Category Archives: Legislation

SOA/WHINSEC Update: A Victory for Transparency

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Pentagon Loses Court Case over Refusal to Release Names of SOA/ WHINSEC Graduates

Oakland, CA – In a rare reflection of judicial independence, United States District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton from the Northern District of California ordered the Pentagon to release the names of who trains and teaches at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHINSEC), a U.S. military training school for Latin American soldiers that has been connected to torturers, death squads and military dictators throughout the Americas. Human rights activists had taken the U.S. government to court over its refusal to release the information, and won.
Read the court ruling here: SOAW.org/judgment Continue reading →

Why Are Domestic Workers Ignored in Immigration Reform?

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Bryce Covert on January 29, 2013 – 11:34 AM ET The Nation


(Reuters/Luke MacGregor)

Eight senators released a broad proposal for immigration reform yesterday. One detail nestled within it was highlighted by Seth Freed Wessler at Colorlines: the proposal includes special treatment for agricultural workers and DREAMers. For farm workers, the proposal states (my emphasis): Continue reading →

Throw the SOA/WHINSEC Over the Fiscal Cliff!

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Action Alert: Contact Your Representative Today!

You sure have been busy since leaving the gates of Fort Benning in November!

Over 8,000 messages were sent to Congressional Representatives, Senators and to Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough demanding that in these times of fiscal crisis, we put an end to militarized budgets, and cut the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC)! Added to that were the hundreds more postcards sent from the gates of Fort Benning to representatives and senators from 37 states!

We need to keep up the pressure. Order a set of advocacy postcards and get your family and friends to send a message to Congress.
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The Story No One is Talking About: Trans Pacific Partnership

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The press is still asleep at the wheel, barely making a peep about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

TPP negotiations are under way in Auckland, New Zealand, at another swanky venue — this time a luxury casino. But most of the mainstream media doesn’t seem to even realize that there’s another corporate power grab occurring. At least you’d assume so from the lack of coverage.

We rely on journalists to inform the public about threats to American jobs and the safety of our food and products from deals like the TPP. And we expect to learn from the press about how we can avoid this job-offshore-ageddon through initiatives like U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-Ohio) 21st Century Trade Agreements Act.

Will you take one minute to send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to raise awareness about the closed-door TPP talks?

Send a letter to the editor of your newspaper demanding coverage of the TPP and the opportunities, such as Sen. Brown’s 21st Century Trade Agreements Act, to fix job-killing trade agreements.
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St Louis Board of Aldermen passes Comprehensive Sweatshop Free Procurement Resolution

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WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE:

On Friday, June 29, the Board of Aldermen passed a resolution which builds on standards set forth in (Buy American) Ordinance 62017 for purchasing goods and commodities for the City.  The Comprehensive Sweatshop Free Program will require that vendors who are awarded the annual contract for the City of St. Louis’ uniforms report where and under what workplace conditions and labor practices the uniforms are being produced.

The Board acted en banc on the resolution presented by Honorable Craig Schmid, Alderman 20th Ward, Honorable Stephen J. Conway, Alderman 8th Ward, and Honorable Marlene E. Davis, Alderwoman 19th Ward.  They worked closely with the Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America, a long-standing St. Louis organization committed to economic and social justice issues.

“St Louis has followed the lead of University City who became a sweatfree community in October of 2010.  We now issue a challenge to St Louis County, St Charles, the municipalities of St Louis County and beyond,“ said Marilyn Lorenz of IFCLA, “to assure sweatfree principles are followed in their procurement policies.  This vote is about justice for workers.”
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SCOTUS Ruling on SB1070

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ST LOUIS – The Supreme Court issued its decision  on the constitutionality of SB 1070, Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant law; the Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates and partners held a press conference to provide reaction and commentary to the decision and to discuss the need to stop the spread of racial profiling laws like SB1070 in Missouri.  MIRA and our partners will continue to fight to protect basic civil rights, build power, and win respect, dignity and equal treatment under the law for all people.

Reporting of Press Conference:

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/mo-immigrant-advocacy-groups-arizonas-mostly-nixed-law

http://fox2now.com/2012/06/27/supreme-court-immigration-ruling-sparks-tension-in-st-louis/ (http://kplr11.com/2012/06/27/supreme-court-immigration-ruling-sparks-tension-in-st-louis/)

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/local-immigration-advocates-express-concern-on-part-of-ariz-law/article_9bdfe336-c067-11e1-aa3c-0019bb30f31a.html

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Immigration Update and Come to the History Museum tonight at 7

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Congratulations friends!  It has been a long, often difficult legislative session, but we have reached the other side.  Friday, the last gavel went down in the General Assembly, and thanks to all the hard work, phone calls, letters, and visits to the Capitol, not a single piece of anti-immigrant legislation passed this year!  MIRA is proud of our 2012 record, not just in defeating every bill we opposed, but in bringing hundreds of community members to Jefferson City for hearings, advocacy day, and meetings with legislators.

PBS documentary “Not In My Town” — People come together after tragedy

 

Where: Missouri History Museum, Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 24
How much: Free
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Colombia FTA to go into effect on May 15…background and commentary and ACTION!

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As the implementation of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement begins today, we have learned of multiple death threats against labor leaders and their families.

John Jairo Castro of the Port Workers’ Union; Wilson Ferrer, President of the CUT labor federation in Santander; Johnnson Torres Ortis of the sugar cane cutters’ union SINALCORTEROS; and Rene Morales Silva of the African palm oil workers’ union SINTRAINAGRO all received death threats this week.

You can help protect these brave union leaders. Click here to send a letter to the U.S. Ambassador in Colombia and the Secretary of Labor now!
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End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 (S.1670 & H.R. 3618) ERPA

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Follow up from National End Racial Profiling Advocacy Week http://www.ifcla.net/site2/?p=12202

Act your Representative and Senators to co-sponsor this legislation.

Issue Brief
Rights Working Group urges members of Congress to cosponsor and pass the End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 (ERPA). Existing state laws and federal law enforcement guidance provide inconsistent and insufficient solutions to resolve  racial profiling, a  nationwide problem. This bill is critical to creating a more comprehensive national approach to ending racial profiling and protecting the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
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Urgent! Tell Congress: No funding for the Guatemalan Army until they clean up their act!

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Urgent! Tell Congress: No funding for the Guatemalan Army until they clean up their act!  http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2690/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10260

 As over 10,000 peaceful marchers gathered in Guatemala City’s central plaza, soldiers stationed on the tops of the surrounding buildings pointed their machine guns down at the crowd. Police on the ground penned in men, women and children, leaving them nowhere to flee. The marchers had walked for nine days to meet with their elected leaders and ask for an end to the violent evictions terrorizing their communities and for the passage of a law to promote true rural development to alleviate the crushing poverty suffered by the majority of Guatemalans.

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