Latest news with #ADayWithoutAMexican
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Straits Times
A day in a life without immigrants
In the 2004 movie Un Dia Sin Mexicanos (A Day Without A Mexican), Californians awake to discover that all the Latinos among them have mysteriously disappeared. The state swiftly descends into anarchy. Streets are uncleaned, fruit rots on trees, while drug hustlers start peddling vegetables as they fall into short supply. Middle class people who were bullying their Hispanic maids and janitors hours earlier buckle under the back-breaking work they now have to do. Schools close. Riots break out as baseball games are cancelled (basketball continues as normal). Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Miami Republicans, do your job and stand up for USAID
The richest man in the world is snatching food out of the mouths of starving babies, while the U.S. Congress, which authorized that food, turns a blind eye. Our Miami Republican Representatives could stop this; it only takes three to stand up for what's right. We call on you, Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Jimenez and Maria Salazar. You can make the choice to truly serve your community and your country. Gray Read, South Miami Liberals complain about many of the Florida Legislature's policies but offer no compromising solutions. There is a way to address the in-state/out-state tuition matter for the 'Dreamers.' Why can't this be split between privately raised funds matched one-for-one by state funds, to a maximum of $40 million annually for the next three years? This will allow all existing students to complete their undergraduate degree programs while matching their status, as they are neither legal Florida residents nor really 'out-of-state' ones. Jainendra Navlakha, Miami Elon Musk, head of DOGE, has offered federal workers a buyout. Doesn't this run counter to the aim of his division? How does he justify spending on this scale for seven months of non-productivity? Will this offer even materialize? Where do the many thousands turn to make a living? If people are so expendable, what comes next in this new America? Sonja I. Pantry, Miramar Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services on Feb. 13. Did the CDC staff, accompanied by their lab rats, leave the sinking ship, as they promised to do? Here's hoping. Alfonso Fernandez-Fraga, Miami Years ago, I watched a film titled, 'A Day Without A Mexican.' One can easily imagine the plot. Will an analogous time come for us (perhaps uglier, because the film did not depict the horror of families rent asunder), as we witness the deportation of a substantial number of our neighbors, fellow employees and friends? Even as a Jew with family Holocaust baggage, I wonder: does the appellation, 'Hitler's willing executioners,' apply to me as I kiss the cheek or shake the hand of people I know who voted for Donald Trump? Would I have stood mutely on the docks of Havana in 1939, watching the refugees on the liner St. Louis be denied entry and sent to their gruesome fate in Germany, or watched my fellow Japanese American citizens stripped of all but their clothes, as they marched to internment camps in 1942, or would I have watched the evening news in the comfort of my home in 1960 as Black students needed federal troops to escort them to school? The shameful verdict is: guilty. L. Gabriel Bach, Key Biscayne There has been much talk and hyperbole about President Trump's declaration that the United States would repair and then own the Gaza territory. This falls on his other statements about Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal. We should remind ourselves that the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 increased our land by a third. The purchase of Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million (about $130 million today) added an area of land twice the size of Texas to the nation. As to the Panama Canal, we spent millions of dollars to build and open that project, not to mention at least 5,000 lives lost, only for President Carter to return full control of the canal to Panama. To finally have peace in the Middle East, Gaza must be administered by a neutral party until it is ready to resume control as an independent state. Because no nation has rushed to take on that responsibility and Trump likes to think out-of-the-box, his provocative statement got the play he wanted. Cheer up, folks, the sky is not falling. Learn to roll with the punches. Roger Shatanof, Coral GablesPresident Donald Trump promised, 'I will be a dictator on Day 1.' And on Day 1, he violated his oath of office and Constitutional duty to 'faithfully execute the laws' by refusing to execute the law he asked for, Congress enacted and his Supreme Court upheld: to ban TikTok as a national security threat. He continues to defy the Constitution, Congress and the courts in multiple ways. The only check on a dictator is revolution, if Congress won't impeach and courts are powerless to enforce the law. Is that what America voted for? Maxine Long, Coral Gables To all Republican members of Congress, As members of the legislative branch of the U.S. government, you have not commented on the Trump administration's illegal firing of multiple inspectors General or its numerous other illegal activities. I presume this means you support such activities. Please explain to your constituents why these illegal activities are tolerated. Your obedience appears to be to your political party and not to your sworn duty as members of Congress and to the Constitution of the United States. If you will not speak out against these clearly illegal activities, how can your constituents trust that you will represent them against enemies foreign and domestic? Thomas H. Champney, Miami The overwhelming generosity of the people of Miami helped provide joy to children in need through Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts this past season. Across the U.S., the Samaritan's Purse project collected 10.5 million gifts in 2024. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2024, the ministry is sending more than 11.9 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide. Shoebox packers brought joy and hope to children around the world through fun, full and personalized gifts. For many children, this is the first gift they have ever received. Each gift is a tangible expression of God's love, given to children in need around the world. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. Across the region, shoebox packers often shop for deals throughout the year; many packers become year-round volunteers. Learn how to participate year-round at Although Miami drop‑off locations for shoebox gifts reopen on Nov. 17–24, 2025, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online at These simple gifts, packed with love, remind children around the world that they are loved and not forgotten. Molly Miller, Samaritan's Purse, Boone, NC A Florida state senator recently filed a 70-page bill to find all references in state law to the 'Gulf of Mexico' and replace them with 'Gulf of America' after President Trump, known for history and geography incompetence, issued an executive order to rename the Gulf. Laws, studies, libraries, books, federal and state departments will be involved in this massive operation. Our tax money, which pays our legislators' salaries, will go toward making this unnecessary and ridiculous change. Valeria Mastelli, Key Biscayne According to United States intelligence services, social media platform TikTok is a security risk that can be manipulated to steal personal information and influence elections. Per President Donald Trump, China should sell it to DOGE chief Elon Musk. What could possible go wrong? The next four years scare the hell out of me. James Woodard, Palmetto Bay
Miami Herald
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Miami Republicans, do your job and stand up for USAID
Respect USAID The richest man in the world is snatching food out of the mouths of starving babies, while the U.S. Congress, which authorized that food, turns a blind eye. Our Miami Republican Representatives could stop this; it only takes three to stand up for what's right. We call on you, Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Jimenez and Maria Salazar. You can make the choice to truly serve your community and your country. Gray Read, South Miami Tuition solution? Liberals complain about many of the Florida Legislature's policies but offer no compromising solutions. There is a way to address the in-state/out-state tuition matter for the 'Dreamers.' Why can't this be split between privately raised funds matched one-for-one by state funds, to a maximum of $40 million annually for the next three years? This will allow all existing students to complete their undergraduate degree programs while matching their status, as they are neither legal Florida residents nor really 'out-of-state' ones. Jainendra Navlakha, Miami Spendthrift Musk Elon Musk, head of DOGE, has offered federal workers a buyout. Doesn't this run counter to the aim of his division? How does he justify spending on this scale for seven months of non-productivity? Will this offer even materialize? Where do the many thousands turn to make a living? If people are so expendable, what comes next in this new America? Sonja I. Pantry, Miramar Good riddance Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services on Feb. 13. Did the CDC staff, accompanied by their lab rats, leave the sinking ship, as they promised to do? Here's hoping. Alfonso Fernandez-Fraga, Miami Impactful result Years ago, I watched a film titled, 'A Day Without A Mexican.' One can easily imagine the plot. Will an analogous time come for us (perhaps uglier, because the film did not depict the horror of families rent asunder), as we witness the deportation of a substantial number of our neighbors, fellow employees and friends? Even as a Jew with family Holocaust baggage, I wonder: does the appellation, 'Hitler's willing executioners,' apply to me as I kiss the cheek or shake the hand of people I know who voted for Donald Trump? Would I have stood mutely on the docks of Havana in 1939, watching the refugees on the liner St. Louis be denied entry and sent to their gruesome fate in Germany, or watched my fellow Japanese American citizens stripped of all but their clothes, as they marched to internment camps in 1942, or would I have watched the evening news in the comfort of my home in 1960 as Black students needed federal troops to escort them to school? The shameful verdict is: guilty. L. Gabriel Bach, Key Biscayne Trump and Gaza There has been much talk and hyperbole about President Trump's declaration that the United States would repair and then own the Gaza territory. This falls on his other statements about Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal. We should remind ourselves that the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 increased our land by a third. The purchase of Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million (about $130 million today) added an area of land twice the size of Texas to the nation. As to the Panama Canal, we spent millions of dollars to build and open that project, not to mention at least 5,000 lives lost, only for President Carter to return full control of the canal to Panama. To finally have peace in the Middle East, Gaza must be administered by a neutral party until it is ready to resume control as an independent state. Because no nation has rushed to take on that responsibility and Trump likes to think out-of-the-box, his provocative statement got the play he wanted. Cheer up, folks, the sky is not falling. Learn to roll with the punches. Roger Shatanof, Coral Gables Promise kept President Donald Trump promised, 'I will be a dictator on Day 1.' And on Day 1, he violated his oath of office and Constitutional duty to 'faithfully execute the laws' by refusing to execute the law he asked for, Congress enacted and his Supreme Court upheld: to ban TikTok as a national security threat. He continues to defy the Constitution, Congress and the courts in multiple ways. The only check on a dictator is revolution, if Congress won't impeach and courts are powerless to enforce the law. Is that what America voted for? Maxine Long, Coral Gables Silence is complicity To all Republican members of Congress, As members of the legislative branch of the U.S. government, you have not commented on the Trump administration's illegal firing of multiple inspectors General or its numerous other illegal activities. I presume this means you support such activities. Please explain to your constituents why these illegal activities are tolerated. Your obedience appears to be to your political party and not to your sworn duty as members of Congress and to the Constitution of the United States. If you will not speak out against these clearly illegal activities, how can your constituents trust that you will represent them against enemies foreign and domestic? Thomas H. Champney, Miami Local support The overwhelming generosity of the people of Miami helped provide joy to children in need through Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts this past season. Across the U.S., the Samaritan's Purse project collected 10.5 million gifts in 2024. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2024, the ministry is sending more than 11.9 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide. Shoebox packers brought joy and hope to children around the world through fun, full and personalized gifts. For many children, this is the first gift they have ever received. Each gift is a tangible expression of God's love, given to children in need around the world. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. Across the region, shoebox packers often shop for deals throughout the year; many packers become year-round volunteers. Learn how to participate year-round at Although Miami drop‑off locations for shoebox gifts reopen on Nov. 17–24, 2025, anyone can still be a part of this life-changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online at These simple gifts, packed with love, remind children around the world that they are loved and not forgotten. Molly Miller, Samaritan's Purse, Boone, NC Land of distraction A Florida state senator recently filed a 70-page bill to find all references in state law to the 'Gulf of Mexico' and replace them with 'Gulf of America' after President Trump, known for history and geography incompetence, issued an executive order to rename the Gulf. Laws, studies, libraries, books, federal and state departments will be involved in this massive operation. Our tax money, which pays our legislators' salaries, will go toward making this unnecessary and ridiculous change. Valeria Mastelli, Key Biscayne TikTok to Musk? According to United States intelligence services, social media platform TikTok is a security risk that can be manipulated to steal personal information and influence elections. Per President Donald Trump, China should sell it to DOGE chief Elon Musk. What could possible go wrong? The next four years scare the hell out of me. James Woodard, Palmetto Bay
