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A coalition of faith groups, civil and human rights organizations, and government officials have asked the Department of Homeland Security to reject Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s request to allow the Virginia Department of State Police to enter into a 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A 287(g) agreement, named after a provision of federal…
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The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is part of a national movement to raise awareness and take action to fight hunger in America. September is Hunger Action Month, and today marks the launch of hunger-fighting activities and hunger awareness initiatives in the community. Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food…
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The entire Manila hostage situation of close to 11 hours on Monday, Aug. 23, ended in a great tragedy with eight hostages dead. The greater tragedy was the complete lack of training, equipment and correct manpower to handle the situation. The situation had 15 hostages in a bus with a furious gunman who had a…
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Members of a Valley-based group will greet Gov. Bob McDonnell on his way to his town-hall meeting at James Madison University in Harrisonburg on Thursday to voice their disapproval of the Republican’s stance on immigration. “We believe that immigration is a federal issue, and that politicians such as Ken Cuccinelli and Gov. McDonnell should be…
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After months of discussions, Gov. Bob McDonnell has formally requested that the Department of Homeland Security enter into a 287(g) agreement with the Virginia Department of State Police allowing certain Virginia troopers to perform certain functions of a federal immigration officer within the borders of the Commonwealth. “I have been a longtime proponent of allowing…
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Isabel Castillo, a 2007 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, was one of 21 recent graduates and current students from universities – all undocumented immigrants – from around the United States who were arrested for acts of non-violent civil disobedience at the U.S. Senate Hart Office Building on July 20. All of them were brought to…
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U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said this week during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that, in its congressionally-mandated December report, Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan, the Obama administration “must provide us some clarity, not only as to specific programs, but as to what their policies are expected to accomplish in a larger…
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Is Terry McAuliffe running for something? Well, not technically, but he is traveling with the former executive director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, Levar Stoney, who now works for him in a sort of nebulous role that doesn’t have Stoney as a political aide, per se, but … And McAuliffe didn’t begin his talk…
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Column by Aaron Dorfman Submit guest columns: [email protected] When those who speak for regular folks – you, me and everyday working people – are outspent in Washington, even the most welcome legislation tends to serve the rich and powerful. As the country anticipates President Obama signing financial reform legislation, the scorecard is so starkly…
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Isabel wanted to create an impression on her visit to Washington, so she had members of the group there to lobby Sen. Mark Warner for support for the DREAM Act to wear their graduation caps. “We weren’t sure if we would actually be able to meet with him one-on-one,” she said. But the senator was…
