Rallying behind dreamers
Activist organizations are stepping up pressure on Congress to pass legislation protecting Dreamers from deportation.
Democrats agreed a deal to end the government shutdown on Monday but progressives were angered that the deal did not include an accord over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or Daca, which Donald Trump terminated in September. Trump gave Congress a six-month grace period to pass legislation which would not force the children of migrants to leave the US. It has failed to do so.
The national activist network Indivisible and the migrant-led United We Dream were critical of Senate Democrats – only 16 voted against the legislation, including Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris – but they have poured their efforts into getting Congress to act.
United We Dream is urging people to call their elected officials and has published a four-step plan on the need for the Dream Act.
This is unacceptable. Promises are not enough. We refuse to allow racism to win.
— United We Dream (#DreamActNow: 478-488-8059) (@UNITEDWEDREAM) January 26, 2018
☎️ CALL CONGRESS FOR A #DreamActNow: 478-488-8059 pic.twitter.com/KINmhzAlxR
Indivisible has prepared a sample call script for people to urge their members of congress to agree a deal to protect dreamers. It is available here.
Sanders 2020?
Bernie Sanders is considering running for president again, according to reports. And his son.
Levi Sanders tweeted the news on Thursday, after Politico reported that Sanders Sr had convened his “top political advisers” to discuss a potential run in 2020.
From Politico: “The top-line message the Vermont senator received from the operatives gathered during the government shutdown was a more formal version of the one they’ve been giving him regularly for months: You would be one of the front-runners for the Democratic nomination. And if you want to run, it’s time to start seriously planning accordingly.”
Bernard is seriously contemplating a run in 2020 and I don't mean a jog.
— Levi Sanders (@Celentra) January 25, 2018
A CNN poll released on Tuesday showed Sanders leading Trump in a hypothetical presidential race – with 55% to Trump’s 42%.
Trump’s trip to Europe marred by protests
Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters demonstrated against Trump in Zurich this week, as the president headed to Davos to address the World Economic Forum.
Activists waved anti-Trump flags and banners as they gathered, one sign reading: “You are a shithole person”.
Hundreds also marched in Geneva, where they laid a wreath in memory of Heather Heyer, the activist killed at a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, outside the US diplomatic mission.
Protesters had previously been banned from holding demonstrations in Davos.
What we’re reading
- “Democrats caved too soon on the government shutdown” is the view of Ross Barkan, writing here at Guardian. “Schumer’s Democratic Senate looks cowardly and inept to the people most invested in the party’s future. Schumer chose to end the government shutdown without a deal to protect undocumented immigrants.”
- Activists did at least manage to get Democrats to shut the government. For a bit. Now some in the progressive movement think Democrats should hold out for comprehensive legislation when the next shutdown deadline looms on 8 February, Ella Nilsen at Vox reports.
