People
Miriam Vargas walked into First English Lutheran Church on June 29, 2018 and was sheltered by the church in sanctuary from a deportation order issued by Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE).
Nearly 1000 days later, on February 23, 2021, she walked out of the ICE office in Westerville, Ohio freedom. Due to a memo send to ICE on January 20, 2021 from the Biden administration, priorities were set to deport only undocumented individuals that were aggravated felons.
Previously, the Trump administration determined that all undocumented and documented immigrants were subject to deportation.
Miriam is currently in no danger of removal.
Miriam is now under an Order of Supervision (OSUP) which is a way that ICE can keep tabs on immigrants before immigration court hearings.
According to Ms. Vargas' immigration attorney, Jessica Rodriquez Bell, the benefits of the OSUP are that Miriam Vargas can leave the sanctuary of the church without the threat of deportation. She is required to report weekly to ICE via telephone to document where she is located.
The recent wave of corruption among both Republicans and Democrats in Ohio – House Speaker Larry Householder and Cincinnati City Councilmembers being charged with bribery – along with the pandemic’s mishandling, could be the final straw for voters.
While the GOP might split and form a new right-wing populist party, the Democrats are already divided among the centrists and progressives with most progressives being endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
And with so many Trump voters from 2016 saying they would’ve voted for Bernie Sanders, can Democratic Socialists fill the populist void left by Trump with a party that represents working class interests?
Many on the left, especially those disenchanted with President Biden and the bulk of the Democratic Party, are taking a good look at the Democratic Socialists of America, which has grown to over 90,000 members with 71 members holding office (33 of those elected in 2020).
The recent wave of corruption among both Republicans and Democrats in Ohio – House Speaker Larry Householder and Cincinnati City Councilmembers being charged with bribery – along with the pandemic’s mishandling, could be the final straw for voters.
While the GOP might split and form a new right-wing populist party, the Democrats are already divided among the centrists and progressives with most progressives being endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
And with so many Trump voters from 2016 saying they would’ve voted for Bernie Sanders, can Democratic Socialists fill the populist void left by Trump with a party that represents working class interests?
Many on the left, especially those disenchanted with President Biden and the bulk of the Democratic Party, are taking a good look at the Democratic Socialists of America, which has grown to over 90,000 members with 71 members holding office (33 of those elected in 2020).
There was unexpected good news at the January 2021 Free Press Second Saturday Cyber-Salon! On Saturday night, January 9, about 45 local and national community activists met through Zoom from 7-8pm to hear about local and national social justice issues.
Showing Up for Racial Justice
The story of 2020 is that not much happened and everything happened.
It started as a presidential election year with much at stake and is ending with an existential threat to democracy apparently repelled.
Just when the Democratic Party primaries were heating up in mid-March, many of us got cooled down with what amounted to two months confined to quarters.
The Land of the Free became the Home of the Quarantined.
About the time many of us were running short of toilet paper, Joe Biden was running up the score in the primaries and emerging as the Democratic Party nominee to take on the Mad King, the COVID-19 denier-in-chief and carnival barker telling us a slug of Clorox would kill the virus.
Those of us with a modicum of common sense turned to medical doctors, scientists and public health leaders and followed their advice, often brought to us by trustworthy news reporters and commentators.
We started wearing masks way before Halloween this year and we began washing our hands way more often than before meals.
To many, social distancing was a new concept. Not to me. I first experienced it at junior high school dances.
Many families and workplaces are celebrating holiday gatherings through videoconference as COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders continue—including finding ways to share festive dinners, or passing the time drinking with friends online.
As suggested by the MuseumHack blog, many companies will be hosting virtual Christmas parties online reimbursing employees for a meal of their choosing, or sending credits for services like GrubHub, or DoorDash that provide delivery of takeaway meals, or more synchronized meals from HelloFresh, BlueApron, or Cratejoy.
Also, we could see more companies like Hire Space, based in the United Kingdom, which offer packaged experiences including a digital platform with themed break out rooms that guests can move in and out of complete with pre-ordered meals, drinks and deserts.
But many families may prefer videoconferencing with home cooked meals. With less family members eating together in one home, each meal prepared will likely be less extravagant than traditional meals.
At the December Free Press Second Saturday Cyber-Salon, we discussed a progressive agenda for 2021, both locally and nationally. Many local activists reported on their goals and events for the new year.
Connie Hammond described the work of the Central Ohio Worker Center (COWC) and their victory in having Columbus City Council pass a Wage Theft Ordinance. Their main issue is wage theft and they will hold a seminar on it in February 2021. Their new member orientation will be January 16:
Many questions remain surrounding how Casey Goodson was killed and the officer who killed him, Deputy Jason Meade.
As more details emerge about Meade – like his background as a pastor and his controversial Christian views on policing – activists are asking: have these views affected his judgment on the job?
Meade’s recently resurfaced 2018 interview for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office “Connecting with the Community” YouTube series, along with a 2018 audio recording of a sermon he gave at a convention for the Ohio State Association of Free Will Baptists, offers insight into Meade’s contentious logic between police use of force and the teachings of Jesus.
In his sermon at the Baptist convention, he said, “I learned long ago why I’m justified in throwing the first punch. Don’t look up here like ‘Oh police brutality’.”
He continues his ramblings about use of force ending with, “Jesus was the manliest man in the history of mankind.”
Sign + Share - #ReuniteUS!
Issa Sao turned 40 last week. It was a sad day, with his wife and kids back in Ohio. Issa was deported to Mauritania in 2018, and then fled to Senegal to find safety again. But with the incoming Biden-Harris administration, Issa hopes his family will be able to reunite one day soon.
Join us in petitioning the Biden-Harris government to reunite Issa's family and so many others! Sign the petition here, and share it with your networks.
Another friend whose husband was deported to Mexico said: "I got my new President and new Administration. Let's get ready to rumble!" She's ready, and so are we! #ReuniteUS
As part of a new national campaign to deliver better treatment and pay to all “essential workers” the Columbus City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting an Essential Workers Bill of Rights last Monday.
Essential Worker resolutions have also passed in Lakewood, Toledo, and Dayton, and are under consideration in Fremont and other cities across Ohio. The Columbus resolution can be read here (search “To Support an Essential Workers Bill of Rights”).