Detention at Brave New Filmshttp://bravenewfilms.org/topics/detention2009-01-09T02:56:00ZPROFILE: Guantanamo Lawyer Speaks Outhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/67212-profile-guantanamo-lawyer-speaks-out2009-01-09T02:56:00ZAmerican News Project
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s0pu3_a0bxM&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s0pu3_a0bxM&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/67212-profile-guantanamo-lawyer-speaks-out"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/87638" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Despite its recent 5-4 rejection of the legal basis for the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the Supreme Court may flip back to support the Bush administration's views on executive power. Steven Wax, a Federal Public Defender who represents seven Gitmo prisoners, is in the middle of this Constitutional maelstrom.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/67212-profile-guantanamo-lawyer-speaks-out">Watch the video</a>
ICE Detaining Ukrainian Woman Willing and Paying to Leave the United Stateshttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/66598-ice-detaining-ukrainian-woman-willing-and-paying-to-leave-the-united-states2009-01-05T16:06:09ZDREAMActivist
<a href="http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/66598-ice-detaining-ukrainian-woman-willing-and-paying-to-leave-the-united-states"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/thumbnail_pic/86288" style="border: solid 1px black; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px;" align="left" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p><p>A special thanks to Quaker for getting this story to our attention.</p><p>This one should outrage every American taxpayer.</p> <p>She served jail time for a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. She had a detainer placed on her by ICE, so after she was done serving this time, ICE came to the jail and took her to Fairfax, VA to fill out paper-work on September 18, 2008. She insisted that she wanted to leave as soon as possible and ICE happily agreed to expedite her paperwork to make sure she would be home by her birthday on November 15. They released her with an ankle monitoring bracelet and all was well. Or so they thought …</p> <p>Her husband reports:</p> <blockquote><p>Almost immediately (the next Monday), we hand-delivered my wife’s passport to ICE, as they told us the lack of this document is the only thing that could prevent her from leaving quickly. And then we waited. After a couple weeks we became a little worried that we’re still here, and so I started calling ICE. Every day, I called and left messages and even started begging for someone to please do something, as we want to leave. And we did want to leave. I had quit my job, and we were coasting on whatever money I saved up for our new life. The longer we wait, the less money we had. But wait we did. And then we waited some more.</p></blockquote> <p>Why all the waiting? Oops, looks like ICE changed its mind and wanted her back in jail. Why? Well, she certainly was not a flight risk anywhere but back to Europe. They came to get her and put her in detention, not that they knew what they were doing.</p></p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/66598-ice-detaining-ukrainian-woman-willing-and-paying-to-leave-the-united-states">Continue reading</a>
Unaccompanied minorshttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/66401-unaccompanied-minors2009-01-05T09:14:50Zfash
<a href="http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/66401-unaccompanied-minors"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/thumbnail_pic/85868" style="border: solid 1px black; margin-right: 7px; margin-top: 3px;" align="left" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p><p>No, it’s not a silly Chistmas-themed tween power flick. “Unaccompanied minor” is the stale legal term for a kid or teen that makes the journey over the border by herself. Or the kid or teen that originally came with a parent but ends up on their own somehow before ICE gets ahold of them. We “repatriate” about 43,000 such persons every year, and according to <a href="http://www.cppp.org/repatriation/A%20Child%20Alone%20and%20Without%20Papers.pdf" title="A Child Alone and Without Papers">this report</a> released by the Center for Public Policy Priorities a couple months ago, these detentions and deportations are not done in such a <span>sane</span> humane manner (freudian slip). This isn’t news, considering previous incidents such as <a href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/houstoned/2008/05/unaccompanied_minors_allege_be.php">this report</a> of sexual and physical abuse at the Hector Garza Treatment Center, which ironicly is described on the <a href="http://www.cornellcompanies.com/facilities3.cfm?fac_id=22">Cornell Companies website</a> as a “center [that] offers specialized treatment for clients who have been victims of sexual and/or physical abuse, domestic violence, aggression and skill streaming”. Still, the details that emerge from the CPPP report are disturbing and infuriating.</p> <p>The big ‘what the fuck’ that the report is after is that, despite the enormous number of undocumented kids being deported each year, there is very little in the way of protocol of how these situations should be handled, and there is nobody assigned to look out for these kids’ best interests.</p> <blockquote><p>In clear violation of international and U.S. child welfare standards, our interviews with the Mexican<br /> and Honduran children uncovered troubling claims of child abuse and maltreatment by U.S. Border<br /> Patrol officers, including:<br /> • Inattention to repeated requests for medical attention;<br /> • No access to water while in the border patrol station;<br /> • Having to sleep on the floor without a blanket in a heavily air conditioned cell;<br /> • Not being given any or enough food;<br /> • Not being allowed to contact family;<br /> • Being struck and knocked down by agents;<br /> • Being handcuffed; and<br /> • Being transported “like dogs,” in kennel like compartments.<br /> The children did not identify the following as maltreatment, which speaks to the children’s inability<br /> to seek protection.</p> <p>One boy described being locked in bathroom at a border patrol substation for hours until</p> <p>transferred;<br /> • Several children mentioned being laughed at by the Border Patrol who apprehended them;<br /> • One girl said she was threatened at gun point by Border Patrol; and<br /> • Of the six participants who reported being handcuffed7 only one described the experience as<br /> maltreatment.</p></blockquote> <p>And yet!</p> <blockquote><p>The removal system holds the individual child responsible for triggering protective services. For<br /> example, children are not systematically assessed by U.S. authorities to detect whether they have<br /> been forced into indentured servitude or trafficked. Thus, it falls to the child alone to make his or her<br /> condition/situation known so that relevant protections (such as the application for protective status<br /> or the attainment of counsel) may be put into place.</p></blockquote> <p>The report also found a disregard for the safety of the children upon return, a pretty gaping hole in the planning considering that many unaccompanied minors have traveled to the US because of abusive home conditions or sex trafficking. In addition, many kids are being deported with no one on the other end to take them up, be it a parent who can’t afford to come get them or a consulate that wasn’t informed they were being deported in the first place. I guess US immigration authorities figure that since these kids have been on their own before, they must be tough enough to handle such a frightening situation.</p> <p>One of the situations described in the report, about a little girl named Carolina from Honduras, is indicative of what is so wrong about the immigration system’s view towards minors:</p> <blockquote><p>Carolina is a five-year-old girl from Honduras.52 When she was an infant, Carolina’s mother tried<br /> to cross with her into the United States, and both were caught and ordered deported. Several years<br /> after this initial deportation, Carolina’s mother attempted once again to join her husband in the<br /> United States. This time Carolina and her mother crossed the border separately—<br /> Carolina by bridge with a false guardian and her mother by river—a common strategy for parents of young children,</p> <p>who wish to protect them from drowning. Both she and her mother were apprehended in the United States and detained separately.</p> <p>U.S. Immigration authorities realized that Carolina had been ordered removed in the past—as an infant.<br /> Immigration agents consider this previous order of removal to mean that Carolina is ineligible to petition<br /> for legal immigration status or release to family in the United States. Carolina was placed with the<br /> Office of Refugee Resettlement. When or , unaware of Carolina’s previous order of removal, reunified<br /> the child with her family in the United States, ice agents referred to the incident as a “breach of<br /> national security.” Given her age and circumstances, however, Carolina was clearly unable to have willingly<br /> violated U.S. administrative code in either instance of her entering the country. To hold Carolina accountable<br /> for immigration violations is either inconsistent with the U.S. application of the principle of mens rea,<br /> or a violation of the concept that children should not be punished for the crimes of their parents.</p></blockquote> <p>As <em>A Child Alone and Without Papers</em> describes a little earlier on, one of the methods of removal for minors is deportation, which carries the same consequences for a child as it does for an adult–the dreaded ten year ban. The expedited removal and lack of legal counsel for undocumented Mexican kids can tear kids who have lived in the US since infancy away from the only family and country they know in an instant:</p> <blockquote><p>The lack of legal representation for children who have spent the majority of their lives in the United<br /> States, yet are apprehended and removed without their families to a country they may not remember,<br /> is a particularly compelling tragedy. According to dif (Mexico’s Child Protective Services) representatives,<br /> there has been a recent increase in the incidence of Mexican citizen children who have<br /> grown up in the United States and are removed to Mexico without their families.68 dif staff described<br /> cases involving teenagers initially apprehended by local U.S. law enforcement for non-criminal acts,<br /> such as speeding, then removed once a background check failed to substantiate citizenship. In some<br /> instances, the children were reported to have lived in the United States since infancy and to have been<br /> unaware of their immigration status. These children sometimes have no family in Mexico to receive<br /> them, and are unfamiliar with Mexican culture and sometimes even language. dif child welfare experts<br /> report that such cases are very difficult to serve, and that the children do not integrate well into<br /> Mexican society. Access to counsel potentially could provide options for relief to these children.</p></blockquote> <p>While Mexican kids are deported without hardly a chance to say “wait a sec…”, kids from non-neighboring countries, mainly Honduras (from which 80,000 unaccompanied minors attempt to immigrate to the US every year), are detained for extended periods of time. As for the methods of return, it depends on the country, but the conditions are disgusting either way.</p> <blockquote><p>Most unaccompanied Mexican children are apprehended near the border and are transported via<br /> Customs and Border Protection land vehicles to the nearest port of entry.<br /> Once the child arrives in Mexico, a representative of the Mexican Consulate assumes custody and<br /> physically escorts the child to the INM office on the Mexican side of the border. In some areas<br /> where the port of entry involves a bridge, children are transported by Border Patrol to the middle<br /> of the bridge. There they are met by a Mexican official and the children are escorted the rest of the<br /> way across the bridge on foot, through traffic and mixed with the general population. Children are<br /> typically escorted by only one official from Mexico. This situation presents a number of risks to the<br /> immediate safety of the children. When U.S. officials release their custody of undocumented children,<br /> they return the child’s personal belongings to them, including their shoelaces and belts, in full view<br /> of the public and potential predators. The children must then make their way through traffic and<br /> crowds, pulling up their pants, putting on their shoes, and carrying all of their valuables, with only<br /> one adult to protect them. While this arrangement may be adequate in cases where a single child is<br /> being returned,75 in many instances the single consular agent is escorting multiple children. We found<br /> no regulations related to the escort-to-child ratio on the part of either U.S. or Mexican authorities.</p> <p>A representative from the Mexican Consulate awaits the release of a group of unaccompanied children from a<br /> USBP perrera. He stands in the middle of an international bridge, between the two countries.<br /> In interviews with the author, Mexican officials from various agencies expressed extreme concern<br /> for the manner in which the U.S. Border Patrol transports children. Consular officials commonly<br /> referred to the Border Patrol’s trucks, in which children ride in a covered bed, as dog kennels, or perreras.<br /> These trucks are regarded by Mexican officials as unsafe and undignified, an opinion shared<br /> by U.S. advocates for child safety.</p> <p>There are no seatbelts and little overhead clearance to protect the<br /> child from injury when patrol vehicles are off road or on rough roads. Border Patrol agents ride in<br /> the truck’s cab, leaving girls, boys, and unrelated adults commingled with no supervision.<br /> The fact that the agents ride separately is also significant as regards the conditions of the truck beds,<br /> where the children ride. Beds have separate ventilation systems from the cabs. According to a Border<br /> Patrol supervisor this measure is meant to protect agents from airborne diseases. As a consequence,<br /> drivers are not aware of or affected by the passengers’ conditions. We observed the transport of children<br /> in a Border Patrol truck with no rear functioning air conditioning unit, on a day when the temperature<br /> reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Moreover, the cargo or transport compartment, where the children rode,<br /> was caked in mud and smelled strongly of urine and waste. Four girls and a boy traveled inside.</p> <p>The Honduran children who participated in the study were removed via commercial flights, either<br /> individually or in large groups.77 ice claims to also employ a separate means of transportation that is<br /> far more alarming.78 ice reports that it continues to transport unaccompanied children on Justice<br /> Department, or jpat , flights. ice charters Department of Justice planes to deport mixed populations<br /> of adults of both genders and both immigration and criminal offenders. Individuals returned<br /> via jpat flights are shackled and handcuffed throughout the flight, and are uniformly treated as<br /> criminal offenders in every respect. They wear identification tags on their arms and their personal<br /> belongings are transported in clear garbage bags. The removal of children via jpat chartered deportation<br /> flights is wholly unacceptable in consideration of the vulnerability of children.<br /> The author observed children returned by ice via commercial airlines. Honduran statistics confirm<br /> that many children are returned by this method (See Appendix E – Honduras Statistical Data). However,<br /> Immigrations and Customs Enforcement did not provide data to enable confirmation of which<br /> method of transport, commercial or JPAT, is more commonly used for non-neighboring children.</p></blockquote> <p>If you are inclined to read all 80 pages of the report, be prepared to shed a few tears. On a positive note, the CPPP does provide many strong recommendations on how the system of detention and repatriation of unaccompanied minors and undocumented children in general can be improved.</p> <blockquote><p>• Guaranteed Right to Counsel.<br /> • Oversight by Child Welfare Experts.<br /> • Mandatory Assessment and Planning for Child’s Safe Return.<br /> • Standardized Inter-Agency Data Collection and Sharing.<br /> • Establish Safe Child Escort Protocols.<br /> • Establish and Enforce Safe Transportation Standards.<br /> • Return Children to Port-of-Entry Nearest to Home.<br /> • Commit to protecting unaccompanied children through treaties and legislation.<br /> • Establish Bi-National Standards for Data Collection and Sharing.<br /> • Prioritize Most Common Countries of Origin.</p></blockquote> <p>This will take effort and money and cooperation both on the part of US immigration authorities and the child welfare authorities in the sending countries. It’s sick and ridiculous that kicking out the illegals is higher on our priority list than child welfare and actually <em>ending the cycle of migration</em>. Please, send a link to the report, a quick sum up, and a plea <a href="http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm">to your senator</a>. <em>Especially</em> if you’re in a border state. Suggested phrases include “family values”, “for the children”, “damning report”, etc.</p><p> x-posted to <a href="http://theobl.wordpress.com/2008/12/28/unaccompanied-minors/">The OBL</a> </p></p>
</div>
Restoring the Right to Due Process--Shackled and Detained: A Pregnant Woman's Storyhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/65516-restoring-the-right-to-due-process-shackled-and-detained-a-pregnant-woman-s-story2009-01-09T02:56:58ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_RKu8ORVS1U&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_RKu8ORVS1U&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/65516-restoring-the-right-to-due-process-shackled-and-detained-a-pregnant-woman-s-story"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/83913" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Juana Villegas from Mexico, was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for careless driving (for which she was later found innocent); instead of receiving a customary citation, because of an agreement between local police and federal immigration authorities, she was detained in jail where she was shackled and remained shackled in transit to the hospital and while she gave birth and was then not allowed to use a breast pump or nurse her newborn child.</p>
<p>Homeland Gitmo--www.homelandgitmo.com
<br />Breakthrough--www.breakthrough.tv</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/65516-restoring-the-right-to-due-process-shackled-and-detained-a-pregnant-woman-s-story">Watch the video</a>
Restoring the Right to Due Process--Shackled and Detained: A Pregnant Woman's Storyhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/65516-restoring-the-right-to-due-process-shackled-and-detained-a-pregnant-woman-s-story2009-01-09T02:56:58ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_RKu8ORVS1U&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_RKu8ORVS1U&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/65516-restoring-the-right-to-due-process-shackled-and-detained-a-pregnant-woman-s-story"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/83913" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Juana Villegas from Mexico, was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for careless driving (for which she was later found innocent); instead of receiving a customary citation, because of an agreement between local police and federal immigration authorities, she was detained in jail where she was shackled and remained shackled in transit to the hospital and while she gave birth and was then not allowed to use a breast pump or nurse her newborn child.</p>
<p>Homeland Gitmo--www.homelandgitmo.com
<br />Breakthrough--www.breakthrough.tv</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/65516-restoring-the-right-to-due-process-shackled-and-detained-a-pregnant-woman-s-story">Watch the video</a>
Ashcroft 'Stunned' People Think Detainees Deserve Trialhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/65211-ashcroft-stunned-people-think-detainees-deserve-trial2009-01-09T02:49:26ZFORAtv
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zrw0hLCcrjM&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zrw0hLCcrjM&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/65211-ashcroft-stunned-people-think-detainees-deserve-trial"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/83251" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Complete video at: <a href="http://fora.tv/2008/11/19/John_Ashcroft_at_the_Hudson_Union_Society">fora.tv</a> </p>
<p>Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft expresses support for the detention of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Ashcroft argues that releasing detainees may find them returning to "the stream of battle" where they may be encouraged to "take another shot."</p>
<p>-----</p>
<p>John Ashcroft joins the Hudson Union Society to share his views on the current political climate, the challenges he faced during his tenure as Attorney General and America's evolving legal landscape.</p>
<p>John David Ashcroft is an American politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. He served during the first term of President George W. Bush from 2001 until 2005. Ashcroft was previously the Governor of Missouri (1985-1993) and a U.S. Senator from Missouri (1995-2001).</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/65211-ashcroft-stunned-people-think-detainees-deserve-trial">Watch the video</a>
ACLU at GITMO: Anthony Romero's Take on the Case Against 9/11 Defendantshttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/65181-aclu-at-gitmo-anthony-romero-s-take-on-the-case-against-9-11-defendants2009-01-05T09:22:27Zanthonyromero
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VUgiHgwXp-M&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VUgiHgwXp-M&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/65181-aclu-at-gitmo-anthony-romero-s-take-on-the-case-against-9-11-defendants"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/83196" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p><p>I just stepped off an airplane from Gitmo last night and thought it would be a good time to offer an insider’s take on what really happened down there this week. Unlike the many stories that have been in the press, what follows is a view from the defense table that provides a fuller perspective on the proceedings than what’s been reported. </p> <p>As you might know, the ACLU has, along with the <a href="http://www.nacdl.org/">National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)</a>, created the <a href="http://www.aclu.org/johnadams">John Adams Project</a>, through which we have sponsored expert civilian counsel to team up with the military defense lawyers representing the 9/11 defendants. It’s part of our ongoing struggle to bring a modicum of fairness to these sham prosecutions and to <a href="http://closegitmo.com/">get Guantánamo shut down for once and for all</a>.</p> <p>As I write this today our struggle to shut Gitmo and shutter the military commissions is far from over and is anything but a fait accompli. </p></p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/65181-aclu-at-gitmo-anthony-romero-s-take-on-the-case-against-9-11-defendants">Continue reading</a>
Chip Gilea is Free!http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/63593-chip-gilea-is-free2008-11-24T10:17:30ZDREAMActivist
<div class="post_content">
<p><p>Ex-dreamer Chip Gilea, whom we wrote about <a href="../blog/59300-efforts-underway-to-end-deportation-of-chip-gilea">earlier</a>, no longer has to endure the nightmare of separation from his U.S. citizen family.</p><p>ICE released him today on the condition that he call-in once per month. His visa will be available on Dec 1: </p><p> </p><blockquote><p>“I want to thank everyone who supported me,” he said. “My family, my neighbors, my church — and people that I don’t even know.”</p></blockquote><p>Thank you for everyone who wrote and called on Chip's behalf. </p><p>More on the story <a href="http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/nov/21/chip-gilea-of-boardman-is-home-freed-by/">here</a>. </p></p>
</div>
Since when was it Sin to invoke Barack Obama's Sacred and Profane Name in school?http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/61954-since-when-was-it-sin-to-invoke-barack-obama-s-sacred-and-profane-name-in-school2008-11-24T21:59:20Zthedailyphosdex
<div id="flashcontent"></div>
<script type="text/javascript">
var so = new SWFObject("http://gobnf.org/bnf/javascripts/flvplayer.swf", "mymovie", "375", "292", "8", "#FFFFFF");
so.addVariable("file","http://216.87.173.33/media/2008/0811/wapt_school_obamas_name_081107a.flv");
so.addVariable("autostart",false);
so.write("flashcontent");
</script>
<a href="/blog/61954-since-when-was-it-sin-to-invoke-barack-obama-s-sacred-and-profane-name-in-school"><img src="http://gobnf.org/bnf/images/empty_vid.gif" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left"></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p><p>RawReplay.com offers this footage from Pearl, MS TV station WAPT about a flap over students @ Pearl Middle School being threatened with discipline for mentioning Barack Obama's name on school grounds or on school buses.</p><p>RawStory.com (with whom RawReplay.com is affiliate) elaborates:</p><blockquote><p>A controversy has erupted at a Mississippi junior high school over allegations that a bus driver and a coach threatened students with punishment for saying Barack Obama's name.<br /><br />The incidents became public when outraged parents called the studios of WAPT news in Pearl, Miss. Some said their children were threatened by a bus driver with being written up and taken to the principal's office, others that their children were told by a girls' basketball coach they would be suspended.<br /><br />Reginald Simpson, a student at Pearl Junior High, explained that when students on the bus started saying, "Obama is our president," the bus driver told them she didn't want to hear his name. One kid said, "This is history woman," and according to Simpson, "She pulled over and kicked me and the kid off the bus." They were left waiting at the high school and later taken to their own school.<br /><br />"They feel like they afraid to say who our president is, cause they afraid they going to be in trouble," Reginald's mother Canishia told WAPT. "We teach our kids not to be racist, and here it is going on. I just feel hurt by it."<br /><br />The Simpson family is black. However, another mother whose son was on the bus and who also plans to confront school officials about the incident is white. "This is what the whole election was about," Venus Neagu told WAPT. "It was supporting someone. And now that they've done it and they're on the school bus, now they're getting consequences for it."<br /><br />School officials reviewed video from the bus and promised that no students would be punished. The superintendent released a statement saying, "It appears that some persons, out of disappointment and disillusionment with the election may have been so frustrated that they said something inappropriate to students. We have taken appropriate steps with the bus driver and the coach."<br /><br />The WAPT story is also available <a href="http://www.wapt.com/politics/17925627/detail.html">here</a>.</p></blockquote><p>Let that be a lesson.</p><p>================================</p><p>Calm whisper of the praying which heighth of the celebration noise you inform: <a href="http://exaggerator.blogdrive.com/" title="The Exaggerator">The Exaggerator</a> (... and forget thou not <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/exaggerator/" title="The Exaggerator Collection">The Exaggerator Collection</a>)</p></p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/61954-since-when-was-it-sin-to-invoke-barack-obama-s-sacred-and-profane-name-in-school">Watch the video</a>
People and Power - Iraqi Prisons - Nov 1 2008 part 2http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/60843-people-and-power-iraqi-prisons-nov-1-2008-part-22008-11-04T20:55:14Zaljazeera
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mudcXz1BFMs&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mudcXz1BFMs&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/60843-people-and-power-iraqi-prisons-nov-1-2008-part-2"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/75238" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>People&Power examines the US militarys detention policies in Iraq.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/60843-people-and-power-iraqi-prisons-nov-1-2008-part-2">Watch the video</a>
People and Power - Iraqi Prisons - Nov 1 2008 part 1http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/60842-people-and-power-iraqi-prisons-nov-1-2008-part-12008-11-04T20:55:14Zaljazeera
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UuX_iN8PLIw&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UuX_iN8PLIw&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/60842-people-and-power-iraqi-prisons-nov-1-2008-part-1"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/75237" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>People&Power examines the US militarys detention policies in Iraq.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/60842-people-and-power-iraqi-prisons-nov-1-2008-part-1">Watch the video</a>
Hassiba Belbachir's death in immigrant detentionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/59572-hassiba-belbachir-s-death-in-immigrant-detention2009-01-09T02:41:05ZImmigrant Justice
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mB5UChiZHWI&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mB5UChiZHWI&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/59572-hassiba-belbachir-s-death-in-immigrant-detention"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/73342" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Junaid Afeef, interim director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, speaks about the breakdown of the immigrant detention system that led to the death of detainee Hassiba Belbachir in 2005 in a Chicago-area county jail. His talk was part of a panel on immigrant detention held in conjunction with a special Chicago film screening of "The Visitor" in October 2008. The event was presented by Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center and the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights as part of the City of Chicago's Immigrant & Refugee Week and in partnership with Active Voice. For more information, visit www.immigrantjustice.org, www.midwesthumanrights.org, and activevoice.net/thevisitor</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/59572-hassiba-belbachir-s-death-in-immigrant-detention">Watch the video</a>
Asylum seeker speaks about immigrant detentionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/59569-asylum-seeker-speaks-about-immigrant-detention2009-01-09T02:41:05ZImmigrant Justice
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SPkCCJ0BKXg&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SPkCCJ0BKXg&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/59569-asylum-seeker-speaks-about-immigrant-detention"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/73331" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Rashed Binrashed was 19 years old when he came alone to the United States to escape persecution following a civil war in his native country of Yemen. Several years later, as the result of some bad legal advice he received during the asylum process, he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. For more than two and a half years, Rashed was held at three different county jails near Chicago. In this video, Binrashed speaks about his experience in detention and the need for fair and humane reform of the immigrant detention system. His talk was part of a panel discussion held in conjunction with a special Chicago screening of the film "The Visitor" in October 2008, presented by Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center and the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights as part of the City of Chicago's Immigrant & Refugee Week and in partnership with Active Voice. For more information, visit www.immigrantjustice.org, www.midwesthumanrights.org, and www.activevoice.net/thevisitor.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/59569-asylum-seeker-speaks-about-immigrant-detention">Watch the video</a>
Lawyer speaks about immigrant detentionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/59568-lawyer-speaks-about-immigrant-detention2009-01-09T02:41:05ZImmigrant Justice
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xZIu373gpng&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xZIu373gpng&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/59568-lawyer-speaks-about-immigrant-detention"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/73330" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Lawyer Colby Kingsbury fought for two and a half years for the release of her client from immigrant detention. In this video she speaks about the experience and about the importance of access to counsel for detained immigrants. Her talk was part of a panel discussion on immigrant detention held in conjunction with a special Chicago film screening of "The Visitor," presented by Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center and the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights as part of the City of Chicago's Immigrant & Refugee Week and in partnership with Active Voice. For more information, visit www.immigrantjustice.org, www.midwesthumanrights.org, and activevoice.net/thevisitor.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/59568-lawyer-speaks-about-immigrant-detention">Watch the video</a>
Why we need humane immigration reformhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/59567-why-we-need-humane-immigration-reform2009-01-09T02:41:05ZImmigrant Justice
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4pScWK3YxXA&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4pScWK3YxXA&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/59567-why-we-need-humane-immigration-reform"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/73329" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Attorney Tara Magner, policy director for the National Immigrant Justice Center, speaks about the need for humane immigration reform and protection of due process and human rights for detained immigrants. Her talk was part of a panel discussion on the immigrant detention system held in conjunction with a special Chicago film screening of "The Visitor" in October 2008. The screening was presented by Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center and the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights as part of the City of Chicago's Immigrant & Refugee Week and in partnership with Active Voice. For more information, visit www.immigrantjustice.org, www.midwesthumanrights.org, and activevoice.net/thevisitor</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/59567-why-we-need-humane-immigration-reform">Watch the video</a>
Another U.S. Citizen Treated Like an Illegal Immigranthttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/58202-another-u-s-citizen-treated-like-an-illegal-immigrant2008-12-30T23:32:51ZDREAMActivist
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_MkC29LS5Ak&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_MkC29LS5Ak&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/58202-another-u-s-citizen-treated-like-an-illegal-immigrant"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/71209" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p><p>Leonard Parrish discovered he had an outstanding arrest warrant for a bad check and came to the jail to pay a small "no arrest" bond. But the 50-year-old father of five from Brooklyn said he was finger printed, strip searched, and sent to the inmate intake area because a deputy thought he was an illegal immigrant.</p><p>Full story is <a href="http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou081017_mp-american-held-as-immigrant.121b56a52.html">here</a></p> <p>This is by no means and isolated incident.</p> <a><img title="Click to visit ImageShack for Image Hosting!" src="http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7590/46920080124immigrationlai1.jpg" alt="img110/7590/46920080124immigrationlai1.jpg" /></a><p> </p></p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/58202-another-u-s-citizen-treated-like-an-illegal-immigrant">Continue reading</a>
Juana Villegas: A Pregnant Woman Detainedhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54675-juana-villegas-a-pregnant-woman-detained2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFR2Qsokbe8&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFR2Qsokbe8&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54675-juana-villegas-a-pregnant-woman-detained"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66321" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Juana Villegas from Mexico, was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for careless driving (for which she was later found innocent); instead of receiving a customary citation, because of an agreement between local police and federal immigration authorities, she was detained in jail where she was shackled and remained shackled in transit to the hospital and while she gave birth and was then not allowed to use a breast pump or nurse her newborn child.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54675-juana-villegas-a-pregnant-woman-detained">Watch the video</a>
Juana Villegas: A Pregnant Woman Detainedhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54675-juana-villegas-a-pregnant-woman-detained2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFR2Qsokbe8&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DFR2Qsokbe8&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54675-juana-villegas-a-pregnant-woman-detained"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66321" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Juana Villegas from Mexico, was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for careless driving (for which she was later found innocent); instead of receiving a customary citation, because of an agreement between local police and federal immigration authorities, she was detained in jail where she was shackled and remained shackled in transit to the hospital and while she gave birth and was then not allowed to use a breast pump or nurse her newborn child.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54675-juana-villegas-a-pregnant-woman-detained">Watch the video</a>
Warren Joseph: Military Man Faces Deportationhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54674-warren-joseph-military-man-faces-deportation2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/76zWIYI8EGo&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/76zWIYI8EGo&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54674-warren-joseph-military-man-faces-deportation"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66320" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Warren Joseph from Trinidad, received a green card and served the U.S. Army in Iraq; detained and threatened with deportation because of violations to the conditions of his green card due to behavior and actions caused by post-traumatic-stress-syndrome; spent three years in detention where he observed and encountered serious physical and psychological abuse from immigration officers and jail officials.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54674-warren-joseph-military-man-faces-deportation">Watch the video</a>
Warren Joseph: Military Man Faces Deportationhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54674-warren-joseph-military-man-faces-deportation2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/76zWIYI8EGo&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/76zWIYI8EGo&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54674-warren-joseph-military-man-faces-deportation"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66320" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Warren Joseph from Trinidad, received a green card and served the U.S. Army in Iraq; detained and threatened with deportation because of violations to the conditions of his green card due to behavior and actions caused by post-traumatic-stress-syndrome; spent three years in detention where he observed and encountered serious physical and psychological abuse from immigration officers and jail officials.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54674-warren-joseph-military-man-faces-deportation">Watch the video</a>
Agatha: Teenage daughter suffers in immigrant detenttionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54673-agatha-teenage-daughter-suffers-in-immigrant-detenttion2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YmqC5QpWOCQ&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YmqC5QpWOCQ&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54673-agatha-teenage-daughter-suffers-in-immigrant-detenttion"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66319" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Agatha Joseph a native of St. Lucia, came to the United States in 1986 and became a citizen; eventually brought her two daughters who are green card holders; her teenage daughter was detained upon return from vacation to the Caribbean because of a prior marijuana violation for which she paid a fine; while in detention for three years, she was subject to unsafe conditions, harsh treatment and dirty facilities.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54673-agatha-teenage-daughter-suffers-in-immigrant-detenttion">Watch the video</a>
Agatha: Teenage daughter suffers in immigrant detenttionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54673-agatha-teenage-daughter-suffers-in-immigrant-detenttion2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YmqC5QpWOCQ&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YmqC5QpWOCQ&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54673-agatha-teenage-daughter-suffers-in-immigrant-detenttion"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66319" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Agatha Joseph a native of St. Lucia, came to the United States in 1986 and became a citizen; eventually brought her two daughters who are green card holders; her teenage daughter was detained upon return from vacation to the Caribbean because of a prior marijuana violation for which she paid a fine; while in detention for three years, she was subject to unsafe conditions, harsh treatment and dirty facilities.</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54673-agatha-teenage-daughter-suffers-in-immigrant-detenttion">Watch the video</a>
Ali: HIV+ man suffers in detentionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54672-ali-hiv-man-suffers-in-detention2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SoSZMibzww4&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SoSZMibzww4&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54672-ali-hiv-man-suffers-in-detention"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66318" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Ali Pakistani-born, HIV+ gay man, living in New York City for 30 years with a green card; after serving a brief term in jail for a minor crime, he was immediately turned over to immigration authorities and spent more than a year in detention where he witnessed the worst kind of physical abuse and medical mistreatment, including constantly fighting to get his HIV medication which he needed to survive and often being given the wrong medications or doses</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54672-ali-hiv-man-suffers-in-detention">Watch the video</a>
Ali: HIV+ man suffers in detentionhttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54672-ali-hiv-man-suffers-in-detention2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SoSZMibzww4&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SoSZMibzww4&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54672-ali-hiv-man-suffers-in-detention"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66318" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Ali Pakistani-born, HIV+ gay man, living in New York City for 30 years with a green card; after serving a brief term in jail for a minor crime, he was immediately turned over to immigration authorities and spent more than a year in detention where he witnessed the worst kind of physical abuse and medical mistreatment, including constantly fighting to get his HIV medication which he needed to survive and often being given the wrong medications or doses</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54672-ali-hiv-man-suffers-in-detention">Watch the video</a>
Mallika Dutt on Homeland Guantanamoshttp://bravenewfilms.org/blog/54671-mallika-dutt-on-homeland-guantanamos2009-01-09T02:56:59ZBreakthrough
<object width="375" height="308"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uYvHfCWlrUM&border=0&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uYvHfCWlrUM&border=0&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="308"></embed></object>
<a href="/blog/54671-mallika-dutt-on-homeland-guantanamos"><img src="http://bravenewfilms.org/pictures/medium/66317" width="140" height="105" border="0" align="left" style="border: solid 1px black;" /></a>
<div class="post_content">
<p>Breakthrough's Executive Director, Mallika Dutt, speaks on the deplorable conditions of immigrant detention centers. She says, "inhumane conditions that violate human rights goes against American values."</p>
</div>
<a href="/blog/54671-mallika-dutt-on-homeland-guantanamos">Watch the video</a>