President Trump has signed three more executive orders, further cracking down on the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. One order seeks to compile a list of so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with Trump’s mass deportation policies.
A second order further militarizes local police departments, while providing legal resources to officers accused of abuses; it also seeks to undo federal consent decrees for departments that have committed civil rights abuses and seeks to punish local officials who “unlawfully prohibit law enforcement officers from carrying out duties.”
A third executive order requires professional truck drivers to be proficient in English. On Monday, staffers placed signs on the White House lawn showing mugshots of immigrants, linking them to crimes with the word ”ARRESTED” written in all caps.
This comes as House Republicans have proposed a bill that would charge people arriving at a U.S. port of entry $1,000 in order to file an asylum claim — and a $3,500 fee for those sponsoring children. The right to seek asylum is a fundamental human right enshrined in international law, and the U.S. has never before charged petitioners.
Canada and some European countries have accepted refugees from the US but from what I’ve read it’s incredibly rate and requires and extraordinary amount of proof that your life is under threat and you have no other choice than to move to those countries.
Occasionally, I watch some queer videos on YT, just to see how they see the world from their perspective. Recently, the tone has shifted and some are even advising other people to go back into the closet. Especially gender minorities appear to be afraid of what’s going on these days. Maybe someone in that category could convincingly claim that their life is in danger. I wonder if it also applies to gay people.
I’d imagine that’s because of the STCA, but there seems to be a loophole where it doesn’t apply if you enter via water and don’t claim refugee status before 14 days.
If I were really determined, I’d at least ask an immigration lawyer about it, and then I’d plan on taking a 2 week camping trip in Canada when I thought shit was likely to go down.