“Weekend Chasing Aliens” Contest in AZ

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Consider this a new nadir in the nation’s feverish immigration debate, sparked by Arizona’s controversial law. A Columbus, Ohio radio station thought it smart—or clever, or whatever—to run a contest offering listeners the chance to visit Phoenix, where “Americans are proud and illegals are scared,” as the station put it, to “spend a weekend chasing aliens and spending cash in the desert, just make sure you have your green card!”

The station, 610 WTVN, launched the contest in reaction to Columbus mayor Michael Coleman’s decision to ban city employees from visiting Arizona on official business in protest of that state’s immigration law. Apparently, the contest has already expired, but here’s the full description of the contest and an ad touting it, via Think Progress:

The text from the ad says:

610 WTVN would like to send you where Americans are proud and illegals are scared, sunny Phoenix, Arizona! You’ll spend a weekend chasing aliens and spending cash in the desert, just make sure you’ve got your green card! Win round trip airfare to Phoenix, hotel accomodations, and a few pesos in spending cash – just register below!

Needless to say, local community groups have railed on the radio station for the “chase an alien” contest. Said Leonardo Ramos, president of Colombianos in Ohio. “This is clearly the chilling effect of what is happening in Arizona with SB 1070. We believe that our community must respect and protect all people.” (You can read the full press release bashing the station here.) Members of community groups said they’ll also send letters to the general manager of Clear Channel in Columbus.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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