democracynow--2020-08-03--Voting Rights Activist LaTosha Brown: Trump Is Hellbent on Undermining Democracy to Win Reelection

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s our next guest , LaTosha Brown , singing “ Ain ’ t Gon na Let Nobody Turn Me Around ” as she witnessed Congressmember John Lewis ’ s last journey across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in her native home of Selma , Alabama , that took place last weekend .
This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
As President Trump trailed in the polls last week , he tweeted Thursday he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 election , that would be , quote , “ the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.
” Hours after Trump tweeted , former President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at John Lewis ’ s funeral in Atlanta , where he called for sweeping changes to expand voting rights .
AMY GOODMAN : Former President Barack Obama , giving the eulogy at the funeral of civil rights icon John Lewis .
Well , for more , we go to Atlanta , where we ’ re joined by LaTosha Brown , co-founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BVM Capacity Building Institute , 2019 Harvard Institute of Politics fellow .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
, LaTosha .
It ’ s great to have you with us .
So , there you are , singing at the Edmund Pettus Bridge , watching John Lewis ’ s casket being carried across in a carriage of two black horses .
You ’ re a leader in the voting rights movement .
Can you talk about Trump saying that mail-in votes disqualifies elections , that they ’ re fraudulent ?
LATOSHA BROWN : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surreal , the moment that we ’ re going through , as — I think , on the backdrop of all the work and celebrating the work of John Lewis and other advocates and civil rights leaders who did so much to secure the right to vote .
And then we ’ ve got this other — this dichotomy where we have a president who is probably the most fascist president that we ’ ve ever had in this country .
And fundamentally , you know , when I ’ m thinking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a — there ’ s a couple of reasons that he did it .
One , he knows he doesn ’ t have the power to do it , but that hasn ’ t stopped him before .
I think he is hellbent on pushing the boundaries , whatever he needs to do , to undermine and undercut democracy .
The second thing he does , which is very similar to what we saw in the voting rights movement , is that he creates — he wants to create an environment of fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so he goes out , and he makes these tweets so that his base can get all up in arms .
He can already set the stage for what he plans if he loses , as he knows that he ’ s actually doing — he ’ s not doing well on the polls right now , that it also sets the tone for that , so that he creates that kind of confusion .
And the third thing I think that he does is that he wants to create kind of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to dissuade voters from feeling that it is possible in this election cycle .
It ’ s almost like a distraction .
You know , I do notice that the day that he did it , this is when we had the highest number of cases of COVID-19 that were reported that day .
And so I also think that he has a really masterful way of wanting to change the subject so he can change the news cycle , that oftentimes when he ’ s actually coming under pressure in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is he will say something racist or very inflammatory so that it shifts the news cycle .
So I think that it was a combination of what he said around all of that .
But just like you heard in that video , it ’ s just not me .
There are millions of Americans who have been taking to the streets over the last couple of months , who are saying , “ We ain ’ t gon na let nobody turn us around.
” And so , he ’ s got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has really underestimated the power of the people .
And so , ultimately , in November , you know , I think what his best — what he thinks is his best tactic is to literally create enough doubt , so that he can create confusion , and that in some way he can actually create his base , where there is — to undermine the results of the election cycle .
AMY GOODMAN : According to reports , the number of registered voters in your state of Georgia is approaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says there are nearly 70,000 more voters in Georgia today than there were in May .
About 30 % of the voters said they were Black .
What do you attribute this massive increase in voter registration to ?
LATOSHA BROWN : You know , I think people are paying attention in ways that we haven ’ t been paying attention , that Americans haven ’ t been paying attention before .
We have been devastated by COVID-19 .
There are millions of people right now that are without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress and a Senate that refuses to extend the unemployment benefits .
People are demanding something different .
They are fundamentally frustrated with the process .
They ’ re seeing all of this at right before their eyes .
Trump has failed to show any leadership .
And what we ’ re seeing is record numbers .
I was out somewhere the other day at a grocery store — and I don ’ t really go out that often — and there was a young person that walked up to me and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had recognized who I was .
I ’ ve also been getting those kind of text messages .
I ’ ve never gotten this kind of response from people who are actually coming to me .
Usually we ’ re going out trying to get people to register to vote .
But folks have been calling me , young people in particular .
So I think we all see what ’ s happening in this country , and I think people are starting to get a sense of how critical this election cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move Trump out , but because he is actually creating harm in our community .
AMY GOODMAN : And , of course , that came after the meltdown primary in Georgia .
You know , the former secretary of state , who ’ s now the governor , Brian Kemp , doing everything from — around coronavirus , copying Trump and not wanting to impose any kind of statewide mask mandate , to , on the issue of voting , continue to challenge votes .
Now , Stacey Abrams raised the issue of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack of money , that ’ s being put into these stimulus packages for voting in November .
Do you think , LaTosha Brown , that Democrats in Congress are doing enough to ensure a free and fair election and ensure that people have access to the polls , especially mail-in voting , and educated about what that means ?
LATOSHA BROWN : You know , I think — I don ’ t think that there ’ s enough being done .
I do think that there are some Democrats who have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admire them , and I lift them up in their work .
But we ’ ve got to stop looking at this as a partisan issue .
This is a democracy issue .
So , fundamentally , what we have to do is we ’ ve got to press all of those in Congress , even those on the outside .
We ’ ve got to put additional pressure on our elected officials , whether they be Democrat or Republican , to say that we want a free and fair election , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what I am not seeing is what I am — you know , I am not seeing the level of intensity around protecting and ensuring that we have a free and fair election that I think we ’ re going to need .
It is clear that we have an administration who plans to steal this election .
It is clear that we have an attorney general who is complicit around this , and also the Republicans .
So I think that we need something far more intense , far more far-reaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day , there should be a press conference by the House or by Democratic members talking about the dangers of voter suppression , every single day .
And so , I ’ m not seeing it at that level , but I know that there are some that are fighting .
AMY GOODMAN : LaTosha Brown , you were one of seven prominent Black women who wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post headlined “ Biden still needs Black women .
Here are 3 things he needs to do.
” He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice-presidential running mate , any day now .
You wrote , quote , “ Biden ’ s only path to victory is through black women and the voters we know how to energize .
Though we have propped up the Democratic Party for decades , the return on our investment in the party might as well read , 'insufficient funds . '
” You went on to outline the three points for Biden , which were : America needs a Black woman as vice president , America needs a Black female Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black agenda .
Expand on this .
LATOSHA BROWN : So , I think that what we need to recognize , and I think we know , that for the last 50 years , particularly for the Democratic Party , Black women have been the most consistent , at the highest turnout base in any constituency group in this country .
Yet , in the last 50 years , we ’ ve not had a Supreme Court nominee of a Black woman .
We have not had a Black woman in the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even nominated or considered as president or vice president .
In addition to that , what we ’ ve seen is we ’ ve seen underrepresentation of Black women in not only just political office , but political appointees .
And so we are demanding something different , that as we are going into this new phase of American democracy , that those who are on the frontlines , who are protecting and who have always been on the vanguard of protecting democracy — we stood a hundred years ago with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t secured 'til 50 years later — that we have consistently been on the vanguard of pushing democracy ; however , we have been completely underrepresented .
And part of it is not just because I think that the time is now , even though I do think that .
Where in the world , if someone had showed up for 50 years , and they 're not considered in the top two or three positions ?
I mean , that , in itself , if it was a white man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside from that , we ’ re in a moment right now that Black women , we know that we are in a space around racial tensions and racial division in this country , and we really need a depth of understanding around structural racism .
We also need someone who has a depth of understanding around gender issues .
We sit , Black women sit , squarely in the space of gender and race .
One , I think that there ’ s a particular offering that we bring to this process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman to actually bring some excitement , some energy to the ticket , and a depth of knowledge and experience .
And any of the women that are on the list , I think , actually could meet that .
But I think it ’ s a critical , fundamental issue that we have to talk about what happens when you exclude populations , particularly those populations that have consistently showed up for you .
And so , that ’ s why I am continuing to stand on this is the moment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s interesting that when Biden said he needed a — he was going to select a woman , no one questioned that .
Why didn ’ t anybody question that ?
Because we knew it was the time , that we knew it , based on having this environment that we ’ re in right now , that it was natural for him to say that there was time for a woman to lead .
Does the same not apply to — in this moment that we ’ re in right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice to this process and bring a certain level of energy and expertise .
AMY GOODMAN : LaTosha Brown , I want to thank you for being with us , co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund and the BVM Capacity Building Institute .
Thanks so much for joining us .
When we come back , we speak to a Moroccan journalist , human rights activist , who has just been jailed .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Rebel Without a Pause ” by Public Enemy .
Chuck D just @ @ @ @ @

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s our next guest, LaTosha Brown, singing “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” as she witnessed Congressmember John Lewis’s last journey across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in her native home of Selma, Alabama, that took place last weekend. This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman. As President Trump trailed in the polls last week, he tweeted Thursday he’s floating the idea of delaying the 2020 election, that would be, quote, “the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.” Hours after Trump tweeted, former President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at John Lewis’s funeral in Atlanta, where he called for sweeping changes to expand voting rights.
BARACK OBAMA: Even as we sit here, there are those in power who are doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision, even undermining the Postal Service in the run-up to an election that’s going to be dependent on mail-in ballots so people don’t get sick.
AMY GOODMAN: Former President Barack Obama, giving the eulogy at the funeral of civil rights icon John Lewis.
Well, for more, we go to Atlanta, where we’re joined by LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund and the BVM Capacity Building Institute, 2019 Harvard Institute of Politics fellow.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, LaTosha. It’s great to have you with us. So, there you are, singing at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, watching John Lewis’s casket being carried across in a carriage of two black horses. You’re a leader in the voting rights movement. Can you talk about Trump saying that mail-in votes disqualifies elections, that they’re fraudulent?
LATOSHA BROWN: You know, it’s so surreal, the moment that we’re going through, as — I think, on the backdrop of all the work and celebrating the work of John Lewis and other advocates and civil rights leaders who did so much to secure the right to vote. And then we’ve got this other — this dichotomy where we have a president who is probably the most fascist president that we’ve ever had in this country.
And fundamentally, you know, when I’m thinking about his tweet, I think it has a — there’s a couple of reasons that he did it. One, he knows he doesn’t have the power to do it, but that hasn’t stopped him before. I think he is hellbent on pushing the boundaries, whatever he needs to do, to undermine and undercut democracy.
The second thing he does, which is very similar to what we saw in the voting rights movement, is that he creates — he wants to create an environment of fear, a culture of fear. And so he goes out, and he makes these tweets so that his base can get all up in arms. He can already set the stage for what he plans if he loses, as he knows that he’s actually doing — he’s not doing well on the polls right now, that it also sets the tone for that, so that he creates that kind of confusion.
And the third thing I think that he does is that he wants to create kind of a confusion among voters in general. He wants to dissuade voters from feeling that it is possible in this election cycle. It’s almost like a distraction. You know, I do notice that the day that he did it, this is when we had the highest number of cases of COVID-19 that were reported that day. And so I also think that he has a really masterful way of wanting to change the subject so he can change the news cycle, that oftentimes when he’s actually coming under pressure in the news cycle, what he will do is he will say something racist or very inflammatory so that it shifts the news cycle. So I think that it was a combination of what he said around all of that.
But just like you heard in that video, it’s just not me. There are millions of Americans who have been taking to the streets over the last couple of months, who are saying, “We ain’t gonna let nobody turn us around.” And so, he’s got to deal with what he has underestimated. He has really underestimated the power of the people.
And so, ultimately, in November, you know, I think what his best — what he thinks is his best tactic is to literally create enough doubt, so that he can create confusion, and that in some way he can actually create his base, where there is — to undermine the results of the election cycle.
AMY GOODMAN: According to reports, the number of registered voters in your state of Georgia is approaching an all-time high. An article published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says there are nearly 70,000 more voters in Georgia today than there were in May. About 30% of the voters said they were Black. What do you attribute this massive increase in voter registration to?
LATOSHA BROWN: You know, I think people are paying attention in ways that we haven’t been paying attention, that Americans haven’t been paying attention before. We have been devastated by COVID-19. There are millions of people right now that are without their jobs. We now have a Congress and a Senate that refuses to extend the unemployment benefits. People are demanding something different. They are fundamentally frustrated with the process. They’re seeing all of this at right before their eyes. Trump has failed to show any leadership. And what we’re seeing is record numbers.
I was out somewhere the other day at a grocery store — and I don’t really go out that often — and there was a young person that walked up to me and asked how could they register, because they had recognized who I was. I’ve also been getting those kind of text messages. I’ve never gotten this kind of response from people who are actually coming to me. Usually we’re going out trying to get people to register to vote. But folks have been calling me, young people in particular. So I think we all see what’s happening in this country, and I think people are starting to get a sense of how critical this election cycle is, not just because — to move Trump out, but because he is actually creating harm in our community.
AMY GOODMAN: And, of course, that came after the meltdown primary in Georgia. You know, the former secretary of state, who’s now the governor, Brian Kemp, doing everything from — around coronavirus, copying Trump and not wanting to impose any kind of statewide mask mandate, to, on the issue of voting, continue to challenge votes. Now, Stacey Abrams raised the issue of the amount of money, or the lack of money, that’s being put into these stimulus packages for voting in November. Do you think, LaTosha Brown, that Democrats in Congress are doing enough to ensure a free and fair election and ensure that people have access to the polls, especially mail-in voting, and educated about what that means?
LATOSHA BROWN: You know, I think — I don’t think that there’s enough being done. I do think that there are some Democrats who have been champions of this process, and I admire them, and I lift them up in their work. But we’ve got to stop looking at this as a partisan issue. This is a democracy issue.
So, fundamentally, what we have to do is we’ve got to press all of those in Congress, even those on the outside. We’ve got to put additional pressure on our elected officials, whether they be Democrat or Republican, to say that we want a free and fair election, that the people deserve that.
And so, what I am not seeing is what I am — you know, I am not seeing the level of intensity around protecting and ensuring that we have a free and fair election that I think we’re going to need. It is clear that we have an administration who plans to steal this election. It is clear that we have an attorney general who is complicit around this, and also the Republicans.
So I think that we need something far more intense, far more far-reaching. And I think we need — every day, there should be a press conference by the House or by Democratic members talking about the dangers of voter suppression, every single day. And so, I’m not seeing it at that level, but I know that there are some that are fighting.
AMY GOODMAN: LaTosha Brown, you were one of seven prominent Black women who wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post headlined “Biden still needs Black women. Here are 3 things he needs to do.” He is expected to choose a candidate, a vice-presidential running mate, any day now. You wrote, quote, “Biden’s only path to victory is through black women and the voters we know how to energize. Though we have propped up the Democratic Party for decades, the return on our investment in the party might as well read, 'insufficient funds.'” You went on to outline the three points for Biden, which were: America needs a Black woman as vice president, America needs a Black female Supreme Court justice, and America needs a comprehensive Black agenda. Expand on this.
LATOSHA BROWN: So, I think that what we need to recognize, and I think we know, that for the last 50 years, particularly for the Democratic Party, Black women have been the most consistent, at the highest turnout base in any constituency group in this country. Yet, in the last 50 years, we’ve not had a Supreme Court nominee of a Black woman. We have not had a Black woman in the highest positions as president or vice president, or even nominated or considered as president or vice president. In addition to that, what we’ve seen is we’ve seen underrepresentation of Black women in not only just political office, but political appointees.
And so we are demanding something different, that as we are going into this new phase of American democracy, that those who are on the frontlines, who are protecting and who have always been on the vanguard of protecting democracy — we stood a hundred years ago with our white female counterparts although our own vote wasn’t secured 'til 50 years later — that we have consistently been on the vanguard of pushing democracy; however, we have been completely underrepresented. And part of it is not just because I think that the time is now, even though I do think that. Where in the world, if someone had showed up for 50 years, and they're not considered in the top two or three positions? I mean, that, in itself, if it was a white man, it would be unconscionable.
But aside from that, we’re in a moment right now that Black women, we know that we are in a space around racial tensions and racial division in this country, and we really need a depth of understanding around structural racism. We also need someone who has a depth of understanding around gender issues. We sit, Black women sit, squarely in the space of gender and race. One, I think that there’s a particular offering that we bring to this process, that Biden actually needs a Black woman to actually bring some excitement, some energy to the ticket, and a depth of knowledge and experience. And any of the women that are on the list, I think, actually could meet that.
But I think it’s a critical, fundamental issue that we have to talk about what happens when you exclude populations, particularly those populations that have consistently showed up for you. And so, that’s why I am continuing to stand on this is the moment. You know, I think it’s interesting that when Biden said he needed a — he was going to select a woman, no one questioned that. Why didn’t anybody question that? Because we knew it was the time, that we knew it, based on having this environment that we’re in right now, that it was natural for him to say that there was time for a woman to lead. Does the same not apply to — in this moment that we’re in right now, a Black woman would bring a critical voice to this process and bring a certain level of energy and expertise.
AMY GOODMAN: LaTosha Brown, I want to thank you for being with us, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund and the BVM Capacity Building Institute. Thanks so much for joining us.
When we come back, we speak to a Moroccan journalist, human rights activist, who has just been jailed. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Rebel Without a Pause” by Public Enemy. Chuck D just turned 60 this weekend.


democracynow--2020-08-03--What If Trump Refuses to Accept a Biden Victory? A Look at How Electoral Chaos Could Divide Nation

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday the November presidential election will proceed as scheduled .
That ’ s after President Trump faced bipartisan outrage last week for suggesting delaying the election .
Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , Senator Lindsey Graham and even Steven Calabresi of the archconservative Federalist Society spoke out against the president , after Trump tweeted Thursday , quote , “ With Universal Mail-In Voting ( not Absentee Voting , which is good ) , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election in history .
It will be a great embarrassment to the USA .
Delay the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
?
” unquote .
President Trump has not taken back those comments .
They came as nearly all polls project Trump will lose against Joe Biden in November .
Mark Meadows backed off Trump ’ s claim on CBS ’ s Face the Nation , saying , “ We ’ re going to hold an election on November 3rd , and the president is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time Trump has suggested he ’ d oppose the election process .
He was asked about accepting the November election results during an interview last month with Chris Wallace on Fox News .
AMY GOODMAN : For more on the many questions surrounding this year ’ s election , we ’ re joined by historian Nils Gilman .
He ’ s vice president of programs at the Berggruen Institute and co-founder of the Transition Integrity Project , or TIP , which organized a bipartisan group of experts to game out what a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nils Gilman , welcome to Democracy Now !
Can you respond to President Trump ’ s tweet , which he has not taken back , no matter what Mark Meadows says ?
He ’ s talking about the illegitimacy of mail-in votes , and he ’ s talking about delaying the November election .
This is something you ’ ve been talking about for a long time .
NILS GILMAN : Yeah .
Well , you know , he has preached a lot of things , and it ’ s not clear how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course .
I think what ’ s striking about this one , of course , is that it got a lot of bipartisan pushback , which is good , because obviously we don ’ t want to have the president not get pushback when he ’ s saying that he wants to delay the election .
But what ’ s striking is how many of his tweets don ’ t get bipartisan , or at least Republican , pushback .
So , when he says that , you know , mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no pushback against that from the Republicans .
So I think that tells you where the limits are about what they ’ re willing to tolerate from the president .
AMY GOODMAN : So , talk about what your group is doing , Transition Integrity Project , and the simulation gaming out that you did in June .
NILS GILMAN : Yeah .
So , last month — or actually , I guess , in June , two months ago now — we ran a series of four , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games , which are basically simulations of possible outcomes , not so much of the election , but the aftermath of the election , between November 3rd and Inauguration Day on January 20th .
So we looked at four different scenarios : Biden winning in a landslide , Trump winning in a landslide and a couple scenarios where the election was very close or actually truly ambiguous .
And we assembled a group of people who played different roles .
They played — some people played Team Trump .
Some people played Team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , Republican elected officials .
This was a bipartisan group , included people , you know , former Democratic presidential Chief of Staff John Podesta , former Republican vice-presidential Chief of Staff Bill Kristol , you know , former Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan .
So it was a high-level group , bipartisan group .
And we tried to find out what could potentially go wrong between Election Day and Inauguration Day .
And the results were pretty intense .
In every scenario , except for the one where Biden won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with severe electoral contestation , protests in the streets , you know , crazy stories happening on social media , and the challenges went down to Inauguration Day .
The contestation was really without precedent .
AMY GOODMAN : Wait .
So , go through these four scenarios .
NILS GILMAN : Yeah , so , one scenario was Biden wins , wins pretty big .
And by the way , you know , we started simulating the games the day after the election .
So we didn ’ t simulate things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
There ’ s lots of other people who are concerned with that .
We were specifically focused on what could happen after the election .
Are there possible ways that the transition process could be disrupted ?
The reason we needed to do that was the United States has a very unusual electoral system where people don ’ t take office immediately after the election .
There ’ s this 10- , 11-week period between Election Day and Inauguration Day , when the incumbent government , the lame-duck government , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control things .
And that was one of the things that was really striking .
Trump will still control the levers of power , even if he loses the election , for 10 or 11 more weeks .
And this allows him to get up to all sorts of mischief in terms of deploying the Department of Justice , the Post Office , you know , Department of Homeland Security , in ways that can disrupt the transition process .
AMY GOODMAN : So , talk about the role of the swing states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what role they could play .
NILS GILMAN : Yeah .
So , there ’ s a series of swing states — Michigan , North Carolina and Wisconsin are really the three striking ones — where you have a situation where there ’ s a split government .
You have a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature .
And because of the way in which election certification works , there ’ s a possibility to do all sorts of kind of corrupt things during that period .
So , basically , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then typically what happens is the state legislature has to certify that one side won the election , and then the governor sends a slate of electoral votes to the Electoral College , which gets counted in mid-December .
And then the Electoral College sends on its results to Congress , which has to certify the results in early January .
So , because there ’ s this split in these swing states between the Republican legislature and the Democratic governor , you could end up with a situation — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the simulations that we put together — where the vote happens one way , the Republican legislature certifies it another way , and the Democratic governor decides to send in a third slate of electors .
So you could end up with competing slates of electors being sent , some by the Republican legislature and some by the Democratic governor .
And this , in fact , is — there ’ s a precedence for this .
This exactly is what happened during the contested election of 1876 .
You had three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , South Carolina and Louisiana that year — that sent competing slates of electors to the Electoral College .
And at that point , it becomes up to Congress to decide which of the competing slates of electors they ’ re going to certify as being legitimate and counting for the purposes of selecting the next president .
AMY GOODMAN : If it was clear that Trump lost the election , would the military , or could the military or Secret Service just walk him out of office if he wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I mean , obviously , at some point , you know , if he refuses to leave the White House physically and everybody agrees that he ’ s lost , at that point he ’ s effectively just a trespasser in the White House , and presumably the Secret Service would remove him .
But I think the real question we have to worry about is not whether it ’ s totally clear and everybody agrees other than Trump that he lost .
If that situation happens , I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation will resolve itself in an orderly manner .
The real cause for concern is if there are competing narratives that large numbers of Americans believe about who actually won the election .
And that ’ s actually , unfortunately , very possible , especially given how polarized the electorate is and the competing narratives about the kinds of frauds that can take place around the election .
Trump is already promoting the notion of fraud .
He ’ ll say he won , if he wins , despite the fraud .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say he lost because of the fraud .
I mean , you had the clip at the top of the hour here , when you were playing the introduction , where he says exactly that .
AMY GOODMAN : So , he just has to create a plausible narrative that he didn ’ t lose , you say .
And what would that do ?
NILS GILMAN : Well , if he creates a plausible narrative — and by “ plausible , ” I mean something that , you know , gets picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parroted on Fox News and gets picked up maybe by The Wall Street Journal op-ed page , that the reason why he lost is because of fraud that ’ s happening in some of these swing states , or , as he would say , “ illegals ” voting or the mail-in ballots or foreign interference .
There ’ s any number of different channels for creating a narrative that there has been fraud .
And if he can do that and he can convince enough people on his side of the aisle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a situation where there really will be two different stories about who won the election .
And that obviously can create a very dangerous situation .
AMY GOODMAN : So , Trump ’ s attack on mail-in voting comes at a time when the Trump administration is facing accusations of sabotaging the Postal Service under the newly installed postmaster general , who happens to be a Trump fundraiser , Louis DeJoy .
Can you talk about what this means ?
Since DeJoy took office , he has instituted a number of cost-cutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mail .
The Washington Post reports there ’ s now a days-long backlog of mail across the country .
Take it from there .
NILS GILMAN : Well , I ’ m not an expert about exactly what ’ s going on at the Post Office , so I can ’ t speak to that , but I can talk about what the risks are .
You know , there ’ s going to be an unprecedented number of people voting by mail , voting absentee this year , partly because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about going and standing in line in closed quarters to go vote .
So , many people are going to vote by mail .
And if the mail is slow , then the mail will be delivered late , and these ballots will not arrive on election night .
One of the things Trump has also been claiming , which there was no pushback on from Republicans , is that the election should be called on election night .
Well , why would he want that ?
Well , it ’ s because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among people who study these things closely , known as the “ blue shift , ” which is that the votes that come in late tend disproportionately to be Democratic voters , for a whole bunch of different reasons .
And so , obviously , if he wants the election called on election night , that would prevent any of the votes that came in late by mail , by the mail that ’ s being slowed down by the Postal Service ’ s incompetence , from being counted .
And so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disenfranchisement of anybody who votes late or votes by mail because they ’ re afraid of the coronavirus or for any other reason that people might want to vote by mail .
AMY GOODMAN : Of course , I mean , the front page of The New York Times today , “ Lag in Tallying Mail-In Ballots Raises Alarms.
” New York City is still deciding the June primary races .
NILS GILMAN : Right .
I think one of the things we really need to get ready for is that we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election night .
It ’ s really going to be an election season .
And one of the things that I think media really should be getting out , the word out , to all Americans right now is that , you know , we need to be patient , and we don ’ t necessarily — we won ’ t necessarily know the result on election night .
I mean , it ’ s possible that Biden will win in a landslide or Trump will win in a landslide , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be a number of different states , you know , the swing states , even though Biden is way ahead in terms of the national polls — in the swing states , the results are still pretty close , and we may not know on election night who won .
And we may not know for , you know , a week or even two weeks afterwards , as these ballots trickle in and have to be counted carefully .
I think it ’ s a responsibility of all Americans to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want , above all else , is for our democratic voting process to have integrity , for everybody who wants to vote to be able to , and for everybody who votes to have their vote counted .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has said states should prepare for a worst-case scenario for the November election , including Trump seizing ballot boxes and using the military .
Do you think that ’ s possible , Nils Gilman ?
NILS GILMAN : I do think it ’ s possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already seen what he ’ s done in Portland .
And it ’ s kind of sinister , from my perspective , that even though he ’ s now withdrawn from Portland , withdrawn the federal forces from Portland , he has announced that they ’ re going to be deployed in , specifically , Cleveland , Detroit and Milwaukee .
Well , why would he pick those three cities ?
Well , those are blue cities in swing states — in Ohio , in Michigan and in Wisconsin .
And if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the biggest blue city in each of those states , that could be decisive in swinging the results in his favor .
So I do think that there ’ s a severe chance that the military will be used , or militarized forces — I don ’ t think the military itself .
I think after Lafayette Square , the military itself is likely to resist being deployed that way .
But we have paramilitarized federal forces that are prepared to do Trump ’ s bidding .
And I do think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
AMY GOODMAN : Nils Gilman , I want to thank you for being with us , historian and co-founder of Transition Integrity Project , which organized a bipartisan group of experts to game out what a contested November election might look like .
When we come back , we ’ ll be joined by LaTosha Brown , co-founder of Black Voters Matter .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday the November presidential election will proceed as scheduled. That’s after President Trump faced bipartisan outrage last week for suggesting delaying the election. Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Lindsey Graham and even Steven Calabresi of the archconservative Federalist Society spoke out against the president, after Trump tweeted Thursday, quote, “With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” unquote. President Trump has not taken back those comments. They came as nearly all polls project Trump will lose against Joe Biden in November. Mark Meadows backed off Trump’s claim on CBS’s Face the Nation, saying, “We’re going to hold an election on November 3rd, and the president is going to win.”
This is not the first time Trump has suggested he’d oppose the election process. He was asked about accepting the November election results during an interview last month with Chris Wallace on Fox News.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election. I really do.
CHRIS WALLACE: Are you suggesting that you might not accept the results of the election?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I have to see. …
CHRIS WALLACE: Can you give a direct answer: You will accept the election?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I have to see. Look, you — I have to see. No, I’m not going to just say yes; I’m not going to say no. And I didn’t last time, either.
AMY GOODMAN: For more on the many questions surrounding this year’s election, we’re joined by historian Nils Gilman. He’s vice president of programs at the Berggruen Institute and co-founder of the Transition Integrity Project, or TIP, which organized a bipartisan group of experts to game out what a contested November election might look like.
Nils Gilman, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you respond to President Trump’s tweet, which he has not taken back, no matter what Mark Meadows says? He’s talking about the illegitimacy of mail-in votes, and he’s talking about delaying the November election. This is something you’ve been talking about for a long time.
NILS GILMAN: Yeah. Well, you know, he has preached a lot of things, and it’s not clear how seriously one should take any of it, of course. I think what’s striking about this one, of course, is that it got a lot of bipartisan pushback, which is good, because obviously we don’t want to have the president not get pushback when he’s saying that he wants to delay the election. But what’s striking is how many of his tweets don’t get bipartisan, or at least Republican, pushback. So, when he says that, you know, mail-in ballots are going to be fraudulent, there’s no pushback against that from the Republicans. So I think that tells you where the limits are about what they’re willing to tolerate from the president.
AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about what your group is doing, Transition Integrity Project, and the simulation gaming out that you did in June.
NILS GILMAN: Yeah. So, last month — or actually, I guess, in June, two months ago now — we ran a series of four, what are known in military circles as war games, which are basically simulations of possible outcomes, not so much of the election, but the aftermath of the election, between November 3rd and Inauguration Day on January 20th. So we looked at four different scenarios: Biden winning in a landslide, Trump winning in a landslide and a couple scenarios where the election was very close or actually truly ambiguous.
And we assembled a group of people who played different roles. They played — some people played Team Trump. Some people played Team Biden. Some people played Democratic elected officials, Republican elected officials. This was a bipartisan group, included people, you know, former Democratic presidential Chief of Staff John Podesta, former Republican vice-presidential Chief of Staff Bill Kristol, you know, former Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan. So it was a high-level group, bipartisan group. And we tried to find out what could potentially go wrong between Election Day and Inauguration Day.
And the results were pretty intense. In every scenario, except for the one where Biden won in a landslide, we ended up with severe electoral contestation, protests in the streets, you know, crazy stories happening on social media, and the challenges went down to Inauguration Day. The contestation was really without precedent.
AMY GOODMAN: Wait. So, go through these four scenarios.
NILS GILMAN: Yeah, so, one scenario was Biden wins, wins pretty big. And by the way, you know, we started simulating the games the day after the election. So we didn’t simulate things that could go wrong on the day of the election. There’s lots of other people who are concerned with that. We were specifically focused on what could happen after the election. Are there possible ways that the transition process could be disrupted?
The reason we needed to do that was the United States has a very unusual electoral system where people don’t take office immediately after the election. There’s this 10-, 11-week period between Election Day and Inauguration Day, when the incumbent government, the lame-duck government, is still in power and still can control things.
And that was one of the things that was really striking. Trump will still control the levers of power, even if he loses the election, for 10 or 11 more weeks. And this allows him to get up to all sorts of mischief in terms of deploying the Department of Justice, the Post Office, you know, Department of Homeland Security, in ways that can disrupt the transition process.
AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about the role of the swing states, for example, like Michigan, and what role they could play.
NILS GILMAN: Yeah. So, there’s a series of swing states — Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin are really the three striking ones — where you have a situation where there’s a split government. You have a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature. And because of the way in which election certification works, there’s a possibility to do all sorts of kind of corrupt things during that period.
So, basically, what happens is, the votes get counted, and then typically what happens is the state legislature has to certify that one side won the election, and then the governor sends a slate of electoral votes to the Electoral College, which gets counted in mid-December. And then the Electoral College sends on its results to Congress, which has to certify the results in early January.
So, because there’s this split in these swing states between the Republican legislature and the Democratic governor, you could end up with a situation — and this is what actually happened in some of the simulations that we put together — where the vote happens one way, the Republican legislature certifies it another way, and the Democratic governor decides to send in a third slate of electors. So you could end up with competing slates of electors being sent, some by the Republican legislature and some by the Democratic governor. And this, in fact, is — there’s a precedence for this. This exactly is what happened during the contested election of 1876. You had three states then — I believe it was Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana that year — that sent competing slates of electors to the Electoral College. And at that point, it becomes up to Congress to decide which of the competing slates of electors they’re going to certify as being legitimate and counting for the purposes of selecting the next president.
AMY GOODMAN: If it was clear that Trump lost the election, would the military, or could the military or Secret Service just walk him out of office if he wasn’t leaving?
NILS GILMAN: Yeah. I mean, obviously, at some point, you know, if he refuses to leave the White House physically and everybody agrees that he’s lost, at that point he’s effectively just a trespasser in the White House, and presumably the Secret Service would remove him. But I think the real question we have to worry about is not whether it’s totally clear and everybody agrees other than Trump that he lost. If that situation happens, I’m not too worried. You know, the situation will resolve itself in an orderly manner.
The real cause for concern is if there are competing narratives that large numbers of Americans believe about who actually won the election. And that’s actually, unfortunately, very possible, especially given how polarized the electorate is and the competing narratives about the kinds of frauds that can take place around the election. Trump is already promoting the notion of fraud. He’ll say he won, if he wins, despite the fraud. And if he loses, he’ll say he lost because of the fraud. I mean, you had the clip at the top of the hour here, when you were playing the introduction, where he says exactly that.
AMY GOODMAN: So, he just has to create a plausible narrative that he didn’t lose, you say. And what would that do?
NILS GILMAN: Well, if he creates a plausible narrative — and by “plausible,” I mean something that, you know, gets picked up in social media and then gets parroted on Fox News and gets picked up maybe by The Wall Street Journal op-ed page, that the reason why he lost is because of fraud that’s happening in some of these swing states, or, as he would say, “illegals” voting or the mail-in ballots or foreign interference. There’s any number of different channels for creating a narrative that there has been fraud. And if he can do that and he can convince enough people on his side of the aisle that narrative is true, then you have a situation where there really will be two different stories about who won the election. And that obviously can create a very dangerous situation.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Trump’s attack on mail-in voting comes at a time when the Trump administration is facing accusations of sabotaging the Postal Service under the newly installed postmaster general, who happens to be a Trump fundraiser, Louis DeJoy. Can you talk about what this means? Since DeJoy took office, he has instituted a number of cost-cutting measures that have slowed down the delivery of mail. The Washington Post reports there’s now a days-long backlog of mail across the country. Take it from there.
NILS GILMAN: Well, I’m not an expert about exactly what’s going on at the Post Office, so I can’t speak to that, but I can talk about what the risks are. You know, there’s going to be an unprecedented number of people voting by mail, voting absentee this year, partly because of the coronavirus epidemic making some people concerned about going and standing in line in closed quarters to go vote. So, many people are going to vote by mail. And if the mail is slow, then the mail will be delivered late, and these ballots will not arrive on election night.
One of the things Trump has also been claiming, which there was no pushback on from Republicans, is that the election should be called on election night. Well, why would he want that? Well, it’s because there’s a well-known phenomenon, among people who study these things closely, known as the “blue shift,” which is that the votes that come in late tend disproportionately to be Democratic voters, for a whole bunch of different reasons. And so, obviously, if he wants the election called on election night, that would prevent any of the votes that came in late by mail, by the mail that’s being slowed down by the Postal Service’s incompetence, from being counted. And so, it’s effectively a form of disenfranchisement of anybody who votes late or votes by mail because they’re afraid of the coronavirus or for any other reason that people might want to vote by mail.
AMY GOODMAN: Of course, I mean, the front page of The New York Times today, “Lag in Tallying Mail-In Ballots Raises Alarms.” New York City is still deciding the June primary races.
NILS GILMAN: Right. I think one of the things we really need to get ready for is that we’re not going to have a traditional election night. It’s really going to be an election season. And one of the things that I think media really should be getting out, the word out, to all Americans right now is that, you know, we need to be patient, and we don’t necessarily — we won’t necessarily know the result on election night. I mean, it’s possible that Biden will win in a landslide or Trump will win in a landslide, in which case we will know. But there could be a number of different states, you know, the swing states, even though Biden is way ahead in terms of the national polls — in the swing states, the results are still pretty close, and we may not know on election night who won. And we may not know for, you know, a week or even two weeks afterwards, as these ballots trickle in and have to be counted carefully. I think it’s a responsibility of all Americans to be patient about that, because what we want, above all else, is for our democratic voting process to have integrity, for everybody who wants to vote to be able to, and for everybody who votes to have their vote counted.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has said states should prepare for a worst-case scenario for the November election, including Trump seizing ballot boxes and using the military. Do you think that’s possible, Nils Gilman?
NILS GILMAN: I do think it’s possible. I mean, we’ve already seen what he’s done in Portland. And it’s kind of sinister, from my perspective, that even though he’s now withdrawn from Portland, withdrawn the federal forces from Portland, he has announced that they’re going to be deployed in, specifically, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. Well, why would he pick those three cities? Well, those are blue cities in swing states — in Ohio, in Michigan and in Wisconsin. And if he can prevent and intimidate voters from voting in the biggest blue city in each of those states, that could be decisive in swinging the results in his favor.
So I do think that there’s a severe chance that the military will be used, or militarized forces — I don’t think the military itself. I think after Lafayette Square, the military itself is likely to resist being deployed that way. But we have paramilitarized federal forces that are prepared to do Trump’s bidding. And I do think that that’s a severe risk for the election.
AMY GOODMAN: Nils Gilman, I want to thank you for being with us, historian and co-founder of Transition Integrity Project, which organized a bipartisan group of experts to game out what a contested November election might look like.
When we come back, we’ll be joined by LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-08-03--Headlines for August  3, 2020

Headlines for August  3, 2020

A new report in Vanity Fair reveals a White House task force led by Jared Kushner abandoned a nationwide coronavirus testing plan in the spring for political reasons .
One public health expert in frequent contact with the White House ’ s official coronavirus task force said , “ The political folks believed that because it was going to be relegated to Democratic states , that they could blame those governors , and that would be an effective political strategy.
” In news from Capitol Hill , negotiations over the next coronavirus stimulus bill remain at a standstill .
Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give unemployed workers an additional $ 600 in benefits .
The enhanced benefit expired on Friday .
In other news from Washington , Democratic Congressmember Raúl Grijalva has tested positive for COVID-19 , just days after he chaired a meeting attended by Republican Congressmember Louie Gohmert , who refused to wear a mask and later tested positive .
In a statement , Grijalva said , “ While I can not blame anyone directly for this , this week has shown that there are some members of Congress who fail to take this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporting the Republicans are considering barring journalists for the first time from attending the upcoming scaled-down Republican National Convention , citing health concerns .

A new report in Vanity Fair reveals a White House task force led by Jared Kushner abandoned a nationwide coronavirus testing plan in the spring for political reasons. One public health expert in frequent contact with the White House’s official coronavirus task force said, “The political folks believed that because it was going to be relegated to Democratic states, that they could blame those governors, and that would be an effective political strategy.”
In news from Capitol Hill, negotiations over the next coronavirus stimulus bill remain at a standstill. Republicans are refusing to support renewing a program to give unemployed workers an additional $600 in benefits. The enhanced benefit expired on Friday.
In other news from Washington, Democratic Congressmember Raúl Grijalva has tested positive for COVID-19, just days after he chaired a meeting attended by Republican Congressmember Louie Gohmert, who refused to wear a mask and later tested positive. In a statement, Grijalva said, “While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously.”
Meanwhile, CNN is reporting the Republicans are considering barring journalists for the first time from attending the upcoming scaled-down Republican National Convention, citing health concerns.


democracynow--2020-08-04--Militarized BORTAC Border Patrol Raids & Ransacks Medical Camp on U.S. Border, Arrests 30 Migrants

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González , as we end the today ’ s show in Arizona , where heavily armed Border Patrol officers raided a medical camp of humanitarian group No More Deaths Friday , detained 30 migrants , whose whereabouts are still unknown .
It was the second raid in just two days on the camp , which provides water , food and medical attention to refugees crossing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sonoran Desert — the raids carried out by the Border Patrol ’ s BORTAC teams , the same militarized special operation units recently deployed to suppress protests in Portland , Oregon .
They came after No More Deaths published documents revealing the Border Patrol Union , a pro-Trump and anti-immigrant extremist group , had instigated a 2017 raid of the same camp .
For more , we go to Tucson and are joined by Montana Thames , one of the humanitarian aid workers with No More Deaths .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Sorry , we don ’ t hear you , Montana .
We ’ re trying to bring up your audio .
MONTANA THAMES : Hi , Amy .
Can you hear me now ?
AMY GOODMAN : We can , yes .
MONTANA THAMES : OK , great .
Thank you .
Thank you so much for having me .
But like you said , it was a military-style raid that happened on Friday .
They had been surveilling , 24/7 surveillance , since Thursday morning on the camp .
They had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
There was a helicopter 200 feet above the camp .
They had a BORTAC BearCat tank enter the camp , alongside BORTAC agents with huge assault rifles walking into the camp .
They were the first wave to neutralize any threat .
But there was ATVs , drones .
The whole shebang came out to neutralize this big threat .
But immediately after they entered the camp , the first thing they did was round up all of the No More Deaths aid workers and zip-tie them , remove their phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want any witnesses for what they were about to do next .
The aid workers were able to overhear from the Border Patrol radios that there was chasing of migrants happening around them .
They described the accounts they were hearing on the radios as violent and scary .
And Border Patrol , after they seized 30-plus migrants that were seeking food and medical attention , they proceeded to completely trash the camp .
They slashed all of our tents .
They slashed people ’ s personal tents .
They overturned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open cots .
A complete ransack of the place .
They took all of our medical records and all of our phones that were in the office and on volunteers , for evidence .
They disconnected the only water source that the camp has , which volunteers found later .
They did all this in a flash .
They didn ’ t show any warrant at first .
And when they did show the warrant , the one thing that volunteers noticed was that on the warrant , under items to be seized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” so meaning migrants .
And so , it just showed that they viewed the migrants as objects to be seized from the premises .
And it just like further proves their justification of dehumanizing migrants to justify their violence .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Montana , we only have about a minute left , but if you could talk about this whole issue of them raiding you just after you released a report , similar to what happened back in 2017 , when a raid happened after you released a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in 2017 , we released the Disappeared , Part 2 , and about four hours later , Dr. Scott Warren was apprehended .
This time , this was less than 24 hours .
So , we released this report — released documents on Wednesday at about 11 a.m. And the first time they entered camp without a warrant was on Thursday around 8 or 9 a.m .
So , less than 24 hours later , they started their intimidation tactics and surveillance .
AMY GOODMAN : And this was BORTAC , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same group that has been going after Black Lives Matter in places like Portland , Oregon ?
We have five seconds .
MONTANA THAMES : Yes , yes , it was BORTAC .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank so you much , Montana Thames , for joining us , humanitarian aid worker with No More Deaths .
And we ’ ll continue to show what happens there , and people can go to our website at democracynow.org to get our interviews with Scott Warren after he was arrested .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democracy Now !
is produced with Renée Feltz , Mike Burke , Deena Guzder , Libby Rainey , Nermeen Shaikh , María Taracena , Carla Wills , Tami Woronoff , Charina Nadura , Sam Alcoff , Tey-Marie Astudillo , John Hamilton , Robby Karran .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Stay safe .
Saves lives .
Wear a mask .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González, as we end the today’s show in Arizona, where heavily armed Border Patrol officers raided a medical camp of humanitarian group No More Deaths Friday, detained 30 migrants, whose whereabouts are still unknown. It was the second raid in just two days on the camp, which provides water, food and medical attention to refugees crossing into the United States through the scorching Sonoran Desert — the raids carried out by the Border Patrol’s BORTAC teams, the same militarized special operation units recently deployed to suppress protests in Portland, Oregon. They came after No More Deaths published documents revealing the Border Patrol Union, a pro-Trump and anti-immigrant extremist group, had instigated a 2017 raid of the same camp.
For more, we go to Tucson and are joined by Montana Thames, one of the humanitarian aid workers with No More Deaths.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Montana. What happened last Friday?
Sorry, we don’t hear you, Montana. We’re trying to bring up your audio.
MONTANA THAMES: Hi.
AMY GOODMAN: Go ahead.
MONTANA THAMES: Hi, Amy. Can you hear me now?
AMY GOODMAN: We can, yes.
MONTANA THAMES: OK, great. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
But like you said, it was a military-style raid that happened on Friday. They had been surveilling, 24/7 surveillance, since Thursday morning on the camp. They had about 24 Border Patrol agent trucks come in. There was a helicopter 200 feet above the camp. They had a BORTAC BearCat tank enter the camp, alongside BORTAC agents with huge assault rifles walking into the camp. They were the first wave to neutralize any threat. But there was ATVs, drones. The whole shebang came out to neutralize this big threat.
But immediately after they entered the camp, the first thing they did was round up all of the No More Deaths aid workers and zip-tie them, remove their phones. It was very clear they didn’t want any witnesses for what they were about to do next.
The aid workers were able to overhear from the Border Patrol radios that there was chasing of migrants happening around them. They described the accounts they were hearing on the radios as violent and scary. And Border Patrol, after they seized 30-plus migrants that were seeking food and medical attention, they proceeded to completely trash the camp. They slashed all of our tents. They slashed people’s personal tents. They overturned anything that we had. They slashed open cots. A complete ransack of the place. They took all of our medical records and all of our phones that were in the office and on volunteers, for evidence. They disconnected the only water source that the camp has, which volunteers found later.
They did all this in a flash. They didn’t show any warrant at first. And when they did show the warrant, the one thing that volunteers noticed was that on the warrant, under items to be seized, it said “illegal aliens,” so meaning migrants. And so, it just showed that they viewed the migrants as objects to be seized from the premises. And it just like further proves their justification of dehumanizing migrants to justify their violence.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Montana, we only have about a minute left, but if you could talk about this whole issue of them raiding you just after you released a report, similar to what happened back in 2017, when a raid happened after you released a report?
MONTANA THAMES: Yeah. So, in 2017, we released the Disappeared, Part 2, and about four hours later, Dr. Scott Warren was apprehended. This time, this was less than 24 hours. So, we released this report — released documents on Wednesday at about 11 a.m. And the first time they entered camp without a warrant was on Thursday around 8 or 9 a.m. So, less than 24 hours later, they started their intimidation tactics and surveillance.
AMY GOODMAN: And this was BORTAC, the same unit, the kind — the same group that has been going after Black Lives Matter in places like Portland, Oregon? We have five seconds.
MONTANA THAMES: Yes, yes, it was BORTAC.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank so you much, Montana Thames, for joining us, humanitarian aid worker with No More Deaths. And we’ll continue to show what happens there, and people can go to our website at democracynow.org to get our interviews with Scott Warren after he was arrested.
That does it for our show. Democracy Now! is produced with Renée Feltz, Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Libby Rainey, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, Carla Wills, Tami Woronoff, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, John Hamilton, Robby Karran. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Stay safe. Saves lives. Wear a mask.


democracynow--2020-08-04--"It's Basically a Death Sentence": Hunger Strikers Demand Release as Virus Surges in ICE Jails

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , yes , many ICE jails are facing repeated work strikes and hunger strikes and other types of protests over the lack of access to personal protective equipment or quality medical care .
For more , we are joined in Salinas , California , by Joe Mejia , an asylum seeker who helped lead a hunger strike at the Yuba County Jail , where he was held by ICE for nearly 11 months , just released last week .
Joe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conditions within the Yuba County Jail .
How many detained immigrants were there ?
You had been transferred from a prison , where you had served full-time , to this jail .
How did you — what happened inside ?
JOE MEJIA : Yes .
So , I paroled in 2017 in October .
And immediately , at R & R , which is the booking and receiving end of prison , where they book you in and transfer you out , ICE was there to pick me up as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me to my first detention facility , which was in Elk Grove , which is now closed because the contract had ended .
And since then , I have been bounced around to two more detention facilities after that , which I landed in Yuba County Jail about August of last year .
And that place is dangerous .
It is a death sentence to detainees , especially right now with the coronavirus .
Medical attention is very poor , at best .
The conditions there are filthy .
The staff are very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation that they have us all in , and they just don ’ t care .
They don ’ t care about our safety .
They don ’ t care about our well-being .
And it ’ s clear in the way they treat us and in the hygiene kits and the food and the water that they provide us .
It ’ s a clear signal of their poor treatment and negligence towards us .
And yeah , like you mentioned , I helped lead a hunger strike about two weeks ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was blessed , and I was released last Tuesday , thanks to this COVID-19 bond , which they ’ re calling it in there .
But it ’ s basically a death sentence .
Anybody getting picked up from prison or getting picked up from the streets and going into a detention center , it ’ s basically a death sentence right now .
They ’ re playing Russian roulette with our lives .
People are getting infected — Mesa Verde ; Otay , San Diego .
I mean , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak , in Bakersfield .
And these facilities know it ’ s going on .
Gavin Newsom knows it ’ s going on , and yet he ’ s doing nothing to prevent it , to stop it from further spreading .
They ’ re actually delivering — hand-delivering coronavirus to all these other countries when they ’ re deporting them — India , Mexico , Guatemala , El Salvador , all these countries .
They know they have infected people , and they continue to deport them into these countries that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , you know , anybody can see that they ’ re one of the main contributors to the spreading of coronavirus worldwide .
And yet they ’ re doing nothing to prevent it or stop it from continuing to spread .
And I feel Gavin — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Joe Mejia , I wanted to ask you : What was the response of the guards within the detention center as you began organizing the hunger strike ?
Was there any attempts at retaliation , before you were released ?
JOE MEJIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retaliate , even before the hunger strike .
This facility is ran by sheriffs .
It ’ s a county jail .
So , their tactics are intimidation and retaliation always .
So , when we did the hunger strike , they pepper-sprayed some of the detainees .
They isolated them in what they call cold rooms or cool-out rooms , with no beds , you know , no entertainment , no phones , no nothing .
It ’ s just a toilet in a big rubber room .
And they had them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re not going to eat , you ’ re going to remain here until you eat .
So , you know , through these tactics and psychological warfare , they tried to scare us from practicing our First Amendment right of freedom of speech and protest , peaceful protest .
At no time did any of the detainees attack these officers or were aggressive towards them , but yet these officers clearly attacked , handcuffed , manhandled these detainees , pepper-sprayed them and held them in these cold rooms until they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is just — it ’ s been going on for years .
AMY GOODMAN : Did you have access to masks and protective gear ?
JOE MEJIA : Sure , they gave us masks , but they did not provide them for us .
Local organizations provided us with handmade masks .
And so , you know , they always twist things around , and they always find a way to punish us for any type of thing like this .
So , they made a rule where if we hand-wash these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , or we ’ ll get disciplined for it .
You know , just little things like that .
But yet they can ’ t provide us with clean masks .
They just give us that one mask .
And the laundry there is very bad .
Everything that comes back from laundry smells like urine .
It ’ s always stained .
So everyone is scared to send these masks off to laundry , because they know it ’ s going to come back smelling worse than what they were sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hunger strike continuing there , Joe ?
JOE MEJIA : As far as I know , no , but I know they ’ re planning to do a second wave of hunger strike , because they have done nothing to accommodate our dire situation with the coronavirus .
As a matter of fact , I brought a hygiene kit with me from Yuba County Jail .
So , if you ’ re indigent , this is what you ’ re supposed to clean your entire body with .
This is the bar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man to clean their body with .
So , if you have no money at Yuba County Jail , you ’ re basically going to starve , and you ’ re basically going to have very poor hygiene .
And those are one of the things that we are demanding from ICE and Yuba County Jail , that they give us basic care , basic necessities , things that any basic human deserves , like shoes .
They don ’ t even give us shoes when we go into Yuba .
We don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t get deodorant .
We don ’ t get lotion .
We don ’ t get any of that .
So , those are some of the things that they are demanding from Yuba and from ICE .
AMY GOODMAN : Joe , we ’ re going to have to cut you off , but I thank you so much for being such an important voice , now outside .
You were inside .
And Joe Mejia is an asylum seeker recently released from Yuba County Jail , where he was held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When we come back , we find out what happened on the Arizona-Mexico border with a raid .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, yes, many ICE jails are facing repeated work strikes and hunger strikes and other types of protests over the lack of access to personal protective equipment or quality medical care.
For more, we are joined in Salinas, California, by Joe Mejia, an asylum seeker who helped lead a hunger strike at the Yuba County Jail, where he was held by ICE for nearly 11 months, just released last week.
Joe, welcome to Democracy Now! Talk about the conditions within the Yuba County Jail. How many detained immigrants were there? You had been transferred from a prison, where you had served full-time, to this jail. How did you — what happened inside?
JOE MEJIA: Yes. So, I paroled in 2017 in October. And immediately, at R&R, which is the booking and receiving end of prison, where they book you in and transfer you out, ICE was there to pick me up as soon as I was released. And they took me to my first detention facility, which was in Elk Grove, which is now closed because the contract had ended. And since then, I have been bounced around to two more detention facilities after that, which I landed in Yuba County Jail about August of last year.
And that place is dangerous. It is a death sentence to detainees, especially right now with the coronavirus. Medical attention is very poor, at best. The conditions there are filthy. The staff are very aware of the dangers and the dire situation that they have us all in, and they just don’t care. They don’t care about our safety. They don’t care about our well-being. And it’s clear in the way they treat us and in the hygiene kits and the food and the water that they provide us. It’s a clear signal of their poor treatment and negligence towards us.
And yeah, like you mentioned, I helped lead a hunger strike about two weeks ago. And thankfully, you know, I was blessed, and I was released last Tuesday, thanks to this COVID-19 bond, which they’re calling it in there.
But it’s basically a death sentence. Anybody getting picked up from prison or getting picked up from the streets and going into a detention center, it’s basically a death sentence right now. They’re playing Russian roulette with our lives. People are getting infected — Mesa Verde; Otay, San Diego. I mean, there’s infections right now, as we speak, in Bakersfield. And these facilities know it’s going on. Gavin Newsom knows it’s going on, and yet he’s doing nothing to prevent it, to stop it from further spreading.
They’re actually delivering — hand-delivering coronavirus to all these other countries when they’re deporting them — India, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, all these countries. They know they have infected people, and they continue to deport them into these countries that have little to no resources to combat COVID-19. So, you know, anybody can see that they’re one of the main contributors to the spreading of coronavirus worldwide. And yet they’re doing nothing to prevent it or stop it from continuing to spread. And I feel Gavin —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Joe —
JOE MEJIA: — Newsom has — yes, sir.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Joe Mejia, I wanted to ask you: What was the response of the guards within the detention center as you began organizing the hunger strike? Was there any attempts at retaliation, before you were released?
JOE MEJIA: Yes. So, they always retaliate, even before the hunger strike. This facility is ran by sheriffs. It’s a county jail. So, their tactics are intimidation and retaliation always.
So, when we did the hunger strike, they pepper-sprayed some of the detainees. They isolated them in what they call cold rooms or cool-out rooms, with no beds, you know, no entertainment, no phones, no nothing. It’s just a toilet in a big rubber room. And they had them there with the threat of, if you’re not going to eat, you’re going to remain here until you eat.
So, you know, through these tactics and psychological warfare, they tried to scare us from practicing our First Amendment right of freedom of speech and protest, peaceful protest. At no time did any of the detainees attack these officers or were aggressive towards them, but yet these officers clearly attacked, handcuffed, manhandled these detainees, pepper-sprayed them and held them in these cold rooms until they ate. So, I mean, this is just — it’s been going on for years.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you have access to masks and protective gear?
JOE MEJIA: Sure, they gave us masks, but they did not provide them for us. Local organizations provided us with handmade masks. And so, you know, they always twist things around, and they always find a way to punish us for any type of thing like this. So, they made a rule where if we hand-wash these masks, we’ll get written up, or we’ll get disciplined for it. You know, just little things like that. But yet they can’t provide us with clean masks. They just give us that one mask. And the laundry there is very bad. Everything that comes back from laundry smells like urine. It’s always stained. So everyone is scared to send these masks off to laundry, because they know it’s going to come back smelling worse than what they were sent off like.
AMY GOODMAN: Is the hunger strike continuing there, Joe?
JOE MEJIA: As far as I know, no, but I know they’re planning to do a second wave of hunger strike, because they have done nothing to accommodate our dire situation with the coronavirus.
As a matter of fact, I brought a hygiene kit with me from Yuba County Jail. So, if you’re indigent, this is what you’re supposed to clean your entire body with. This is the bar of soap that they expect a grown man to clean their body with. So, if you have no money at Yuba County Jail, you’re basically going to starve, and you’re basically going to have very poor hygiene. And those are one of the things that we are demanding from ICE and Yuba County Jail, that they give us basic care, basic necessities, things that any basic human deserves, like shoes. They don’t even give us shoes when we go into Yuba. We don’t get Q-tips. We don’t get deodorant. We don’t get lotion. We don’t get any of that. So, those are some of the things that they are demanding from Yuba and from ICE.
AMY GOODMAN: Joe, we’re going to have to cut you off, but I thank you so much for being such an important voice, now outside. You were inside. And Joe Mejia is an asylum seeker recently released from Yuba County Jail, where he was held by ICE for nearly 11 months.
When we come back, we find out what happened on the Arizona-Mexico border with a raid. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-08-04--"Release Them All": Calls Grow to Stop Jailing Immigrants as Transfers & Deportations Spread COVID

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
As the coronavirus spreads rapidly throughout the United States , we look at how the government continues to hold tens of thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants in detention centers and jails , where social distancing is nearly impossible , ignoring the advice of medical experts and even the former head of ICE .
Nearly one in five people detained by ICE in May and June were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new analysis by the Vera Institute .
That ’ s about 15 times higher than the number of cases ICE has reported .
At the same time , ICE has continued to deport people , including those who are infected , making it a global superspreader .
How are people in ICE jails getting the virus ?
In some cases , they contract it from people ICE has transferred there .
This was the focus of a protest at California Governor Gavin Newsom ’ s mansion last week , when people chained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate release of people in state prisons and immigration jails .
This is Lisa Knox , attorney with the legal center , Centro Legal de la Raza .
AMY GOODMAN : Fourteen undocumented activists and immigration attorneys were arrested at Newsom ’ s mansion .
For more on what they ’ re calling for , we ’ re joined by one of them .
Luis Angel Reyes Savalza is an immigration attorney , co-director of Pangea Legal Services in San Francisco .
He is also undocumented .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have you with us .
Explain why you got arrested and , I mean , the risks you yourself took as an undocumented person to make your point .
Well , yeah , look , like you mentioned , the situation in ICE detention across the state and across the country , and really just the situation in prisons , is really alarming , and here in California , in particular .
And like you ’ ll be hearing from Joe Mejia , one of the hunger strikers , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has at this point encompassed every single detention center in California , where hunger strikers have demanded to Governor Newsom to take action , specifically that he stop transferring people who are being released , who are eligible for parole from state custody , where he has completely mishandled the pandemic , where there ’ s a spread of COVID-19 , and stop transferring them over to ICE , where this spreads the pandemic .
And as you know , ICE has a long history of dehumanizing immigrants and of just a complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disregard for providing basic access to medical care .
And so , for months , since the pandemic started , there ’ s been this growing push by people organizing in detention centers , demanding that the governor take action , especially when he speaks out saying that Black lives matter , that immigrant lives matter , but his actions have fallen quite short of that .
Like as you know , California had the first COVID-19 death .
It didn ’ t happen in Alabama .
It didn ’ t happen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California under Governor Newsom ’ s desk .
And after we exhausted conventional channels of discussing with his office — we met with his office — and his complete failure to act put us in a position where the lives of our clients and of our community members were at risk , that we felt compelled to take action and to bring their demands directly to the governor ’ s door .
And this is why we staged that civil disobedience action a week ago .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Luis Angel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s powers in this situation ?
What are the limitations on it ?
And what could he do proactively in terms of the transfer of folks to ICE detention ?
LUIS ANGEL REYES SAVALZA : Yeah .
So , the hunger strikers and the movement has been very clear about what the governor can do .
Federal courts in California and across the country have found that ICE conditions are so gruesome , that they ’ re so inhumane , that they pose such a danger to life and to health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconstitutional , and have been ordering people ’ s release .
And a lot of our hunger strikers have been able to obtain release through these means .
But even after these federal courts have ruled ICE detention essentially unconstitutional under this pandemic , Governor Newsom has continued to repopulate these detention centers by transferring people who , again , are eligible for parole , eligible for release from state custody , and transferring them directly into ICE custody , essentially feeding now the largest exporter of COVID-19 across the world , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demands have been very clear .
The governor , under state law , has the authority to not cooperate with ICE , especially under these dire circumstances where it is life-and-death , to stop transferring people released from state custody into ICE , to stop populating the ICE detention centers .
He also has the authority to inspect these facilities .
He has the authority to inspect the death of Carlos Mejia , who died in Otay Mesa in San Diego .
He hasn ’ t inspected those facilities .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE , and we expect better from the governor .
The governor also has the authority to utilize his clemency power to release as many people vulnerable from COVID-19 from state custody .
And he has just completely ignored these demands .
He ’ s also failed to stop the expansion of ICE facilities in the state , despite a state law that prohibits private detention in California .
So , these very concrete demands about ending transfers , ending the expansion of ICE for-profit detention centers in California , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and especially inspect the facilities where COVID-19 deaths have taken place , and to use his clemency power is something that is clearly within his authority , and he has completely failed to act .
And so we put our own health at risk by risking arrest , and , like you mentioned , myself , being undocumented , yeah , definitely put myself at risk also of deportation .
But when our clients and our community members are screaming at the top of their lungs and are taking really drastic action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not be forgotten , we felt that it was necessary to take these actions .
And what we were met with , after staging the civil disobedience at the Governor ’ s Mansion , was really shocking — right ?
— that Governor Newsom resorted to a lot of the tactics that oftentimes are attributed to the Trump administration , which was he resorted to the riot police and also a rare bail enhancement to make sure that the protesters were booked into jail , a jail in Sacramento that has had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this did was that it exposed to us , it gave us a little glimpse of , what our clients have been telling us for months , which is that you can ’ t socially isolate , you can ’ t physically distance in detention and in jails , and that the situation inside prisons is a tragedy waiting to happen .
There ’ s already been nearly 50 deaths in California .
And , you know , this is on the governor ’ s hands .
He needs to do more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a colleague of yours , one of the people who was arrested , the immigration attorneys and activists outside the mansion .
She had a fever ?
Can you explain what happened ?
LUIS ANGEL REYES SAVALZA : Yeah .
So , we took many precautions before doing this action .
We socially distanced during the protest .
We also got COVID-tested before the protest .
But instead of the governor meeting with us , resorted to riot police .
Riot police were not wearing protective gear , no face masks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned that he utilized a bail enhancement to book us into jail .
And this colleague , like you mentioned , tested a temperature above 100 degrees and was asked to drink cold water and to drink ice water to lower that temperature .
So , instead of following the protocols that Governor Newsom every single week preaches on television , the state police , you know , the Sacramento jail guards didn ’ t practice these basic protocols and , with the case of one of our colleagues , actually circumvented those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water .
And then , inside the jails , you know , the squalid cells , the grimy cells , just no hygiene , no soap , no social distancing .
There was one colleague — you know , several colleagues who were denied food through these 16 hours , were denied water , so they were dehydrated .
One colleague actually was vomiting from dehydration , asked for medical assistance and was denied basic medical care .
And so , again , these really tragic stories that we ’ re hearing from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real when we experienced this firsthand — and again , only for a period of 16 hours , and our clients have been in detention , like you ’ ll hear from Joe , for months , oftentimes years , under these conditions .
AMY GOODMAN : Yes , we are going to go to Joe right now .
I want to thank you , Luis Angel Reyes Savalza , immigration attorney , co-director of Pangea Legal Services in San Francisco , undocumented yourself , and yet you risked that arrest outside California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the peaceful protest calling for the release of people from ICE prisons amidst the pandemic .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
As the coronavirus spreads rapidly throughout the United States, we look at how the government continues to hold tens of thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants in detention centers and jails, where social distancing is nearly impossible, ignoring the advice of medical experts and even the former head of ICE.
Nearly one in five people detained by ICE in May and June were likely infected with COVID-19, according to a new analysis by the Vera Institute. That’s about 15 times higher than the number of cases ICE has reported. At the same time, ICE has continued to deport people, including those who are infected, making it a global superspreader.
How are people in ICE jails getting the virus? In some cases, they contract it from people ICE has transferred there. This was the focus of a protest at California Governor Gavin Newsom’s mansion last week, when people chained themselves to his gate and demanded the immediate release of people in state prisons and immigration jails. This is Lisa Knox, attorney with the legal center, Centro Legal de la Raza.
LISA KNOX: Gavin Newsom, with the stroke of a pen, he could free folks. He could end this spread of COVID that’s happening throughout our prisons, our jails, our detention centers and throughout the world, thanks to ICE. But no, instead, he’s complicit in all of this.
AMY GOODMAN: Fourteen undocumented activists and immigration attorneys were arrested at Newsom’s mansion. For more on what they’re calling for, we’re joined by one of them. Luis Angel Reyes Savalza is an immigration attorney, co-director of Pangea Legal Services in San Francisco. He is also undocumented.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Luis Angel. It’s great to have you with us. Explain why you got arrested and, I mean, the risks you yourself took as an undocumented person to make your point.
LUIS ANGEL REYES SAVALZA: Yeah. Thank you, Amy.
Well, yeah, look, like you mentioned, the situation in ICE detention across the state and across the country, and really just the situation in prisons, is really alarming, and here in California, in particular. And like you’ll be hearing from Joe Mejia, one of the hunger strikers, there’s been an unprecedented hunger strike wave that has at this point encompassed every single detention center in California, where hunger strikers have demanded to Governor Newsom to take action, specifically that he stop transferring people who are being released, who are eligible for parole from state custody, where he has completely mishandled the pandemic, where there’s a spread of COVID-19, and stop transferring them over to ICE, where this spreads the pandemic. And as you know, ICE has a long history of dehumanizing immigrants and of just a complete disregard for human life and a complete disregard for providing basic access to medical care.
And so, for months, since the pandemic started, there’s been this growing push by people organizing in detention centers, demanding that the governor take action, especially when he speaks out saying that Black lives matter, that immigrant lives matter, but his actions have fallen quite short of that. Like as you know, California had the first COVID-19 death. It didn’t happen in Alabama. It didn’t happen in Georgia. It happened right here in California under Governor Newsom’s desk. And after we exhausted conventional channels of discussing with his office — we met with his office — and his complete failure to act put us in a position where the lives of our clients and of our community members were at risk, that we felt compelled to take action and to bring their demands directly to the governor’s door. And this is why we staged that civil disobedience action a week ago.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Luis Angel Reyes, what specifically are the governor’s powers in this situation? What are the limitations on it? And what could he do proactively in terms of the transfer of folks to ICE detention?
LUIS ANGEL REYES SAVALZA: Yeah. So, the hunger strikers and the movement has been very clear about what the governor can do. Federal courts in California and across the country have found that ICE conditions are so gruesome, that they’re so inhumane, that they pose such a danger to life and to health, that detention under this pandemic is actually unconstitutional, and have been ordering people’s release. And a lot of our hunger strikers have been able to obtain release through these means.
But even after these federal courts have ruled ICE detention essentially unconstitutional under this pandemic, Governor Newsom has continued to repopulate these detention centers by transferring people who, again, are eligible for parole, eligible for release from state custody, and transferring them directly into ICE custody, essentially feeding now the largest exporter of COVID-19 across the world, which is ICE.
And so, the demands have been very clear. The governor, under state law, has the authority to not cooperate with ICE, especially under these dire circumstances where it is life-and-death, to stop transferring people released from state custody into ICE, to stop populating the ICE detention centers. He also has the authority to inspect these facilities. He has the authority to inspect the death of Carlos Mejia, who died in Otay Mesa in San Diego. He hasn’t inspected those facilities. There’s just a complete lack of transparency from ICE, and we expect better from the governor. The governor also has the authority to utilize his clemency power to release as many people vulnerable from COVID-19 from state custody.
And he has just completely ignored these demands. He’s also failed to stop the expansion of ICE facilities in the state, despite a state law that prohibits private detention in California. So, these very concrete demands about ending transfers, ending the expansion of ICE for-profit detention centers in California, as well as inspecting these facilities to hold ICE accountable, and especially inspect the facilities where COVID-19 deaths have taken place, and to use his clemency power is something that is clearly within his authority, and he has completely failed to act.
And so we put our own health at risk by risking arrest, and, like you mentioned, myself, being undocumented, yeah, definitely put myself at risk also of deportation. But when our clients and our community members are screaming at the top of their lungs and are taking really drastic action to demand life under this pandemic and to not be forgotten, we felt that it was necessary to take these actions.
And what we were met with, after staging the civil disobedience at the Governor’s Mansion, was really shocking — right? — that Governor Newsom resorted to a lot of the tactics that oftentimes are attributed to the Trump administration, which was he resorted to the riot police and also a rare bail enhancement to make sure that the protesters were booked into jail, a jail in Sacramento that has had a COVID-19 outbreak. And really what this did was that it exposed to us, it gave us a little glimpse of, what our clients have been telling us for months, which is that you can’t socially isolate, you can’t physically distance in detention and in jails, and that the situation inside prisons is a tragedy waiting to happen. There’s already been nearly 50 deaths in California. And, you know, this is on the governor’s hands. He needs to do more.
AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you about a colleague of yours, one of the people who was arrested, the immigration attorneys and activists outside the mansion. She had a fever? Can you explain what happened?
LUIS ANGEL REYES SAVALZA: Yeah. So, we took many precautions before doing this action. We socially distanced during the protest. We also got COVID-tested before the protest.
But instead of the governor meeting with us, resorted to riot police. Riot police were not wearing protective gear, no face masks. We were then arrested. We then learned that he utilized a bail enhancement to book us into jail.
And this colleague, like you mentioned, tested a temperature above 100 degrees and was asked to drink cold water and to drink ice water to lower that temperature. So, instead of following the protocols that Governor Newsom every single week preaches on television, the state police, you know, the Sacramento jail guards didn’t practice these basic protocols and, with the case of one of our colleagues, actually circumvented those protocols by having that individual drink cold water.
And then, inside the jails, you know, the squalid cells, the grimy cells, just no hygiene, no soap, no social distancing. There was one colleague — you know, several colleagues who were denied food through these 16 hours, were denied water, so they were dehydrated. One colleague actually was vomiting from dehydration, asked for medical assistance and was denied basic medical care.
And so, again, these really tragic stories that we’re hearing from our clients in detention were all too real when we experienced this firsthand — and again, only for a period of 16 hours, and our clients have been in detention, like you’ll hear from Joe, for months, oftentimes years, under these conditions.
AMY GOODMAN: Yes, we are going to go to Joe right now. I want to thank you, Luis Angel Reyes Savalza, immigration attorney, co-director of Pangea Legal Services in San Francisco, undocumented yourself, and yet you risked that arrest outside California Governor Newsom’s mansion while participating in the peaceful protest calling for the release of people from ICE prisons amidst the pandemic.