#1511 Economic Underclass, Political Pawns (Immigration and Asylum Seeking)
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 6 September 2022
⏱️ 78 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 9/6/2022
Today, we take a look at the precarious state of our immigration and asylum system, the legacy of neoliberalism and imperialism in South and Central America, the inhumanity practiced by both of our political parties (though not equally), and the ever-present possibility that things could get worse.
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SHOW NOTES
We speak to attorney and activist Efrén Olivares with the Southern Poverty Law Center's Immigrant Justice Project about the impact of this policy, as well as ongoing efforts to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border
Ch. 2: The Lasting Impacts of Family Separation - The Takeaway - Air Date 8-18-22
Caitlin Dickerson whose latest investigative piece “The Secret History of Family Separation,” chronicles the full scope of the policy, its legacy, and how similar, future iterations may be adopted.
“What we’re seeing happening right now is Governor Abbott using asylum seekers as political pawns to merely help increase his polling numbers down in Texas,” says Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition
Ch. 4: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 1 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22
Immigration lawyer Daniel Melo on his article "The Capitalist Imperative Driving Cruel and Bipartisan US Migration Policies" for Black Agenda Report.
Azadeh Shahshahani is legal and advocacy director at Project South. She joins us to raise some questions about the US government’s claim that this time, they’re really bringing stability and security to northern Central America.
Ch. 6: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21
The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy
Ch. 7: Capital's migration policy: Daniel Melo Part 2 - This Is Hell! - Air Date 2-28-22
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: The Democrats Long War on Immigrants Part 2 - Intercepted - Air Date 2-17-21
The activist and writer Harsha Walia joins Intercepted to discuss the Democratic Party’s fundamental role in shaping the long arc of U.S. border policy
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the amorality of economics
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Activism Music: This Fickle World by Theo Bard (https://theobard.bandcamp.com/track/this-fickle-world)
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: A sign with a red background and white lettering is taped to a piece of cardboard and lies on the concrete ground; it reads “Seeking Asylum is a Human Right”.
Credit: “Advocates disrupt transfer of asylum seekers from Villawood” by Kate Ausburn, Flickr | License: CC by 2.0 | Changes: Cropped
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In the show today, I'm going to be telling you about Libro, the audiobook company that |
| 0:03.6 | lets you support your very own local bookstore with every purchase. |
| 0:08.4 | If you want to skip to the end of the video, check out yourself by going to bestofleft.com |
| 0:12.8 | slash Libro so they know I send you. |
| 0:19.6 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of a Left podcast in which we shall |
| 0:23.4 | take a look at the precarious state of our immigration and asylum system, the legacy |
| 0:28.5 | of neoliberalism and imperialism on South and Central America, the inhumanity practiced |
| 0:34.2 | by both of our political parties, though not equally, and the ever-present possibility |
| 0:40.1 | that things could get worse. |
| 0:42.2 | Quips today are from Democracy Now, The Takeaway, This Is Hell, Counter-Spin, and Intercepted |
| 0:48.5 | with an additional members-only clip from Intercepted, and stay tuned to the end of the |
| 0:54.0 | show for my analysis of the interplay between economics and immorality, particularly as |
| 1:00.2 | it relates to immigration. |
| 1:07.9 | The Biden administration said Monday it's officially ending, the controversial Trump era |
| 1:12.1 | remain in policy, remain in Mexico policy, and will no longer force asylum seekers to |
| 1:18.1 | wait in Mexico while their cases are resolved in US courts over months and years. |
| 1:22.9 | The announcement came just hours after a judge lifted an injunction in effect since December |
| 1:27.8 | blocking Biden officials from terminating the program, formally known as the MPP, the |
| 1:32.5 | migrant protection protocols. |
| 1:35.4 | The Supreme Court ruled in June the Biden administration had the authority to end the |
| 1:39.2 | policy. |
| 1:40.4 | Some 70,000 asylum seekers were subjected to MPP from January 2019 to January 2021, when |
... |
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