Diversity in Brief - May 29 Edition
Why the Hispanic population boost in Texas still won't change the face of Congress; six sentenced for 10-year-old human smuggling ring and more.
In Spite of Population Growth, Hispanics Still At Disadvantage in Texas
A large population growth in Texas has given the state four new U.S. House seats, but Hispanic leaders say they feel "cheated" over the redistricting, which will likely not include any Hispanics, the Associated Press reports.
Since 1997, Texas has sent a total of six Hispanics to Congress, and that number may not change, despite the fact that a part of the population boom in the state was largely due to a growing number of Hispanics. The redistricted map, made by a Republican-led legislature, gives strong political advantage to long-time veterans, the AP reports.
Read more here.
Six Sentenced For Human Smuggling
Six people were sentenced in Corpus Christie, Texas on Thursday for their roles in a human smuggling ring that operated for almost a decade, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The sentences ranged from between more than four to seven years.
More than 20 others involved, including the ringleader, are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
Read more here.
Florida Prepares to Purge Nearly 240,000 Names From Voter Rolls
Florida officials are preparing to remove nearly 182,000 suspected noncitizen names from the state's voter rolls, in addition to 50,000 dead voters and 7,000 convicted felons.
A coalition of five organizations, including the Advancement Project, is asking the Justice Department to temporarily stop the state from purging the names until they can be investigated.
Read more here.
Americans Should Embrace Increased Diversity
Brian Gilmore, a writer for Progressive Media Project, makes a case for why Americans should celebrate the country’s increased diversity in an editorial published on Friday in the Arizona Daily Sun.
Read more here.
Minorities Not Looking for “Payback”
CNN contributor Ruben Navarrette Jr., responds to a conservative commentator’s concerns that a majority-minority country will result in “payback” for whites.
Read more here.
Victim of Domestic Violence Detained After Calling Police For Help
A 35-year-old woman held in jail for two weeks on a deportation order says the ordeal makes her reluctant to ever call police for help, according to the Glennwood Springs Post Independent.
The case illustrates a policy battle that erupted in Colorado between the state’s American Civil Liberties Union and a local sheriff.
The ACLU opposes the sheriff's department’s long-standing policy to refer all undocumented immigrants to federal immigration authorities, even if they are involved in a domestic violence case.
Deputies sometimes arrest both parties involved in domestic disputes when they can not determine who is at fault, according to the report.
Read more here.
