Black history continues to be made this week with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is poised to become the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO). The 66-year-old development economist is also the first American citizen to hold the organization’s top job in its 25-year history. While Okonjo-Iweala has a history of shaking things up with people in positions of wealth and power, she has pledged to find common ground among the WTO’s disparate membership. In the meantime, here are some stories that take us to other issues in the world.

The Biden suspension on deportations didn’t stop ICE

Mon Feb 8

Nearly 300 people were deported last week, despite a 100-day suspension Biden had ordered upon taking office.

How did this happen?

A Trump-appointed judge essentially rejected Biden’s moratorium, which was intended to give the administration time to review the process and procedures in place for potential deportees. The judge’s decision allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to resume deporting, including children and a witness to the 2019 El Paso massacre. 

Within a matter of hours, Biden’s administration had stepped in.

• Feb 4: Deportations began to Jamaica, Guatemala, and Honduras.
• Feb 5: Biden’s administration halts flights. 
• Feb 8: A number of flights were scheduled, but new guidance from the Department of Homeland Security prioritized only deporting individuals who either recently crossed the border illegally or were considered a threat to public safety/national security. 

Now Biden is attempting to assert more control over ICE. While new guidelines are being structured, agents have been instructed not to deport on the basis of crimes such as driving under the influence or assault. 

In China, your tweets could land you in jail

Sat Jan 30

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If the sound criticizes China, then yes, it does. Over 50 people have been imprisoned for social media posts criticizing the Chinese government, even with follower counts as small as 30.

Their exact crime? “Picking quarrels and provoking trouble” online.

• Most of them posted on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, all of which are blocked in China (which means they weren’t even seen by Chinese residents). 
• Some posted to government-approved websites, such as WeChat, Weibo, and QQ. 
• These arrests were made following toughened enforcement efforts after China noticed a rise in anti-Communist Party discourse on Twitter in recent years. 

Those imprisoned have served sentences ranging from six months to four years. And last month, the Cyberspace Administration of China released new regulations to have more control over what gets shared on social media.

The racist roots of some “environmental” activism

Tue Jan 19

Far-right extremists are embracing green causes… with secret agendas. Behind their activism is eco-fascism, an ideology dating back to the Nazis and rooted in white identity. 

What are eco-fascism beliefs?

Generally, eco-fascism is an oppressive ideology that encourages violence against marginalized people. While it’s not new, it’s being embraced by younger conservatives with racist ideals for what is causing climate change and how to fix it. 

• Some eco-fascist groups tout overpopulation, specifically meaning that ethnic groups should remain distinct, separate, and restricted to their “supposedly” native lands. 
• In fact, the young man accused of killing 22 people in the same El Paso massacre mentioned in our immigration story above included eco-fascist ideas in his manifesto, saying that he intentionally targeted a Walmart frequented by Mexican immigrants, blaming them for accelerated environmental destruction. 

Okay, but why do they need the environment to push a racist agenda?

Beyond the long-standing history merging environmentalism with White nationalism, eco-fascists have found that emphasizing environmental issues makes other points of their ideology more palatable to newcomers. For example, one far-right ecological group in France lured in members through initiatives such as planting trees, switching city light bulbs to LEDs, and even bringing sheep to graze on city fields.

Now, campaign groups are working to spot and block right-wing incursions into the green cause. For example, the German chapter of Nature Friends, an international organization dedicated to appreciating nature, has been running weekly government-financed seminars to educate about far-right infiltration.

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Hey! Saw your tweet the other day. 

Yeah, you and China. Guess I’ve gotta fly now.

ASCII Art Source