The stakes are very high. Amy as the Trump Administration again tries to push through a rule that would effectively ban all Central American migrants from seeking asylum in the u. S. , we look at the latest deadly Government Policies targeting immigrants, from trumps plan to end a program that allows severely sick immigrants to stay in the u. S. For treatment to ongoing family separation. Well speak with lee gelernt, Deputy Director of the aclu immigrants rights project. Then as the second Border Patrol agent this month pleads guilty to assaulting an undocumented immigrant, we look at the devastating death of Jose Antonio Elena rodriguez. Killed on mexican soil in 2012 more than six years after the killing, but the family is stilill waiting for justice. It is so frustrating and it makes me so angry knowing that a person can stick his hand in there and kill mexican children with impunity. Lonnie happened to swartz. He is still free. He still has a job. He left my family completely destroyed. Amy in the latest from our series death and resistance at the u. S. Mexico border, we go to mexico to speak with Jose Antonios mother and grandmother. The family hopes a u. S. Supreme court case this fall may give them another chance at justice. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goododman. Florida has declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties as Hurricane Dorian continues to gain strength in the atlantic. The National Hurricane center warns the storm may hit south florida on monday as a category 4 hurricane with winds as high as 130 miles per hour. On thursday, President Trump announced he would cancel a trip to poland in order to stay in washington due to the hurricane. Vice president mike pence is going instead. The Justice Departments Inspector General has determined former fbi director james comey violated Agency Policies by disclosing Sensitive Information to the press, but the Justice Department has decided not to prosecute him. The investigation centered on comeys decision to leak a memo in which he detailed how President Trump had asked him to drop the fbis investigation into michael flynn, the president s then National Security advisor. In colombia, a group of former farc rebels have announced they are taking up arms again, accusing the colombian government of failing to live up to the 2016 peace accord that ended 50 years of fighting. In a video, former farc commander ivan marquez who helped negotiate the peace deal said a new phase of Armed Struggle wasas beginning. , when we signed the agreement we did it with the conviction that it is possible to change the lives of the humbled and the dispossessed. At the state has not fulfilled even the most important of the obligagations, that is to guarantee the life of its citizens and particularly to prevent the murder for political reasons. Amy colombian president ivan duque has vowed to hunt down the rebel commmmanders whore takingg up arms. According to the institute for development and peace studies, 702 social leaders and human rights defenders and 135 former farc guerrilla members have been killed in colombia since 2016. Indias crackdown on kashmir is intensifying nearly four weeks after Prime Minister modi revoked the special status of the territory. Earlier today, indian authorities ordered kashmiris to stay off the streets as new barricades went up. The internet and phone lines remain down. As many as 4 4000 peoplele, including Many Political leaders, remain detained. The bbc is reporting Indian Security forces are being accused of beating and torturing residents of kashmir. One kashmir resident told the bbc they beat every part of my body. When we fainted they gave us electric shocks to bring us back. When they hit us with sticks and we screamed, they sealed our mouth with mud. In related news, nationwide rallies were held in pakistan today to ship solidarity with the people of kashmir. In yemen, the United Arab Emirates is being accused of bombing saudibacked Yemeni Forces and killing as many as 40 people as a new front in the yemen war intensifies. For years, the uae and the saudis were on the same side as they targeted houthi rebels. But now the gulf states find themselves on opposing sides in a separate battle for the control of aden. The uae has been backing a group of separatists while the saudis back the government forces. In hong kong, three prominent democracy actctivists were arrested eararlier today a aheaf a major planned protest on saturday. Joshua wong and agnes chow were arrested on suspicion of Unlawful Assembly and held for several hours before being released on bail. Shortly after his release, wong addressed reporters. [indiscernible] amy a third prominent hong kong activist, andy chan, was also arrested today. He is accused of rioioting and assaulting an officer. Meanwhile, reuters has revealed the chinese Central Government rejected a proposal earlier this summer by carrie lam, the chief executive of hong kong, to diffuse the protest movement. Lam proposed withdrawing a controversial extradition bill but china ordered her not to yield to any of the protester demands. In a setback to opponents of brexit, a judge in scotland has refused to block british Prime MinisterBoris Johnsons plan to suspend parliament next month. Johnsons move leaves lawmakers who oppose a nodeal exit from the European Union with limited time to pass legislation supporting any other measures. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn vowed to challenge johnsons plan. We will be back in parlrliamt on tuesday too challenge worst johnson on what i thinink is a smash and grab raid against our democracy, where he is tried to suspend parliament in order to prevent a serious discussion, serious debate tour event a no deal brexit. To prevent a no deal brexit. In news from africa, the death toll from an Ebola Outbreak in the democratic republic of congo has topped 2000. Its the second worst outbreak of the epidemic on record. The world health organizatioion has called the situation in the drc one of the largest and most complex huhumanitarian crises in the world. Accordrding to the who, 48,000 people in the drdrc have died of malaria this year, 3100 have died of measles, and nearly 300 hahave died of cholerara. Environmental groups are threatening to sue the trump admininiration ovever its move o rescind regulations on methane emissions at oil and gas plants. On thursday, the Environmental Protection agency put forward a new rule to overturn regulations put in place by president obama. According to the epa, the rule will save Energy Companies up to 123 million through 2025. But environmental groups warn the change could have a devastating impact on the climate crisis. Methane has more than 80 times the heattrapping potential l of carbon dioxide. The naacp of alabama is calling on the states republican governor to resign after she acknowledged she once wore blackface during a college skit in 1967 when she was a student at auburn. Republican governor kay ivey apologized for the incident after audio of a radio interview resurfaced where shehe and her thenfiance talked about the skitit where she dressed in blackface and crawleled around looking for cigar butts. Across look at my fiance the room, i can see her that night. She had on a pair blue coveralls and she put some black paint all over her face. And she was we were acting out this skit called cigar butts. Amy earlier this year, photos emerged of kay iveys Sorority Sisters at auburn wearing blackface but none showed the future governor. Two former new York Police Detectives who were accused of raping an 18yearold in a police van after they arrested and handcuffed her will avoid facing any time in jail. On thursday, the former detectives, Eddie Martins and richard hall, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and were sentenced to probation even though prosecutors had requested a sentence of one to three years in prison. The detectives claimed the 2017 encounter was consensual. A lawyer for the teenage victim denounced the sentence. Michael david said were outraged. Its complete injustice what happened today. You cant consent when youre 53, 100 pounds and theyre both over 6 feet and very muscular. They had her in handcuffs. These cops got a free pass. In a move that could trigger an arms race in space, President Trump has formally launched u. S. Space command. At a white house ceremony, trump described space as the next war fighting domain. Pres. Trtrump as the newest combat in command, space, will defend americas vital interests in space, the next war fighting domain. Veryll soon be followed importantly by the establishment of the United States space force as the s sixth branch of the United States armed forces. Amy jon rainwater of peace action criticized trumps announcement, saying given that any fighting in space would likely be with Nuclear Powers like russia and china, the militarization of space adds to the risk of nuclear war. Seven catholic peace activists are heading to trial on october 21 after a federal judge rejected a request to dismiss their charges. The activists were arrested in april 2018 after they secretly entered the Kings Bay NavalSubmarine Base in Georgia Armed with hammers, crime scene tape, and baby bottles containing their own blood. The activists, who are known as the kings bay plowshares, face up to 25 years in prison. Earlier this week, a judge rejected their attempt to cite the religious freedom restoration act as part of their defense. Kings bay plowshare defendant Patrick Oneill appeared on democracy now earlier this year to talk about their novel defense. You have to have a religious believe that is sinincerely hel. And you also have to show that you have been burned by the governments reactions to what you have done and that this burden is eliminating the practice of your religion. It was clear, was documented in our statement of undocumented by the blood, document of by culture, by the bible, by the spray painting of the religious scripture quotes. Amy go to democracynow. Org to see our full coverage of the kings bay plowshares case. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , demomocracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We begin todays show with the trump administratitions ongoing assault on immigrant rights. On tuesdayay, the government reportedly ended its medical deferred action program, which allows immigrants with Serious Health problems to stay in the u. S. For up to two years beyond the terms of their visas to receive critical treatment. Just one day later, it announced some children born to u. S. Servicemembers and Government Employees stationed overseas will no longer automatically receive citizenship. This all came just days after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the Trump Administration to implement its rule banning almost all migrants frfrom seeking a asylum in thehe United States. A federal judge in San Francisco had temporarily blocked the rule in july, halting plans to stop anyone who passes through a third country before arriving in the u. S. From applying for asylum. But monday, u. S. Solicitor general Noel Francisco asked the Supreme Court to issue a stay on the ruling, allolowing the ruleo go into effect. The rule w would stop virtually all people frorom honduraselel salvador, and guatatemala from seeking refuge in the United States and apply for asylum in mexico instead. Amid these crackdowns, border wall construction began this week on federally protected lands in the remote arizona desert. Construction crews are in the first phase of erecting two miles of border wall in Organ Pipe Cactus National monument, endangering the fragile Sonoran Desert ecosystem, and destroying native Tohono Oodham land. The Washington Post is reporting President Trump has ordered his staff to speed up the construction of his border wall before the 2020 election, even if it means breaking the law. All the while, many immigrant families remain separated due to trumps zerotolerance policy, which was supposed to have ended more than a year ago. Well, for more, were joined by lee gelernt, Deputy Director of the aclu immigrants rights project. Welcome backck to democracy now it is great to have you with us. I want to start with the Trump Administrations decision to end its s medical deferred action program. 16yearold Jonathan Sanchez has Cystic Fibrosis and now fears his pending request with u. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will be denied. He was born in honduras. This is jonathan and audio clip from npr. Program thatd the i need to go back to my country. Because of will die my country, there is no treatment for cf. Doctors dont even know what the disease the only ones who can help me are here in the United States. Massachusetts senator ed markey said the administration is now literally deporting kids with cancer and that the change would terrorize sick kids who are literally fighting for their lives. Massachusetts congngressmember Ayanna Pressley said she is considering calling for a congressional oversight hearing on the matter, saying whats so troubling about this, beyond the cruelty of it, is the lack of transparency around the process. There was no Public Comment period, not even a public announcement of this. The aclu of massachusetts has vowed to fight the policy change in court. Lets begin there. You helped to head up the Immigration Program of the aclu. What is involved here . Were talking about children and adults who were receiving Critical Care in hospitals around the u. S. The think this is par for course. The administration going after the most vulnerable. For the last year and a half, we have been fighting the policy of separatiting little children, en babies, from families. Last week, they went after military families. Now theyre going after sick kids. It is devastating, but not surprising. Why the need to deport children who are sick . I mean, is that really in our countrys interest . Amy you mention military families. Lets talk about what theyre talking about here. It all comes down one day after the next. Servicemembers overseas, their children born where they are, might not get u. S. Citizenship. The administration is saying they still can get citizenship, but that could take multiple steps now to do it. Why the change . What possible National Interest could be involved to make military families go through additional steps to do this . Outsettioned at the there is no transparency, no Public Comment. Everything is done immediately without letting the Public Comment. Can you imagine of they said, we want Public Comment on whether we should make it harder for military families . The public would have been outraged. If the public knew they were considering not having not allowing families with children with sick kids tuesday, people would have been outraged. I think that is part of why they dont ever have Public Comment. They are virtually banning asylum. Comment, get. Amy what exactly are they proposing . They now have two asylum ban s. We got the first one and joioin. U. S. Supupreme court refused to allow them to put it into effect. Were Going Forward and that when based on the merits. They come back with the second asylum ban, which is on the table right now. That would ban anyone transit it through a third countryry. The adadministration is saying, wewell, justst apply o one of te other countries. Administration knows full