Should We Reconsider Our Immigration Policies?

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Happy May, readers! 

Spring is starting to come in a little stronger, raising the temperature outside and giving us a few more sunny days a week – ya llega el Verano, chicos! May is important in many ways: it’s Asian American Pacific Islander month; Mental Health Awareness month; Cinco de Mayo (tomorrow); Mother’s Day (May 14th); Memorial Day (May 29th). Tomorrow we also have the Flower Full Moon, which will also be a lunar eclipse – that means strong energy and a good time to release what no longer serves you. 

The MET gala occurred Monday night, with the theme being in honor of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Yet, the theme was a controversial one to many… Despite his beautiful and iconic designs, he was well-known for his fatphobic, homophobic, or his anti-me too  movement comments. More on that here. A few celebrities showed up to the gala dressed in pink, a color Lagerfeld despised. 

-Isabella

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It’s no news that we’re undergoing a global displacement crisis. One of the biggest migration crises is happening about 1,800 miles away from Minneapolis. The Biden administration set a new asylum policy at the U.S-Mexico border. As they send 1,500 active-duty troops next week for the next 90 days, the administration is expecting around 40-thousand people to cross the border per day – that’s almost 300-thousand people a week needing to cross into U.S. territory. In March 2020, the Trump administration enacted Title 42 (an order executed under Section 362 of the Public Health Service Act), “a section of the Public Health Safety Act that allows the US government to temporarily block noncitizens from entering the US “when doing so is required in the interest of public health.”  At the time it was considered “reasonable” since we were undergoing a global pandemic, although it was initially opposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Title 42 was devastating for asylum seekers and refugees. It kept realpeople with real concerns from fleeing from unsafe situations.

Biden didn’t overturn the policy once he began his presidency in 2021. In fact, one of the president’s promises in the 2020 elections on immigration policies was to “overhaul the country’s asylum system”. Harold Koh, a senior legal adviser for the Biden administration’s State Department, resigned in 2021 due to the administration’s implementation of Title 42, which authorizes the Surgeon General to prohibit foreign “persons or property” from entering the country in cases of a serious danger of the introduction of a communicable disease. Koh claimed that invoking Title 42 violated non-refoulement obligations grounded in the Convention Against Torture and the 1951 Refugee Convention. However, other international law obligations like the application of Title 42 may also violate Articles 42 and 43 of the International Health Regulations (IHR). IHR Article 43 requires that state-implemented health measures be based on available scientific evidence and should not be more restrictive than reasonably available alternatives. 

Title 42 was going to be lifted on May 11th this year. However, Biden’s administration has changed those plans. It is without a doubt that the U.S. immigration laws are outdated, and we need to remap how we confront migration in this country. There is a current humanitarian crisis in the West that needs to be confronted and assisted, and xenophobic policies and attacking the immigration system is not the way. 

What do you think? Let us know at newprensa@newpublica.com 

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Tantalizing bites took place at Nixta’s Oro, the ultimate counter service masa kitchen. From the countertops to the staffs’ black and gold aprons, the Mexican golden cuisine follows you everywhere you go. 

The room carries a light and easygoing energy as the restaurant plays with a variety of yellow and brown tones to match its kernels and first-place worthy cooks. As you explore you’ll find enchanting paintings and murals created by renowned artists. From the striking brushstrokes of Jimmy Longoria to the thought-provoking works of Luis Fitch, Gustavo Lira Garcia, Xilam Balam Ybarra, and Tear Dayz. 

Oro has found a distinctive way to combine the art of “la masa” and Mexican food with the art behind Latin painters and sculptors in Minnesota. It is the fertile combination of creators who bring the culture together in one space. At Oro everyone has a story and an end-goal that pertains to their journeys. 

Continue reading the story here.

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Good morning, everyone! Helene here. Tuesday evening, Paid Family Medical Leave passed in the House of Representatives. It’s very exciting news for lots of people, including us here at NewPrensa! The program has been in the works for 8 years, with support from DFL lawmakers, backed by faith leaders, business owners, unions, and health organizations. The program would allow Minnesota workers and employees to pay into a fund that would allow them to access partial wages from the program to welcome a new child, ease the burden of illness, or care for a loved one. Those against the bill, including GOP lawmakers, said that the bill was “too rigid” and the onus should fall more on employers to offer paid leave options. 

The bill does have the potential to alleviate stress on small businesses, who often struggle with meeting their needs when a loved one falls ill or a baby is born. An unexpected health event has the potential to endanger the health of a small business, and the ability to confront these events without fear of losing a business is a welcome change for many. Minnesotans would become eligible for benefits under the bill starting in 2025, which is when a payroll tax would be first introduced to fund the program. Workers would have the right, under the bill, to be reinstated at their position when they return from their paid leave. NewPrensa writer Isabella and editor Chris were at the Capitol when the bill passed in the House, and were thrilled to share such an important moment with lawmakers and community members in support of the bill. The NewPrensa team will always stand with Paid Family Medical Leave! 

That’s it from us this week, friends. We hope you enjoy your Thursday.

-Isabella and Helene 

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