When classes end for the day at Columbus Elementary School in this tiny desert town, roughly three-quarters of the students board buses to return to their homes — in Mexico.
On the other side of the customs station three miles away, waiting parents crowd the main street of Palomas, Mexico. Crossing guards from the school block all traffic along the highway going south, so that students can safely walk through the checkpoint.
The students are U.S. citizens, even though many of their parents are not. Many of the children were born in a nearby New Mexico hospital, because the closest Mexican hospital to Palomas is an hour and a half away.
“Those children … have dual citizenship until they are 18. Well, which citizenship do you think they are going to ask for? The United States. Would you rather have them educated and come and work here, or on welfare?” asked New Mexico state Rep. Dona Irwin, a Democrat who represents the border region.
New Mexico is unique in how openly its schools embrace American children living in Mexico, but all along the U.S.-Mexican border, children cross international lines on their way to school every day.
The children’s commute illustrates the complexities of life in border regions — complexities that seldom get mentioned in national debates over immigration and border security.
The students are U.S. citizens, even though many of their parents are not. Many of the children were born in a nearby New Mexico hospital, because the closest Mexican hospital to Palomas is an hour and a half away.
“Those children … have dual citizenship until they are 18. Well, which citizenship do you think they are going to ask for? The United States. Would you rather have them educated and come and work here, or on welfare?” asked New Mexico state Rep. Dona Irwin, a Democrat who represents the border region.
New Mexico is unique in how openly its schools embrace American children living in Mexico, but all along the U.S.-Mexican border, children cross international lines on their way to school every day.
The children’s commute illustrates the complexities of life in border regions — complexities that seldom get mentioned in national debates over immigration and border security.
“You have something I’ve just never seen before,” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in a video, taken shortly after he visited the Columbus school last week as part of his tour to kick off the school year. “For parents to have the courage to drop their 6- and 7- and 8-year-olds off, to send them here to chase the American dream… It’s a remarkable profile in courage.”
“Whatever we can do to support this great work, we want to do it,” Duncan said.
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MEAN STREETS MEDIA
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Colombia ( Six Die from Asphyxiation in Bogota Bar Incident )
BOGOTA – Six people died from asphyxiation and two others were injured on Sunday morning in a confused incident at a bar in the southern part of this capital, police said, adding that they are investigating the matter.The commander of the Bogota Metropolitan Police, Gen. Luis Martinez, confirmed the deaths of five women and one man and said that they appear to have died because the small bar did not have sufficient ventilation.
The injured were taken to hospitals near the bar, police said.
“The cause of death of the six people is asphyxiation ... because the place where they were was very tight and there were a lot of people,” Martinez told reporters.
Several witnesses said that a disturbance broke out in the bar and when police arrived the officers used excessive force in reimposing order, employing pepper spray, which caused further chaos.
In response to those complaints, Martinez said that authorities are investigating the incident, adding that his men responded to a telephone call reporting a fight at a public establishment.
The bar where the people died had already been closed down on four occasions because it was not authorized to operate into the early morning hours
Iran ( 60 Tehran taxi drivers staged a protest in the city's Sadeqieh, Aryashahr )
September 11 - After striking since August 31, 50 workers at the Pounel door and window factory in Pakdasht, Tehran, staged a protest outside the factory in anger at the loss of their jobs and the collapse of the company.
September 11 - More than 200 retired workers from the Kerman Steel Factory protested outside the company's offices to demand their retirement fees which have gone unpaid for three months. Promises to pay the workers had been made the previous day, but no worker has yet received any money.
September 11 - Up to 60 Tehran taxi drivers staged a protest in the city's Sadeqieh, Aryashahr, district, to demand the replacement of dilapidated vehicles which have fallen into disrepair after more than a year of neglect.
September 10 - A group of mainly elderly and female patients suffering from cancer and other diseases gathered outside the food and medicine building of the Hygiene Ministry on Enghelab Street, Tehran, in protest at lack of prescriptions for vital medicines and pain relief.
September 10 - Prisoners' families protested outside the regime's court building in protest at heavy sentences imposed on their loved ones.
September 11 - More than 200 retired workers from the Kerman Steel Factory protested outside the company's offices to demand their retirement fees which have gone unpaid for three months. Promises to pay the workers had been made the previous day, but no worker has yet received any money.
September 11 - Up to 60 Tehran taxi drivers staged a protest in the city's Sadeqieh, Aryashahr, district, to demand the replacement of dilapidated vehicles which have fallen into disrepair after more than a year of neglect.
September 10 - A group of mainly elderly and female patients suffering from cancer and other diseases gathered outside the food and medicine building of the Hygiene Ministry on Enghelab Street, Tehran, in protest at lack of prescriptions for vital medicines and pain relief.
September 10 - Prisoners' families protested outside the regime's court building in protest at heavy sentences imposed on their loved ones.
Mexico ( Crossing the Border to Go to School - Columbus Elementary School ) See story
Published at 11:21 am EST, September 18, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Iran ( Female Student Activist sent to prison in July - sent to Hospital physical deterioration )
“I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency HRANA, this suspended student of International University of Gazvin, and student activist, has been taken to hospital following her physical deterioration.
Maryam Shafi`pour have been experiencing discomfort on her hands and teeth. To pursue the issue currently her family is in front of Evin prison, but authorities did not have give a clear response yet.
This civil activist, who has arrested on July 27 and sent to section 209 of Evin prison, one week after her arrest, during a call with her family, stated which she is find and held in captivity in Evin prison.
The cause of this arrest is still unknown and the pursues of Maryam`s family from attorney general about having a visit, or putting bail, were fruitless.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency HRANA, this suspended student of International University of Gazvin, and student activist, has been taken to hospital following her physical deterioration.
Maryam Shafi`pour have been experiencing discomfort on her hands and teeth. To pursue the issue currently her family is in front of Evin prison, but authorities did not have give a clear response yet.
This civil activist, who has arrested on July 27 and sent to section 209 of Evin prison, one week after her arrest, during a call with her family, stated which she is find and held in captivity in Evin prison.
The cause of this arrest is still unknown and the pursues of Maryam`s family from attorney general about having a visit, or putting bail, were fruitless.
Iran ( 4 Sunni men to be Executed - During trial they were blindfolded, beaten and shocked ) No lawyer ?
Four Sunni prisoners in danger of imminent execution
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), six of the Sunni prisoners who have been sentenced to death are imprisoned currently in unit 3 of ward 4 in Ghezel Hesar prison.
Sediq Mohammadi the son of Hossein, 27, and Seyyed Hadi Hosseini the son of Moheyeddin, 30, are two of the prisoners sentenced to death. Their dossiers have been sent to the court in Sanandaj for reconsideration because of contraventions found by bureau. Sediq Mohammadi and Seyyed Hadi Hosseini were arrested involved in other story and both of them have mental disorders.
Evidently one of the Ghezel Hesar prison authorities informed Hamed Ahmadi the son of Habibollah, 32, Kamal Molaie the son of Ahmad, 29, Jamshid Dehghani the son of Khodaraham, 28 and Jahangir Dehghani the son of Khodaraham, 27, that their execution verdict will be enforced on September 22 due to the judicial warrant.
One of the sentenced to death prisoners who asked to remain anonymous told HRANA reporter “One of the prison authorities told us if everything will go normally your execution verdict will be enforced on September 22 and it could be postponed to first two weeks of October. He asked us in a friendly way to do whatever possible action we could do from now.”
“Our trial session was held in branch 28 of Tehran revolutionary court by judge Moghayesseh while we are all from Sanandaj. During the trial we were blindfolded and the security agents beaten us several times by electric shocker while we were talking. We had no access to any lawyer during the process and even when a lawyer introduced himself to the court in terms of defending us, the security agents threatened him and he gave up. We were just preaching in the mosques. For a while some CDs were released which contained offensive content on Sunni Madhab followers and we objected this, Then they arrested us because of that and accused us to terror.”
“The terrors we have been accused to, were took place on September 9, 2009 while the date we were been arrested is clear. Jamshid and Jahangir Dehghani who are brothers were arrested on June 17, 2009, Kamal Molaie was arrested on July 14, 2009 and Hamed Mohammadi on July 30, 2009. When the terrors took place we were under arrest in Intelligence office, then howcome we have done the terrors? We were arrested with Bahram Ahmadi, Asghar Rahimi, Behnam Rahimi, Mohammad Zaher Bahmani, Kaivan Zand Karimi and Hoshiar Mohammadi; Six of them were hanged on December 27 of 2012 in Ghezel Hesar prison.
“The ten of us were under arrest in solitary confinement and under the most severe mental and physical tortures. We were in solitary confinements of Sanandaj Intelligence for nine months, six months in Zanjan Intelligence and five months in solitary confinements of intelligence in Evin. No one knew what we are going through then they treated us in any way they liked.”
He mentioned that they have not the right to get in touch with any normal prisoner and anyone who get in touch with them, will be transferred and in trouble.
His last words were “We are in danger of imminent execution and we will be hanged in a month eventually. We ask solidarity and support from all the human rights organizations and the free medias to achieve a fair trial with presence of lawyer and medias for us.”
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