Ethiopia's New State of Emergency detail released

Ethiopia's New State of Emergency  detail released

Mark Zuckerberg's Valentine's Day photo got spammed after Facebook blocked an Ethiopian activist

• Mark Zuckerberg posted a Valentine's Day picture of himself and his older daughter sharing pizza on the roof of Facebook's headquarters.
• The post was quickly swarmed with dozens of comments calling on the company to unblock the account of an Ethiopian activist.
• Facebook late Wednesday apologized and reversed course by unblocking the account.

John Shinal | @johnshinal

Published 16 Hours Ago Updated 16 Hours Ago   

Facebook apologized and reversed course after supporters of an Ethiopian activist, whose page it had blocked, flooded CEO Mark Zuckerberg's Valentine's Day photo with comments.
Zuckerberg on Wednesday had posted a picture of himself and his older daughter sharing pizza on the roof of the company's headquarters with the caption, "Lunch date with my Valentine."
While some Facebook users responded with warm wishes, the post was quickly filled with comments calling on the company to unblock the account of Jawar Mohammed, an Ethiopian who lives in Minneapolis and is followed by more than 1.2 million people, according to his Facebook profile.

A user with the account name Brook Michel, for example, whose profile says he is from that country's capital of Addis Ababa, posted this:
"Dear Mark you are violating the right of expression by blocking #JawarMohammed prominent human rights activist with followers of more than 1.2 millions..He is the voice of more than 100 million Ethiopia, # UnblockJawarNow or #BlockUsAll."
The comment got 168 reactions, putting it on top of the comments section for Zuckerberg's Valentine.
And there were many other posts like it.
CNBC late Wednesday counted more than two dozen comments with identical or nearly-identical wording that were posted within two hours of Zuckerberg's Valentine photo.
Many such posts had dozens of shares and reactions. See a screen shot here:

A hashtag on Twitter named #UnblockJawar also contained dozens of posts as of Wednesday evening, calling on Facebook to unblock the account.
Hours later Facebook did so.
After CNBC emailed the company asking about the comments on Zuckerberg's post, a Facebook spokesperson sent the following statement:
"We're very sorry for this mistake. Our spam-detecting systems incorrectly blocked Mr. Mohammed's account. Once we identified this issue we quickly worked to fix it and have since removed the block," the statement said.
The account of Mohammed, whose Facebook account identifies him as the executive director of the Oromia Media Network, had earlier this week posted images and videos of politically tumultuous events in Ethiopia.
A post made Tuesday on Mohammed's timeline included a link to a news report with the headline, "Ethiopia: Oromia state rocked by protests and killings amid a 3-day market boycott."
Also Tuesday, he posted pictures of near-empty streets in the eastern city of Harar, which is in the midst of a boycott and protest.
Ethiopia's prime minister resigned Thursday in a bid to quell the protests.

Security Alert – U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Location:  Nationwide
Event:  Following this afternoon’s resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Embassy Addis Ababa is closely monitoring Ethiopia’s reaction.  While we are not currently aware of any impact on the security environment, this significant political development may lead to unpredictable security issues.
At this time, all travel for embassy personnel outside of Addis Ababa must have advance Embassy approval.
Actions to Take:

• Monitor local media for updates.
• Avoid large gatherings and demonstrations, and follow the instructions of local authorities.
• Employ sound security practices.
• Remain aware of your surroundings, including local events.
• Remember that the security environment in Ethiopia is fluid and can deteriorate without warning.

Assistance:

• S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

+251-111-306-000
+251-111-306-911 or 011-130-6000 (after hours)
addisacs@state.gov
[https://et.usembassy.gov/]

• State Department – Consular Affairs

888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444

• Ethiopia Country Information
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)to receive security updates
• Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

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Ethiopia prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigns

Hailemariam Desalegn says he has submitted his resignation as both Ethiopia's prime minister and chairman of the country's ruling coalition.

Hailemariam Desalegn says he has submitted his resignation as both Ethiopia's prime minister and chairman of the country's ruling coalition.

Hailemariam's announcement comes amid a political crisis and lingering unrest in the Horn of Africa country, which has been releasing thousands of political prisoners to ease tensions.

"Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many," Hailemariam said in a televised address on Thursday.

"I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy," he said.

Hailemariam added, however, that he will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity, until the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country's parliament accept his resignation and name a new premier.
Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Doha, said parliament will meet on Friday to choose Hailemariam successor and noted that Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu is considered to be a leading candidate for the position.
"If they choose a candidate from either of the two main groups who have been protesting for most of the past three years, the Oroma and the Amhara, then it will be interesting to see how they are going to appease the other group that they leave out of this coalition," he said.
Hundreds of people have died in a wave of violence across Ethiopia, initially sparked by an urban development plan in the capital, Addis Ababa, in 2015.
The unrest spread as demonstrations against political restrictions and human rights abuses broke out.

Trump wants to deport immigrants who use public benefits

Rachel Leah02.09.2018•9:18 AM

The Trump administration, known for its crusade against illegal immigration, is now moving to restrict legal immigration, too.

The Department of Homeland Security is considering a process that would take into account whether legal immigrants or their American-born children rely on certain public benefits. DHS has already drafted new rules, according to Reuters, "that would allow immigration officers to scrutinize a potential immigrant’s use of certain taxpayer-funded public benefits to determine if they could become a public burden." Under the proposed new rules, legal immigrants could be ordered deported for using a wide variety of benefits. Some of these benefits outlined in the new rules are government pre-school programs like Head Start, food assistance programs, or subsidies for health insurance premiums or utility bills.

Since 1999, authorities were barred from weighing non-cash benefits when determining an immigrant's eligibility to come to the United States or stay here, but the proposed rules seek to abandon those measures. And while immigration law already requires the exclusion of someone from permanent residence in the U.S. if they are likely to become a "public charge," since 1999 a "public charge" is attributed to someone "primarily dependent on the government for subsistence." This means direct cash assistance or long-term government-funded care, not non-cash benefits like public education.

"Non-citizens who receive public benefits are not self-sufficient and are relying on the U.S. government and state and local entities for resources instead of their families, sponsors or private organizations," the document states."An alien’s receipt of public benefits comes at taxpayer expense and availability of public benefits may provide an incentive for aliens to immigrate to the United States."

Under the new draft rules, if a person depends on "any government assistance in the form of cash, checks or other forms of money transfers, or instrument and non-cash government assistance in the form of aid, services, or other relief," the document says, they could be treated as a "public charge."

Health insurance subsidiaries outlined in the Affordable Care Act, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), WIC, the food program for pregnant women, nursing women and their children, vouchers for transportation and housing, Head Start, the early education program for low-income children, and subsidies to assist poor people with paying their heating bills are some of the benefits highlighted for consideration in the new draft rules, according to Reuters.

Permanent residents applying for citizenship would not be affected, but the rules would apply to family members of U.S. citizens, people who were recruited to work by U.S. companies and in general, the vast population of migrants living and working in the U.S.

The potential move from the Trump administration comes as President Donald Trump has expanded his target from illegal immigration to immigration more generally. He's already encouraged the end to a visa lottery program and chain migration, which is a process that can help keep families together.

The difference here, is for many of Trump's fiery and harsh-lined tweets that he promises to turn into policy, to do so the proposals need congressional support. But with DHS's draft rules, "several immigrant advocates and current and former U.S. officials said the proposed rules could advance the administration’s goals without changing U.S. law, by effectively barring lower- and middle-income people from immigrating," Reuters reported.

This could have devastating effects for immigrants in need of these services (that they are entitled to) for fear of repercussions. Charles Wheeler, director of training and legal support at Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., told Reuters, "It’s going to scare a lot of people into yanking their children off of needed healthcare, school programs, child nutrition programs, basic sorts of subsistence-level programs that have kept the population healthy and employable."

Exclusive: Trump administration may target immigrants who use food aid, other benefits (WASHINGTON (Reuters) )

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is considering making it harder for foreigners living in the United States to get permanent residency if they or their American-born children use public benefits such as food assistance, in a move that could sharply restrict legal immigration.

The Department of Homeland Security has drafted rules seen by Reuters that would allow immigration officers to scrutinize a potential immigrant’s use of certain taxpayer-funded public benefits to determine if they could become a public burden.

For example, U.S. officials could look at whether the applicant has enrolled a child in government pre-school programs or received subsidies for utility bills or health insurance premiums.

The draft rules are a sharp departure from current guidelines, which have been in place since 1999 and specifically bar authorities from considering such non-cash benefits in deciding a person’s eligibility to immigrate to the United States or stay in the country.

“Non-citizens who receive public benefits are not self-sufficient and are relying on the U.S. government and state and local entities for resources instead of their families, sponsors or private organizations,” the document states. “An alien’s receipt of public benefits comes at taxpayer expense and availability of public benefits may provide an incentive for aliens to immigrate to the United States.”

Receiving such benefits could weigh against an applicant, even if they were for an immigrant’s U.S. citizen children, according to the document.

“The administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law, which is clearly intended to protect the American taxpayer,” said Tyler Houlton, a DHS spokesman. “Any potential changes to the rule would be in keeping with the letter and spirit of the law – as well as the reasonable expectations of the American people for the government to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.”

In 2016, nearly 383,000 people who would be subject to the new standards obtained permanent residence while already in the United States, according to DHS statistics. The rules would not apply to permanent residents applying for citizenship, but would apply to a wide range of people living or working in the United States, including close family members of U.S. citizens and workers employed by U.S. companies.

In addition, nearly 620,000 other immigrants living abroad obtained U.S. permanent residence through the State Department in 2016. If DHS publishes a new rule, the State Department will decide then whether to change its guidance, said Ashley Garrigus, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

U.S. immigration law has long required officials to exclude a person likely to become a “public charge” from permanent residence. But current U.S. guidelines, in place since 1999, narrowly define “public charge” to be a person “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence,” either through direct cash assistance or government-funded long-term care.

Current guidance instructs immigration officers to look at a narrow range of public benefits in trying to determine whether someone is likely to become a burden, specifically directing officers not to consider most non-cash benefits, such as government food assistance programs or preschool programs.

The new rules, if adopted in their current form, would significantly change these guidelines. Under the draft rules, a person would be considered a “public charge” if they depend on “any government assistance in the form of cash, checks or other forms of money transfers, or instrument and non-cash government assistance in the form of aid, services, or other relief,” according to the document seen by Reuters.
IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS

Trump, who took a hard line on illegal immigration during the 2016 presidential campaign, has in recent months also taken aim at legal immigrants. He has advocated ending a visa lottery program and some kinds of family-based immigration. But many of the administration’s proposals would require congressional action.

Several immigrant advocates and current and former U.S. officials said the proposed rules could advance the administration’s goals without changing U.S. law, by effectively barring lower- and middle-income people from immigrating.

“The big picture here is the administration is trying to accomplish by regulation the substantive changes to immigration law that it has proposed be enacted by statute,” said Barbara Strack, a career DHS official who retired in January and helped draft the 1999 rules.

The experts and officials said they were also worried that the proposed changes would dissuade immigrants from using services to which they are entitled.

“It’s going to scare a lot of people into yanking their children off of needed healthcare, school programs, child nutrition programs, basic sorts of subsistence-level programs that have kept the population healthy and employable,” said Charles Wheeler, director of training and legal support at Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

A 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found that 5.5 percent of immigrant households with children received cash assistance, compared to 6.3 percent of native households. Four percent of immigrant households used housing assistance, compared to five percent of native households. And about 46 percent of immigrant households used Medicaid, compared to 34 percent of native households.

Conservatives have long expressed concerns about non-citizens’ access to public benefits, saying it is a drain on resources that should go to U.S. citizens.

“Efforts to limit immigrant access to these programs mostly have not been very successful,” said Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors stricter immigration policies.

Among the benefits singled out in the draft rule for consideration are: health insurance subsidies such as those provided by the Affordable Care Act; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); WIC, a federal program that feeds poor pregnant or nursing women and their children; transportation and housing vouchers; programs that help the poor pay their heating bills; and programs such as Head Start, which provides early education to low-income children.

Some benefits would not be considered in making the “public charge” determination under the draft regulations, including emergency or disaster relief, public health assistance for immunizations, attending public school, receiving free or reduced-price school lunches, and earned benefits such as disability insurance, Medicare and unemployment payments.

Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Sue Horton and Ross Colvin
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Donald Trump's Decision to Stop Visa Lottery Will End Green Card Backlog: White House

Washington: US President Donald Trump's immigration framework will end the diversity lottery visa to help reduce green card backlog of high-skilled workers, the White House said today amid growing demands by Indian H-1B visa holders to remove the per country-limit on its allotment.

Indian-Americans, most of whom are highly skilled and come to the US mainly on H-1B work visas are the worst sufferers of the current immigration system which imposes a seven percent per country quota on allotment of green cards or permanent legal residency.


As a result, the current wait period for Indian skilled immigrants for the green card can be as long as 70 years. Over the last one week, many Indian skilled immigrants gathered in Washington DC from various parts of the US to ask the Trump Administration and Congress to remove this major anomaly in the immigration system.
"President Trump's framework would end the visa lottery programme and reallocate some of the visas to help reduce the backlog of high-skilled, employment-based immigrant cases," the White House said in a fact sheet titled 'ending the economic harm caused by our immigration system'.

Later in the evening, Trump called for ending the visa lottery system. "Time to end the visa lottery. Congress must secure the immigration system and protect Americans," he tweeted.

The White House said Trump favoured a merit-based immigration system, which attracts the best and the brightest from across the world.

"I think the president wants to see legal immigration reform. He wants to see us move from a process that currently exists in law of extended family chain migration toward merit-based immigration reforms," White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters during his first ever White House press conference.