Long-form news stories about local, state and national policies with a specific emphasis on human migration, socio-economic disparities and perceptions, and the criminal justice system
The cost of becoming American
New federal fee structure is the latest barrier to immigration On July 31, United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced significant fee increases for most naturalization and benefits requests. While the agency justified the increase as an effort to address budget shortfalls, immigration lawyers and advocates decry the move, arguing it will not only…
The new front line for ‘water protectors’
Colorado activists head to Minnesota to protest the Line 3 pipeline, while one Boulder resident sits on the board that can stop it The week of Joe Biden’s inauguration began with the news that he planned to rescind approval for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office, as part of his…
A first step
BVSD updates its discipline policy and looks at ending its relationship with police departments In one of the first moves following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in late May, Minneapolis public schools moved to cut ties with law enforcement on June 2. Supported by thousands of letters from students…
Pressure points
High HOA fees are a challenge for affordable homeowners In the seven years Adam Perry has owned his affordable unit at Iris Hollow, there have been times when his monthly homeowner association (HOA) fees have exceeded his monthly mortgage payments. First the outdoor stairs needed repair. Then the roof needed replacing, and instead of paying…
ICE detaining transgender individuals despite widespread calls for their release
In Estella’s home country of Cuba, transphobia is rampant, she says. She’s been attacked. She’s been targeted by police. There are no human rights, she says. There is no access to HIV medication. “I preferred to risk my life than continue that way,” she says through her lawyer at the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network…
Opposite of America
Asylum seekers fearing death at home find only prison and discrimination in the U.S. Four hundred and sixty-two. That’s how many days Mishkat Sarkar has been in America. That’s how many days he’s been in immigration detention, including the last 15 months in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Denver Contract Detention Facility in…
Boulder passed its first racial equity plan. Will it work?
The City of Boulder’s racial equity plan is no panacea, according to its critics and supporters alike. Passed unanimously by City Council on Feb. 16, it’s meant to guide the City in eliminating institutional and systemic racism in its policies and practices. And it generally comes with widespread community support, with speakers at the public hearing urging…
Only the 11th state
Why was the gay/trans panic defense, recently banned by state law, ever even a thing? As protesters called for racial justice outside of the Capitol in early June, one chant stood out in particular to Rep. Breanna Titone (D-Arvada). “Black trans lives matter,” she heard over and over again. And it’s one she could not…
A lot of moving parts
A rundown on affordable housing in Boulder County Known as a desirable place to live, with its high quality of life, progressive values and natural landscape, Boulder County has become increasingly unaffordable over the last several decades. For many workers — teachers, firefighters, civil servants and those in the service industry — rent and home…
Trade war bounty
Though harming farmers, Chinese tariffs have increased food supplies to struggling families Tariffs on U.S. goods have skyrocketed in the past year as the Trump administration has engaged in an escalating trade war with China. According to the BBC, more than $110 billion of U.S. products are being hit with Chinese tariffs, ranging anywhere from 5-25%.…
