Earlier this year, Washington State enacted the Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA). Under previous state law the majority of Washington’s local governments were required to use at-large voting in general elections. So, the same majority of voters can decide the result for every council or school board seat in a town, city, or county. As a result, some communities, …
By Bonnie Stern Wasser, Staff Attorney, OneAmerica How might Judge Brett Kavanaugh rule on immigration cases if confirmed to the US Supreme Court? A review of the slim number of immigration cases he has written about provides a little insight as to how he might view the powers of the Executive and Congress to create and carry out the immigration …
This post updates two prior posts on the President’s Executive Order and on the #WalkAMile Week of Action. A federal court in San Diego mandates that children be reunited within 30 days. On June 27, a federal court in San Diego issued a national injunction in the ACLU’s class action lawsuit against the Trump administration’s separation of children. The injunction …
from the desk of Bonnie Stern Wasser, Staff Attorney, OneAmerica On June 20, 2018, the President issued an Executive Order (EO) strangely named “Affording Congress an Opportunity to Address Family Separation.” The EO was issued in the wake of public uproar after CBP and ICE started separating children from their parents as part of Attorney General Sessions’ “zero tolerance” policy. …
OneAmerica partnered with a vibrant coalition of allies (#FamiliesBelongTogetherWashington) to organize a week of sustained action against family separation caused by the Trump administration’s policy of zero tolerance against migrants seeking asylum at the southern border. The intensity of support from the broader community across Washington State was uplifting–even as the United States Government defended its policy of ripping children away from their …
As of July 1, the Washington Department of Licensing has begun issuing driver licenses and IDs that comply with federal REAL ID Act requirements. For now, the only change Washington residents will notice is that newly issued Standard Driver Licenses and IDs will have the marking “Federal Limits Apply.” This new marking will have no impact until October of 2020. …
As one of the leaders of Front and Centered — a coalition of organizations of color fighting climate change starting with equity — OneAmerica has signed onto a statement supporting Washington state Initiative 1631. Our organization’s support of I-1631—and our work to advance environmental justice, more broadly—arose from the needs of our community. Over the years, we’ve helped shape the development of …
We’re partnering with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, the City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, The Church Council of Greater Seattle, and others to offer a free legal workshop for anyone who wants to learn more about about Temporary Protected Status. This free community event is for people who have TPS but want to learn about options …
On March 26th, the United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross directed the Census Bureau to include a question about citizenship on the 2020 Census. Organizations concerned about ensuring an accurate count in the 2020 Census, including OneAmerica, were outraged. Here is a statement from OneAmerica on the decision: “At a time when the federal government is on a crusade to tear apart immigrant families and …
After years of fending off the US Department of Homeland Security, in the 2017 legislative session Washington State agreed (despite opposition from immigrant and civil liberties groups) to enact legislation that would bring the State into compliance with the federal REAL ID Act, which established minimum requirements for state-issued driver’s licenses. With several allies, OneAmerica succeeded in ensuring that the law signed by …
