I've been trying to tell a part of this story by suing @UMich to unseal the #TantonPapers, which outline the conceptual and ideological underpinnings of the modern anti-immigrant movement.
The #TantonNetwork is what told Miller how to do what he did, and what he continues to do.
We ignore camouflaged white nationalism at our own peril.
Lies like the majority of asylum cases are fraudulent, that MPP was for protection, that there will otherwise be an 'invasion,' that no one shows up for their hearings, that they're diseased, unskilled, and will steal jobs and drain our economy.
Ignoring facts that it's due to policies pushed by those groups that the border is so horribly mismanaged, that asylum seekers still contribute despite the law disempowering them, that COVID rates are negligible, that they create jobs or fulfill a needed sector.
Yes, I know the odds. But I'm not letting up the pressure and NEITHER SHOULD YOU.
We can make this happen.
Here's a summary of a detailed letter drafted by some of us working on exposing the white nationalism in our immigration policy - the so-called #TantonNetwork.
See my pinned tweet for more. Yes, it's that bad.
Yes, this will make it to the Hill.
In Sept 2019, alone with @Alyssa_Milano and @morethanmySLE we met with 17+ members of Congress, to let them know about the Tanton Network and explain how they had the immigration debate on lockdown.
Something about this win made me tear up today. Our client could barely breathe when he tried to relate the campaign of terror MS-13 unleashed on him and his family. Today, he also lost breath.
He just kept repeating "no tengo palabras, no tengo palabras..." (I don't have words)
We got this case right before the interview. A loss here would mean years stuck in immigration court and likely a deportation order.
What made this case unusual was he filed his case after being here for almost 20 years. The law says you have 1 year to file.
Exceptional circumstances can excuse this, but they have to be exceptional. We had <10 days to rescue this case.
When he started testifying, there trauma was undeniable.
So we live-researched trauma as an exceptional circumstance.
Just finished reading the 66-page summary of the Biden #ImmigrationBill. It's not the law yet! But here are some highlights:
1. New "Lawful Prospective Immigrant" status, or LPI. Good for 6 years, and can file for green card after 5.
Eligibility: In US since 1/1/2021.
If you were here for 3y and departed/deported during Trump presidency, you can qualify for LPI status.
Receipt notice of LPI status serves as a work permit.
LPI status cannot be used by ICE. Many crimes disqualify you.
Those who had certain statuses on 1/1/21 are ineligible.
2. Dreamers can skip LPI and go straight to green card. A Dreamer is anyone who entered the US under age 18 and before 1/1/2021. Dramatically more than DACA!
Current DACA recipients will enjoy an easier, streamlined green card process.
Four years ago, I filed a request to unseal the papers of white supremacist John Tanton. Sealed away at @UMich until 2035, the #TantonPapers will shed light on the anti-immigrant organizations he built that are largely responsible for the horrors of the last 4 years.
The University has fought me tooth and nail for 4 years to keep these papers secret. Supposedly honoring a mysterious "gift agreement" with Tanton - which they've NEVER produced a copy of.