Gamers' Plane development future

For those of you who follow US political news, you may have heard today that President Trump ended an immigration policy known as DACA. Unfortunately, I was one of the recipients of the benefits conferred by the program, and it's end has potential impact on Gamers' Plane. That's mostly the point of this post, though if people would like to discuss the program (civilly), we can start up a thread elsewhere.

Through DACA, I was able to receive a work permit and deferred deportation. With the program over, for now, my work permit continues to be effective till it's expiry (a bit under a year and a half) but my deferred deportation is over. This doesn't mean I'm being immediately deported; in fact, I don't really know what it means. I have a meeting with my lawyer next week, I hope, but that'll mostly be to figure things out right now.

So over all, what does it mean for this site? I'm not sure there either. As long as I can afford to pay for the servers, the site will stay up, even if no more development happens. As for development, that will be a day to day thing. I don't really have a easy time managing my depression now, and back when I couldn't work/drive/etc (pre-DACA days), my depression flared to insane levels (plenty of days I literally got nothing productive done). With the program over, it's back to me getting gray hairs (if you've met me, you may have noticed, I'm surprisingly gray for a 31-year-old), and stress also demotivates me to program.

As I've said so many times, I'll continue working on this site as long as possible. Coding is an escape for me, something I really love doing, and working on GP is a neat project I get enjoyment from, which I unfortunately don't get from my day job. It feels like I make a lot of excuses for why this site isn't booming; I know I haven't put as much into it over the last few months as I could have. I'll continue doing what I can, and I hope you'll all bare with me through this.

Good luck with all that. From an outsider's perspective the land of hopes and dreams doesn't seems to like dreamers too much.

That's rough, Keleth. I know your circumstances are somewhat unique and I hope that you find a way forward that gives you stability and happiness.

I hope things work out for you, Keleth.

I'm confident that things will work out for you, Keleth. You have all the moral support you could ever need right here! Don't forget about your GP family when you are having issues :)

+1

Sorry to hear that. I know it will all work out for you. If need be, I'd be willing to help cover some of the costs of the site if it'll help. Maybe a Patreon or something of the likes would work. We are here for you through dark and light times man!

With the current donations, GP servers are currently paid for monthly, so it's no concern at the moment.

That's awful news. My sincerest sympathies for the mess Trump created by scrapping DACA.

To be fair, Obama was way outside of his constitutional rights in creating it in the first place. And at least he gave some time for congress to create a lawful replacement for it

Yes. So far outside his constitutional rights was Obama that DACA has been around since 2014, even though it's been challenged by numerous states, sent to the Supreme Court whom is tasked with upholding constitutional law, which rejected those challenges.

If the creation of DACA had been outside of Obama's constitutional rights, it would have been overturned by the courts. Executive orders are not royal fiat, as Trump discovered when his two attempts to ban Muslims from the country were declared unconstitutional.

1. The Supreme Court was split 4 to 4 on the issue due to only have eight justices at the time.

2. It's been around since 2012, not 2014

3. Supreme Court is pretty terrible at following the constitution, as it is

It was split on party lines, and I read the opinions, as well as numerous commentary from legal specialists. Obama was, at best, slightly over the line, but the general consensus is he was within his rights. He created no new laws; as the leader of the executive branch and DHS, he ordered that recipients of DACA be granted prosecutorial discretion, something commonly used in immigration law, without the need to appear in court (with the notion that submitting all the paperwork, background checks, etc, were sufficient grounds). I have yet to find an opinion opposing DACA that wasn't mostly "President's cant create laws".

About the DACA.
6 month ago, about the Muslim ban.
Apparently, the legislative branch is important as long as they block something made by someone other than trump
Sorry to disappoint you, here's the president's argument.
Hateful Xenophobic rhetoric.

This is sad news. Thanks for keeping GP alive Keleth, wish you all the best going forward.

Heh, I meant opinion as in legal opinion; I wouldn't trust Trump to know a jaywalking law :p His statement is filled with so many errors, it might as well be fanfiction. DACA wasn't amnesty, it wasn't a first resort, it didn't create a surge, MS-13 didn't increase in activity in the US (it's a South American gang that became a talking point when a reporter used a picture from South America and cropped it to pretend it was happening in the US).

Anyway, when I get to my laptop, I'll move these posts to a separate thread, leave discussion here for the OP.

Looks like someone is fighting back though. I guess we can hope it gets stopped in court like his other ventures: BREAKING: New York Attorney General to announce filing of multi-state lawsuit to protect #DACA recipients

Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone who's here (and obeys the law) to be deported, but congress needs to get off of their collective ass and create an actual law covering this situation instead of relying on an executive order. This may be the push they need to actually get something done other than collect our hard-earned tax dollars :P

I agree; congress should have handled this. The Dream Act or a (IMO) reasonable alternative was brought to Congress at least 4 times, twice barely failing (both times due to promised votes that ended up going no), once dying to filibuster, another by never being allowed to the floor, even though it had strong support. The EO was only necessary in the same way that if you're in an accident, you don't refuse a bandage because a surgeon isn't stitching you up right there. And if a surgeon keeps refusing to help you, you're not about to tear off the bandage just because it's a temporary solution.

I always wonder about these suits; what grounds have they found? Again, not a lawyer, but my tie in the immigration circuits have taught me a bit, and it feels frivolous to me, which would just be a waste of state and federal money. I was at the Foley Square rally in NYC yesterday, and while I appreciated the (not pointed at me) support, it also felt like rhetoric.

I have a feeling that this is one of those situations that's going to be judged (in the future) on the result, not the intention. If it causes congress to work to get something implemented, it will be seen as a risky choice that paid off. If not, it'll be seen as a heartless act that was meant to punish innocent people.

I suspect it'll be both. The Trump presidency will be a time of reflection, to be learned from, and things like the possible passing of the Dream Act, of political awakening, etc, will be the shining lights in the darkness.

Really sorry to hear it, Keleth. I heard that the Dreamers Program had been ended, but didn't connect that it might affect you. Is there any way that you could make a living off of Gamer's Plane...?
As for the politics of DANA, I've heard that it's pretty unconstitutional and (knowing Obama [no offense to anyone]) it doesn't surprise me. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have the greatest sympathy for you Keleth and I hope you're able to stay States-side, not only for GP's sake, but even more so as one American to another. As I've said before in such discussions, I've seen our immigration program from the other side and it's an absolute mess, and Trump cutting the livelihood out from hundreds of immigrants (even illegal ones) isn't really going to fix anything. Our beast of an immigration system needs a complete overhaul, in my opinion. Keep us posted!

As an aside, it looks like Canada may be willing to take on some of the people impacted by the removal of DACA. Perhaps you could look into that as an option?

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, Keleth. I have little faith in Congress these days, but here's hoping they can make this right.

What is it, exactly, that you know about Obama that convinces you that DACA is unconstitutional?

How can I donate too Keleth?

My deepest sympathies, Keleth. What you do through this site is pure magic. From everyone who loves to play with more description, to those of us who just don't have a group and want a sense of community, we all have your back. I pray the best for you, my friend, and you will always have my support.

Just on the subject of the OP, we can all support the site in whatever we can. Keleth doesn't shout about this nearly enough, so I will.

On the bottom right of this very page is a PayPal link along with affiliate links that will give additional funds if you buy anything through those stores. Throw a few bucks GP's way if you can and keep this site alive and growing!

Hit that Orange "Support Us" Button. Sometimes we see it so often, it blends into the background.

I'll be having a phone call with her on Thursday, but my lawyer has brought up that with DACA being revoked, my deportation proceedings that were granted prosecutorial discretion could again be brought back up. And now I'm morally torn between wanting any bill passed to give me a chance, the right bill being passed for the common good even if it means I may not get it, and a bill being passed with something wrong for the nation attached (the wall, more military funding, stupid tax "reform" ideas).

I hope things turn out well for you, Keleth. I'm fairly certain this administration will be a stain on our history in the future due to its blatant corruption, shocking incompetence and racist rhetoric and actions. But knowing this doesn't make living through it any easier -- especially when you're on the receiving end of it.

I am somewhat heartened that it appears some form of Dream Act is broadly supported in Congress. But I also know that since Hastert, comprimise and working across the aisle has not been considered the act of a statesman (or stateswoman). So, I am personally skeptical that six months from now we'll have a better story. Fingers crossed, however.

I'm sorry to hear that you're being negatively impacted. I am not one hundred percent positive that everything will just work out in the end, but I certainly hope it does.

Had a call with my immigration lawyer today, and I can breathe slightly easier as I'm not as screwed as I previously thought. She definitely dropped a ball by not telling me or my brother about the use of Advanced Parole to possibly have already gotten status, but we'll leave that be. I'm used to limited advocacy.

Yes, I'm eligible for deportation hearings again, but that depends on both the prosecutor's office deciding that DACA being rescinded is enough grounds to revoke prosecutorial discretion and the judge deciding that the case is worth hearing right now. It's not a safe space to be in, but it means nothing immediately bad will happen. And since the PD was applied to my family's asylum case, we can continue to get work permits through that until it's ruled on.

So next steps:
1) Beef up the asylum case. Things have changed over the last 5 years, and there's probably more we can add to it.
2) Look for work with a big company, one that has pledged support for Dreamers, and if possible, multi-national. Should all else fail, there may be ways to work for one of those companies for a year or two abroad and then return to the US.

Thanks for everyone's support; I wanted to make sure you were informed.

Good news!

Wonderful news! I can't imagine how hard this has been for you.

Great News! Stay strong Keleth we are all rooting and praying for you.

Good news :)

To be clear, it's not solutions, just options in the dark. I'm also going to have to find people who work at big tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc and see what I'm lacking to make it into one of those.

I'd personally look for a post on Amazon. Facebook and Google have made their political positions very clear, and they're on the regressive end of the spectrum...

Well, all 3 have said they're openly supporting Dreamers and specially their Dreamer employees, as have a number of other tech giants. But more importantly, all these companies have positions around the world, which should the deportation proceedings go through, would be a boon.

Hermano, I hope recent news supports progress! My mother's side of my family (and me, ; ) ) is Guatemalan.

If you're interested in reading it, I was just featured in an article on Vice on the immigration situation and how it affects gamers.

Link comes back to GP Keleth

Fixed.

Thanks, fascinating reading.

Hi Keleth.

I am a complete new member of the forum and I have to say that I love it already. Very sleek and unique and with everything that I require from a play by post site. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help keep the site running, and I hope you will find a solution to your trouble in the States.

Kind Regards,
ChingoChaplo

Wow. Thanks for creating this, and carrying on even in the uncertainty.

Hey not sure if this was said anywhere on the site but for the new site(hoping that is still in the works, even with all that is happening in yoyr life Keleth) what if we had colored boarders that go around character portraits to indicate conditions.

First, yes, still under development. Second, interesting idea. Might be a bit complex to put together immediately, but it does spur some ideas.

I like that idea a lot. I could definitely see some use cases for that in my games

Maybe have it some thing like Roll20, where the GM or player clicks the portrait and option to add/remove a condition as well as heal/damage the charater.

Our player stats integrated would be sweet...but I would imagine that to be somewhat complex