Exclusive, one of new yorks best known immigrant rights advocates joins us on what might the his last day as a free man in the United States. We will speak to ravi ragbir of dust just before he heads for a checkin with immigration and Customs Enforcement. He fears he will be detained and deported, even though he is married to a u. S. Citizen and has a u. S. Born daughter. Then to a day without a woman. Is for the indigenous women. Today is for the black women. Today is for the asian women in the latina women. Womens daytional was marked across the world wednesday. Here in the United States, organizers called on women to go on strike for a day. We will air highlights from protests in new york and washington. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Across the world, women and their allies rallied wednesday to Mark International womens day. In the United States, organizers declared a day without a woman, calling for a oneday strike and for boycott of stores. In prince georges county, maryland, the entire schooool district closed down after 1700 teachers asked for the day off. In new york city, thousands rallied outside Trump International hotel and tower. Speakers included Linda Sarsour, a lead organizer of the historic january 21 womens march on washington. I want you to understand that your statement youre making today is part of a long history of women who have led a social justice movement. What makes it to for now . Open sexist,n misogynist, antiwoman president. In may the sarsour was one of 13 activists later arrested as they committed acts of civil disobedience outside trump tower. There were events marking International Womens day worldwide. In bangladesh, garment workers rallied her higher wages and and and the sometimes deadly working conditions. In nigeria, women rallied against sexual abuse and kidnapping. In argentina, thousands rallied in the capital. Today, we women say enough. It is a day when we are saying we are fed up with femicide, which are the most extreme expression of macho violence. We are also saying we have had enough of historical and of qualities that push us to be secondclass citizens. Amy we will have more on nationwide actions on International Womens day, including voices from the streets of a m major march in nw york, after the headlines. In health care news, House Republicans advanced a measure this morning to abolish the tax penalty imposed on americans who do not Purchase Health insurance. The move by the house w ways and Means Committee followed a mamarathonon8hour datate, and came as republicans pressed for passage of what theyre calling the worlds greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017, which would repeal and replace the Affordable Care act. On wednesday, a Broad Coalition of nurses, doctors, and hospitals rejected the republican bill, saying in a letter to congress the legislation would add to the ranknks of the uninsured. The mounting opposition came as Republican HouseSpeaker Paul Ryan vowed passage, calling the repeal of obamacare an act of mercy. That statement drew a sharp response wednesday from massachusetts dedemocratic congressman joe kennedy iii. There is no mercy in a systsm that makes health care luxury. Therere is no mercycy in a couny that turns their back on the most need of protection elderly, p poor, sick, andnd suffering. It was no mercy in the Cold Shoulder to o the mentally i ilr the policy tha takakes the swea, tears, sacrifice of working americans shehed every day so ty might care for their families basic needs food, shelter, help for tomorrow. There i is no mercy that 2. 6 million peopople will losese our jobs the chair recognizes the gentlelady amy the legislation also faces opposition from some conservative republicans who blasted it as obamacare lite. Republican senator ted cruz of texas predicted wednesday the bill lacked the support needed to pass the senate. Politico is reporting Donald Trumps president ial campaign sent a former Foreign Policy adviser toto russia on the condition that he would not be an official representative for trump. The trip by carter page last july came just days before wikileaks began publishing thousands of emails taken from the servers of the Democratic National committee a theft democrats and many intelligence officials allege was carried out by russia. Meanwhile, the white house blasted newly resurfaced reports that donald trump personally met Russian AmbassadorSergei Kislyak last april as disingenuous and absurd. The wall street journal report from april 26 noted that trump met the ambassador at a vip reception ahead of a major Foreign Policy speech by trump. A photograph by getty images shows the ambassador approaching his seat near the front of the invitationonly reception. The resurfaced report contradicts trumps claim at a News Conference last month he hasnt spoken to anyone from russia other than a pair of postelection calls from president vladimir putin. In washington, d. C. The top , democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said wednesday he wants to interview the former british spy who authored a dossier alleging damning ties between donald trump and russias government. California congressman adam schiff of california says hell seek testimony from christopher steele, whose 35page memo alleges the compromising information could be used by russia to blackmail the president. Most of steeles claims have not been verified. Steele reemerged from hiding and returned to work earlier this week. Congressman schiff also said this week his committee would accept Donald Trumps call for a congressional investigation into the president s unsubstantiated claims that president Obama Wiretapped trump tower ahead of novembers election. We accept we will investigate this. The president has said that this is a scandal that dwarfs watergate, that his predecessor engaged in illegal wiretap of his campaign. That is one potential scandal. The alternative is a different kind of a scandal. And that is a scandal of a sitting u. S. President allllegig ththat his predecessor in gauged in the most engaged in the most unlawful conduct. That is also a scandal, if those allegations prove to be false. Amy at ththe white house, press Secretary Sean Spicer gave conflicting responses wednesday to questions about whether donald trump might have been wiretapped because he was under investigation. This was spicers initial response. Is the president the target of a counterintelligence investigation . I think that is what we need to find out. Amy but later in wednesdays News Conference, an aide passed sean spicer a note. That prompted this statement from the press secretary. There is no reason that we have to think the presidedent is the target of any investigation whatsoever. Amy the white house signaled wednesday that former utah republican governor jon huntsman has accepted President Trumps nomination to serve as u. S. Ambassador to russia. Huntsman is a former mormon missionary to taiwan who served as president obamas ambassador to china before he left that post to run unsuccessfully for the republican president ial nomination in 2012. President trumps newly y revisd ban on refugees and travelers from six majoritymuslim countries is facacing its first legal challenge. A federal judge in hawaii will hear a case brought by the states attorney general. It charges trumps travel ban violates religious freedoms protected by the hawaiian and u. S. Constitutions. The suit also claims the ban would hurt hawaiis economy and that it would tear apart families. The ban is set to go into effect on march 16. It prohibits travel for 90 days for residents of iran, libya, somalia, sudan, syria, and yemen. It also bans all refugees from resettling in the u. U. S. For at least four months. Meanwhile, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees is warning President Trumps travel ban will compound the misery of migrants fleeing war, poverty and persecution. , this is u. N. Spokesperson farhan h haq. Underscore refugees are ordinary people forced to flee war, violence, persecution in a home countries and in urgent need of lifesaving protection. The wood high commissioner for refugees said it rights protection for people fleeing dedeadly violence and weere concerned this decision, though temporary, may compound the anguish for those it affects. Amy in syria, the Trump Administration has deployed several hundred u. S. Marines armed with heavy artillery in advance of a planned fight against isis in the city of raqqa. The pentagon said a further 1000 troops were deploying to kuwait and could be b brought into thte battle if needed. The buildup came as the group save the children reporteded syrias nearly sixyeaearoldd civil war has exposed d children to toxic stress thats leading to selfharm, aggression and suicide. Researchers found that twothirds of syrias children have lost a family member, had their houses bombed, or suffered injuries from fighting. More than 70 of those surveyed said syrian children suffer from bedwetting and involuntary urination symptoms of toxic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder. In somalia, the United Nations is warning a worsenining drought risks plunging millions of somalis into famine. U. N. Secretarygeral antononio gutteres made the warning during a visit to mogadishu. We have 6. 2 Million People in need of humanitarian assistance in somalia. That is a must of the somalia population. We have 333,000 c children whwhe malnourished and the r risk is o go upp to one million if there s not enough support to avavoid i. Amy gutteres is appealing for more than 800 millionon in emergencncy aid for somamalia. Israels parliament on n wednesy advanced legislation that would silence the muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers in residential areas and prohibit Early Morning calls across israel and occupied east jerusalem. Rightwing israeli lawmakers claim the call to prayer is noise pollution. Many arab lawmakers tore up copies of the bill and were ejected from the floor of the parliament. This is israeli parliamentarian ahmad titibi. Here in this house, we never interfered with any religious ceremony relating to you, to judaism. Your act as a racist hazard. You interfere with the most sensitive issue for muslims and hurt the related religion of islam. Amy in guatemala, at least 21 people are dead after a fire ripped through a governmentrun shelter for abused teens. At least 40 other girls suffered burns in wednesdays blaze, which began when residents set mattresses on fire to protest overcrowding and dismal conditions at the facility, which held over 500 teens in a center designed to house 400. In brazil, police have released a harrowing video showing six men assaulting a transgender woman who was found murdered last month, as police attempt to track down her killers. The cellhohone footage shows the meshouting homomophoc c sluras th k kick and d beat 42yearard dandarara s s santos, before ththrowing her into o a wheelbao and carting her onto the side street where she was f found sht to dea. Dos santntos was one o of at let five transnsgender brazilians murdered last month. Worlrldwide crime statitistics w that on n average one trtransger , persoois murdered every three days. And in north carolina, a District Attorney will not bring criminal charges against a Wake County Police officer who was caught on video picking up a High School Student and slamming her onto a concrete floor. 15yearold jasmine darwin, who is africanamerican, suffered a head injury after the assault by School Resources officer ruben de los santos. The officer announced last week he is resigning from the policie force. And a clarification from the headlines, when proposed bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care act is named the worlds greatest Health Care Plan of 2017. A separate measure is supported by House Speaker paul ryan and most republicans. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We begin todays show with the democracy now exclusive. One of the world most wellknown immigrants rights advocate joins us on what might be his last day as a freeman in the United States. Ravi ragbir, executive director of the new Sanctuary Coalition of new york city. This morning, right after our broadcast, he heads for a check in with immigrations and Customs Enforcement in new york city. He plans to go to the meeting, even though he may not be released. The usually predictable process of checkingin with immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of a regular supervision process has become a source of anxiety for many immigrants since President Trump ordered changes to enforcement in january. In just one example, last week in phoenix, arizona, a singlefather of three u. S. Born children had plans to celebrate his sons 17th birthday after a checkin meeting that he thought was to discuss his request for asylum. An hour later, juan carlos fomperosa garcias daughter says officials brought me a bag with his stuff and that was it. Her father was deported the next day. Meanwhile, otherer immigrants he gone to their checkins and were released, as expected. No matter what happens this mornrning at r ravi ragbirs checkin, he will not go alone. As part of his work, has conducted trainings on how to accompany people to their checkins in order to show support and document what unfolds. He himself will be joined by faith leaders and elected officials, including several City Council Members and state senator gustavo rivera. Just last month, ravi was recognized in albany with the immigrant Excellence Award by the new York State Association of black and puerto rican legislators, given to those who show deep commitment to the enhancement of their community. The indypendent newspaper recently featured him in a cover story called walk with me, and a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation film crew is following him this morning. Ravi legally immigrated to the United States from Trinidad And Tobago more than 25 years ago, but a 2001 wire fraud conviction made his green card subject to review. Even though he is married to a u. S. Citizen and has a u. S. Born daughter, the government refuses to normalize h his status. Instead, immigration and Customs Enforcement has exercised prosececutorial l discretion to grant him a stay of deportation. His current stay lasts until 2018. But his 15yearrold criminal record makes him an easy target for reremoval. Last night, his supporters and legal team met for one last time the fourth this mornings checkin. This is rhiya trivededi, a third year law student at nyu school of law who is helping represent ravi through the schools immigrant rights clinic. You can see that for many, many years, the ice office has rerecognized the outstanding contribution he has made to the community as a leader, as someone in the Faith Community and immigrant rights community. He is a very important person to a lot of people. They have recognize that and we expect they will continue to do that. So we prepare for the worst and expect the best. Amy well, this morning, ravi ragbir joins us in our studio before he heads to his checkin. Also joining us is his wife, amy gottlieb, a longtime immigrant rights lawyer with the American Friends Service committee. We welcome you both to democracy now i know this is a really tough time for you right now. Ravi, talk about what you will do after you leave democracy now well, i will add to the office. Subway. Amy youre going underground. [laughter] that is true. Would say,ome people why dont i go underground now go that is not an option here. Im not going to do that. Im going to immigration and Customs Enforcement. I am going to basically turn expectin an hope and they will allow me to come back out. You mention the state of it expires in 2018. They gave me the stay, but as you have said, there are many instances that people have not have been taken away and end of deporter. Amy when you say youre turning yourself in, youre going for a checkin, which can be very routine for immigrants. It is a routine c checkin. It is like parole for an analogy. You go in to meet your deportation officer. He will make sure all of the information is correct. Normally, we would walk out. But not in this instanc