News

Bowser, Todd Push back Against Migrant Holding Facility

THE AFRO — District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 4 Council member Brandon Todd are on the political front line standing against President Donald J. Trump, whose assault on immigration is spilling into the nation’s capital. The Trump administration reportedly awarded a contract to Dynamic Service Solutions, a company based in Oxon Hill, Md., at the National Harbor. This would be the company’s first time operating a migrant detention facility amid reports continue to surface about the unsanitary and inhumane conditions where captives are living in those facilities around the country.

Published

5 years ago

August 26, 2019

Oakland Post

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 4 Council member Brandon Todd are standing against President Donald J. Trump’s attempt to shelter unaccompanied migrant children in the District of Columbia. (Courtesy Photo)

By Mark F. Gray

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 4 Council member Brandon Todd are on the political front line standing against President Donald J. Trump, whose assault on immigration is spilling into the nation’s capital.

The Trump administration reportedly awarded a contract to Dynamic Service Solutions, a company based in Oxon Hill, Md., at the National Harbor. This would be the company’s first time operating a migrant detention facility amid reports continue to surface about the unsanitary and inhumane conditions where captives are living in those facilities around the country.

Hours after the news broke regarding, what some call, the plans for a modern concentration camp, Mayor Bowser initiated the District’s pushback by stating she would not allow the center to open.

“We have no intention of accepting a new federal facility, least of all one that detains and dehumanizes migrant children,” Bowser said in a public statement. “Washington, D.C. will not be complicit in the inhumane practice of detaining migrant children in warehouses.”

Meanwhile, the Ward 4 Council member expressed his concerns against the federal government’s attempt to shelter unaccompanied migrant children in the District of Columbia. Todd used his Twitter account to let his constituents know he would not support the prospect for the facility in their backyard. D.C. and northern Virginia have unofficially bonded on their vehemence not to host the facilities, which have separated migrant families.

“We are going to bring 200 migrant children to a sheltered facility?” questioned Todd in his social media post. “That’s absurd, it really is. I wouldn’t support it even if it was 10 children. This isn’t how you treat humans.”

Reportedly, Dynamic Service Solutions (DSS) was awarded a $20.5 million contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to operate a 200-bed District facility for kids ages 12 to 17 with nine employees on staff. DSS recently posted six more job openings in D.C. for bilingual nurses, teachers, and youth care workers.

There is one posting for a “lead teacher” position requiring the instructor to meet the Office of Refugee Resettlement guidelines. Those guidelines mandate that “each unaccompanied alien child must receive a minimum of six hours of structured education Monday through Friday, throughout the entire year in basic academic areas.”

Since 2010, DSS has provided engineering, technology and professional services to the “Federal Government and Commercial Markets,” according to the company’s website. However, there is no mention of their expertise in maintenance or operation of detention facilities.

DHHS claims these detainees – who were caught apprehended alone, unlike migrant children separated from their families – have beds, will have access to meals, legal services, games and classes. The government has been outsourcing shelter and care for the detention of unaccompanied minors in the United States since Trump’s policy was initiated.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

5 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.