Dear Reader,
At the risk of stating the obvious, soccer is an intrinsically international sport. The history of soccer in the United States is rooted in the immigrant communities that built this country, and the nation's leagues are stronger because of the global community of players and other personnel who legally obtain work permits for themselves and residency permits for their families.
Because of that, the editors here at Hudson River Blue decided that we will honor the national shutdown that will take place on Friday, January 30. We will not publish any stories tomorrow, or update the Transfer Tracker, or post to social media. This is to protest the violent immigration sweeps taking place in Minneapolis, where more than 3,000 masked federal agents now outnumber the city's 600 police officers by a ratio of 5:1, where residents are abducted and detained in defiance of the Constitution of the United States, and where aggressive and unprofessional policing led to the murders of innocent citizens.
Generally speaking, HRB steers clear of politics. But when soccer and politics intersect, we rely on our core values to guide us. Among those is a belief that diversity, equality, and inclusivity are strengths — just look at the makeup of the Starting XI of any great squad, or the fans at any New York City FC game, and that becomes self-evident. We also believe that the rule of law is essential to a safe, fair, and prosperous society. For these reasons, HRB will honor the nationwide general strike tomorrow.
–Hudson River Blue
