Mayors to sheriff: Tone down the rhetoric

By Jonathan Clark The mayors of Arizona’s three principal border cities are asking Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu to tone down his hard-line border security rhetoric, accusing him of propagating “misinformation” and “consistent inaccuracies” that unfairly hurt their communities. “We would appreciate it if you would not cultivate a culture of fear in our state and to start being accurate about border security,” states a letter to Babeu, dated Feb. 9 and signed by mayors Arturo Garino of No...

Drop the I-Word: Debunking the Racist “Anchor Baby” Myth

by Mónica Novoa Like every iteration of the i-word, the skillfully packaged and highly destructive “anchor baby” meme has helped anti-immigrant proponents dodge facts and promote harmful ideas under the guise that they are protecting the Constitution. While the fervor has recently picked up around denying birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants, the racially charged and baseless arguments have been around for a few years. Here, for instance, is a hateful rant preserved f...

Weekly Diaspora: Justice for Brisenia as Minutemen Leader Convicted of Murders

Courtesy of The Media Consortium Days after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Attorney General Tom Horne filed suit against the federal government for allegedly failing to protect the state from a Mexican “invasion,” the high-profile murder conviction of a Minutemen border vigilante underscores the state’s misguided border priorities. Earlier this week, a jury found Shawna Forde—leader of the Minutemen American Defense (MAD)—guilty of murdering 8-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father, Ra...

Bill would make Arizona hospitals check immigration status

EFE Hospitals in Arizona very soon could find themselves obligated to verify the immigration status of their patients if a bill that worries hospital administrators, doctors and activists passes in the state legislature. SB1405, which requires hospitals to confirm the legal residence of the patients who seek medical attention, will be presented next Tuesday to the appropriations committee of the Arizona Senate. "If this bill is approved it will have a profound impact on the Hispanic com...

Minuteman Murderer, Shawna Forde, Speaks

By Terry Greene Sterling Shawna Forde of Arizona was convicted Monday of killing a 9-year-old girl and her father. Terry Greene Sterling’s exclusive jailhouse interview with the beautician-turned-border vigilante. Forde maintains her innocence, describes the jury’s guilty verdict as “surreal,” and prepares for a possible death sentence. On Valentine’s Day, after deliberating for about a day and a half, a Tucson jury convicted Shawna Forde of murdering 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her dad...

Minuteman Vigilante Shawna Forde Convicted for Brisenia Flores’ Murder

by Julianne Hing This afternoon a Pima County, Arizona, jury found Minuteman border vigilante Shawna Forde guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for killing nine-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father Raul Flores Jr. in May 2009, the Arizona Daily Star reported. Forde was also convicted of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Brisenia’s mother Gina Gonzalez, along with other aggravated assault and robbery charges. On May 30, 2009, Forde and two suspected accomplices woke up...