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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 24 october 2022
Alaska asylum seekers are Indigenous Siberians from Russia

By MARK THIESSEN told The Associated Press
Associated Press last week.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) The two men spent the
— Two Russian Indigenous night in the jailhouse, but
Siberians were so scared townspeople in Gambell
of having to fight the war brought them food, both
in Ukraine, they chanced Alaska Native dishes and
everything to take a small items bought at a grocery
boat across the treacher- store.
ous Bering Sea to reach “They were pretty full; they
American soil, Alaska’s se- ate a lot,” Boolowon said.
nior U.S. senator said after “The next day, a Coast
talking with the two. Guard C-130 with some of-
The two, identified as males ficials came and picked
by a resident, landed ear- them up,” he said, adding
lier this month near Gam- that was the last he heard
bell, on Alaska’s St. Law- about the Russians.
rence Island in the Bering Since then, officials have
Strait, where they asked for been tight-lipped.
asylum. “The individuals were trans-
“They feared for their lives ported to Anchorage for
because of Russia, who is inspection, which includes
targeting minority popula- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican seeking re-election, answers a question during a candidate a screening and vetting
tions, for conscription into forum, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska. She faces Republican Kelly Tshibaka and process, and then subse-
service in Ukraine,” Republi- Democrat Pat Chesbro in the Nov. 8, 2022, election. quently processed in ac-
can U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski Associated Press cordance with applicable
said Saturday during a can- U.S. immigration laws un-
didate forum at the Alaska the other on the Arctic, so olowon, is believed to be brought in to translate. Both der the Immigration and
Federation of Natives con- we have to be eyes wide the last living Alaska Na- women married local men Nationality Act,” was all a
ference in Anchorage. open on the Arctic.” tional Guard member who and became naturalized Department of Homeland
“It is very clear to me that Murkowski said she met with helped rescue 11 U.S. Navy U.S. citizens, said Boolowon, Security spokesman said
these individuals were in the two Siberians recently men who were in a plane who is Siberian Yupik. in an email this past week
fear, so much in fear of their but didn’t provide more that was shot down by Russians landing in Gambell when asked for an update
own government that they details about exactly when Russian MIGs over the Ber- during the Cold War was on the asylum process and
risked their lives and took or where the meeting took ing Sea in 1955. The plane commonplace, but the if and where the men were
a 15-foot skiff across those place or where their asylum crash-landed on St. Law- visits were not nefarious, being held.
open waters,” Murkowski process stood. She was not rence Island. Boolowon said. Since St. Margaret Stock, an immi-
said when answering a available after the forum Gambell, an Alaska Native Lawrence Island is so close gration attorney in Anchor-
question about Arctic pol- for follow-up questions. community of about 600 to Russia, people routinely age, said it’s very unlikely
icy. Murkowski’s office on Oct. people, is about 36 miles traveled back and forth to information about the Rus-
“It is clear that (Russian 6 announced their request (58 kilometers) from Russia’s visit relatives. sians will ever be released.
President Vladimir) Putin is for asylum, saying the men Chukotka Peninsula in Sibe- But these two men seeking “The U.S. government is
focused on a military con- reportedly fled one of the ria. asylum were unknown to supposed to keep all of
quest at the expense of his coastal communities on Even though one of the the people of Gambell. this confidential, so I don’t
own people,” Murkowski Russia’s east coast. Russians spoke English pret- “They were foreigners and know why they would be
said. “He’s got one hand A village elder in Gam- ty well, two Russian-born didn’t have any passports, telling anybody anything,”
on Ukraine and he’s got bell, 87-year-old Bruce Bo- women from Gambell were so they put them in jail,” he she told the AP.q

Judge rules for California baker over

same-sex wedding cake

ding cakes for a same-sex Friday that Miller acted fair housing department
couple because it violated lawfully while upholding was aware of the ruling but
her Christian beliefs. her beliefs about what the had not determined what
The state Department of Bible teaches regarding to do next. The couple, Ei-
Fair Housing and Employ- marriage. leen and Mireya Rodriguez-
ment had sued Tastries The decision was wel- Del Rio, said they expect
Bakery in Bakersfield, ar- comed as a First Amend- an appeal.
guing owner Cathy Miller ment victory by Miller and “Of course we’re disap-
intentionally discriminated her pro-bono attorneys with pointed, but not surprised,”
against the couple in vio- the conservative Thomas Eileen told the newspaper.
lation of California’s Unruh More Society. “We anticipate that our
Civil Rights Act. “I’m hoping that in our appeal will have a different
Miller’s attorneys argued community we can grow result.”
her right to free speech together,” Miller told the An earlier decision in Kern
The wall on the Israeli border with Lebanon, is seen at right, with and free expression of re- Bakersfield Californian af- County Superior Court also
the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, in Ras Hanikra, Israel, on ligion trumped the argu- ter the ruling. “And we went Miller’s way, but it
Oct. 14, 2022. ment that she violated the should understand that we was later vacated by the
Associated Press
anti-discrimination law. shouldn’t push any agenda 5th District Court of Appeal,
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — in favor of a bakery owner Kern County Superior Court against anyone else.” which sent the lawsuit back
A California judge has ruled who refused to make wed- Judge Eric Bradshaw ruled A spokesperson said the to the county.q