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MASSPIRG Statement: Legislature Fails to Pass Bill Tackling Toxic PFAS
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 2 -- The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group issued the following statement on Aug. 1, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Legislature fails to pass bill tackling toxic PFAS
The Massachusetts Legislature failed to pass 'An Act to protect Massachusetts public health from PFAS'(H4870/S3034) by the end of the legislative session for regular business on Friday, July 31, 2026. The bill, filed by state Sen. Julian Cyr and state Rep.Kate Hogan, aimed to stop industrial discharges of PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals"), eliminate PFAS from consumer goods and provide more
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 2 -- The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group issued the following statement on Aug. 1, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Legislature fails to pass bill tackling toxic PFAS
The Massachusetts Legislature failed to pass 'An Act to protect Massachusetts public health from PFAS'(H4870/S3034) by the end of the legislative session for regular business on Friday, July 31, 2026. The bill, filed by state Sen. Julian Cyr and state Rep.Kate Hogan, aimed to stop industrial discharges of PFAS (also known as "forever chemicals"), eliminate PFAS from consumer goods and provide moreresources for testing and mitigation.
PFAS are a class of man-made chemicals that are used in many consumer products and industrial applications. Even though they serve as water repellents and stain resisters, they are toxic even at very low level exposure and do not break down easily, meaning they will persist for thousands of years in the environment.
Sixteen states, including all of the New England states except Massachusetts, have already acted to ban PFAS in firefighting foam. Fourteen states have banned PFAS in consumer products listed in the Massachusetts bill.
'In response, MASSPIRG's Legislative Director Deirdre Cummings said:
"Massachusetts has a significant and growing problem with PFAS contamination, yet unfortunately the legislature ended another session without tackling the problem. Bay staters deserve better.
"PFAS has already contaminated too much of our drinking water and waterways in Massachusetts, increasing our risk of cancer and other health threats. This threat to our well-being will continue to get worse unless we take action.
"We appreciate the leadership of bill sponsors Hogan and Cyr, and the bipartisan support from a majority of lawmakers who cosponsored the bill. But while our odyssey to stop this toxic threat continues the problem grows. We hope the Legislature will move to ban PFAS as soon as possible."
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Original text here: https://pirg.org/massachusetts/media-center/statement-legislature-fails-to-pass-bill-tackling-toxic-pfas/
[Category: Political]
Progress Michigan: Planned Parenthood's Closures are a Policy Failure.
LANSING, Michigan, Aug. 1 -- Progress Michigan, an organization that says it holds public officials and government accountable and assist in the promotion of progressive ideas, issued the following statement on July 31, 2026:
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Planned Parenthood's Closures are a Policy Failure.
On Thursday, Planned Parenthood of Michigan announced the closure of three more health centers in Lansing, Livonia, and Warren, a direct result of lawmakers' decisions to cut their funding. he following statement may be attributed to Justin Mendoza, executive director of Progress Michigan:
"Our lawmakers need to
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LANSING, Michigan, Aug. 1 -- Progress Michigan, an organization that says it holds public officials and government accountable and assist in the promotion of progressive ideas, issued the following statement on July 31, 2026:
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Planned Parenthood's Closures are a Policy Failure.
On Thursday, Planned Parenthood of Michigan announced the closure of three more health centers in Lansing, Livonia, and Warren, a direct result of lawmakers' decisions to cut their funding. he following statement may be attributed to Justin Mendoza, executive director of Progress Michigan:
"Our lawmakers need tobe serious about protecting health care and reproductive freedom. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have intentionally hamstrung Planned Parenthood with funding cuts that compromise their ability to provide care to their patients.. Since then, Republican lawmakers in Michigan have doubled down on those cuts via their own state budget.
"While Republican lawmakers have always led the way in the fight against reproductive freedom, some of the blame for this crisis belongs to the Whitmer administration. This May, Governor Whitmer declined to use her executive power to provide emergency funding for Planned Parenthood, going against the will of the public, 56 percent of whom supported delivering this funding, and her own purported values as a one-time champion of reproductive freedom.
Our policymakers have an obligation and a clear mandate from voters to defend reproductive freedom. Thousands of people across Michigan rely on Planned Parenthood for things like birth control, prenatal care, and STI testing-- and both Whitmer and the Republican Party complicit in cutting them off from that care. Our lawmakers are falling flat exactly when Michiganders need them most."
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Original text here: https://progressmichigan.org/2026/07/planned-parenthoods-closures-are-a-policy-failure/
[Category: Political]
FFRF Action Fund: 'Theocrat' Acting AG Blanche Expands Christian Privilege in New Guidance
MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 1 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on July 31, 2026:
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'Theocrat' Acting AG Blanche expands Christian privilege in new guidance
The FFRF Action Fund names Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche its "Theocrat of the Week" for the Department of Justice's flagrant expansion of religious privilege in the federal government.
Last week, the Justice Department issued updated
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MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 1 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on July 31, 2026:
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'Theocrat' Acting AG Blanche expands Christian privilege in new guidance
The FFRF Action Fund names Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche its "Theocrat of the Week" for the Department of Justice's flagrant expansion of religious privilege in the federal government.
Last week, the Justice Department issued updatedguidance on religious liberty, meant to "strengthen federal religious liberty protections" by updating its 2017 memorandum on federal religious liberty guidelines and building on U.S. Supreme Court decisions from the past nine years that the religious right has celebrated. The guidance helps the Justice Department decide which cases to pursue and how to approach issues of religious liberty.
The 2017 memo prohibited the government from "officially favoring or disfavoring particular religious groups" while also claiming that religious groups and businesses held the same freedoms as religious people, paving the way for discrimination and sweeping accommodations for Christian groups. Unfortunately, the latest memo goes even further.
The new guidance argues that the First Amendment's Establishment Clause must be interpreted by reference to "historical practices and understandings," tying it into the Trump administration's assertions that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. It wholly allows federal employees to participate in religious activities in the workplace (such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's prayer gatherings). It says the federal government does not have to "purge from public life" anything that endorses religion. It declares that religious groups cannot be excluded from public funding because of their beliefs. It makes it harder for employers to deny requests for religious accommodations -- regardless of how far those requests go. It says agency officials "may be sued in their individual capacities" if they violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.
Other key updates in the guidance endorse broad protections for religious organizations that discriminate in hiring and federal contracting, emphasize the rights of parents to "direct the religious upbringing of their children" and require federal agencies to proactively consider religious liberty in their policymaking and administrative actions. Altogether, the updates ensure that religious people and organizations receive boundless accommodations, exemptions and federal funds, undoubtedly intending to benefit Christians within the federal government.
The updated guidance purports to protect religious liberty, but it issues a staggering elevation of religious interests within the federal government. It implements an all-encompassing favorable interpretation of the rights of religious people and organizations while eroding the separation of state and church and the rights of nonbelievers.
In a press release announcing the new guidance, Blanche is quoted as saying, "Religious liberty is one of our nation's founding principles and a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. It is essential that federal agencies fully respect and protect the ability of all Americans to live out their faith in daily life, including in their interactions with the federal government."
Blanche was appointed as acting attorney general in April by President Trump following the ousting of Pam Bondi. Under Blanche's guidance, the Justice Department is paving the way for Christian privilege and overarching Christian nationalism in the federal government. The updated guidance on religious liberty has little to do with genuine religious liberty or American democracy. It serves to override the constitutional separation between state and church and position conservative Christians over people of other religions and nonreligion -- making the "theocrat of the week" a very befitting title for Blanche.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/theocrat-acting-ag-blanche-expands-christian-privilege-in-new-guidance/
[Category: Sociological]
FFRF Action Fund: 'Secularist' Mary Trump Delivers Keynote Address at Congressional Reason Reception
MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 1 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on July 31, 2026:
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'Secularist' Mary Trump delivers keynote address at Congressional Reason Reception
The FFRF Action Fund honors Mary L. Trump as its "Secularist of the Week" for her stellar keynote address at last week's Congressional Reason Reception.
She is a clinical psychologist who has taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology
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MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 1 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on July 31, 2026:
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'Secularist' Mary Trump delivers keynote address at Congressional Reason Reception
The FFRF Action Fund honors Mary L. Trump as its "Secularist of the Week" for her stellar keynote address at last week's Congressional Reason Reception.
She is a clinical psychologist who has taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathologyand developmental psychology. She also hosts "The Mary Trump Show," where she discusses politics and pop culture, and is the author of the bestselling book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," a chronicle of the Trump family.
Mary Trump joined members of Congress, national secular leaders and advocates last week at Capitol Hill for the third annual Congressional Reason Reception. Serving as the secular foil to the National Prayer Breakfast, the Reason Reception celebrated the Congressional Freethought Caucus, reason, constitutional democracy and the growing visibility of nonreligious Americans in public life. The FFRF Action Fund's parent organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, alongside the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America, sponsored the event.
"The cynicism of the misuse of religion to manipulate people for personal gain has always been something that's offended me," Mary Trump remarked.
"Oppression, religious or otherwise, is anathema to democracy," she continued. "And yet, rampant racism, misogyny and religious bigotry are all woven into the fabric of this country. And you can argue that religious bigotry causes the other two."
Speaking to her audience of Congressional Freethought Caucus members, Mary Trump said, "I am thrilled beyond my ability to tell that this group exists. We need more of this. I hope that we get to the point where not just every Democratic member of Congress, but every member of Congress, joins this group because it is vitally important to the future of our democracy that we start to get as many people as possible to understand that it is in ethical behavior, that it is in reasoned analysis and it is in open-mindedness that we will find the best version of ourselves."
Watch Mary Trump's full remarks here (https://youtu.be/8v9MzfjM6mE?si=iCPyzr00atGIVgdw&t=2722).
On her Substack newsletter, "The Good in Us," Mary Trump reflected on the Reason Reception and her keynote address, writing that her remarks "speak to something much larger than the political moment we currently find ourselves in. They speak to the role reason, democracy, and our shared humanity must play if we are going to find our way through it."
"It is one thing for faith to guide a person's private moral life," she wrote. "It is something entirely different when politicians invoke religion as a means of manipulating voters or proving their qualifications for public office. Those are two very different things, and we have spent far too long pretending otherwise."
In addition to speaking at the Reason Reception, Mary Trump met with key secular stars in Congress last week, including Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Becca Balint, D-Vt., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Mark Pocan, D-Wis., to discuss the growing secular movement, the targets of the religious right and the authoritarian threat of the Trump administration and Christian nationalism.
The FFRF Action Fund profusely thanks "Secularist" Mary Trump for participating in the third annual Congressional Reason Reception and for her profound remarks on the need for reason and secularism in American governance.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/secularist-mary-trump-delivers-keynote-address-at-congressional-reason-reception/
[Category: Sociological]
Earthjustice: Tribes Celebrate as Michigan Supreme Court Nixes Line 5 Permit
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 1 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on July 31, 2026:
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Tribes Celebrate as Michigan Supreme Court Nixes Line 5 Permit
Victory -- Enbridge must re-do its application to build an oil tunnel below the Straits of Mackinac
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Lansing, MI -- In a major victory for Tribal nations in Michigan, the state's Supreme Court has overturned a key permit that Canadian company Enbridge needs in order to bore a massive four-mile tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac to house its Line 5 oil pipeline. The Court's decision sends the permit back to the Michigan
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 1 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on July 31, 2026:
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Tribes Celebrate as Michigan Supreme Court Nixes Line 5 Permit
Victory -- Enbridge must re-do its application to build an oil tunnel below the Straits of Mackinac
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Lansing, MI -- In a major victory for Tribal nations in Michigan, the state's Supreme Court has overturned a key permit that Canadian company Enbridge needs in order to bore a massive four-mile tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac to house its Line 5 oil pipeline. The Court's decision sends the permit back to the MichiganPublic Service Commission for a re-do, ruling that the Commission violated the Michigan Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) and its obligations under the public trust doctrine when the Commission approved the tunnel permit in 2023.
"Today is a reminder that when people stand together with courage and conviction, change is possible," said Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle. "For years, Tribal Nations, communities, and thousands of people across the country have raised their voices to protect the Great Lakes. This decision gives us another opportunity to honor our treaty rights, protect our waters, and consider the generations who will inherit this place. The Straits of Mackinac are not simply a route for an oil pipeline to be abused. They are sacred waters, the heart of creation for Anishinaabe people, and a source of life for millions. Some things are simply too sacred to be buried beneath a tunnel. Our work continues, and we remain committed to protecting the Great Lakes for generations to come."
Earthjustice and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) represented the Bay Mills Indian Community, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi in challenging the permit. The Michigan Climate Action Network (MiCAN) and the Environmental Law & Policy Center brought additional and separate arguments before the Michigan Supreme Court.
"This ruling is an inspiring victory for Tribes, environmental advocates, and everyday people who've joined hands in the fight to stop the dangerous Line 5 tunnel project," said Earthjustice Senior Attorney Adam Ratchenski. "The Court's decision upholds the bedrock principles of Michigan environmental law. Enbridge's application to build the tunnel now heads back to the Michigan Public Service Commission, where we will be prepared with robust arguments in defense of Tribal rights and the Great Lakes."
Enbridge's proposal to run a hazardous liquids pipeline through a confined underground tunnel has never been attempted anywhere else in the world. It would turn the Straits of Mackinac -- a sacred site of creation for Anishinaabe tribes -- into a construction zone for more than six years.
"Whether Line 5 is suspended in the water or encased in a tunnel, it is simply a terrible idea to pump more than half a million barrels of oil every day through the middle of the Great Lakes," said Managing Attorney David Gover with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). "There is a brighter future on the horizon. We can get oil out of the Great Lakes, protect Tribal sovereignty, and preserve our freshwater for generations to come."
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Additional Resources
* Related case documents & news (https://earthjustice.org/library?_case=line-5-enbridge-michigan-tunnel)
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About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
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Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/tribes-celebrate-as-mi-supreme-court-nixes-line-5-permit
[Category: Environment]
Court Dismisses Industry Challenge to FERC's Reforms That Will Speed the Connection of Clean Energy
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 1 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on July 31, 2026:
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Court Dismisses Industry Challenge to FERC's Reforms that Will Speed the Connection of Clean Energy
Victory -- The court upheld FERC's interconnection rule, Order No. 2023
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Washington, D.C. -- Three years ago, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ordered grid operators and utility companies around the country to speed the connection of new energy sources to the grid. FERC Order No. 2023 demanded that they reform their policies to connect new energy projects to the grid faster,
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 1 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on July 31, 2026:
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Court Dismisses Industry Challenge to FERC's Reforms that Will Speed the Connection of Clean Energy
Victory -- The court upheld FERC's interconnection rule, Order No. 2023
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Washington, D.C. -- Three years ago, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ordered grid operators and utility companies around the country to speed the connection of new energy sources to the grid. FERC Order No. 2023 demanded that they reform their policies to connect new energy projects to the grid faster,more efficiently, and more transparently. Today, the court issued a ruling upholding FERC's interconnection reforms against a legal challenge from several grid operators and utilities.
FERC's Order No. 2023 sought to modernize outdated processes that had left thousands of gigawatts of power (primarily clean energy such as solar, wind and energy storage) waiting years to connect to the grid.
At the time, roughly 2,600 gigawatts of proposed generating and storage capacity were stuck in interconnection queues. Almost all of the projects -- about 95% -- were solar, wind and energy storage.
"This is a win for ratepayers, competition, and the environment. It will help speed interconnection processes and unlock cheaper, cleaner energy that has been waiting years to connect to the grid," said Earthjustice attorney Alexander Tom, who argued the case before the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
"Since the order was issued three years ago, the need to unlock that abundant power has grown even more pressing. Cleaner, cheaper resources can help combat the worsening climate crisis, curb skyrocketing electricity prices, and maintain reliability. Today's ruling affirms FERC's reforms and holds grid operators and utilities responsible for connecting new energy projects faster. That means investing the resources and latest technology to complete studies on time and deploying advanced transmission technologies that can quickly increase the capacity of the existing grid to bring on new energy."
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Additional Resources
* FERC's New Interconnection Rule Modernizes the Process to Bring Clean Energy Online (https://earthjustice.org/experts/christine-powell/fercs-new-interconnection-rule-modernizes-the-process-to-bring-clean-energy-online)
* About the Clean Energy Program (https://earthjustice.org/office/clean-energy)
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About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
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Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/court-dismisses-industry-challenge-to-fercs-reforms-that-will-speed-the-connection-of-clean-energy
[Category: Environment]
CAIR Maryland Condemns ICE Arrest of Johns Hopkins Researcher at BWI Airport, Seeks Due Process and Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on July 31, 2026:
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CAIR Maryland Condemns ICE Arrest of Johns Hopkins Researcher at BWI Airport, Seeks Due Process and Immediate Release
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the arrest and detention of a Johns Hopkins University public health researcher by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
According
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on July 31, 2026:
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CAIR Maryland Condemns ICE Arrest of Johns Hopkins Researcher at BWI Airport, Seeks Due Process and Immediate Release
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the arrest and detention of a Johns Hopkins University public health researcher by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Accordingto media reports, Dr. Fatima Ameaka, a researcher employed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was detained and taken into custody by ICE on July 28 while preparing to board a domestic flight for a personal trip.
The Department of Homeland Security reportedly claims that Dr. Ameaka entered the United States in 2023 on a visa that has since expired. She is being held in ICE custody while awaiting an immigration court hearing.
Johns Hopkins University has affirmed Dr. Ameaka as a respected member of its community, expressed deep concern about her detention and said it is working to ensure that she has access to legal representation.
SEE: Johns Hopkins Researcher Arrested by ICE at BWI Amid Increased Airport Enforcement (https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/johns-hopkins-public-health-researcher-detained-ice-increased-airport-enforcement/)
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
"The arrest of a respected public health researcher while she was preparing to board a domestic flight is deeply alarming and reflects the Trump administration's escalating campaign of intimidation against immigrant communities.
"Dr. Ameaka did not pose a threat to public safety. Treating people suspected of civil immigration violations like dangerous criminals, ambushing them in airports and subjecting them to prolonged detention is cruel, unnecessary and fundamentally at odds with the principles of due process and human dignity.
"Airports should not become hunting grounds where federal agents exploit travelers' personal information to make arrests in secured locations. The reported collaboration between TSA and ICE raises serious civil liberties and privacy concerns for every traveler, particularly immigrants and members of communities already subjected to discriminatory surveillance and profiling.
"We call for Dr. Ameaka's immediate release, full access to legal counsel and a fair opportunity to resolve her immigration case outside of detention. We also urge Maryland's congressional delegation to investigate the expanded sharing of domestic travelers' information between TSA and ICE and to demand transparency about how this enforcement program is being implemented at BWI Airport.
"No one should be disappeared into immigration detention merely for attempting to travel within the country. Our government must stop using fear, humiliation and incarceration as substitutes for a fair and humane immigration system."
Immigration enforcement at U.S. airports has increased as TSA and ICE expand information-sharing practices. According to media reports, ICE sources said travelers without criminal records may be referred to immigration agents based on suspected civil immigration violations, including visa overstays.
CAIR Maryland urges travelers who believe their civil rights have been violated by immigration or law enforcement authorities to contact an attorney and submit a report to CAIR at CAIR.com/report
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CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-maryland-condemns-ice-arrest-of-johns-hopkins-researcher-at-bwi-airport-seeks-due-process-and-immediate-release/
[Category: Sociological]
