construction work: He appears shy, diminutive, not the kind you'd expect to take on the U.S. federal government, according to Metro News. But President Donald Trump's American has put many people in unlikely places in this case, made Torres a symbol of the undocumented immigrant's fight. At 32, he's muscled from years in construction work, yet short, perhaps only 5'5 with large brown eyes and a clipped beard. My daughters are my life, Torres told me on Wednesday. Wednesday marked 30 days until Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE officials planned to deport Torres, who came to America at the age of 18 and said he was soon trafficked into farm work, his immigration papers stolen. I'm fighting to stay here, side by side with my family. function set Cookie related path / ; Related Lives of anxiety Immigrants seek sanctuary in US churches Immigrants fear loss of humanitarian program under Trump'It's more like the big four now' Alberta increasingly popular among immigrants Moments before, on the stone steps of the First Grace United Methodist Church in New Orleans surrounded by heads of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths, TV crews, supporters and his wife, Torres a leader of a local immigrant worker's rights group announced he was taking sanctuary inside the church, for his family and on behalf of millions of undocumented families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dream act: They want to know if that means Nielsen will openly urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act to provide the solution that you have recognized is needed, according to Metro News. The letter also seeks to pin Nielsen down on other contentious immigration policy questions. In a letter sent Friday to Kirstjen Nielsen, the 20 lawmakers said she agreed during her confirmation hearing earlier this month on the need for legislation that would put so-called Dreamers on a path to U.S. citizenship. For example, they asked if she believes people from Central America living in the United States under temporary protected status, or TPS, should be sent back to their home countries. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill. The Senate version of the Dream Act is sponsored by Sens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

engagement: As the world awaits a royal announcement, it's worth considering how a potential engagement and subsequent wedding would go down, according to CTV. To break it down, royal commentators Richard Berthelsen and royal commentator Victoria Arbiter answered CTVNews.ca's questions about what a future engagement and marriage may look like for the lovebirds. After their first official and affectionate public outing together at the Invictus Games in Toronto this fall, Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle have fuelled intense speculation that they will be engaged any day now. When would they announce the engagement Both Berthelsen and Arbiter agree that it's highly unlikely the Royal Family will announce Prince Harry and Markle's engagement before the Queen's platinum wedding anniversary on Nov. 20. Additionally, the Queen's family Christmas festivities and annual message to the public on Christmas Day are also important events in her calendar so it's fair to assume there wouldn't be an announcement then, Arbiter said. It's the first time a British Monarch has reached that milestone and the prince and his girlfriend would be careful not to upstage it, Arbiter explained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

lauchlan: Conveying legal information accurately in a foreign language can be difficult, says Eliza Mac Lauchlan, according to CBC. Angela Walker/CBC It's something that touches everyone, I guess, at some point in their lives, whether or not that's because they are separating or just because they're getting married, said Mac Lauchlan. Immigrant language speaker population exploding on P.E.I. Eliza Mac Lauchlan, public legal education and information officer with the association, said 40 to 50 per cent of their clients inquire about family law, and it can sometimes be difficult to accurately convey legal information to people whose first language isn't English or French. They need to understand a bit better about what that actually means, and what the implications of that here in Canada are. The association expects to have it available in the spring. A new booklet from the association will address some of the most common questions about family law, and it will be published in seven languages Mandarin, Vietnamese, Spanish, Persian, and Arabic, as well as English and French. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

london lightning: John's Edge on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Scotiabank Centre, according to The Chronicle Herald. The Halifax team returns a strong core of veterans for the season from its team that lost in the league championship last season to the London Lightning. The Hurricanes open their regular season by hosting the St. Cliff Clinkscales, Billy White, Renaldo Dixon, CJ Washington, Tyrone Watson, Mike Poole, Ta'Quan Zimmerman and late addition Antoine Mason are the returnees. Other newcomers are fellow Canadian and Trinity Western forward Denny Mac Donald and shot-blocking big man Rhamel Brown, from Brooklyn, N.Y. Hurricanes head coach Mike Leslie was excited about what he saw in the pre-season. The Hurricanes welcome four newcomers to the team, including former Saint Mary's Huskies star guards Brian Rouse and Theon Reefer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mary j: It debuted Friday on Netflix, according to CTV. Husband and wife Henry and Laura McAllan played by Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan are newcomers to the ramshackle property, sharing their cramped, rundown home with Henry's racist father, Pappy Jonathan Banks who has ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Based on the novel by Hillary Jordan, the devastating ensemble film illustrates the interlaced lives of two families -- one black, one white -- sharing farmland in the 1940s Mississippi Delta. The McAllans meet sharecroppers Hap and Florence Jackson Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige who have worked the land for generations, trying to rise above the social and racial barriers that seek to oppress them. I knew that I wanted this to be a story about two families ... and how they have this symbiotic, dysfunctional connection to the land and to each other. One of the things that I liked were these multiple points of view, said Rees, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

opening reception: Latest conditions from CBC Weather It'll be warm with rain on Saturday so much so there's a special weather statement and then cold with flurries on Sunday, according to CBC. But don't let the weather keep you inside - there's plenty to do this weekend. Where to see Santa Claus parades in Waterloo region and area He'll be making stops in the Kitchener-Waterloo parade Saturday morning, Cambridge's parade through Hespeler on Saturday evening and Guelph's parade is Sunday afternoon. Syria Film Festival 6 p.m. opening reception, Friday, Nov. 17 6 20 p.m. first film starts, Saturday, Nov. 18 6 20 p.m. first film starts, Sunday, Nov. 19 Lazaridis Hall, Wilfrid Laurier University, 64 University Avenue, Waterloo The International Students Overcoming War are partnering with Kitchener organization Najda Now to bring this film festival to the region. The film Yellow on Sunday will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Wael Saad Aldeen. The films will cover topics such as aspirations and struggles of Syrians and it will also get audiences talking about social justice, human rights and global citizenship. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pope visit: During the visit starting Nov. 27, Francis will be toeing a very delicate diplomatic line, given that he has in the past strongly condemned the persecution of our Rohingya brothers, denounced their suffering and called for them to receive full rights, according to Metro News. In a videomessage to Myanmar released Friday, Francis didn't mention Rohingya or the conflict, but said he wanted to bring a message of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace to Myanmar. Cardinal Charles Bo spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Pope Francis' visit next week to Myanmar and Bangladesh, to where nearly 620,000 Rohingya have fled to escape the violence by Myanmar security forces in the poverty-wracked Rakhine state. He said that message was rooted in the Gospel, which teaches the dignity of every man and woman and compels us to open our hearts to the other, especially the poorest and neediest. He said the military had mounted a disproportionate response to attacks on Myanmar security forces by Rohingya militants. Bo said Suu Kyi certainly should have spoken out earlier against the looting, burning and killing in Rakhine. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

president donald: That plan has its roots in President Donald Trump's repeated pledge during the 2016 campaign to subject immigrants seeking admission to the United States to more intense ideological scrutiny or, as he put it, extreme vetting . Over the summer, DHS published a statement of objectives for a system that would use computer algorithms to scan social media and other material in order to automatically flag undesirable entrants and to continuously scan the activities of those allowed into the U.S. The goal, that document stated, was to let computers help determine whether an immigrant intends to commit criminal or terrorist acts, as well as their likelihood of becoming a positively contributing member of society, according to The Chronicle Herald. In a joint letter to DHS on Thursday, the dissenting researchers called that approach neither appropriate nor feasible. The experts, a group of more than 50 computer and data scientists, mathematicians and other specialists in automated decision-making, urged the Department of Homeland Security to abandon the project, dubbed the Extreme Vetting Initiative. BACKGROUND OF THE PLAN In the document, the office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it was seeking a contractor to automate background checks of foreigners seeking temporary or permanent entry to the U.S. It outlined plans for mining Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, academic websites and other publicly-available internet data, then using AI techniques to analyze it and to keep monitoring those sources. ICE's public presentations to interested vendors haven't been updated since August, raising the possibility that the agency might have scrapped or significantly altered the plan since then. This contractor would be expected to generate at least 10,000 investigative leads a year that would be forwarded to federal agents, according to the document. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

video message: During the visit starting Nov. 27, Francis will be toeing a very delicate diplomatic line, given that he has in the past strongly condemned the persecution of our Rohingya brothers, denounced their suffering and called for them to receive full rights, according to Toronto Star. Read more Rohingya woman who fled Burma as baby now helping others escape to Bangladesh Article Continued Below U.S. considering individual sanctions in response to Rohingya crisis TillersonUN chief raises alarm over Rohingya crisis in speech as Burma's Suu Kyi sits close by In a video message to Burma released Friday, Francis didn't mention Rohingya or the conflict, but said he wanted to bring a message of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace to Burma. Cardinal Charles Bo spoke to The Associated Press ahead of Pope Francis' visit next week to Burma and Bangladesh, to where nearly 620,000 Rohingya have fled to escape the violence by Burma security forces in the poverty-wracked Rakhine state. He said that message was rooted in the Gospel, which teaches the dignity of every man and woman and compels us to open our hearts to the other, especially the poorest and neediest. react-empty 159 Bo said Suu Kyi certainly should have spoken out earlier against the looting, burning and killing in Rakhine. But he said Aung Sung constitutionally has no voice to say anything to the military. He said the military had mounted a disproportionate response to attacks on Burma security forces by Rohingya militants. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

african descent: Biko Beauttah is a tireless human rights activist, according to NOW Magazine. She's a board member for Pride Toronto and The 519. When asked what her life would be like back in Kenya were her petition denied she said I would most likely have been a successful doctor, unhappily married to a woman who deserves better, with beautiful children whose only wish for me would probably be that I was happy. She's sat on tolerance and equity panels for the Canadian Council for Refugees and the Refugee Pride Convention, and she was one of the first queer people of African descent to open the Toronto Stock Exchange. So, she came up with a solution I threw myself a job fair. And yet, with such a brilliant resume, Beauttah, like many trans women of colour who face employment discrimination, says that she can't find a job. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hungarian leader: My own personal encounter with this airbrushed fascism came in 2013 when I traveled to Budapest to do a story about Csan d Szegedi, a former vice-president of Jobbik, Hungary's far-right political party, according to National Observer. I was filming a story about the 31-year-old for 16x9, Global TV's current affairs program. Today, the new face of fascism is more sanitized and mainstream especially in Europe with parties like the National Front, UKIP and Freedom Party of Austria. Szegedi had been one of Jobbik's rising young stars, an anti-Semite who'd won a seat in the European Parliament in 2009. Jobbik is anti-Semitic, anti-immigration and anti-Roma while hero-worshipping Admiral Mikl s Horthy, the Hungarian leader who allied with Hitler until 1944. On his first day as a parliamentarian, he wore the black tunic of Jobbik's banned paramilitary organization he'd help found the Hungarian Guard. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aid groups: Begum has been a refugee ever since, according to Toronto Star. She grew up in Bangladesh's Rohingya refugee camps, and now earns a living working for a string of international aid groups. She was only 18 months old when her mother smuggled her across the Naf River on a fishing boat, carrying her into Bangladesh, among hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya fleeing persecution in their home country. On quiet days, she's the kind of person who wanders around looking for someone to help. Read more U.S. considering individual sanctions in response to Rohingya crisis Tillerson Article Continued Below On human rights and climate change, Justin Trudeau's actions don't match his talk WalkomUN chief raises alarm over Rohingya crisis in speech as Burma's Suu Kyi sits close by She made calls to a half-dozen countries. So when frantic relatives called her in late September to tell her that Burmese soldiers were burning Rohingya villages and tens of thousands of Rohingya were fleeing, the 28-year-old jumped into action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

basir mujahid: The Taliban denied involvement, according to CBC. Atta Mohammad Noor, governor of the northern province of Balkh and a leader of the mainly ethnic Tajik Jamiat-i-Islami party, was not at the meeting at the time of the attack, members of the party said. Islamic State claimed responsibility, according to Amaq, its official news agency. Political tensions are rising as politicians have begun jockeying for position ahead of presidential elections expected in 2019 and thousands of civilians have been killed in attacks this year. The attacker triggered his explosives vest before he could get any further, Kabul police chief Basir Mujahid told Reuters. The bomber approached the hotel hosting the gathering on foot but was spotted by a police official, Sayed Basam Padshah, as he neared a security checkpoint, an interior ministry spokesman said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

baylson: Both the federal government and the city of Philadelphia have important interests at stake here and the court does not minimize either of their concerns, the judge wrote, according to The Chronicle Herald. In this case, given Philadelphia's unique approach to meshing the legitimate needs of the federal government to remove criminal aliens with the City's promotion of health and safety, there is no conflict of any significance. U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson said in his decision that he weighed the public interest and possible harm that could come from withholding such funds. Baylson is the latest in a number of federal judges around the country to block efforts by the Department of Justice to withhold funding from sanctuary cities. And a Seattle judge declined to throw out a lawsuit brought by Seattle and Portland, Oregon, calling the DOJ's threats unconstitutionally coercive. Last month, a U.S. district judge in Chicago denied a request by the DOJ to lift a national freeze on the policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cheryle moses: It's a great opportunity to start relationships, Cheryle Moses, whose brainchild it was, told the CNN. And if you have a relationship with somebody, you are inclined to treat them like yourself, according to Toronto Star. If you don't have that relationship, then you'll only treat them based upon what you may have seen or read somewhere. For an admission fee of 15, people who don't have any Black friends are invited to a Come Meet A Black Person Networking Event hosted by Urban Mediamakers, a group of independent filmmakers and content creators. A main feature is a cultural scavenger hunt to encourage attendees to learn about the black community. Get there early! Bring your business cards and come ready to experience some new friends! The reaction to this event has been mixed. An upbeat event announcement on Facebook says Ticket includes eats while it lasts and two drink tickets for soda, beer and wine. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

czech republic: The couple got married shortly after and Baraky applied to sponsor Gabco to Canada at the end of that year, according to Metro News. The two thought they could finally be reunited when their spousal sponsorship application was approved in April 2014 as the only hurdle separating them would be getting an authorization to return to Canada, known as an ARC, from Canadian officials to let Gabco back into the country. Gabco, a Roma refugee, was deported back to his native Czech Republic in 2012 after his claim was rejected. For more than three years, Baraky and Gabco have been pressing the Canadian visa post in Vienna to get the clearance for Gabco to claim his permanent residency. In September, Gabco's ARC application was denied, again, because the visa officer was not convinced he had a compassionate, compelling and exceptional case. The request for the ARC was first rejected in 2016, but the Federal Court of Canada granted an appeal and ordered it to be reconsidered by the visa post. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hatred: Germaine, 76, are each charged with two counts of wilful promotion of hatred against an identifiable group, namely Jews and women, Toronto police said Wednesday, according to CTV. Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said it is the first time in the province that hate crime charges have been laid alleging the wilful promotion of hatred against women. James Nicholas Sears, 54, and Lawrence Leroy St. In a multicultural and inclusive province like Ontario, the promotion of hatred stands in direct opposition to our fundamental values of equality and diversity, Naqvi said in a statement. Toronto police said they received numerous complaints about the distribution and content of Your Ward News between March 2015 and June 27 and allege the accused published and disseminated editions that promoted hatred against members of the Jewish community and women. Hate crimes are, by their very nature, serious offences because their impacts can be devastating, spreading from the individual, through the social fabric of our communities as a whole. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

heart france: It's an appeal that many nations the U.S. included have since taken to heart, according to Metro News. France legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. This was comedian Wanda Sykes' simple, logical appeal to socially conservative Americans in the late 2000s who opposed gay marriage. Ireland did the same by popular vote in 2015 and earlier this year, Taiwan's highest court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage, paving the way for legalization. In a historic, non-binding two-month-long postal vote, the results of which were released this week, Australians declared that they would overwhelmingly support a law enabling gay couples to marry. Oh and just the other day, Australia proved that it too can be a thoroughly decent place. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

home country: Begum has been a refugee ever since, according to CTV. She grew up in Bangladesh's Rohingya refugee camps, and now earns a living working for a string of international aid groups. She was only 18 months old when her mother smuggled her across the Naf River on a fishing boat, carrying her into Bangladesh, among hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya fleeing persecution in their home country. On quiet days, she's the kind of person who wanders around looking for someone to help. She made calls to a half-dozen countries. So when frantic relatives called her in late September to tell her that Myanmar soldiers were burning Rohingya villages and tens of thousands of Rohingya were fleeing, the 28-year-old jumped into action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration status: Melkioro Gahungu, 64, Burundi, according to Toronto Star. Abdurahman Hassan, 39, Somalia. Jan Szamko, 31, Czech Republic. And at least 11 more. She did not commit any crimes, but was imprisoned because of her immigration status. Article Continued Below Earlier this month, an unnamed 50-year-old woman died while being detained in a maximum-security provincial jail in Ontario. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ndp majority: The bill also closes loopholes now used by some schools to obstruct efforts by their students to form GSAs, according to Rabble. Yesterday's vote brought to an end two weeks of often emotional and angry debate about the human rights of students still in school, the rights of their parents to be informed about their children's activities, and competing inclusive and social conservative visions of how society ought to be organized. Thanks to the efforts of the NDP majority in the Legislature, as soon as the bill comes into force it will be illegal for teachers and school administrators to tell parents their child has joined a gay-straight alliance at school without the permission of the child. Schools were already required to allow students to form GSAs if the students saw the need, in legislation that was reluctantly introduced and passed by the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Jim Prentice in 2015 under pressure from Liberals and New Democrats in the House and many voters throughout the province. In the event, this dramatic change of heart by the Prentice PCs was apparently deemed insufficient by Alberta voters, who soon thereafter for a multitude of reasons surprised everyone, including themselves, and elected an NDP majority government led by Premier Rachel Notley. Passage of the 2015 law was described by media as a stunning about-face, and didn't happen until after the same Tories had defeated a similar private member's bill by Alberta Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

negev desert: Orit Paunescu comes from what seems like a family of immigrant stories, according to The Chronicle Herald. Her parents were both born and raised in India but left Bombay in the '70s and headed for Israel. I love listening to the stories of how brave souls pack up everything they know and love and take off in search of a new life, often risking everything to give their children a better quality of life, sometimes seeking a sense of adventure but almost always finding new opportunities. They settled in the southern city of Beersheba a city with an ancient history, a hot, arid climate in the Negev desert, and a multi-ethnic population. I grew up eating Indian food in Israel, Orit says with a laugh. This is where Orit was born and raised, sandwiched between an Israeli culture and her own Indian heritage. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

picture books: Do stories and artwork help in creating connections between people who feel they may be different from each other Those kinds of questions will drive a research project led by Mandrona called For Us by Us Children's Picture Books to Promote Solidarity and Acceptance in the Age of Refugees, according to The Chronicle Herald. The research, which was one of several social sciences and humanities projects to receive federal funding Wednesday, will involve children aged eight to 18 who came to Canada as refugees. Why do we tell stories How does art and text help us to communicate aspects of our shared culture, shared humanity . . . and how can that help when considering issues of difference Mandrona said in an interview Wednesday in her small office packed with books, miniature ceramic sculptures and prints at the NSCAD University in Halifax. Mandrona, who joined the university about a year ago as an assistant professor, and a team of NSCAD students will work with the children in group sessions over the next two years to produce picture books. But in no way are we asking them, Tell me about your story about being a refugee,' said Mandrona, who joined NSCAD's faculty after completing post-doctoral work in Coventry, England. One of her goals is finding ways to bridge gaps that might exist between marginalized groups such as refugees and their society. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pramila patten: The Passionate Eye Behind the Rohingya Crisis Why Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world Patten said sexual violence was being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar, according to CBC. Myanmar's army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rape and killings by security forces, days after replacing the general in charge of the operation that drove more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. The allegation in a report by the New York-based rights group echoes an accusation by Pramila Patten, the UN special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, earlier this week. Ethnic-cleansing accusations The United Nations has denounced the violence as a classic example of ethnic cleansing. Human Rights Watch spoke to 52 Rohingya women and girls who fled to Bangladesh, 29 of whom said they had been raped. The Myanmar government has denied those allegations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

president donald: That plan has its roots in President Donald Trump's repeated pledge during the 2016 campaign to subject immigrants seeking admission to the United States to more intense ideological scrutiny or, as he put it, extreme vetting . Over the summer, DHS published a statement of objectives for a system that would use computer algorithms to scan social media and other material in order to automatically flag undesirable entrants and to continuously scan the activities of those allowed into the U.S. The goal, that document stated, was to let computers help determine whether an immigrant intends to commit criminal or terrorist acts, as well as their likelihood of becoming a positively contributing member of society, according to Metro News. In a joint letter to DHS on Thursday, the dissenting researchers called that approach neither appropriate nor feasible. The experts, a group of more than 50 computer and data scientists, mathematicians and other specialists in automated decision-making, urged the Department of Homeland Security to abandon the project, dubbed the Extreme Vetting Initiative. BACKGROUND OF THE PLANIn the document, the office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it was seeking a contractor to automate background checks of foreigners seeking temporary or permanent entry to the U.S. It outlined plans for mining Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, academic websites and other publicly-available internet data, then using AI techniques to analyze it and to keep monitoring those sources. ICE played down the significance of its summer outreach to contractors in a statement Thursday, saying it was an opportunity to gather information from industry professionals and other government agencies on current technological capabilities. This contractor would be expected to generate at least 10,000 investigative leads a year that would be forwarded to federal agents, according to the document.ICE's public presentations to interested vendors haven't been updated since August, raising the possibility that the agency might have scrapped or significantly altered the plan since then. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.