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Our hearts go out to the families of victims killed in Saturday’s mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, a racist act of violence committed by a white supremacist who subscribed to the extremely dangerous Great Replacement Theory. As more details of the horrific event emerge, we wanted to share our comprehensive resource on this theory, its origins and how it relates to immigration. We also have an Only in America podcast episode on how to combat the spread of this racist theory. As Matt Shuham of Talking Points Memo reports, Great Replacement Theory has unfortunately "been inspiring shooters and bolstering Republicans for years." With this xenophobic theory making its way into the mainstream media — and amplified by people like Tucker Carlson — it’s going to take a dedicated, nimble approach to stop the spread of this theory and end the violence that comes with it. "In sometimes more muted forms, the fear it crystallizes — of a future America in which white people are no longer the numerical majority — has become a potent force in conservative media and politics, where the theory has been borrowed and remixed to attract audiences, retweets and small-dollar donations," Nicholas Confessore and Karen Yourish write for The New York Times. Charles Passy of MarketWatch and Jennifer Graham of the Deseret News further explain the connection between the theory and the tragic shooting. For more on how the theory works and how it’s gotten so popular, see David Lauter’s piece in the Los Angeles Times and Philip Bump’s analysis for The Washington Post. "The community, they don’t really want a lot of this kind of attention. They don’t need the camera crews," Tyrell Ford, lead community organizer of VOICE Buffalo, told Documented’s Rebecca Davis of Buffalo residents. "They want to have the ability to heal and grieve and to get the mental health counseling and trauma services that they need. That’s what they really want at this time: time to understand what has happened." And as artist Haruka Aoki reminds us in her new comic honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: "Whenever there is news of a marginalized community being attacked, a lot of our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ friends and colleagues feel scared. Remember, you can reach out to them with love, support, and tenderness." Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I’m Joanna Taylor, Senior Communications Manager at the Forum. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at jtaylor@immigrationforum.org. COURT DECISION — The Supreme Court is now limiting the review of factual disputes in immigration cases, Ariane de Vogue reports for CNN. The decision comes as a recent court case ruled against Pankajkumar S. Patel, an Indian citizen who accidentally "checked a box on a driver’s license renewal application falsely maintaining that he was a U.S. citizen." Although the charges for the false statement were dropped, because of the error, he and his family are now subject to deportation, despite living in the U.S for years. "Today, the Court holds that a federal bureaucracy can make an obvious factual error, one that will result in an individual’s removal from this county, and nothing can be done about it," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in his dissent, noting that the ruling will have "dire consequences for countless lawful immigrants." FALSE PRETENSES — Senate Republicans are "threatening to withhold votes for funds that would aid COVID-19 prevention and treatment" unless an amendment is voted on that would continue Title 42, Fox News political analyst Juan Williams writes in an op-ed for The Hill. If the GOP really cared about immigration, he writes, "they’d fix the problem" by advocating for real solutions. "What is clear as the years go by is that the GOP hardliners on immigration don’t have better ideas for immigration reform. They have no inspired thoughts about border security beyond the wall that Trump promised and never fully built," Williams writes. And "[w]ith Republicans potentially taking control of the House and Senate after the midterms, the only foreseeable opening for reform is now." BORDER REFORMS — For more on why Title 42 isn’t the answer to our border challenges, Alisa Reznick of KJZZ’s Fronteras Desk turns to policy recommendations from Sheriff David Hathaway of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, a member of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force. "My colleagues at the border need bolstered procedures and infrastructure to properly and humanely process all types of entry claims at the border," writes Sheriff Hathaway in an op-ed for the Arizona Republic. "... As a sheriff on the border, I’m among those who are desperately looking for bold leaders who are ready to understand and seek solutions that improve our border infrastructure and policies this year." Meanwhile, migrants in Yuma, Arizona, who fled their home countries are uncertain of their future as they continue to wait for the Title 42 lift, per KYMA’s Adam Klepp. HELPING REFUGEES — For the Journal-Courier, David Blanchette tells the incredible story of longtime Jacksonville, Illinois, resident Jennifer Smith, whose Coast Guard experience, faith, and call for helping others have taken her all around the world to help refugees. "My primary purpose is to meet their spiritual needs. I can meet your physical needs, but if there’s nothing after that, people are in desperation," said Smith, a Disaster Response Team member for Samaritan’s Purse. "But if we meet both, we provide them with what they need right at that moment." On local welcome:
Thanks for reading, Joanna |
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