Artist Brian Tolle’s Eureka pays homage to Dutch history in New York City. The forty-foot-high sculpture in Federal Hall in downtown New York is reminiscent of the gabled “canal houses” of 18th century New York prevalent after forty years of Dutch rule. Instead of showing the façade of a canal house itself, the sculpture is meant to evoke the façade’s wavy reflection in a flowing waterway. As the exhibition description explains: "Its display in Federal Hall is intended to evoke a reflecting hall of mirrors that suggests this site’s architectural and political history." The sculpture is on display through September 8, 2018, and visitors can also admire and learn about the history of Federal Hall, where the Bill of Rights was enacted and George Washington was sworn in as our nation's first president.
Eureka
Nithya Swaminathan: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire
Nithya moved to the United States on a whim. While attending high school in Singapore, the day before she had to send her list of the colleges where she planned to apply to her counselor, she had one space left. She Googled “liberal arts colleges” and Swarthmore came up. “I didn’t do any research,” she says. “I just put it down—I hadn’t visited—and it was the first school I got into.” To be fair, after she was accepted, she did do a little more research, but she showed up on campus ready to start having never visited. But the decision paid off. “I loved it,” she says. “Swarthmore is really great, such a great experience. I mean, it was really stressful as well. But now when I look back, all I had to do was read books and write about books. Why did I complain about that?”
Read moreTime: “Children ‘Don’t Need Jail.’ Immigration Advocates Say President Trump’s Executive Order Creates Even More Problems”
Last month President Trump signed an executive order that ends the separation of children from their parents under the zero-tolerance policy, which criminally prosecutes immigrants that cross the border without documentation. While President Trump made it clear that the zero-tolerance policy will remain in effect, the executive order states that it is now the administration’s intention to keep immigrant families together throughout the criminal proceedings process. “I didn’t like the sight or the feeling of families being separated,” Trump said at the signing. “At the same time, we are keeping a very powerful border, but continue to be zero tolerance.”
Read moreUSCIS Updates Notice to Appear Policy Guidance to Support DHS Enforcement Priorities
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) issued updated guidance that changes when individuals can be put in removal proceedings. The updated guidance aligns USCIS policy for issuing Form I-862, Notice to Appear—a document given to foreign nationals that instructs them to appear before an immigration judge on a specific date and commences removal proceedings against them—with the immigration enforcement priorities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Read moreUnderstand Each Other
The World Cup at DLG
Gaby anxiously watching the first half of the Colombia vs. England game.
This week's Colombia vs. England game led to some tense moments for the firm. Gaby, who is from Colombia, watched nervously here in New York as the two teams battled it out. Protima, traveling in England, held her breath as the game went into penalty shootouts. When England won the shootout 4-3, the office consoled Gaby, and Protima joined the massive celebrations in England where everyone was relieved that they had finally won their first World Cup penalty shootout. England will play Sweden this weekend. Good luck to both teams (okay, maybe a little more luck to England)!
The Washington Post: “How a 1944 decision on Japanese internment affected the Supreme Court’s travel ban decision"
Last week, the Supreme Court in Trump v. Hawaii upheld President Trump’s travel ban that targeted several Muslim-majority countries, saying that the president had statuary authority to make national security judgements regarding immigration, despite anti-Muslim statements that he has made. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor says the decision is no better than the one in Korematsu v. United States, the universally criticized and much maligned 1944 decision that allowed for the detention of Japanese-Americans during World War II. While Sotomayer praises the court for repudiating Korematsu in Trump v. Hawaii, she writes in her dissent: “By blindly accepting the Government’s misguided invitation to sanction a discriminatory policy motivated by animosity toward a disfavored group, all in the name of a superficial claim of national security, the Court redeploys the same dangerous logic underlying Korematsu and merely replaces one ‘gravely wrong’ decision with another.”
Read moreThe Center of the Universe
The Ruins of Empúries
Joseph recently took a quick break from all of his hard work here at DLG to visit one of the most important (and beautiful) archaeological sites in Catalonia, Spain. Located in the Gulf of Roses on the Costa Brava, the Ruins of Empúries are filled with both Greek and Roman treasures. These ruins, considered the gateway to the Iberian Peninsula for many, feature walls, columns, streets, houses, painting, mosaics, and more, from both the Greeks, who first founded their colony here in 6th Century B.C., and the Romans, who later occupied this area in 1st Century B.C. With more than 2,500 years of history here, it is easy to get a glimpse of what life was like for both ancient cultures. You can also enjoy the breathtaking views of the Mediterranean, and all of the beaches and coves surrounding the ancient ruins. Don’t enjoy the views too much though, Joseph. We all need you back here at DLG soon!