Politics and Government

The Washington state Legislature took action Tuesday to shut down the Northwest detention center in Tacoma, one of the largest facilities in the country holding people the government is seeking to deport. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies and justice at the UW and director of the UW Center for Human Rights, is quoted.

After Georgia Republicans experienced the shocking setback of losing the state’s presidential election, the party descended into bitter internal recriminations. But all Republicans heartily agree on next steps: a sweeping bill curtailing voting rights and handing new powers to Republican legislators to prevent the events of 2020 and 2021 from happening again. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

According to campaign finance records, many of the same people charged in the Capitol riot sent their own money to Trump’s reelection campaign. Even after his loss in November, they threw their cash behind his efforts to challenge the election as he touted the lie that it had been stolen. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Victor Fonseca is one of three detainees making great sacrifices to protest the conditions forced on them. ICE officials deny the strikes are taking place. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies and justice at the UW and director of the UW Center for Human Rights, is quoted.

“Creating and maintaining water infrastructure is expensive. Because governments work with limited budgets, they ration money to extend or improve infrastructure. And because water access is critical to human existence, politicians have control over a valuable resource," write Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, and Sijeong Lim of Korea University in Seoul.

Aseem Prakash, Walker Family Professor of Political Science and the founding director of the Center of Environmental Politics, explains the importance of access to safe water sources.

From Snohomish County to Congress, condemnations came swiftly. Anti-Asian acts are on the rise and were highlighted by Tuesday’s shooting deaths of eight people in Georgia. Local history shows how Asians were targeted long ago, by brutal attacks and through government actions, even as their toil helped build the Northwest. The UW Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest is mentioned.

Columnist Jamelle Bouie writes of Georgia's election legislation, "This is what it looks like when a political party turns against democracy. It doesn’t just try to restrict the vote; it creates mechanisms to subvert the vote and attempts to purge officials who might stand in the way. Georgia is in the spotlight, for reasons past and present, but it is happening across the country wherever Republicans are in control." Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

“Nowruz, the Persian New Year which takes place this Saturday, is a time for new beginnings. For President Biden it will mark the first occasion to offer a message directly to the Iranian people and perhaps hint at how his administration may approach the issue of Iran,” write Aria Fani, assistant professor of near Eastern languages and civilization, and Kevin Schwartz of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Although LGBTQ+ nightlife venues have existed in Seattle since the 1920s, many of them operated in the shadows amid threats from police and government, and bigoted strangers. Today, these spaces operate more openly but face new threats: increasing property taxes and rents, gentrification, a rise in hate crimes and now, of course, the closure of bars and restaurants due to the coronavirus pandemic. Kemi Adeyemi, assistant professor of gender, women and sexuality studies at the UW, is quoted.

Fifty-one Greek Hellenistic and early Islamic empire coins were seized by border patrol agents in Blaine. Homeland Security contacted UW classics professor Sarah Stroup to help identity them. [This is the third segment of "The Record"]

Republicans have systematically undermined a key democratic constituency. Fighting back requires a kind of hardball Democrats aren’t typically willing to play. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is referenced.

“At first glance, prosecuting current or past top officials accused of illegal conduct seems like an obvious decision for a democracy: Everyone should be held accountable and subject to the rule of law ... [But] if the prosecution of past leaders is brought by a political rival, it can lead to a cycle of prosecutorial retaliation,” write the UW's Victor Menaldo, professor of political science; James Long, associate professor of political science; and Morgan Wack, a doctoral student in political science.

“We find that Americans are strongly opposed to detaining migrant children. Separating families is also unpopular, but Republicans and people anxious about cultural change support that policy more than others do,” write Sophia Jordán Wallace, associate professor of political science at the UW, and Chris Zepeda-Millán of the University of California at Los Angeles.

“Accusations of human rights violations, followed by countless lawsuits, have remained constant since the [Northwest ICE Processing Center] facility was built over 20 years ago. Grassroots organizations like La Resistencia have been working for over five years to shut down the facility, and House Bill 1090 (HB 1090) may finally do just that,” writes columnist Luna Reyna. A study by the UW Center for Human Rights is referenced.