Page 2 - Immigrant Issues News Today

Minnesotas legislative session kicked off this week. A bill for construction projects is possible, and those serving Latino communities hope to get support for a centralized facility they say is much needed to connect with clients. The new session isnt expected to see as many ambitious policy moves as last year, but a bonding bill for things such as transportation and water systems is on the list. ...

A regulatory hearing dealing with energy policy does not seem like a setting for most Minnesotans but a new coalition is recruiting voices who want affordable clean heating sources in homes and businesses to speak up on such decisions. Clean Heat Minnesota is backed by dozens of organizations representing a range of causes, including environmental, consumer advocacy, and racial justice. Brynn Kirsling, senior manager of advocacy campaigns for Fresh Energy, a key contributor to the coalition, s...

Most legally free Michiganders possess their vital records, but some people recently coming back to society after incarceration do not. A package of bills awaits Senate approval to ensure the Michigan Department of Corrections and Secretary of State provide people returning to society with their birth certificate and drivers license or state ID, and then work with the federal government to provide a Social Security card. Chuck Warpehoski, project coordinator for the Michigan Collaborative to E...

Being in prison has consequences stretching far beyond paying back a persons debt to society and a new report found it is even more true in Mississippi. The Sentencing Project examined the ways mass incarceration policies hold people back from getting their lives on track, both before and after their time behind bars. It showed in Mississippi when someone is incarcerated, their ability to earn and save money, as well as help their family and pay restitution and fees, is significantly limited. ...

A new report says the Portland Police Bureau is obscuring information on officers who use excessive force on the job. Researchers with the organization Ctrl+Alt+Defund investigated use of force data between 2017 and 2023 through public records requests and found only a few officers account for many of these incidences. The highest rate was from Officer Damien Dale, who used force 23 times in 2023. ...

By Maurice Chammah for The Marshall Project.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Marshall Project-Public News Service Collaboration Next week, Alabama prison officials plan to escort Kenneth Eugene Smith from his cell, strap a mask to his face and replace his breathing air with nitrogen gas. It would likely be the first execution of its kind anywhere in the world. How did we get here? Lethal injection has been the dominant method in the United States fo...

Despite extensive opposition, the Virginia Reliability Project is moving forward. This month, the states Marine Resources Commission issued a wetlands permit for the project, although 175 Virginia residents submitted comments, all in opposition. The Virginia Reliability Project calls for constructing compressor stations and expanding a gas line which has been operating since the 1950s with a larger-diameter pipeline. ...

Today marks the beginning of a holiday celebration with African roots. The annual nonreligious observance of Kwanzaa means "first fruits of the harvest." Maulana "Ron" Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University-Long Beach and an activist, created Kwanzaa to address economic and racial unrest in America in the 1960s, and groups in Indiana have held community-focused Kwanzaa events for almost 45 years. Nichelle Hayes, committee memb...

Advocates are applauding the Washington, D.C., Public Service Commissions decision to pause a Washington Gas infrastructure rebuild known as Project Pipes. The project began in 2014 as a 40-year plan to replace all the Districts aging natural gas infrastructure, at a projected cost to ratepayers of $4.5 billion. The project is nearing the end of Phase 2 but last Tuesday the commission voted to put a Washington Gas request for a $57 million extension of the phase on hold. ...

A high-stakes global climate conference wrapped up this week, with a new agreement concerning fossil fuels in place. But it wasnt just elected leaders having talks - environmental justice advocates from Minnesota are reflecting on their participation. At the two-week-long Conference of the Parties (COP) 28 summit, some 200 countries agreed to a more aggressive push in phasing out energy sources like coal. ...