April, 23 2019, 12:00am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Su Patel, press@nyic.org, 917-940-6402
Jasmine Nazarett, jnazarett@communitychange.org, (954) 471-9080
Lizette Olmos, lolmos@wearecasa.org, (202) 213-1293 mobile
Yatziri Tovar, yatziri.tovar@maketheroadny.org, (917) 771-2818
#CountMeIn: Immigrant Rights Community Rally Outside of the Supreme Court
Plaintiffs and Allies Call for A Fair and Accurate 2020 Census
WASHINGTON
Immigrants, communities of color, refugees and progressive allies rallied in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, today, in support of a fair and accurate 2020 census. After the Trump administration unlawfully added a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, a number of grassroots community groups, cities and states filed lawsuits to stop the administration's untested and dangerous question. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments brought forward by CASA, Make the Road New York, New York Immigrant Coalition and others.
"We're confident that the Supreme Court will uphold Judge Furman's careful decision to block the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. The facts are clear: the census is simply an enumeration of residents, as Constitutionally mandated. Adding the citizenship question will have an especially chilling effect on communities of color, depriving immigrant-rich states of federal dollars and political representation, while virtually erasing our communities. We are ready to win this battle in the Supreme Court as we did in the lower courts, and ensure that every New Yorker is counted in our democracy for the benefit of all," said Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
"Three federal courts have unanimously ruled against the addition of the citizenship question, and our community urges the Supreme Court to affirm their decision," said Natalia Aristizabal, Co-Director of Organizing at Make the Road New York. "The census is fundamental for our democracy, and across the country, immigrant families are at risk of being undercounted if the citizenship question is added. Our community is standing up to protect our democracy by ensuring a full and accurate count of all those who reside in this country."
Communities of color, including immigrant communities, are historically "hard to count." A question about status would depress participation of these communities even more for fear of being separated from their loved ones. The data collected by the census is used to inform a wide range of decisions that directly impact people living in the country, independent of their status. The decisions about where to build hospitals, schools, roads and add new businesses are linked to the decennial count of the population. The distribution of more than $700 billion in federal resources is also tied to the census.
"The Census is important because each one of us needs to be counted. If the citizenship question is included in the Census, it would affect our community because people would not want to fill it out. Therefore, the necessary resources would not get into our community, and this is a way to continue segregating immigrants and communities of color," said Maya Ledezma, CASA member.
The census also matters because an accurate count is needed to determine Congressional representation. Lower participation from Latino, Black and immigrant communities, would leave a generation without fair representation at the federal and state levels.
"A fair and accurate 2020 census is critical for the next generation of Americans to be able to thrive," said Sulma Arias, immigration field director at Community Change and FIRM. "A question about citizenship is dangerous and is intended to intimidate our communities. That is why we are committed to ensuring each and every one of us is counted, and that our voices are heard."
The New York Immigration Coalition aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all. The NYIC promotes immigrants' full civic participation, fosters their leadership, and provides a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York's diverse immigrant communities.
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The measure passed Israel's legislature, the Knesset, 68-9. It was spearheaded by Knesset Member Zeev Elkin of New Hope - The United Right, who shared the key messages from the resolution on social media along with a photo of the final tally.
According to Religious Zionism-affiliated Israel National News:
The proposal says, "The Israeli Knesset firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the land of Israel will pose an existential threat to the state of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and destabilize the region."
"It will only be a matter of a short time until Hamas takes over the Palestinian state and turns it into a base of radical Islamic terrorism, working in coordination with the axis led by Iran, to eliminate the state of Israel."
"The promotion of the idea of the Palestinian state will be a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters who will see this as a victory thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East," the proposal reads.
Since the Hamas-led October attack on Israel, Israeli forces have killed at least 38,794 Palestinians and wounded another 89,364, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. Thousands more remain missing and believed dead beneath the rubble of bombed buildings.
In addition to destroying civilian infrastructure across the Hamas-governed coastal enclave, Israel has restricted the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, even as people starve and the remaining hospitals operate at a limited capacity.
Israel faces a South Africa-led genocide case at the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders.
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The Knesset vote against a two-state solution comes as Netanyahu prepares for a trip to the United States—whose government has provided political and weapons support for Israel's war. The prime minister is supposed to meet U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House next Monday before addressing a joint session of Congress, though the American leader is isolating after testing positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.
"The measure was intended as a way to apply pressure on Netanyahu, since he is likely to face opposite pressure from U.S. officials on a hostage deal that could include future discussions of Palestinian sovereignty," The Jerusalem Postreported Wednesday. "Netanyahu himself was not present at the vote."
As the newspaper detailed:
Notably, National Unity chairman MK Benny Gantz supported the proposal alongside three other members of his party, which is considered centrist. The three were MKs Michael Biton, Pnina Tameno-Shete, and Chili Tropper.
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CodePink on Wednesday published a recording of a vicious death threat it received after a GOP congressman's dubious assault allegation against one of the peace group's members resulted in her arrest outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
According to CodePink, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.)—a former Navy SEAL—"falsely accused" Nour Jaghama, the group's Palestine campaign coordinator, of assault after he ran into her from behind. Jaghama was arrested and held for 15 hours in a Milwaukee jail before being released. She was charged with battery against a sitting member of Congress.
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Van Orden took to social media Tuesday evening to claim he was "assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CodePink" in "an incident of political violence."
"Republicans have been intimidated and targeted for years including the attempted assassination of [former President Donald] Trump and we will no longer stand by and allow lawlessness," the congressman added.
Van Orden has a history of aggressive behavior toward others, including profanity-laced tirades against a fellow congressman and a group of teenage Senate pages, and threatening a librarian over a book about gay rabbits.
Hours after Van Orden's post, CodePink received the following message:
The next Palestinian protest in the street, I'm going to get my semi-truck and run over you fucking faggots and make road pancake out of you, you fucking cunt. I hope you all die, bitch.
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