theatre artists: Cult songsmith Stephin Merritt brings his experience The Magnetic Fields 50 Song Memoir to the Elgin Theatre on June 22 and 23, while Yolanda Bonnell one of our theatre artists to watch in 2016 world premieres her solo show bug, a reflection on cycles of abuse and addiction among Indigenous women, according to NOW Magazine. The show previews to June 21 and runs June 22-24. Luminato's final weekend The arts festival wraps this weekend, but not before some of our most-anticipated shows. Liza Balkan debuts an all-new version of her acclaimed documentary theatre piece about police violence, Out The Window, which runs June 21-24; and a remount of The Ward Cabaret, a musical adaptation of a book about Toronto's first multicultural neighbourhood, ends its Luminato run on June 22. Thursday-Sunday June 21-24 . Various venues and prices. big weekend finally arrives, featuring Trans March, Dyke March, the Pride Parade, plus Kehlani and Brandy concerts. Check out NOW's Luminato coverage here. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

executive order: Four years ago, Barack Obama faced a similar crisis when record numbers of Central American immigrants fleeing violence began showing up at the border, according to Vancouver Courier. Officials had to deal with the same court case the current administration began fighting Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump issued a new executive order to stop separating migrant families whose parents were arrested for illegally entering the country.article continues below Trending Stories No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers First look at Parq Vancouver casino resort Fire ban goes into effect on July 6More than 60,000 family units which the U.S. government defines as a parent and child were stopped along the border in the 2014 fiscal year, a fourfold increase from a year earlier. The Trump administration isn't the first to grapple with the question of how to handle tens of thousands of immigrant families stopped along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the last fiscal year, that number exceeded 70,000. At times, immigrants were transported from Texas to Border Patrol facilities in other states so agents could keep up with ballooning arrivals. Initially, the Obama administration released mothers and children with notices to appear in immigration courts in the cities where they were headed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

latino youths: Ralph Northam announced the probe in a tweet hours after The Associated Press reported the allegations, according to Vancouver Courier. They were included in a federal civil rights lawsuit with a half-dozen sworn statements from Latino youths held for months or years at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center. Gov. The AP report also cited an adult who saw bruises and broken bones the children said were caused by guards.article continues below Trending Stories No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Fire ban goes into effect on July 6Northam, a Democrat, said the allegations were disturbing and directed the state's secretary of public safety and homeland security and the Department of Juvenile Justice to report back to him to ensure the safety of every child being held there. Whenever they used to restrain me and put me in the chair, they would handcuff me, said a Honduran immigrant who was sent to the facility when he was 15 years old. Children as young as 14 said the guards there stripped them of their clothes and strapped them to chairs with bags placed over their heads. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tv series: The book portrays the team as a unifying force in a mill town that had been uneasy with an influx of immigrants.article continues below Trending Stories No hormones, no plastic straws and now no meat A&W goes beyond' burgers Mayoral candidate Wai Young promises to scrap bike lanes in Vancouver Doctor honoured for courageous action that saved gunshot victim Warren Christie gives the gift of time Author Amy Bass said Wednesday the option doesn't necessarily mean the story will end up as a movie or TV series, but she's glad there's interest, according to Vancouver Courier. Assistant coach Dan Gish says he expects the players would be proud that their story continues to draw national interest. The Portland Press Herald reports that Netflix has optioned the book One Goal, which tells the story of the 2015 Lewiston High School soccer team. Read Related Topics var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul var related Url var related Link Class relatedlink-processed ; if related Url && ! -1 var related UrlFrags related Url.split '/' ; related Url './' -1 ; related Link Class ul 2018 Vancouver Courier (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

world outrage: In announcing his executive order yesterday, Trump defended his government's policy blaming refugees who are allegedly using their children as a ticket to get into the country, according to NOW Magazine. But as Amnesty International and others have pointed out, families and their children escaping persecution in Central America and seeking protection in the US will still be detained despite Trump's executive order. Donald Trump has, for the first time in his presidency, given in to world outrage and signed an executive order directing border agents not to separate children and their families seeking asylum in the US. Trump's zero-tolerance policy on immigration has been systematically detaining and separating an estimated 2,500 kids from their parents. Meanwhile, there are no immediate plans to reunite children imprisoned and already separated from their families, some of whom continue to be mistreated while in custody. My late father, who survived the Holocaust, used to tell us the story of a wise old Rabbi whose son was so deeply immersed in study one night that the son didn't hear his baby crying in the next room. According to one lawsuit filed in federal court, immigrant children in one Houston holding centre are being forcibly subdued using psychiatric drugs. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

bangladesh teenagers: The Rohingya Muslims forced out of Myanmar to Bangladesh; teenagers from Mexico and Central America seeking safety in the United States; Syria's war refugees; men from South Sudan and Nigeria crossing the Mediterranean Sea to feed their families they are among the human wave roiling every continent, according to The Chronicle Herald. The international community must work with shared and long-term political choices to manage a phenomenon that involves the entire world, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, whose country is on the receiving end of Europe's immigration front line, said in a World Refugee Day message. The journeys that brought them to Rome and the sleepless nights wondering if they would be allowed to stay was being repeated in cities and countries around the world on World Refugee Day as millions of people sought to flee persecution, violence, war and poverty. While migration to the world's 35 richest countries dropped slightly last year for the first time since 2011, asylum claims rose by 26 per cent in the United States, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which represents the wealthy nations. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria insisted that since migration is here to stay, countries need to work to integrate newcomers and to prepare their native-born populations to welcome foreigners instead of resent them. Meanwhile, the United Nations refugee agency reported this week that nearly 69 million people were forcibly displaced in 2017, a record for the fifth straight year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

girl: These cases are heartbreaking, said Clarke, according to CTV. I recently had a two-year-old girl in my own office, screaming for her mother and the United States deported her mother back to Ghana. Alastair Clarke said one of the children recently held in detention in the U.S. is now in Winnipeg with her father, but Clarke said the girl's mother has been separated from them and is now in hiding in their home country. She's been separated, she doesn't understand what's going on, said Clarke referring to the two-year-old girl. They're not legally married which was part of the problem. So now her father, he is basically acting as a single father with her in Canada, is trying to number one make his case for refugee status, number two take care of this young child and number three he is separated from the mother of the child. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

executive order: He'd remained largely silent on the issue, saying only that he did not want to play politics on immigration policy, according to CTV. On Wednesday, however, his position shifted, just hours before Trump appeared to capitulate to political pressure by reversing course with an executive order. Trudeau had been under pressure to condemn the so-called zero-tolerance policy, under which asylum seekers who cross illegally into the U.S. are charged with federal crimes and separated from their children, who are detained in guarded, fenced enclosures. What the Americans are doing is unacceptable -- and it's not just me who has said it; all kinds of Americans, including Republicans, have said this is unacceptable, Trudeau told a news conference marking the end of the spring legislative sitting. We hope they'll improve the system, but as far as we're concerned this situation cannot last. We take actions based on facts, not on fears or worries.... It seems they want to change their approach. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration enforcement: The laws instead appeared to be a message from the state that it didn't want to participate in federal immigration policies, U.S. Judge John Mendez said, according to The Chronicle Herald. We're not going along anymore, we're not participating, he said about how he read the state's motives. A U.S. judge said Wednesday that he was not convinced California enacted protections for immigrants in the country illegally in an effort to interfere with federal immigration enforcement potentially undercutting a key argument by the Trump administration in its lawsuit seeking to block three state laws. Outside the courthouse in California's capital city, scores of people protested U.S. immigration policies. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday ending the separations but not the policy that prosecutes all adults caught crossing illegally. Some carried signs that said Keep Families Together and Family Separation is UnAmerican, referring to the administration's zero tolerance policy on illegal border crossings that has separated children from their families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

jewish-only roads: The recent violence takes place alongside ongoing land theft, destruction of olive groves, construction of Jewish-only roads, imprisonment without due process, and a blockade of Gaza, according to Rabble. During its 70-year history, Israel has been as unjust towards Palestinians as the white-ruled apartheid state was to Black South Africans. At least 110 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured by sniper fire and noxious gas used by the Israeli military. We are concerned that members of Parliament would seek to strengthen relations with a country systematically violating Palestinian rights. NDP MPs Peter Julian and Gord Johns are also members of that organization. In particular, we are dismayed that NDP justice critic Murray Rankin and NDP defence critic Randall Garrison serve as executive members of the Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

thursday voting: Public outcry is mounting over the family separations, but so far, there's no clear roadmap for Thursday voting on the emotional issue dividing Republicans, according to The Chronicle Herald. With the immigration bills teetering in the House, the White House launched an eleventh-hour push to try to bring Republicans onboard. Trump has said he's 1,000 per cent behind both GOP bills, but restive House Republicans have all but begged GOP leaders for more clarity about what the president would actually sign. Ryan took a group of wavering lawmakers to the White House to meet with Trump in hopes he could persuade them. The results were mixed, with some lawmakers newly announcing their support for a compromise bill, but others digging in against it. Back on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also met with House Republicans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

paddles check: Some can afford to come but others need a little help from kind sponsors, like the folks who generously donate to the Star's Fresh Air Fund, according to Toronto Star. Life jackets Check. Affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Conference of Ontario, Camp Crossroads' summer-long programs and events embrace the spiritual and recreational needs of children, teens, adults and families. Paddles Check. With canoe safety lessons learned on land, the kids and their leader are keen to make waves at Camp Crossroads. Then, let's get going. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

toronto: Clare McMullen-Crummey brought baby Whit to protest the U.S. practice of separating child migrants from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border at a World Refugee Day demonstration outside federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen's Toronto constituency office, according to Toronto Star. NICHOLAS KEUNG / TORONTO STAR Laura Prado was among those voicing their opposition to the U.S. policy of separating child migrants from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border during a protest outside federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen's Toronto constituency office on Wednesday. Instead, the Toronto woman attended a rally on World Refugee Day outside the federal immigration minister's constituency office on Ingram Dr. to protest the U.S. practice of separating child migrants from their parents and Canada's initial silence over its neighbour's controversial move. Prado and other protesters want Canada to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement saying the U.S. cannot be considered safe for refugees. I am a mother. NICHOLAS KEUNG / TORONTO STAR I am an immigrant. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump: Some might say the PM's comment is an understatement and they'd be right, according to Toronto Star. Some might say what's going on in the United States is more than wrong. What's going on in the United States is wrong, the PM told reporters, referring to the forced separation of migrant children and infants from their parents at the U.S. border, and their detainment in old warehouses, a practice U.S. President Donald Trump is working to halt after international public outcry. It's evil. Trump may claim to have acted in accordance with a law that predates his presidency when he oversaw the separation of migrant families, but he lied. Again, they'd be right. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zero-tolerance policy: The order does not end the zero-tolerance policy that criminally prosecutes all adults caught crossing the border illegally, according to CTV. But it would keep families together while they are in custody, expedite their cases and ask the Defence Department to help house them. It was a dramatic turnaround for Trump, who has been insisting, wrongly, that his administration had no choice but to separate families apprehended at the border because of federal law and a court decision. It also doesn't change anything yet for the some 2,300 children taken from their families since the policy was put into place. Until Wednesday, the president, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other officials had repeatedly argued the only way to end the practice was for Congress to pass new legislation, while Democrats said Trump could do it with his signature alone. The news in recent days has been dominated by searing images of children held in cages at border facilities, as well as audio recordings of young children crying for their parents -- images that have sparked fury, question of morality and concern from Republicans about a negative impact on their races in November's midterm elections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

candidate wai: We have no desire to be associated with separating families, or worse, to profit from it, American said in a statement, according to Vancouver Courier. United then issued a statement in which CEO Oscar Munoz said the company's purpose is to connect people. Facing growing opposition to his administration's recent policy of separating migrant families, President Donald Trump signed an order later in the day to keep families together at the nation's southern border.article continues below Trending Stories Mayoral candidate Wai Young promises to scrap bike lanes in Vancouver Minimum wage increases go into effect June 1 across B.C. City orders closure of Regent Hotel in Downtown Eastside Hundreds gather in Vancouver to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day The issue had galvanized flight attendants, some of whom took to social media to post accounts of seeing young passengers whom they believed to be migrants separated from their parents. This policy and its impact on thousands of children is in deep conflict with that mission and we want no part of it, he said. Despite being provided facts on this issue, these airlines clearly do not understand our immigration laws, the spokesman, Tyler Houlton, said in a statement. Southwest, Frontier and Alaska also criticized the policy and asked not to be involved in transporting separated children.A spokesman for the Homeland Security Department criticized the airlines in strong terms, accusing them of no longer wanting to help the agency protect the travelling public and reunite unaccompanied illegal immigrant children with their families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asylum seekers: The prime minister also repeated his remarks in French, but used a different word what is happening in the United States is unacceptable, according to National Observer. Trudeau has been called upon to condemn the Trump administration's zero tolerance policy, under which asylum seekers who cross illegally into the U.S. are charged with federal crimes and separated from their children, who are detained in guarded, fenced enclosures. What's going on in the United States is wrong, Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on June 20. ; I can't imagine what the families who are living through this are enduring, he added, saying this is not the way we do things in Canada. Earlier this week he had said he would not play politics over immigration policies when it comes to the controversial U.S. practice. The council says the U.S. cannot be considered a safe country for refugees in light of the disturbing events at the U.S. border. On Wednesday, the Canadian Council for Refugees joined others, including NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan, in urging the federal government to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

u.s: The laws instead appeared to be a message from the state that it didn't want to participate in federal immigration policies, U.S. Judge John Mendez said.article continues below Trending Stories Mayoral candidate Wai Young promises to scrap bike lanes in Vancouver City orders closure of Regent Hotel in Downtown Eastside Minimum wage increases go into effect June 1 across B.C. Cost of living stats indicate tough road ahead for Vancouver families We're not going along anymore, we're not participating, he said about how he read the state's motives, according to Vancouver Courier. Outside the courthouse in California's capital city, scores of people protested U.S. immigration policies. A U.S. judge said Wednesday that he was not convinced California enacted protections for immigrants in the country illegally in an effort to interfere with federal immigration enforcement potentially undercutting a key argument by the Trump administration in its lawsuit seeking to block three state laws. Some carried signs that said Keep Families Together and Family Separation is UnAmerican, referring to the administration's zero tolerance policy on illegal border crossings that has separated children from their families. California has been a leader in opposing Trump administration policies, filing more than 50 lawsuits, mostly over immigration and environmental decisions, and notching some significant court victories. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday ending the separations but not the policy that prosecutes all adults caught crossing illegally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

regent hotel: Public outcry is mounting over the family separations, but so far, there's no clear roadmap for Thursday voting on the emotional issue dividing Republicans.article continues below Trending Stories Mayoral candidate Wai Young promises to scrap bike lanes in Vancouver City orders closure of Regent Hotel in Downtown Eastside Vancouver woman loses 6,000 in CRA scam Minimum wage increases go into effect June 1 across B.C. With the immigration bills teetering in the House, the White House launched an eleventh-hour push to try to bring Republicans onboard, according to Vancouver Courier. Ryan took a group of wavering lawmakers to the White House to meet with Trump in hopes he could persuade them. Trump has said he's 1,000 per cent behind both GOP bills, but restive House Republicans have all but begged GOP leaders for more clarity about what the president would actually sign. Back on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also met with House Republicans. With congressional outcome uncertain and facing condemnation of the family separations from across the political spectrum the White House took action. The results were mixed, with some lawmakers newly announcing their support for a compromise bill, but others digging in against it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

case abdi: What the applicant is actually trying to do here is to seek a de facto grant of citizenship, Grant told Federal Court Judge Ann Marie McDonald, who later reserved her decision in the case, according to CTV. Abdi, who was born in Saudi Arabia in 1993, lost his mother in a refugee camp when he was four and came to Canada with his sister and aunts two years later. Melissa Grant, who represents the federal public safety minister, told a Federal Court hearing Tuesday that a decision by the Canada Border Services Agency to refer Abdoul Abdi to a deportation hearing should not be overturned by a judicial review. He was taken into provincial care shortly after arriving in Nova Scotia. Abdi developed behavioural problems that advocates say were not adequately treated. He was moved 31 times between foster homes, but he was never granted citizenship while he was growing up in the province. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

owners: The Statistics Canada study, published Monday, drew on data collected from surveys in 2011 and 2014 on the financing and growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada, according to Toronto Star. Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press Approval rates for debt financing or trade credit applications fall within about five percentage points for both immigrant and Canadian-born owners. Among other conclusions, it said there is weak evidence to suggest access to financial capital is more of an issue for immigrant owners of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses. Overall, both immigrant and Canadian-born owners have very high approval rates, the study's authors wrote. What still separates them are the reasons for rejection. The differences in approval rates appear to be relatively small and may be related to differences in firm or owner characteristics. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

protesters march: Protesters march against the separation of migrant children from their families on Monday in Los Angeles, according to Toronto Star. Mario Tama / Getty Images Here is a selection of their responses, ranging across the country and many denominations. Many said they typically avoid politics in their preaching, but this week they felt compelled to speak out. Pastor Robert Franek preached at Faith Lutheran Church, a mainline Protestant church in Galesburg, Ill In just six weeks from mid-April through May, some 2,000 children have been separated from their parents and placed in detention centres. Asylum seeking is not a crime. . . . This barbaric practice of taking a nursing infant out of her mother's embrace should alarm us all. This immoral and unconscionable policy is being justified by a twisting of scripture by those who know neither the biblical imperative to treat the foreigner with compassion and love nor the Constitution that protects the basic human rights of all people. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

quebec city: He was released with a promise to appear in court in Montreal on August 16 to face charges of breaking and entering, mischief, criminal harassment, and intimidation, according to CTV. Montreal police said seven other people will likely be arrested in connection with the case. Police in Quebec City executed the warrant and arrested Raphael Levesque, 34, the head of the anti-immigrant group Atalante Quebec on Monday. On May 23, Levesque and several other people entered the Montreal offices of Vice Media while pretending to deliver flowers. At the time Montreal police said they were not investigating because nothing was damaged and nobody was hurt however Premier Philippe Couillard, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said the next day that the incursion was an attack on freedom of of the press. Once inside they threw leaflets around the office and handed a mocking trophy to a journalist, Simon Coutu, who had written articles about Atalante's failed attempts to win support for their far-right cause in Montreal. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

safety minister: What the applicant is actually trying to do here is to seek a de facto grant of citizenship, Grant told Federal Court Judge Ann Marie McDonald, who later reserved her decision in the case, according to The Chronicle Herald. Abdi, who was born in Saudi Arabia in 1993, lost his mother in a refugee camp when he was four and came to Canada with his sister and aunts two years later. Melissa Grant, who represents the federal public safety minister, told a Federal Court hearing Tuesday that a decision by the Canada Border Services Agency to refer Abdoul Abdi to a deportation hearing should not be overturned by a judicial review. He was taken into provincial care shortly after arriving in Nova Scotia. Abdi developed behavioural problems that advocates say were not adequately treated. He was moved 31 times between foster homes, but he was never granted citizenship while he was growing up in the province. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump administration: Human rights attorney Jennifer Harbury said she received the tape from a whistleblower and told Pro Publica it was recorded in the last week, according to CTV. She did not provide details about where exactly it was recorded. Papa! Papa! one child is heard weeping in the audio file that was first reported by the non-profit Pro Publica and later provide to The Associated Press. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said she had not heard the audio but said children taken into custody by the government are being treated humanely. The audio surfaced as politicians and advocates flocked to the U.S.-Mexico border to visit U.S. immigration detention centres and turn up the pressure on the Trump administration. She said the government has high standards for detention centres and the children are well cared for, stressing that Congress needs to plug loopholes in the law so families can stay together. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

washington post: The parents are detained in federal facilities and, because children can't be held there, they are being warehoused in cages, according to Toronto Star. The AP toured a holding facility in South Texas that's holding hundreds of immigrant children. The former first lady wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, castigating the U.S. President's newly enforced zero-tolerance policy toward asylum seekers that in the past several weeks has officially seen more than 2,300 children separated from their parents. While reporters were not allowed to record the tour, video released by border patrol shows them waiting in a series of cages created by metal fencing. Some parents are being deported without their children. The Associated Press There are no regulations around properly identifying children, no plan toward reuniting them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.