_truth_in_kanyes_anti_prison_rap/

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013 4:10 PM UTC

The truth in Kanye’s anti-prison rap

The rapper's incendiary "SNL" performance delivered condemnations of the prison industrial complex worth unpacking VIDEO

BY NATASHA LENNARD 

Kanye West performs on "Saturday Night Live" (Credit: NBC)

The backdrop to Kanye West’s “Saturday Night Live” performance was a lie. Projected behind the rapper, as he let loose with two rage-filled and politically fueled tracks, were the words “Not For Sale.”

Yeezy wouldn’t have graced the set if he wasn’t hawking a soon-to-be released LP. But his incendiary performance was peppered with damning truths: Angry and pointed condemnations of institutional racism and the prison industrial complex, which disproportionately jails young men of color to fill state budget holes and enrich private corporations.

In the final verse of “New Slaves,” a track released Friday with the coordinated projection of a video on 66 buildings worldwide, and the second performance in his “SNL” set, West raps:

Meanwhile the DEA
Teamed up with the CCA
They tryn’a lock niggas up
They tryn’a make new slaves
See that’s that private owned prison
Get your piece today

Condensed and reduced to flow in rhyming verse, West’s lyrics smack of the conspiratorial. But he is correct: The War on Drugs, abetted by and fueling the private prison industry, currently serves to incarcerate hundreds of thousands of black men in the United States, who provide dirt-cheap labor. Various industries — from call centers to weapons manufacturers to retail companies — rely on prison labor. Private prisons pay inmate workers as little as 25 cents an hour; prisoners who refuse to work are regularly held in isolation. These are the de facto “new slaves” of the prison industrial complex. The CCA (the Corrections Corp of America) is one of two major private prison corporations (along with the GEO Group) that share in a market worth $70 billion.

And West’s implication that the CCA and the DEA are “tryn’a” lock up black people, leaving racist intentionality aside, is supported by troubling statistics. While the entire U.S. population is only 13.6 percent black, 40 percent of its vast prison population (over 2.5 million) is black. In 2010, black males were incarcerated at the rate of 4,347 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents of the same race and gender, compared to 678 inmates per 100,000 for white males. The disparities are striking, especially when the majority of those held in U.S. prisons are guilty of minor drug offenses. This brings us to Kanye’s reference to the DEA.

As attorney and author John W. Whitehead pointed out in a HuffPo comment piece last year, states specifically opted to make sentencing laws for minor drug offenses harsh in order to fill private prisons — prisons which promised to fill gaping holes in state budgets:

[W]ith an eye toward increasing its bottom line, CCA has floated a proposal to prison officials in 48 states offering to buy and manage public prisons at a substantial cost savings to the states. In exchange, and here’s the kicker, the prisons would have to contain at least 1,000 beds and states would have agree to maintain a 90 percent occupancy rate in the privately run prisons for at least 20 years. The problem with this scenario, as Roger Werholtz, former Kansas secretary of corrections, recognizes is that while states may be tempted by the quick infusion of cash, they “would be obligated to maintain these (occupancy) rates and subtle pressure would be applied to make sentencing laws more severe with a clear intent to drive up the population.” Unfortunately, that’s exactly what has happened. Among the laws aimed at increasing the prison population and growing the profit margins of special interest corporations like CCA are three-strike laws (mandating sentences of 25 years to life for multiple felony convictions) and “truth-in-sentencing” legislation (mandating that those sentenced to prison serve most or all of their time).

As has been well-documented, young black men are disproportionately targeted by police for marijuana arrests. In New York City, for example, nearly 90 percent of the people arrested for marijuana possession are blacks and Latinos. The logic is simple: If states rely on minor drug arrests to fill privately run prisons, and young black men are targeted in minor drug arrests, then states rely on young black men to fill private prisons.

Or, as Yeezy put it: “See that’s that private owned prison/Get your piece today.”

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com.