#noncitizens

Amee Vanderpool at SHERO:

Republicans on the House Appropriation Committee revealed a new funding bill on Monday that will revive a conservative initiative to ban the Census Bureau from including non-citizens without legal status in the 2030 apportionment counts. A House Appropriations subcommittee voted 9-6, along party lines, on Tuesday to advance the bill in an ongoing attempt to advantage their political party by excluding millions of non-citizens from the 2030 census. One of those three bills, referred to as the Equal Representation Act (H.R. 7109), calls for excluding "individuals who are not citizens of the United States" by adding a citizenship question to the decennial Census, which would directly affect the apportionment of Representatives. That measure passed in the House of Representatives on May 8, 2024, by a vote of 206-202. It has since been received in the US Senate and placed on the calendar, but has yet to pass in that chamber.

Another piece of legislation proposes excluding all non-citizens, including green card and visa holders, from the 2030 Census count entirely. Since none of the bills seek to exclude the counting of non-citizens in the overall census numbers that are used to distribute trillions in federal funding to local communities for public services each year, this latest Republican push to reapportion representation serves an entirely political purpose. The House bills put forth on the Appropriations Committee also require the Census to ask about people's immigration status, which could have substantial implications for minority groups who are concerned about federal repercussions from the Trump administration through his Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency. Putting an immigration question on the 2030 Census will have a chilling effect on people who fear political retaliation, and this will mean many minority communities will be undercounted. That will ultimately result in less local and state funding for communities. The legal issue of whether Congress can add these kinds of questions to the next Census is a complex one, which is why Republicans are advancing a bill that seeks to exclude people who are included in the count if they are unable to ask about citizenship directly. When the first Trump administration attempted to sway the Census count by asking the question, "Is this a person a citizen of the United States?" the US Supreme Court blocked the addition of US citizenship status to 2020 census forms.

Voting Rights Corrupted from Inclusion of Noncitizens in our Census!

It is a travesty that noncitizens hold the power to determine the composition of Congress and the presidency. The very essence of our electoral system is under threat as the Census includes illegal aliens and other noncitizens as residents. This egregious error must be rectified immediately if we are to salvage the integrity of our democracy.

The principle behind Congressional and Electoral College apportionment is simple: it should be based on the number of American citizens residing within each state. Yet, we find ourselves in a situation where noncitizens, who lack the legal right to vote, are being counted as equals in determining our nation’s leaders. This is an affront to every American citizen who believes in the power of their vote.

If we continue down this treacherous path, we risk diluting the voices of American citizens and compromising the very foundation upon which our democracy stands. By allowing noncitizens to play a role in apportionment, we diminish the influence of those who have earned the right to participate in our electoral process. It is time to take a stand and demand that our elected officials put an end to this injustice.

The Census must be barred from including noncitizens in apportionment. We must prioritize the voices of American citizens—the only population who can and should vote in U.S. elections. It is our duty as patriotic Americans to fight for a system that upholds the principles of fairness and ensures that those who have earned the right to vote are the ones picking America’s leaders. Let us rise together and reclaim our democracy from the grasp of noncitizens.

If we pay taxes to teach children, and the public education system is still suffering, then we can't afford to teach children whose parents don't pay into the system.

We can either have open borders OR public programs.

If we try to do both the system goes bankrupt and it's every man for himself.

Blog #9

This is blog nine of ten, which is written to educate viewers on what is expected of police officers when they are approaching citizens and non-citizens. 

Code of Conduct

Many officers often use their level of superiority and authority for negative purposes and lose sight of how they should conduct themselves when approaching others. As soon as citizens or non-citizens are approached by police officers, they must be Mirandized or provided with a cautioning statement which involves informing them of their legal rights.

Force

When an officer is approaching citizens and non-citizens, he/she should refrain from using force as their first option. Force should not be used even if questions, requests or commands were ignored since citizens actually have the right to remain silent. 

Courtesy

Law enforcement officials should also be fair and polite when interacting with various individuals. When officers are courteous, they tend to get along better with citizens and non-citizens and these individuals find it easier to speak to and follow the directives of police officers. 

Asking Questions

When asking questions, police officers should again be polite. Questions should be asked in a respectful manner so that individuals are not intimidated, whether they are citizens or non-citizens. These individuals do have the right to remain silent, and/or contact a lawyer before answering any questions. 

Making Reports/ Taking Statements

When taking statements, officers must be patient and ensure that they understand all that is being said so that the statements will be accurate. Statements from children (under 12 years) and juveniles (under 16 years) whether citizens or non-citizens must be done in the presence of a parent, guardian or social worker. 

Identification 

Citizens and non-citizens have the right to be able to identify an officer for personal reasons as well as to be able to properly address them. They also have the right to see your identification card which displays your name and signature. While this may not be requested of uniformed officers, it is a requirement for officers that are not in uniform.

Police officers should approach citizens with a high level of professionalism, respect and reassurance. They should not drive fear in these individuals or try to intimidate citizens or non-citizens. All individuals must be treated fairly/ justly and must be reminded of their rights. Police officers should try to respect the rights of citizens and non-citizens at all times. 

Educate Yourself, and Know Your Rights! Stay Tuned for More! - Zorian Clarke

References

Jamaica Constabulary Force. (n.d.). Police-Citizen Relations in Jamaica. OAS.org. http://www.oas.org/es/sla/dlc/mesicic/docs/jam_res26.pdf

ATTENTION “neither Democrat or Republican” people and those who consider themselves libertarian - Libertarian is further right than Republican.

Libertarian Party 2020 platform:

- Complete privatization of all public schools. - Complete privatization of all government health and human services - Complete privatization of the Department of Transportation - Complete deregulation of Dept of Energy (build nuclear weapons) - Complete end to EPA, Forrestry Dept, and complete defunding of all national parks - 0% tax on oil imports/exports - Partial privatization of police forces - Complete ban on all abortion - Elimination of all social services for noncitizens, including healthcare and education. - Immediate elimination of Social Security by conversion to a opt-in bleed-out model.