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Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Tom Saenz is President and General Counsel of MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
PROFILE
Thomas A. Saenz
Guest
FROM Thomas A. Saenz
To the Point
Trump's AG announces DACA program will be 'rescinded' President Trump tweeted today, "Congress, get ready to do your job — DACA!" That was just before Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Barack Obama’s "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" is illegal and will be rescinded. Eight-hundred thousand undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children are now in limbo. There will be six months for Congress to legalize DACA -- if it chooses. But nobody’s saying what might happen if the House and the Senate fail to act. We hear about why DACA's being killed and the chances it will be revived.
To the Point
President Trump says he's making good on a campaign promise There's "fear and panic" among America's 11 million undocumented immigrants among reports of hundreds of recent raids and round-ups by federal agents. While such actions are being called "routine" by immigration officials, President Trump is claiming the credit. And so many people are expected to be detained that new privately run facilities may be constructed to house them. Supporters of undocumented workers who've been in the country for decades call it "terrorism." Trump's backers call it "shock and awe." Meantime, leaders of agriculture and other vital industries warn of a labor shortage if deportations don't prioritize real criminals and leave workers alone.
To the Point
New promises today to bring the nation together Early this morning, Donald Trump found himself President-Elect of the United States in an upset victory over Hillary Clinton — who he threatened to put in jail if he were elected. In a rare tone of conciliation, he gave credit to his opponent.
To the Point
The political fallout from Trump's "grope and brag" Across the country, Republicans up for re-election are caught between voters who helped nominate Donald Trump and those who can't stand him. House Speaker Paul Ryan has liberated GOP members from the mandate to support their nominee for the White House. Donald Trump says, " the shackles are off " and he's threatening retaliation in what's become a war within his own party. The possible consequences include: a victory for Hillary Clinton; a loss of Republican power on Capitol Hill and widespread public alienation.
To the Point
Obama's Immigration Action Stalls Without action by Congress, President Obama ordered protection from deportation for some five million undocumented immigrants. Today, some 250,000 would have been eligible to apply for work permits. But yesterday, Federal Judge Andrew Hanen imposed a delay . President Obama reacted by announcing, "I think the law is on our side and history is on our side, and we are going to appeal it. For those who are now wondering whether or not they should apply, we are going to refer those questions to the Department of Homeland Security, that's already begun the planning process, and we will be prepared to implement this fully as soon as the legal issues get resolved."
To the Point
Tackling the Resegregation of American Public Schools It’s been 60 years since the US Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. For many years desegregation was one of America’s most contentious political issues, producing conflicting local rules, state laws and many more judicial decisions. Now, the population has changed. For the first time, minority students outnumber whites in public schools, producing a new reality: schools are being resegregated.
Which Way, L.A.?
President Obama and Immigration Reform In Las Vegas today, President Obama said it's good news that bipartisan groups in both houses of Congress are finally addressing immigration reform. The President endorsed the general principles laid down yesterday by a bipartisan group of US Senators, the most controversial aspect of which may be what's called the path to citizenship. Cautioning that the debate is sure to become emotional, he warned against letting it devolve into "us" versus "them." What's the likely impact of the immigration debate on the Republican Party, currently at an historic low point in California's political history?
Which Way, L.A.?
LA Supervisors and Latino Voting Rights After a long and passionate hearing last night, LA County Supervisors rejected a move to radically redraw their district boundaries by a vote of four to one. Gloria Molina and Mark Ridley-Thomas wanted to create a new, Latino-majority district, by drastically changing districts now held by Zev Yaroslavsky or Don Knabe respectively. Yaroslavsky and Knabe opposed both plans, along with Mike Antonovich and Don Knabe. But four votes were required, and Ridley-Thomas finally joined them to produce a majority for a plan by Knabe, which pretty much maintains the status quo. We hear from Ridley-Thomas, Knabe and others. (Supervisor Yaroslavsky declined our invitation to participate in this discussion.)
Which Way, L.A.?
Arizona, the Federal Courts and Illegal Immigration Crucial aspects of Arizona's new immigration law have been ruled unconstitutional , and they won't go into effect today as scheduled. But that decision will be appealed and both sides are eager to show that they aren't backing down. Protesters against the law are being arrested today in Phoenix by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a major supporter of cracking down on illegal immigrants.
To the Point
Federal Judge Puts Much of Arizona’s Immigration Law on Hold Crucial provisions of Arizona's new immigration law will not go into effect today as scheduled, but court actions will continue for years. Some demonstrators are being arrested in Phoenix, and Sheriff Jo Arpaio plans an afternoon "sweep" of Hispanic neighborhoods. We hear about yesterday's ruling that core parts of the law are unconstitutional, a decision that's likely to wend its way to the US Supreme Court. In the meantime, what about boycotts, declines in convention business and continued anxiety in a state with a 30% Hispanic population?
Which Way, L.A.?
California Leads the Call for a Boycott of Arizona In 1992, Arizona's then-Governor Evan Mecham cancelled Martin Luther King Day and made insensitive comments about minorities and women. The result was an organized decline in tourism and cancellation of numerous conventions and concerts. An upcoming Super Bowl was moved to another state. Now, Arizona's new immigration law has led to calls for similar retribution. The law requires Arizona police to determine if people are in the US illegally and demand that suspects show their papers. Councilwoman Janice Hahn wants the City of Los Angeles to “refrain from conducting business with the state of Arizona.” We speak with Hahn and others.
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The Mixer
Repainting the Sheriff's department, tan and green Barring any unforeseen changes, there will be a new L.A. County Sheriff at the start of next week. Alex Villanueva defeated sitting Sheriff, Jim McDonnell, in this month’s midterms after running a partisan campaign that lead to the first ouster of a sitting Sheriff in more than a century. Villanueva told KCRW this week that his goal is to rid the department of officials that, he said, contributed to a corrupt culture under previous leadership. But there is a lot of concern about what that will look like and if recent reforms could be rolled back.