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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 30 September 2017
Nebraska court ends beer sales near South Dakota reservation

By GRANT SCHULTE they were concerned that
Associated Press closing the stores could
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Four lead to an influx of drunken
Nebraska beer stores criti- drivers on Nebraska roads.
cized for selling millions of Authorities have reported
cans each year next to a slight uptick in alcohol-
an American Indian res- related crashes but said it’s
ervation where alcohol is too early to call it a trend
banned will remain closed or to blame the closure of
after the state Supreme the stores.
Court on Friday rejected “Yes, the Whiteclay stores
their appeal. are closed now, but there’s
The court thwarted the still drinking that’s happen-
last-ditch effort to resume ing,” said Rushville Mayor
beer sales in Whiteclay, Chris Heiser, who opposed
Nebraska, a tiny village on the decision to shutter the
the border of South Dako- retailers. “I just can’t be-
ta’s Pine Ridge Indian Res- This Oct. 20, 2016 photo shows a view of Whiteclay, Neb. The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday, lieve that in America these
ervation. The ruling upholds Sept. 29, 2017, rejected a last-ditch effort to resume beer sales in the tiny village next to an Ameri- days, the government
an April decision by state can Indian reservation in South Dakota that is plagued by alcohol problems. can come in and shut
(Francis Gardler /The Journal-Star via AP)
regulators not to renew the you down like that.”John
stores’ licenses amid criti- and pass out on sidewalks. failed to include all “par- main government office Maisch, a former Oklaho-
cism that the area lacks Its residents rely on a coun- ties of record” when they rang unanswered. ma alcohol regulator who
adequate law enforce- ty sheriff’s office 23 miles asked a district court to re- Bob Batt, the Nebraska Li- produced a documentary
ment. (37 kilometers) away for view the Nebraska Liquor quor Control Commission’s on Whiteclay and fought
The Pine Ridge Indian Res- law enforcement. Control Commission’s deci- chairman, said commis- to close the stores, said
ervation is plagued by a “Today’s Nebraska Su- sion. The justices ruled that sioners won’t likely approve he was “elated” with the
litany of alcohol-related preme Court decision they couldn’t review the any new liquor licenses in court’s ruling on Friday but
problems, including high means that the shame of case because the district the area anytime soon. noted that many adults
rates of fetal alcohol syn- Whiteclay is over,” said court didn’t have proper “I’d say the chances of and children will continue
drome, and activists com- Dave Domina, an Omaha jurisdiction. that are zip,” he said. to suffer for decades with
plain that Whiteclay fuels attorney for local residents “Our decision today does Nebraska Attorney Gen- the effects of fetal alcohol
those issues. who protested the liquor li- not address the merits of eral Doug Peterson, whose syndrome. With the stores
The four stores — in a vil- censes. “It also means huge the parties’ respective po- office defended the liquor closed, he said he would
lage with just nine residents rocks have been removed sitions, but rests solely on control commission, said turn his attention to work-
— had sold the equivalent from the road to recovery jurisdictional grounds,” the the ruling “affords an op- ing with local Pine Ridge
of about 3.5 million cans of for many of the Oglala La- court said in its opinion. portunity to write a hope- residents on treatment
beer annually. kota Sioux Nation and the An attorney for the four ful chapter in the story of centers for fetal alcohol
Whiteclay has also served Pine Ridge Reservation.” stores did not immediately Whiteclay.” syndrome and substance
for decades as a remote The court rejected the re- return phone messages Fri- Some residents in rural abuse.“There’s still a lot
hangout for people to tailers’ appeal on a tech- day. A phone call to the Sheridan County, which of work that needs to be
panhandle, loiter, fight nicality, arguing that they Oglala Lakota Nation’s includes Whiteclay, said done,” Maisch said.q

Immigrants line up to renew work permits as program ends

By AMY TAXIN run his own plumbing busi- call it an illegal amnesty
ASTRID GALVAN ness someday. program that is taking jobs
Associated Press For immigrants like Vizueta, from U.S. citizens.When
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The it’s a race against the clock President Donald Trump
line stretches down the as they rush to renew their rescinded the Deferred
block before the sun rises permits ahead of a looming Action for Childhood Arriv-
in Los Angeles, made up Oct. 5 deadline set by the als program this month, he
of immigrants seeking help Trump administration. After gave Congress six months
to renew their work permits that date, no one else can to draft a more lasting
under a program that has renew under a program fix. Democratic leaders
shielded them from depor- that has let nearly 800,000 and Trump said they have
tation but is now nearing its immigrants brought to the reached a deal to protect
end. United States as children the immigrants, but Con-
Ivan Vizueta, a 25-year-old work even though they gress has since turned its
from Long Beach, Califor- lack legal papers.The work focus to overhauling the
nia, brought a folding chair permits have been a lifeline tax code. Democratic con-
and music to pass the time for many young immigrants gressional leaders say they
while waiting to renew In this Sept. 28, 2017 photo, people wait in line at CHIRLA (Coali- who have been educated are waiting on the White
his papers and get a new tion for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles) for help with im- in American schools and House to craft a legislative
two-year permit that lets migration paperwork, including renewing work permits for expir- know no other home than proposal.Meanwhile, im-
ing Obama-era program for immigrants brought to the country
him work for a plumbing as children. After Oct. 5, 2017, no one else can renew under the the United States. The pro- migrant advocates around
company and earn near- program that has let nearly 800,000 immigrants brought to the gram created by President the country have been
ly double the amount he United States as children work in the country even though they Barack Obama in 2012 urging the Trump adminis-
made at his old job. The lack legal papers. also protected these im- tration to extend the Oct. 5
lines have been a regular (AP Photo/Amy Taxin) migrants, many of them in deadline and holding legal
occurrence in recent days, “I have to do this so I have brought to the country their 20s, from being de- clinics and donating mon-
with some people camp- another two years of safe- nearly two decades ago ported to countries they ey to help immigrants cov-
ing out as early as 3 a.m. ty,” said Vizueta, who was from Mexico and hopes to hardly remember. Critics er the $500 renewal fee. q