Jackson Free Press

Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) sent a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security John Kelly today regarding Daniela Vargas, the 22-year old undocumented immigrant detained in Jackson last week. Thompson's letter asks Sec. Kelly to ensure that his department "exercises available discretion and looks upon her case favorably."

Vargas is Thompson's constituent, and the congressman describes her story to Kelly, saying "Daniela is the kind of young person who, as President Trump put it, should be treated with 'great heart.'"

Thompson asks Kelly to release Vargas from detention while her case proceeds.

"I would also ask that any pending application for immigration benefits, including her DACA renewal, be expeditiously reviewed and favorably considered by your Department," Thompson's letter says. "Young people like Daniela are an important part of communities all over this country, and deserve a chance to pursue their American dream."

National law firms and advocacy groups filed a petition for Vargas' release on Monday, asking the U.S. District Court in Louisiana to stay her pending deportation so that the court can consider whether or not Vargas deserves a hearing before an immigration judge--or to be released from ICE's custody altogether.

Vargas is currently held in the LaSalle Immigration Detention Facility in Louisiana.

Read Congressman Thompson's letter here.

Gov. Phil Bryant called out Congress today, saying that the American Health Care Act resembles Obamacare too closely.

In a Facebook post, Bryant cited the Heritage Foundation's concerns on the new American Health Care Act, which support his stance that the new plan is "Obamacare Lite." (The Heritage Foundation gave Gov. Bryant an award last year for passing House Bill 1523, which was blocked in court before it went into affect.) Bryant's post says he will be working with Mississippi's congressmen in the coming days to ensure that Republicans "end Obamacare once and for all."

"Republican voters who gave majorities to both chambers and delivered the White House do not want Obamacare Lite," Bryant's Facebook post says. "I know it takes tremendous courage to turn back an entitlement once it is in place. But with $20 trillion in national debt, we best start making some tough decisions."

Read his full statement here.

In the championship game of this year’s SEC Women’s Tournament, the University of South Carolina bested Mississippi State University 59-49. The Gamecocks earned the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Women’s Tournament, but the Bulldogs will get an at-large bid.

This week is when the SEC, Conference USA and SWAC men’s tournaments will happen. The women’s tournaments this week are in C-USA and SWAC.

Starting Tuesday, March 7, is the men’s and women’s SWAC Tournament. A change this year is that the higher seeds will host the lower seeds in the quarterfinals, and only the top eight teams made it. All women’s quarterfinal games in the SWAC Tournament will tip off at 5:30 p.m.

In the SWAC women’s tournament, No. 1 seed Grambling State University hosts No. 8 seed Mississippi Valley State University. If MVSU wins, it will face the winner of No. 4 seed Southern University versus No. 5 seed Alcorn State University, which will be on Friday, March 10, at noon.

Jackson State University didn’t make the women’s tournament after finishing ninth in the league with a 12-16 overall record and 6-12 SWAC record.

Alcorn State enters the tournament with a 9-20 overall record and a 9-9 mark in conference play. At the end of the regular season, MVSU is 10-19 overall and 7-11 in the SWAC. Neither team will make the NCAA Tournament unless they get the automatic bid by winning this tournament.

In the SWAC Men’s Tournament, No. 2 seed Alcorn State hosts No. 8 seed Mississippi Valley State at 6 p.m. The winner of the ASU/MVSU game, which will be on Friday, March 10, at 8:30 p.m., will face the winner of No. 3 seed Southern versus No. 6 seed Jackson State game that tips off at 7:30 p.m.

The Braves enter the tournament with a 16-13 overall record and 13-5 SWAC record. JSU comes into the SWAC Tournament with a 14-17 overall record and a 10-8 conference record. The Delta Devils finished the regular season with a 7-24 overall record and 7-11 SWAC record.

None of the men’s SWAC teams are going to the postseason unless they win this tournament. Alcorn State might have an outside chance at the Men’s Postseason National Invitation Tournament. Fans can hear the SWAC games on the respective universities’ radio stations.

The University of Southern Mississippi is the third seed in the C-USA Women’s Tournament. The team enters the conference tournament with a 21-9 overall record and a 13-5 record in C-USA play.

On Thursday, March 9, No. 3 seed Golden Eagles will face the winner of the No. 6 seed Old Dominion University versus No. 11 seed University of Texas at El Paso game. Fans can stream all the games on Campus Insiders.

Experts say USM isn’t in the NCAA Women’s Tournament. But a strong showing in the C-USA Tournament and having the other bubble team slip up might open the …

The Mississippi House of Representatives voted to add domestic abuse as grounds for divorce this afternoon when Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, brought out an amendment to Senate Bill 2680, which clarifies that abused and neglected children can be placed with their relatives when they are removed from their homes.

Gipson's amendment clarifies that "cruel and inhuman treatment" in the state's grounds for divorce law includes both physical and non-physical abusive conduct as a ground for divorce. The amendment thoroughly defines both types of conduct as well as outlines standards of proof that a spouse would need to make.

The amendment would allow the injured spouse's testimony to meet the burden of proof to divorce their partner. The House passed Senate Bill 2680 with the new amendments unanimously. Now the Senate will have to concur with those amendments or invite conference on the bill to keep it alive.

Last week, lawmakers and citizens alike criticized Rep. Gipson for killing Sen. Sally Doty's, R-Brookhaven, bill to clarify that domestic abuse could be grounds for divorce. Gipson initially said that domestic abuse was already included in the state's divorce grounds that says "habitual cruel and inhuman treatment" is a ground for divorce. Days after killing the bill, Gipson announced on Facebook and Twitter that he was working with the Center for Violence Prevention to come up with the "House plan for this issue." Today, before bringing up the new amendment for a vote, Rep. Gipson introduced representatives from the Center for Violence Prevention to the House.