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Congressman Lowenthal leads members pushing for travel rights for Dreamers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, DC (December 12, 2018) - On Tuesday, December 11, Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) led a coalition of 14 Members of Congress on a letter urging Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen to restore the ability of Dreamers to travel abroad.
Since 2012, individuals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)- better known as Dreamers- had been able to apply for advance parole if they need to travel abroad for humanitarian, labor, or educational purposes. Advance parole is determined from DHS that can be used by undocumented immigrants to temporarily travel outside the U.S. and return without penalty. Obtaining this status allowed Dreamers to pursue employment that requires foreign travel, to visit family and loved ones suffering from illness, and to participate in educational programs abroad. However, the Trump administration's order to rescind the DACA program in 2017 halted the approval of advance parole for Dreamers.
"For years, I have been inspired by the Dreamers in my community, including the dozens who have participated in the Dreamers Study Abroad program through CSU Long Beach," Congressman Lowenthal said. "I am gravely disappointed that DHS has stopped approving advance parole for DACA recipients- denying them the ability to visit loved ones or pursue life-changing educational opportunities. I hope that Sec. Nielsen will do the right thing and reinstate this important program."
To read the full press release and Advance Parole letter of support, please click here.
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CMSC's campaign to advocate for the restoration of Advance Parole
The California-Mexico Studies Center (CMSC) is committed to advocate for the reinstatement of Advance Parole for DACA recipients, and as part of our campaign efforts, we have produced a short documentary entitled "Advance Parole". The documentary features Mayra Garibo, a Senior at CSU Dominguez Hills and a DACA recipient, who has taken leadership to challenge the system and pave the way not only for her to reunite with her family in Mexico, but also to prevent Dreamers from suffering a humanitarian and emotional crisis as she endured when her father passed away early this year.
Please watch a 1-minute clip of the film here:
Click here to watch the full Advance Parole documentary.
Please contact us to join this campaign, as an individual or an organization at californiamexicocenter@gmail.com
PLEASE MAKE YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TODAY!
Check out our CrowdRise Campaign, or donate on the button below:
Visit our campaign website: www.advanceparole.org
Follow the cause on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Please donate to the Restore Advance Parole Campaign because we need your support now, more than ever!
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The California-Mexico Studies Center celebrates Mexico's promising future #AMLO
On December 1st, 2018, Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos and the California-Mexico Studies Center delegation witnessed the presidential inauguration of #AMLO
We celebrate the promising future for Mexicans on both sides of the border, and our collaboration with President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexico City's new mayor Claudia Sheinbaum.
El 1 de Diciembre de 2018, el Prof. Armando Vazquez-Ramos y la delegación del Centro de Estudios California-Mexico estuvieron presentes en la inauguración del presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Celebramos el futuro prometedor para los mexicanos en ambos lados de la frontera, nuestra colaboración con el presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador y la nueva jefa de gobierno de la Ciudad de México, Claudia Sheinbaum. #SiSePuede
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"Dreamers: Aquí y Allá" - Voted Best play of 2018 by the OC Weekly
By The OC Weekly ~ November 13, 2018
BEST PLAY DREAMERS: AQUÍ Y ALLÁ
It's rare that a new play- hell, any play- feels as relevant, poignant and important as this superlative effort. Presented by the graduate-level arm of Cal State Long Beach's theater department, California Repertory, the piece was conceived by Andrea Caban with plenty of assistance from the actors whose story this truly was: 30 Dreamers who participated in professor Armando Vazquez-Ramos' California-Mexico Study Abroad Program.
Though literally ripped from the headlines and suffused with an unmistakable call to action among voters, to kick the racists out in the upcoming midterm elections, the play succeeded because it wasn't noisy, tone-deaf, agit-prop theater.
Its agenda was a humane one: to show that the so-called Dreamers, as with any group, are comprised of individuals with their own hopes, dreams, fears and stories. By focusing on those stories, the cast and other creators succeeded in telling one hugely important part of America's collective story.
To watch the 'Dreamers: Aquí y Allá' play click here.
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Border patrol agent indicted on capital murder after killing four women
By AP ~ The Guardian ~ December 5, 2018
A US border patrol agent who confessed to shooting four women in the head and leaving their bodies on rural Texas roadsides has been indicted on a capital murder charge, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.
A grand jury decided to upgrade the charge against Juan David Ortiz, the Webb county district attorney, Isidro Alaniz, said at a news conference. Alaniz said prosecutors will seek the death penalty.
Ortiz, 35, was initially charged with four counts of murder, as well as aggravated assault and unlawful restraint. He has been held in Webb county jail on a $2.5m bond since his 15 September arrest in the border town of Laredo... Read More
