Losing DACA?: The possible implications for America’s ‘Dreamers’.

Today’s story comes from the United States and focuses on the acronym that’s blanketed the airwaves for the last few months – DACA. It also focuses on the heartbreaking tale of a man named Jorgé Garcia who, in January 2018, was separated from his family and forcibly deported to Mexico after nearly 30 years of living in America.

First things first, shall we?

What actually is DACA?

‘DACA’ stands for ‘Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals’ and is a federal government program in the US which was created in 2012 under Barack Obama. The act affords people who were brought to the country illegally as children (under 16) the right to temporarily live, study and work in America. To apply for consideration under DACA a person must have completed school, be a current student or have served in the armed forces; they must also have no criminal convictions of any kind and be deemed ‘not a threat to national security’. If successful in their application, legal action to deport the individual is suspended for two years – and possibly for longer if the application is successfully renewed. Oh, and they also become eligible for basic things like the right to hold a driving license or attend college (university). These people are known as The Dreamers.

Called ‘Dreamers’ after the failed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (Dream) Act that Obama tried to pass through Congress. Whilst the Dreamer Act would have afforded these children permanent legal status as citizens of the United States….DACA only offers the deferred deportation process as described above. Most Dreamers are of Latino ethnicity and arrived in America from Central American countries, most notably Mexico.

Why all the fuss about DACA?

In September 2017, President Trump announced that he would be ending the DACA program as of March 2018 and any new applications would not be considered. This would mean that, in one month’s time, c. 800,000 young Dreamers would face deportation back to a country that many of them will have no memory of. They would find themselves homeless on the streets of – what is to all intents and purposes – a ‘foreign’ country, with little or no family in the area to support them. It is a bleak prospect indeed for those affected.

Luckily, President Trump has since been blocked from scrapping the program by a federal judge (much to the President’s infamous ire) and the DACA issue was one of the key agendas that prompted the recent shutdown of the US government as Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a DACA-related bargain. A final decision has still not been reached regarding the fate of c. 800,000 young Dreamers in America and the President’s stance towards DACA changes on a seemingly hourly basis. We can but hope that a deal is reached which protects America’s Dreamers. Soon. Lest we see more cases like the heart-rending story of Jorgé Garcia…

Jorgé Garcia

What does this man have to do with DACA and why do I keep mentioning him? Well his story is – I feel – a very powerful, emotional and important one which we should all be aware of. We should ruminate on the emotional and psychological impact that his story will have upon his family and friends. We should make it our mission to prevent similar things from ever occurring again.

Jorgé Garcia was brought to the United States of America from Mexico when he was ten years old. It is unknown who brought him across the border (most newspapers cite the person responsible only as an ‘unknown relative’), but what is certain is that he was brought across the border illegally.

That was almost thirty years ago.

In the years since arriving in the United States, Mr Garcia settled down in Lincoln Park, Michigan, married an American citizen, had two children (also American citizens) and worked as a landscaper. By all accounts he had no criminal record and he paid all of his taxes yearly. He was a normal, run-of-the-mill family man.

However, in 2009 a ‘Removal Order’ was issued for Mr Garcia as he had entered the country illegally…albeit not by his own choice and as a minor. The Garcia family fought hard for his right to remain in the United States and his deportation order was stayed by the Obama administration whilst the family looked for a way to make their husband/father a ‘legal citizen’.

Mr. Garcia did not qualify for DACA when it was introduced in 2012 as he was 33 years of age. Why is this important? The DACA bill stipulates that to qualify for consideration a person’s age on June 15th 2012 (the bill’s induction date) must not have exceeded 31 years. And so, despite coming into the country at age ten – well below the cut-off age of 16 – Jorgé Garcia did not qualify for the protection of DACA. His family continued to battle to make him a legal citizen, incurring legal fees of over $125,000.

That is, of course, until the Trump administration came to power. Legislation changed and Mr. Garcia found himself unable to delay the Removal Order any longer. On January 15th 2018 (Martin Luther King Day) immigration agents escorted Mr. Garcia to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, he pulled his family close in one final goodbye embrace…before being ushered through customs to board a plane ‘home’ to Mexico. Protesters stood silently nearby holding placards that read ‘Stop Separating Families’ as other travelers arriving at the airport looked on with sympathy and concern.

Below is a photograph of Jorgé Garica, his wife, his daughter (15) and his son (12) as they wept together before being separated. You can also find a video of this event on YouTube or Vimeo, but it’s content is – as one might expect – highly emotional and tear-jerking.

Mr. Garcia has now returned to a country he left when he was ten years old. He probably has very little memory of his ‘homeland’ and it is unknown whether he has any property or family remaining in Mexico. He now faces a potential ten-year ban preventing his re-entry to the USA, although his wife – Cindy Garcia – has stalwartly vowed to fight the government at every twist and turn to ensure that her husband is returned to her. At the very least it will be 18 months before a meeting can be arranged at the Mexican Consulate to discuss his ‘legal Green Card status’.

He is 39 years old and has spent almost 30 of those years in the United States. He married an American. His children are American. He worked for American customers. He paid tax to the American IRS…

…I ask you, HOW IS AMERICA NOT THIS MAN’S HOMELAND?! His wife is now without her husband; his children, without their father. The sheer psychological shock of an event like this on his family will be earthshakingly terrible. This should not be allowed to happen. Surely this is a breach of human rights?! However, if DACA is abolished this situation will be repeated all over the United States.

Immigration is something that must be controlled, yes, but the Obama administration’s DACA agreement should be honoured. The Dreamers should be afforded protection from a fate similar to that of Mr. Garcia. American families should not be torn apart in such an inhumane manner. The scene that played out at Detroit airport in January is one that – in my opinion – should never be repeated again.

 

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” – Emma Lazarus (an excerpt from the quote on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty).

Developing World Tuesday #1: Insidious disease spreading in Middle Africa?

So first of all let me start this article by making two statements:

a) I have decided that from now on every Tuesday will be ‘Developing World Tuesday’. I will focus on issues facing the developing world, news stories emerging from those nations, and I will try to showcase individuals who I feel have really made a difference in their countries.

b) This is not an opportunity to pass judgement on the developing world. Not every story will be about famine, civil strife, illegal poaching and war. However it is important that we recognise that some of the issues facing the developing world are much, much different to the issues that we face in the so-called ‘developed world’. It is also important that we recognise that, as unfortunate as it may be, places like the African subcontinent and the Former Soviet Republics often slip through the net when it comes to the reporting of mainstream news. I will endeavour to rectify this in part through these ‘Developing World Tuesdays’.

 

Right…now on with the show.

 

Insidious Disease Spreading In Middle Africa?

So…an alarming story flashed across my dashboard today. In December 2017 three people died in South Sudan due to contracting a disease which is commonly being referred to as ‘Bleeding Eyes Fever’. The situation then escalated somewhat in January 2018 when – across the southern border in Uganda – a nine-year-old girl tragically died after exhibiting similar symptoms. Reports are varied, but it is now believed that up to eleven people have died in the two countries and many more may have been exposed to the disease. Countries that border Uganda and South Sudan have been named ‘at risk’ of viral infections; those names are Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Whilst there is still some debate, it seems that there are two separate viruses responsible for the recent deaths. In the case of South Sudan, the illness has not been formally identified but is thought to be of the Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF) family. Disturbing reports featured in The Daily Express claim that the disease could be a new strain of plague – related to the infamous ‘Black Death’ which killed over 50 million people in the 14th Century. In 2017 plague killed hundreds in Madagascar, and it is now feared that the disease may have developed into a new strain and made the jump to mainland Africa. This cannot be taken as solid truth though as virologists are still studying samples taken from the infected people. Encouragingly, it has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that – as per laboratory results – the disease in South Sudan is NOT Ebola, Marburg, Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), Rift Valley Fever or Sosuga virus.

However, in the case of the nine-year-old girl who died in Uganda…whilst the Secretary of the Ugandan Health Ministry initially denied the fact – confusing the public greatly – it appears that there has been a minor outbreak of CCHF. The girl, who came from the rural district of Nakaseke, tested positive for the disease and up to 60 people are now being tested by health officials after fears of exposure to the virus. Seven have already fallen ill.

CCHF is similar to the haemorrhagic variant of Dengue Fever and it is caused by tick-bites or contact with infected animals (usually farming livestock); after a human is infected however, the virus can spread from person to person easily via bodily fluids. In this manner it is similar to Ebola, which I am sure we all remember vividly from the 2014-2016 epidemic in East Africa. Symptoms of CCHF are also similar to Ebola and include vomiting, headaches, very high fever and bleeding from the orifices. It has a frightening mortality rate of 25-40%.

Now another story arises – Rift Valley Fever (RVF) has also hit the nation of Uganda at the same time as CCHF. Cases have been reported as recently as January 19th 2018 and three people have already succumbed to the disease. RVF is also spread by an infected animals or mosquitos, however it does come in two variants – mild and severe. Those who suffer the severe version of the illness experience muscle pains, fever and bleeding into the brain; the mortality rates in these cases can be as high as 50%. It seems that Uganda is in the grip of a serious health crisis that is worthy of international attention.

Reassuringly, the WHO has a presence in Uganda and is advising the Health Ministry on how to contain the outbreak of these two serious viral diseases. Cattle spraying has begun in the country, designed to kill the ticks that transmit CCHF. Animal handlers have been advised to wear protective garb when inspecting and herding their livestock, and people throughout the country are being advised to boil all animal milk and ensure meat is thoroughly cooked to avoid contracting the viruses.

Panic is a very strong thing, and already the government of Cameroon has been forced to deny an outbreak of a haemorrhagic fever in its capital as fear grips Middle Africa.

My thoughts are with the people of South Sudan and Uganda who are suffering with these dreadful illnesses. Let’s hope that all parties concerned have learned the lessons taught to us by the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak: do not delay – preventative action and community education campaigns must be undertaken NOW to arrest the spread of CCHF and RVF. The local people cannot be expected to triumph over a disease unless the government educates them on how to recognise it and subsequently deal with it.

“It’s in the misery of some unnamed slum that the next killer virus will emerge.” – Barack Obama.

The Journey Begins

Well this promises to be the start of either a very short and thankless journey…or a life-changing one with endless opportunities…

…enough philosophising!

I have taken a huge step in my life today. I have, somewhat madly, applied to return to university and study a field that I have always been fascinated by. Journalism.

Yes! Aha! I will transform into the hated and loathed face of the ugly, overbearing and over-opinionated media whose droning voice we cannot ever escape. It pervades our living rooms, emanating from the speakers of our televisions. It dogs our footsteps with constant newsflashes on our smartphones. It’s influence is heard in the voices of the burgeoning population who walk our streets….

…well actually, no. I won’t become anything so powerful or fanciful. My goal is to be quite the opposite of the above. I went equipped with ‘The Speech’ to my interview with the head of the Communications and Media faculty today; annoyingly I did not get the chance to make my ‘grand and insightful’ speech as I was offered a place without needing it. Huzzah! It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I’ll probably re-read this later, shake my head and delete it for being ‘too weird and esoteric’.

However, since I spent a good while writing it (to the sound of smooth jazz music and my father banging around angrily above me in the loft), I’m going to post it here for your *ahem* reading pleasure. Oh, the latent sarcasm ends here by the way. 😋

“I have been an avid follower of world events since I was very young. Much too young to be concerned with the events of the US Presidential Election of 2000, in fact. However at the tender age of ten, I was arguing the case for the election of George W. Bush to the post of President. My best friend (also slightly mad) thought my politics were grossly wrong and so championed the case for the then Democratic candidate…Al Gore. What resulted was a prolonged battle of political campaigning by two ten-year-olds (the stories could last for pages) but in an effort to outwit my ‘opponent’ I began to really read and interpret news stories for the first time. This started me down the path that I now seek to walk to completion.

I feel that journalists have this unique – and undeniably dangerous – power that very few people could ever hope to possess. They can reach millions, if not billions, of people through the written or spoken word. The facts that are reported can have a tremendous effect upon the journalist’s audience which, thanks to social media platforms, is growing exponentially. This is the reason why it is so pivotally important that the facts are just that – facts. Not speculation. Not rumour. Facts.

As Uncle Ben once said to Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility”. This is a message that is of the utmost importance in the field of journalism. Facts should be reported “as is” and with no ‘spin’ or insertion of the journalist’s own political or social opinions.

If the facts are reported incorrectly then the results can be disastrous. Take for example the 2010 reports of a mosque that was due to be built at the Ground Zero site in New York City. A total falsehood that, via a television commercial financed by the dubious Koch Brothers, exploded into the media and incited protests throughout the American populace. The reality was that an Islamic community centre had been approved for construction more that two blocks away from the Ground Zero site…however through insidious and deliberate dissemination of disinformation, the media had cast the die. Thus the ‘fake news’ story is what the general public remember, not the truth. Occurrences like the one outlined above are to be avoided by the media at all costs. If not for the preservation of one’s own reputation, then for the preservation of order.

The honesty and integrity of the media is also something that should be preserved. The brave ‘truth will out’ image of journalism that was coined by such greats as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Watergate scandal to America and spelled the death knell for President Nixon’s administration. This is what journalists should aspire to. To emulate the actions of these unforgettable men who worked so tirelessly to uncover the truth, in the face of possible reprisals from the very highest echelons of government.

I will close by stating this: I wish to study journalism so that I can have the honour of serving the people, as others have done so valiantly before me. I will tell the whole and unbiased truth. Opinions are for the listener/reader to develop – they are not for me to impose upon them. I hold dear the ideals of the past and I wish my journalism to reflect that ”Golden Age” of media, which is slipping through our fingers – like sand through an hourglass – as journalism becomes ever more personal, polarised and influenced by the opinions of whomsoever holds the most cash. Journalism should not be influenced by whoever owns the television network or newspaper; their money and politics should not be used to obfuscate the truth.

The phrase ‘money talks’ should not apply to the field of journalism. No amount of money should twist the facts and camouflage the truth.

I wish to study journalism because money does not ‘talk’ to me.

The truth talks to me.

“You can’t serve the public good without the truth as a bottom line.” – Carl Bernstein.