The deportation program that was intended to target 'serious convicted criminals' is also sweeping up people with minor offenses or who were never convicted. A state bill aims to let counties opt out.
By Lee Romney
The Los Angeles Times
August 28, 2011
More than 200 people crammed into a meeting room Saturday in this city's heavily Latino Fruitvale District to condemn Secure Communities, the federal deportation program that was billed as targeting "serious convicted criminals" but has ensnared many who committed minor offenses or were never convicted of the crimes on which they were arrested.
Joined by a handful of Bay Area elected leaders, the largely Spanish-speaking crowd called on Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris to take a stance against the program. Forum leaders also sought support for a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) that would attempt to make Secure Communities optional for California counties, limit its scope to convicted felons and offer protections to crime victims.
"We're here to say we'll work with you until this program changes," Ammiano's district director, Kimberly Alvarenga, told the cheering crowd.
Weeping, a 29-year-old San Francisco woman spoke of her husband's April arrest after a dust-up at an Oakland event prompted security guards to turn him over to police. Although the painter from Mexico City was never charged, he is now in deportation proceedings, his wife told the crowd, using the alias "Ivone."
"The kids are crying inconsolably and don't know what to do," she said of their daughters, age 4 and 7.
The event comes as controversy plagues Secure Communities nationwide. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show that 55% of those targeted for deportation under the program committed minor offenses or, like Ivone's husband, were arrested but never charged or convicted.
Under Secure Communities — created to focus limited federal resources on immigrants who posed threats — fingerprints forwarded by local jails to the FBI for criminal checks are shared with ICE. Opponents say the program has eroded immigrant communities' trust in police.
Furthermore, while local governments were told when the program was launched in 2008 that participation would be optional, ICE gradually altered its message and now says it never was. Illinois, New York and Massachusetts have said they want out. But on Aug. 5, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton announced that the agency had voided signed agreements with the states that had appeared to give them a say in participation.
The federal stance raises questions about whether Ammiano's bill would have impact if it became law. But backers of the bill say they are looking for legal avenues that could give counties control over the program. San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, for example, has declined to hold certain low-level offenders for ICE.
Opponents also are reviewing the legality of ICE's voiding of the state agreements, and whether ICE is entitled to use local fingerprint data without permission.
Federal officials have offered recent concessions. Immigration prosecutors now have more discretion over whom they push to deport. And the Obama administration, which supports Secure Communities, announced this month that it will review all 300,000 people facing deportation to prioritize serious criminals over students and families.
Brown signed California's agreement with ICE in 2009 when he was attorney general but has since been silent on the program. "Our stance … is that, as a result of the federal government's policy, we do not have the option to opt out of it," Brown spokeswoman Elizabeth Ashford said in an email Saturday.
Harris expressed concerns that the program has "strayed far beyond" the goal of getting "serious criminals off the streets," saying in a statement that it is "critical to public safety that victims and witnesses of crime can step forward and report crime without fear of reprisal."
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
Showing posts with label Protests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protests. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
One of the nation’s largest immigrant detention facilities may be built in Southwest Ranches
By Roshan Nebhrajani
The Miami Herald
Posted on Fri, Jul. 22, 2011
A 24-acre stretch of land in Southwest Ranches, just off of U.S. 27 bordering Pembroke Pines, may be the future home to one of the nation’s largest immigrant detention facilities.
The proposed center will have 1,800 beds, far surpassing the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, which has capacity for 700, according to the Immigration Customs Enforcement.
“The new facility’s size is consistent with the existing demand for beds in the Miami area,” said ICE public affairs officer Dani Bennett.
South Florida is home to two of the state’s five facilities: the Krome Service Processing Center and the Broward Transitional Center.
The transitional center “houses only non-violent populations with less serious or no criminal history,” according to Bennett.
Krome is divided into three pods for detainees with serious or criminal backgrounds and six dormitories for non-violent detainees.
Krome has 581 beds and normally operates at or near maximum capacity, according to ICE spokesman Nestor Yglesias.
The new facility is going to be built to meet a demand for 1,500 to 2,000 beds in the South Florida area. It will reduce transfers and enable detainees to have better access to legal services in their area, Bennett said.
But immigrant activists have rallied against the new detention facility.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition conducted a phone survey polling the citizens of Southwest Ranches of their opinions of the new facility. The coalition asked: “Do you want a prison in Southwest Ranches?”
Of the 229 residents that responded, 203 — 89 percent — selected no, according to Natalia Jaramillo.
Additionally, “growers are worried about it because it would create an exodus of farm workers,” Jaramillo said.
Community organizer and immigrant rights activist Diego Sanchez thinks the new center will increase immigrant raids. “We’ve seen a lot of those already and it’s only going to get worse,” Sanchez said.
Southwest Ranches was selected over Florida City and Belle Glade, which also applied for the center.
“It would have been a heck of a boost for the economy. It would have created jobs during construction as well as permanent jobs,” said Otis Wallace, Florida City mayor. “But ICE is currently negotiating with Southwest Ranches, and what that means is that all other negotiations are off.”
The Corrections Corporation of America, a private corrections management company, purchased the land in Southwest Ranches in 1998, and has since been marketing the land to officials in Southwest Ranches and government agencies for possible development, according to CCA spokesman Steve Owen.
Although the deal between ICE and Southwest Ranches is, for now, tentative, once Corrections Corporation of America gets the green light to build, they can get the center built “pretty quickly,” according to Owen.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/22/v-print/2326928/one-of-the-nations-largest-immigrant.html#ixzz1T1ax2Mns
The Miami Herald
Posted on Fri, Jul. 22, 2011
A 24-acre stretch of land in Southwest Ranches, just off of U.S. 27 bordering Pembroke Pines, may be the future home to one of the nation’s largest immigrant detention facilities.
The proposed center will have 1,800 beds, far surpassing the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, which has capacity for 700, according to the Immigration Customs Enforcement.
“The new facility’s size is consistent with the existing demand for beds in the Miami area,” said ICE public affairs officer Dani Bennett.
South Florida is home to two of the state’s five facilities: the Krome Service Processing Center and the Broward Transitional Center.
The transitional center “houses only non-violent populations with less serious or no criminal history,” according to Bennett.
Krome is divided into three pods for detainees with serious or criminal backgrounds and six dormitories for non-violent detainees.
Krome has 581 beds and normally operates at or near maximum capacity, according to ICE spokesman Nestor Yglesias.
The new facility is going to be built to meet a demand for 1,500 to 2,000 beds in the South Florida area. It will reduce transfers and enable detainees to have better access to legal services in their area, Bennett said.
But immigrant activists have rallied against the new detention facility.
The Florida Immigrant Coalition conducted a phone survey polling the citizens of Southwest Ranches of their opinions of the new facility. The coalition asked: “Do you want a prison in Southwest Ranches?”
Of the 229 residents that responded, 203 — 89 percent — selected no, according to Natalia Jaramillo.
Additionally, “growers are worried about it because it would create an exodus of farm workers,” Jaramillo said.
Community organizer and immigrant rights activist Diego Sanchez thinks the new center will increase immigrant raids. “We’ve seen a lot of those already and it’s only going to get worse,” Sanchez said.
Southwest Ranches was selected over Florida City and Belle Glade, which also applied for the center.
“It would have been a heck of a boost for the economy. It would have created jobs during construction as well as permanent jobs,” said Otis Wallace, Florida City mayor. “But ICE is currently negotiating with Southwest Ranches, and what that means is that all other negotiations are off.”
The Corrections Corporation of America, a private corrections management company, purchased the land in Southwest Ranches in 1998, and has since been marketing the land to officials in Southwest Ranches and government agencies for possible development, according to CCA spokesman Steve Owen.
Although the deal between ICE and Southwest Ranches is, for now, tentative, once Corrections Corporation of America gets the green light to build, they can get the center built “pretty quickly,” according to Owen.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/22/v-print/2326928/one-of-the-nations-largest-immigrant.html#ixzz1T1ax2Mns
Friday, July 22, 2011
Unions object to 'silent' immigration raids
By Paul T. Rosynsky
Oakland Tribune
07/20/2011
OAKLAND -- Bay Area labor unions demanded Wednesday that the Obama administration stop its increased practice of auditing business payrolls to check for illegal immigrant workers.
Using Berkeley-based Pacific Steel and Casting as an example, leaders from several unions said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is wreaking havoc with immigrant families and local economies by demanding that employers provide it information about its employees.
Known as I-9 audits, investigators check the legal status of employees through the Social Security numbers and green card information the employees supplied to the business when hired. In many cases of illegal immigrants, that documentation is forged and the I-9 audits can determine who at a workplace is living and working in the country illegally.
ICE drastically increased its use of I-9 audits in 2009 when 1,444 businesses were audited, almost tripling the number audited in 2008, The New York Times reported this week. In 2010, the government audited 2,196 businesses.
Although the audits, in many cases, do not lead to the deportation of a worker, they do force an employer to fire the worker, harming the company, the worker and the economy, labor leaders said.
"These are silent raids," said Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who also is the vice president of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics, and Allied Workers International Union. "We know that this country was built by immigrants. These workers should have some rights."
Even employers are not pleased with the audits; many have said they disrupt production and, in some cases, force out key workers who have become valuable to the organization.
"It's terribly disruptive," said Elisabeth Jewel, a spokeswoman for Pacific Steel and Casting. "We have highly trained employees and to lose them is very damaging."
Pacific Steel and Casting was first notified that it was to be audited in late February when ICE sent a letter seeking information on the steel foundry's 550 employees. The company complied but has yet to hear back from the government.
In the meantime, the Alameda County Labor Council began lobbying local politicians to object to the increase I-9 raids. The group successfully won resolutions from the Berkeley and Oakland city councils that condemn the audits.
De La Fuente said he expects that 100 to 200 employees at Pacific Steel could lose their jobs as a result of the audit
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_18516773?source=rss
Oakland Tribune
07/20/2011
OAKLAND -- Bay Area labor unions demanded Wednesday that the Obama administration stop its increased practice of auditing business payrolls to check for illegal immigrant workers.
Using Berkeley-based Pacific Steel and Casting as an example, leaders from several unions said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is wreaking havoc with immigrant families and local economies by demanding that employers provide it information about its employees.
Known as I-9 audits, investigators check the legal status of employees through the Social Security numbers and green card information the employees supplied to the business when hired. In many cases of illegal immigrants, that documentation is forged and the I-9 audits can determine who at a workplace is living and working in the country illegally.
ICE drastically increased its use of I-9 audits in 2009 when 1,444 businesses were audited, almost tripling the number audited in 2008, The New York Times reported this week. In 2010, the government audited 2,196 businesses.
Although the audits, in many cases, do not lead to the deportation of a worker, they do force an employer to fire the worker, harming the company, the worker and the economy, labor leaders said.
"These are silent raids," said Oakland Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who also is the vice president of the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics, and Allied Workers International Union. "We know that this country was built by immigrants. These workers should have some rights."
Even employers are not pleased with the audits; many have said they disrupt production and, in some cases, force out key workers who have become valuable to the organization.
"It's terribly disruptive," said Elisabeth Jewel, a spokeswoman for Pacific Steel and Casting. "We have highly trained employees and to lose them is very damaging."
Pacific Steel and Casting was first notified that it was to be audited in late February when ICE sent a letter seeking information on the steel foundry's 550 employees. The company complied but has yet to hear back from the government.
In the meantime, the Alameda County Labor Council began lobbying local politicians to object to the increase I-9 raids. The group successfully won resolutions from the Berkeley and Oakland city councils that condemn the audits.
De La Fuente said he expects that 100 to 200 employees at Pacific Steel could lose their jobs as a result of the audit
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_18516773?source=rss
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Activists head to White House to stop deportations
By Theresa Gutierrez
ABC7 News
July 19, 2011
July 19, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Students, children and families are preparing to join Congressman Luis Gutierrez and delegations from throughout the nation in Washington, D.C.
On July 26 they will make a final appeal to the White House to stop the deportations and separations of families. They want to urge President Barack Obama to use his discretionary power to stop the deportation of the parents of U.S. citizen children who have no criminal convictions.
The group is preparing for a face-off at the White House on deportations and separation of families. "We want the president to use the power that the Latino community gave him in the vote to use his executive authority to stop the deportation and separation of families," said activist Walter Coleman.
The group says they recognize the current political deadlock in Congress means no meaningful immigration reform can be passed. They say the president has broken his promise to them and they do not understand the president's discretionary choice to deport 400,000 people a year.
"We're preparing to go to Washington to send a clear message to President Obama that he does not have the Latino vote until he keeps his promise, " said Emma Lozano of Lincoln United Methodist Church. "He should do what's right. Otherwise we won't vote for him."
"The government is deporting on average 1,100 people a day. These are unprecedented numbers: 400,000 the last year," said immigration attorney Royal Berg. "The law provides that these people may be deported, but the president has a discretion to stop it."
The group believes that Hispanics have been targeted by immigration authorities.
"I think the easiest targets to go after are people that appear to be Hispanic," Berg said, "and that's what we're seeing in these secure community efforts."
Mirian Perez was in the U.S. illegally and was deported to Mexico and separated from her family. She is now back in the country legally.
"I couldn't see my kid for a year," said Perez. U.S. citizen Katie Sosa says her husband, who was in the U.S. illegally, went back to Mexico on his own to re-enter legally and is now being held there and told he cannot come back to the states for 10 years.
"We wanted to do things the right way and we got punished," Sosa said.
The activists say they will not help to re-elect President Obama if he does not fulfill his campaign promises to them.
The group will be traveling with Armando Gutierrez and his children to Washington. Gutierrez faces deportation and has no criminal record.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8259408
ABC7 News
July 19, 2011
July 19, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Students, children and families are preparing to join Congressman Luis Gutierrez and delegations from throughout the nation in Washington, D.C.
On July 26 they will make a final appeal to the White House to stop the deportations and separations of families. They want to urge President Barack Obama to use his discretionary power to stop the deportation of the parents of U.S. citizen children who have no criminal convictions.
The group is preparing for a face-off at the White House on deportations and separation of families. "We want the president to use the power that the Latino community gave him in the vote to use his executive authority to stop the deportation and separation of families," said activist Walter Coleman.
The group says they recognize the current political deadlock in Congress means no meaningful immigration reform can be passed. They say the president has broken his promise to them and they do not understand the president's discretionary choice to deport 400,000 people a year.
"We're preparing to go to Washington to send a clear message to President Obama that he does not have the Latino vote until he keeps his promise, " said Emma Lozano of Lincoln United Methodist Church. "He should do what's right. Otherwise we won't vote for him."
"The government is deporting on average 1,100 people a day. These are unprecedented numbers: 400,000 the last year," said immigration attorney Royal Berg. "The law provides that these people may be deported, but the president has a discretion to stop it."
The group believes that Hispanics have been targeted by immigration authorities.
"I think the easiest targets to go after are people that appear to be Hispanic," Berg said, "and that's what we're seeing in these secure community efforts."
Mirian Perez was in the U.S. illegally and was deported to Mexico and separated from her family. She is now back in the country legally.
"I couldn't see my kid for a year," said Perez. U.S. citizen Katie Sosa says her husband, who was in the U.S. illegally, went back to Mexico on his own to re-enter legally and is now being held there and told he cannot come back to the states for 10 years.
"We wanted to do things the right way and we got punished," Sosa said.
The activists say they will not help to re-elect President Obama if he does not fulfill his campaign promises to them.
The group will be traveling with Armando Gutierrez and his children to Washington. Gutierrez faces deportation and has no criminal record.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8259408
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Crowd protests Mexican teen's potential deportation; Protesters fight for Mexican teen caught speeding
By Nicole Young
The Tennessean
Jul. 8, 2011
Mercedes Gonzalez presented a deputy with her graduation cap, a group of about 30 students, teachers and community advocates looking on in front of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
Gonzalez, 18, and her supporters, clad in graduation caps, had a message to deliver Thursday: “Don’t deport our city’s future.”
Gonzalez, who moved from Mexico to Nashville with her family at age 11, was arrested for speeding — going 48 mph in a 40 mph zone — and held at the Metro Jail for three days after a traffic stop on May 15. Because she is in the country illegally, she faces deportation.
And even though she and her supporters were told that Sheriff Daron Hall was not in, they carried on with their plans.
'This is home'
“We are here today because we feel like this is a serious issue in our community,” Luis Escoto, 18, a recent Glencliff High School graduate, told the deputy standing at the entrance.
“Students are being arrested and families are being separated. We don’t think it’s a good thing.”
Gonzalez spoke about her arrest for the first time after the group marched from the sheriff’s office to the Metro Courthouse on Second Avenue.
“When I was in jail I was so scared,” she said. “They told me I’d never see my family again or make my graduation ceremony.”
But Gonzalez did make the Overton High School ceremony, held on May 21. She said she walked home from the jail, a two-hour journey, after she was released on her own recognizance.
“I cried all the way home,” she said. “I love Nashville. This is home. I don’t know what I’ll do if they send me back to Mexico. I’m scared to go back.”
So far, there has been no movement in Gonzalez’s case, said Adrienne Schlichtemier, her attorney.
“We’ve made a request for deferred action to (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” said Schlichtemier, who works with the nonprofit group Justice for Our Neighbors. “If that doesn’t go through, we’ll have to look at other avenues of action, such as asking our representatives or congressmen and women for a private bill.
“The good news is there’s no rush. An immigration hearing has not been set yet.”
There is no word on how long it could take for a hearing, said Schlichtemier, who became involved with the case through the public defender’s office.
The protest came after nearly three weeks of planning, said Karla Vasquez, a leader with JUMP, which translated from Spanish stands for Youth United for a Better Present. It is affiliated with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.
The deputy wouldn’t take Gonzalez’s graduation cap, so she left it on the sidewalk in front of the sheriff’s office. An hour after the protesters left the facility, it was still there.
“We’re leaving it here for now, but it will be discarded at some point,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Karla Weikal said.
Contact Nicole Young at 615-259-8091 or nyoung@tennessean.com.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110708/NEWS01/307080065/Crowd-protests-Mexican-teen-s-potential-deportation
The Tennessean
Jul. 8, 2011
Mercedes Gonzalez presented a deputy with her graduation cap, a group of about 30 students, teachers and community advocates looking on in front of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
Gonzalez, 18, and her supporters, clad in graduation caps, had a message to deliver Thursday: “Don’t deport our city’s future.”
Gonzalez, who moved from Mexico to Nashville with her family at age 11, was arrested for speeding — going 48 mph in a 40 mph zone — and held at the Metro Jail for three days after a traffic stop on May 15. Because she is in the country illegally, she faces deportation.
And even though she and her supporters were told that Sheriff Daron Hall was not in, they carried on with their plans.
'This is home'
“We are here today because we feel like this is a serious issue in our community,” Luis Escoto, 18, a recent Glencliff High School graduate, told the deputy standing at the entrance.
“Students are being arrested and families are being separated. We don’t think it’s a good thing.”
Gonzalez spoke about her arrest for the first time after the group marched from the sheriff’s office to the Metro Courthouse on Second Avenue.
“When I was in jail I was so scared,” she said. “They told me I’d never see my family again or make my graduation ceremony.”
But Gonzalez did make the Overton High School ceremony, held on May 21. She said she walked home from the jail, a two-hour journey, after she was released on her own recognizance.
“I cried all the way home,” she said. “I love Nashville. This is home. I don’t know what I’ll do if they send me back to Mexico. I’m scared to go back.”
So far, there has been no movement in Gonzalez’s case, said Adrienne Schlichtemier, her attorney.
“We’ve made a request for deferred action to (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” said Schlichtemier, who works with the nonprofit group Justice for Our Neighbors. “If that doesn’t go through, we’ll have to look at other avenues of action, such as asking our representatives or congressmen and women for a private bill.
“The good news is there’s no rush. An immigration hearing has not been set yet.”
There is no word on how long it could take for a hearing, said Schlichtemier, who became involved with the case through the public defender’s office.
The protest came after nearly three weeks of planning, said Karla Vasquez, a leader with JUMP, which translated from Spanish stands for Youth United for a Better Present. It is affiliated with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.
The deputy wouldn’t take Gonzalez’s graduation cap, so she left it on the sidewalk in front of the sheriff’s office. An hour after the protesters left the facility, it was still there.
“We’re leaving it here for now, but it will be discarded at some point,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Karla Weikal said.
Contact Nicole Young at 615-259-8091 or nyoung@tennessean.com.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110708/NEWS01/307080065/Crowd-protests-Mexican-teen-s-potential-deportation
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Downtown Asheville march to protest treatment of immigrant families
Written by Sandra V. Rodriguez
Citizen Times
April 30, 2011
ASHEVILLE — Immigration reform activists are hoping to put a human face to one of the nation's most contentious issues — illegal immigration — during a march Sunday.
Of particular concern to activists are the local deportations that are tearing families apart.
A coalition of community, workers' rights and immigration rights activists are marching on May Day, a traditional day of protest and celebration of workers rights, to call for an end to the arrests and deportations separating immigrant families in Western North Carolina.
“Mothers Against Family Separation” will be 2:30-5 p.m. in Pritchard Park and will make its way through the downtown streets and end at Aston Park, where there will be a picnicand participants can tell their stories.
“Anti-immigrant policies that exist in Western North Carolina impact women and their families almost disproportionately than other people,” said Michelle Bedard, organizer with the nonprofit Western North Carolina Workers Center.
“Not only are their labor rights being abused, at home they are worried because their children and their husbands are being racially profiled, pulled over by police and being deported without any criminal charges.”
That hurts the family economically and emotionally, she said.
The inability of the federal government to reform the immigration system has many activists concerned as more states and communities are enacting stricter laws in the meantime.
Activists believe Henderson County's 287(g) law has had a detrimental effect on the overall safety of the community as a whole. The law allows local police to check the citizenship status of anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally and deport them if necessary.
Loida Ginocchio-Silva hopes that by putting a human face to the issue, people and legislators will be able to talk about the issue calmly. The debate in recent years has resulted in many myths about illegal immigration being pushed into the mainstream, she said.
“People have these ideas, ‘Oh, the illegal immigrant, that person lives off welfare,'” said Ginocchio-Silva, with Defensa Comunitaria, a local group made up of immigrant youth, parents, advocates and non-immigrant allies.
She said that is not true. Immigrants cannot apply for welfare and they do pay taxes, she said. The IRS issues illegal immigrants a nine-digit number with the sole purpose of submitting taxes.
“The government knows that we are working here,” she said. “And they want our cheap labor, but they are not giving us any benefits except this number so we can pay into this system.”
Immigrant women workers have a strong showing in the local economy as they make up the basic staff in the hospitality industry yet women are paid the least, according to Bedard. She said she has seen too many women, being cheated out of wages, denied rights or harassed into dangerous work conditions even if they are pregnant.
“We want to be part of the march because we want to support women and fight discrimination alongside these women that are suffering at this time,” she said.
And because women are afraid of losing their livelihood, Bedard said they won't speak up about overtime or unsafe working conditions.
“That is not fair at all,” she said. “We want laws that are fair to everybody and that are also humane, that see everybody as human beings.”
Ginocchio-Silva knows that legislators can come up with humane immigration reform. She hopes that marches like this Sunday's help spur legislators to act sooner rather than later.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110430/NEWS/304300022/Immigration-reform-advocates-plan-Sunday-rally?odyssey=nav|head
Citizen Times
April 30, 2011
ASHEVILLE — Immigration reform activists are hoping to put a human face to one of the nation's most contentious issues — illegal immigration — during a march Sunday.
Of particular concern to activists are the local deportations that are tearing families apart.
A coalition of community, workers' rights and immigration rights activists are marching on May Day, a traditional day of protest and celebration of workers rights, to call for an end to the arrests and deportations separating immigrant families in Western North Carolina.
“Mothers Against Family Separation” will be 2:30-5 p.m. in Pritchard Park and will make its way through the downtown streets and end at Aston Park, where there will be a picnicand participants can tell their stories.
“Anti-immigrant policies that exist in Western North Carolina impact women and their families almost disproportionately than other people,” said Michelle Bedard, organizer with the nonprofit Western North Carolina Workers Center.
“Not only are their labor rights being abused, at home they are worried because their children and their husbands are being racially profiled, pulled over by police and being deported without any criminal charges.”
That hurts the family economically and emotionally, she said.
The inability of the federal government to reform the immigration system has many activists concerned as more states and communities are enacting stricter laws in the meantime.
Activists believe Henderson County's 287(g) law has had a detrimental effect on the overall safety of the community as a whole. The law allows local police to check the citizenship status of anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally and deport them if necessary.
Loida Ginocchio-Silva hopes that by putting a human face to the issue, people and legislators will be able to talk about the issue calmly. The debate in recent years has resulted in many myths about illegal immigration being pushed into the mainstream, she said.
“People have these ideas, ‘Oh, the illegal immigrant, that person lives off welfare,'” said Ginocchio-Silva, with Defensa Comunitaria, a local group made up of immigrant youth, parents, advocates and non-immigrant allies.
She said that is not true. Immigrants cannot apply for welfare and they do pay taxes, she said. The IRS issues illegal immigrants a nine-digit number with the sole purpose of submitting taxes.
“The government knows that we are working here,” she said. “And they want our cheap labor, but they are not giving us any benefits except this number so we can pay into this system.”
Immigrant women workers have a strong showing in the local economy as they make up the basic staff in the hospitality industry yet women are paid the least, according to Bedard. She said she has seen too many women, being cheated out of wages, denied rights or harassed into dangerous work conditions even if they are pregnant.
“We want to be part of the march because we want to support women and fight discrimination alongside these women that are suffering at this time,” she said.
And because women are afraid of losing their livelihood, Bedard said they won't speak up about overtime or unsafe working conditions.
“That is not fair at all,” she said. “We want laws that are fair to everybody and that are also humane, that see everybody as human beings.”
Ginocchio-Silva knows that legislators can come up with humane immigration reform. She hopes that marches like this Sunday's help spur legislators to act sooner rather than later.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110430/NEWS/304300022/Immigration-reform-advocates-plan-Sunday-rally?odyssey=nav|head
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Seven Undocumented Youth Protest, Risk Deportation in Georgia
By Micah Uetricht
Hispanically Speaking News
April 9, 2011
This week seven undocumented youth were arrested in an act of civil disobedience in Atlanta during a protest. The students oppose a change proposed by the Georgia Board of Regents who want to ban on undocumented students from the state’s top five public colleges and universities. All seven students are currently in jail and are scheduled to appear in court today. They all risk of deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Hispanically Speaking News
April 9, 2011
This week seven undocumented youth were arrested in an act of civil disobedience in Atlanta during a protest. The students oppose a change proposed by the Georgia Board of Regents who want to ban on undocumented students from the state’s top five public colleges and universities. All seven students are currently in jail and are scheduled to appear in court today. They all risk of deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Georgia voters recently voted down a ban of undocumented students in all colleges and universities in the state, but the regents, who have governing authority of public colleges, approved a measure banning undocumented students from the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia College & State University, and the Medical College of Georgia that will go into effect in the fall.
The protest targeted the administration of Georgia State, demanding that the university “refuse the ban” and continue to allow undocumented immigrants—who already pay out-of-state tuition in Georgia—to enroll there.
The seven students outed themselves as undocumented then entered the Georgia State admissions office to deliver a letter demanding the university not follow the Board of Regent’s directive. After a march through campus to the state capitol, the seven students sat down to block traffic around a large banner that read, “We Will No Longer Remain in the Shadows.”
A number of civil rights movement veterans supported the undocumented students’ cause, including Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who compared the students’ actions to his own record of civil disobedience against Jim Crow in the South. “I got arrested … 40 times. I was beaten, left bloody, but I didn’t give up. And you must not give up.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Georgia Board of Regents spokesperson John Millsaps, who said that the point of the legislation was to ensure that qualified Georgia residents would not lose access to the state’s public universities due to enrollment of undocumented students.
Georgina Perez, who was one of the eight who came out as undocumented, called this argument out in a statement posted on TheDreamIsComing.com Tuesday.
“This policy, like many other enacted and proposed laws, have nothing to do with the rule of law. Rather, it is clear they are about hate, racism, and the creation of second class of citizens, which is morally wrong and politically influenced,” she said in the statement.
Perez, like the other undocumented students who were arrested, posted an emotional video on YouTube explaining why she was willing to be arrested. In the clip, she calls her parents’ decision to immigrate to the United States without documents “heroic.”
Undocumented youth have not spent much time nursing their wounds from the failure of the DREAM Act in the Senate last year. “Coming Out of the Shadows” rallies, in which DREAMers proclaim their undocumented status to the world, have spread under the banner of “undocumented, unafraid, and unapologetic.” So many have come out as undocumented that Southern California Public Radio reporter Leslie Berestein Rojas recently posed the question of whether coming out as undocumented is the new coming out as gay or lesbian.
DREAMers say they are fighting for the right to exist in this country, but they aren’t doing just that. These undocumented students are nothing if not smart activists: In staging dramatic civil disobedience actions in states like Georgia that have enacted anti-immigrant measures, they are taking a page from the playbook of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and bringing their fight for equality to states where denials of basic human dignity are starkest.
Georgia, with its ban on undocumented students, is such a place. South Carolina and Colorado have also enacted bans on all undocumented students, and they should expect to see similar actions in the future. Undocumented students have proven that they aren’t afraid of whatever consequences they could face, including deportation, as a result of agitating for legalization.
Gina Perez, the one of the DREAMers who was arrested in Tuesday’s action, summed it up in her video message.
“We’re not going to be silent, we’re not going to be in the shadows, we’re not going to let this happen any longer,” she says. “We’re going to step up and fight for our community.”
UPDATE: In a statement released early Thursday morning, immigrant youth organizers indicated that all seven students were released Wednesday. In a joint statement, the students said, “As soon as we got here they came in, asked us personal questions like where we were born and our birthdays. We were honest with them, we told them we were undocumented.” ICE chose not to involve itself in the case, despite the students’ openness about their undocumented status.
ICE’s decision not to pursue deportation or other measures against the students seems to confirm what many undocumented organizers have claimed for some time: that it is actually safer for young people to come out of the shadows, proclaim their lack of legal status openly, and join with local and national organizing for immigration reform. Deportations under the Obama adminsitration are at higher levels than under President Bush, but immigration authorities seem to hesitate to deport people who are plugged into immigrant organizing, undoubtedly fearing the significant public pressure organizers have shown they are capable of mobilizing.
*This article orginally said there were eight undocumented students. Although there were originally eight students involved, only seven were arrested. We regret the error.
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/notitas-de-noticias/details/seven-undocumented-youth-protest-risk-deportation-in-georgia/6769/
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Local advocate for immigrants faces deportation
Mariano Espinoza hasn't been hiding. But a recent arrest has him facing removal.
By JAMES WALSH and ALLIE SHAH
Star Tribune
March 9, 2011
A vocal and visible Twin Cities advocate for immigrant rights and immigration reform is himself facing deportation -- to the surprise of those who have worked with him for years.
Mariano Perez Espinoza, 41, executive director of the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, is in jail awaiting deportation for allegedly being in the country illegally after a previous deportation.
Espinoza, a native of Mexico, has advocated openly on immigration issues for years.
Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, on Wednesday confirmed that Espinoza is in custody. As of Wednesday afternoon, he had not been returned to Mexico.
"He's not leaving today," Neudauer said. "Mariano Espinoza is currently being held by ICE pending additional review of his case for violating a previous removal order. He had filed a request for a stay of removal with ICE, which was subsequently denied."
The news of the well-connected Espinoza's possible deportation surprised friends and colleagues.
State Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, has known Espinoza for years. He described his friend as a self-taught organizer and inspirational leader.
He said the two worked together on a proposal for the Minnesota Dream Act, which would provide in-state tuition rates for high school students, regardless of their parents' immigration status.
"Mariano was the point person in charge of leading that effort and organizing students," Mariani said.
Until recently, Mariani did not know about his friend's immigration status. Then, two weeks ago, Espinoza didn't show up for a meeting to discuss creating a statewide series of leadership conferences of young Latinos. Mariani called the next day and learned that Espinoza was in custody and facing deportation.
He visited Espinoza a few days ago at the Ramsey County jail.
"He was very sad and emotional, but he was also trying to keep himself focused," Mariani said.
Not exactly hiding
Despite his illegal status, Espinoza hasn't kept a low profile. He's been a frequent speaker at rallies and meetings and has been quoted in news stories dealing with immigrant issues. In April 2004, he was featured in a Star Tribune story focusing on his transformation from immigrant to community organizer.
The Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network's website notes he was recently recognized by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota as one of its "25 on the rise."
The organization's mission is to "fix the broken immigration system in this country. We do this by empowering and engaging new Minnesotans and their allies through access to education, civic engagement and leadership development."
Espinoza's absence has not stopped the work.
"He's been an important part of the work of the Freedom Network for a long time, but Mariano is not the organization," said Jorge Saavedra, a Minneapolis attorney and a network spokesman. "What the organization hopes for is that this process can be resolved quickly and justly and that Mariano can return to his family."
That someone as visible as Espinoza can be here without documentation is a sign of the times, Mariani said.
"What I think is happening is that so many people live here undocumented. At some point you reach a tipping point where you are so much a part of society. Yeah, you can live in the underground, but ... what we're talking about is folks who are really becoming a part of the very visible broader community -- they own businesses, they own homes, they take their kids to school, they attend parent-teacher conferences and they're involved in local block clubs."
Trouble last summer
The most recent trouble for Espinoza apparently began last July. Several sources say he got into a dispute regarding a rental car at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
A spokeswoman for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said an incident at the airport led to a felony warrant for Espinoza's arrest last month. Hennepin County jail records confirm that he was booked into the jail on Feb. 14. ICE regularly checks jail records in Hennepin and Ramsey counties for people in this country illegally who have been arrested for other alleged crimes. Espinoza's immigration status apparently was discovered.
Espinoza's attorney, John Keller, declined to comment on details of the case. He did say that he hopes Espinoza has a chance to present his case to an immigration court here.
Keller said the original deportation stemmed from Espinoza being the victim of fraud by a "notario," or a person who is not an attorney who gave him legal advice.
James Walsh • 612-673-7428 Allie Shah • 612-673-4488
By JAMES WALSH and ALLIE SHAH
Star Tribune
March 9, 2011
A vocal and visible Twin Cities advocate for immigrant rights and immigration reform is himself facing deportation -- to the surprise of those who have worked with him for years.
Mariano Perez Espinoza, 41, executive director of the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, is in jail awaiting deportation for allegedly being in the country illegally after a previous deportation.
Espinoza, a native of Mexico, has advocated openly on immigration issues for years.
Shawn Neudauer, a spokesman for the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, on Wednesday confirmed that Espinoza is in custody. As of Wednesday afternoon, he had not been returned to Mexico.
"He's not leaving today," Neudauer said. "Mariano Espinoza is currently being held by ICE pending additional review of his case for violating a previous removal order. He had filed a request for a stay of removal with ICE, which was subsequently denied."
The news of the well-connected Espinoza's possible deportation surprised friends and colleagues.
State Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, has known Espinoza for years. He described his friend as a self-taught organizer and inspirational leader.
He said the two worked together on a proposal for the Minnesota Dream Act, which would provide in-state tuition rates for high school students, regardless of their parents' immigration status.
"Mariano was the point person in charge of leading that effort and organizing students," Mariani said.
Until recently, Mariani did not know about his friend's immigration status. Then, two weeks ago, Espinoza didn't show up for a meeting to discuss creating a statewide series of leadership conferences of young Latinos. Mariani called the next day and learned that Espinoza was in custody and facing deportation.
He visited Espinoza a few days ago at the Ramsey County jail.
"He was very sad and emotional, but he was also trying to keep himself focused," Mariani said.
Not exactly hiding
Despite his illegal status, Espinoza hasn't kept a low profile. He's been a frequent speaker at rallies and meetings and has been quoted in news stories dealing with immigrant issues. In April 2004, he was featured in a Star Tribune story focusing on his transformation from immigrant to community organizer.
The Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network's website notes he was recently recognized by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota as one of its "25 on the rise."
The organization's mission is to "fix the broken immigration system in this country. We do this by empowering and engaging new Minnesotans and their allies through access to education, civic engagement and leadership development."
Espinoza's absence has not stopped the work.
"He's been an important part of the work of the Freedom Network for a long time, but Mariano is not the organization," said Jorge Saavedra, a Minneapolis attorney and a network spokesman. "What the organization hopes for is that this process can be resolved quickly and justly and that Mariano can return to his family."
That someone as visible as Espinoza can be here without documentation is a sign of the times, Mariani said.
"What I think is happening is that so many people live here undocumented. At some point you reach a tipping point where you are so much a part of society. Yeah, you can live in the underground, but ... what we're talking about is folks who are really becoming a part of the very visible broader community -- they own businesses, they own homes, they take their kids to school, they attend parent-teacher conferences and they're involved in local block clubs."
Trouble last summer
The most recent trouble for Espinoza apparently began last July. Several sources say he got into a dispute regarding a rental car at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
A spokeswoman for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said an incident at the airport led to a felony warrant for Espinoza's arrest last month. Hennepin County jail records confirm that he was booked into the jail on Feb. 14. ICE regularly checks jail records in Hennepin and Ramsey counties for people in this country illegally who have been arrested for other alleged crimes. Espinoza's immigration status apparently was discovered.
Espinoza's attorney, John Keller, declined to comment on details of the case. He did say that he hopes Espinoza has a chance to present his case to an immigration court here.
Keller said the original deportation stemmed from Espinoza being the victim of fraud by a "notario," or a person who is not an attorney who gave him legal advice.
James Walsh • 612-673-7428 Allie Shah • 612-673-4488
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Children of immigration detainees protest outside federal building
KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA
Jan 26, 2011
YAKIMA, Wash- Backlash continues from last week's ICE raids that put 30 people behind bars for immigration violations. Dozens of students from Ellensburg set up in front of the federal building in Yakima Tuesday afternoon. They were protesting the immigration raid that put some of their family members behind bars.
At about 11am the students walked out of their classrooms, and made the 45 minute drive to the federal building where their mothers, father, brothers, and sisters appeared in court for immigration violations.
Both of seventeen-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez' parents were taken. He and his younger brother are living with his nineteen-year-old brother. "It's really hard for him because he just graduated from high school", says Gonzalez.
Ricardo says he's been going to school to take his mind off of what's happening, but he finds it hard to focus. "This week we have finals and I felt stressed because I don't have time to do my homework" Gonzalez laments. "It don't know, it's too much, it's too much".
After Thursday's raids in Ellensburg 13 people were charged with criminal offenses ranging from with visa and government ID fraud, to re-entering the country after deportation. 16 more are accused of the administrative violation of being in the country illegally.
Job Avila is the regional director for the United Farm Workers of America and organized the protest. "It's real heartbreaking what's been going on out there. People want answers and it's been difficult for people to track family members who are in detention", says Avila.
According to him, many kids who's parents were taken are afraid to come forward for fear of being taken by social services. Ricardo's father is already awaiting deportation. His mother is scheduled to appear in Yakima federal court tomorrow. "We were really attached to my mom. It's like hard because the house is lonely now that she left", says Ricardo.
The protesters criticized President Obama for not addressing the immigration issue. During Tuesday night's state of the union address, the president said he was committed to immigration reform but did not give any details on his plans.
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=13909212
Jan 26, 2011
YAKIMA, Wash- Backlash continues from last week's ICE raids that put 30 people behind bars for immigration violations. Dozens of students from Ellensburg set up in front of the federal building in Yakima Tuesday afternoon. They were protesting the immigration raid that put some of their family members behind bars.
At about 11am the students walked out of their classrooms, and made the 45 minute drive to the federal building where their mothers, father, brothers, and sisters appeared in court for immigration violations.
Both of seventeen-year-old Ricardo Gonzalez' parents were taken. He and his younger brother are living with his nineteen-year-old brother. "It's really hard for him because he just graduated from high school", says Gonzalez.
Ricardo says he's been going to school to take his mind off of what's happening, but he finds it hard to focus. "This week we have finals and I felt stressed because I don't have time to do my homework" Gonzalez laments. "It don't know, it's too much, it's too much".
After Thursday's raids in Ellensburg 13 people were charged with criminal offenses ranging from with visa and government ID fraud, to re-entering the country after deportation. 16 more are accused of the administrative violation of being in the country illegally.
Job Avila is the regional director for the United Farm Workers of America and organized the protest. "It's real heartbreaking what's been going on out there. People want answers and it's been difficult for people to track family members who are in detention", says Avila.
According to him, many kids who's parents were taken are afraid to come forward for fear of being taken by social services. Ricardo's father is already awaiting deportation. His mother is scheduled to appear in Yakima federal court tomorrow. "We were really attached to my mom. It's like hard because the house is lonely now that she left", says Ricardo.
The protesters criticized President Obama for not addressing the immigration issue. During Tuesday night's state of the union address, the president said he was committed to immigration reform but did not give any details on his plans.
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=13909212
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Dozens Rally Against Recent ICE Raids; Organizers Say Raids Target Businesses That Hire Illegal Immigrants
10News.com
November 5, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- More than a dozen people gathered at City Heights Park Friday in response to raids they said targets businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
Abel Macias is one of the main organizers behind this coalition of groups in support of illegal immigrant rights. The gathering is protesting against recent Immigration and Custom's Enforcement raids in San Diego County.
Macias said, "We believe that these attacks are happening because there is an attempt to isolate them and to move them away from the general public."
In October, federal agents arrested the owner of S & S Bakery in San Ysidro, saying more than half of the employees were there illegally. Forty-one illegal immigrants were taken into custody and complaints were filed against two bakery supervisors and an employee.
"Some of them don't know their rights; some don't understand they have a right to have a lawyer present. We feel that everyone has a right to work, whether they are documented or undocumented," said Macias.
Critics argue businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants should be prosecuted.
ICE released the following statement:
"ICE's worksite enforcement program focuses on auditing and investigating employers suspected of knowingly employing illegal workers. When our agents conduct worksite investigations, the focus is on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, not sweeps or raids to target undocumented workers. We also ensure that all undocumented workers are afforded an opportunity to see an immigration judge if they are detained as a result of a worksite enforcement action."
http://www.10news.com/news/25652450/detail.html
November 5, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- More than a dozen people gathered at City Heights Park Friday in response to raids they said targets businesses that hire illegal immigrants.
Abel Macias is one of the main organizers behind this coalition of groups in support of illegal immigrant rights. The gathering is protesting against recent Immigration and Custom's Enforcement raids in San Diego County.
Macias said, "We believe that these attacks are happening because there is an attempt to isolate them and to move them away from the general public."
In October, federal agents arrested the owner of S & S Bakery in San Ysidro, saying more than half of the employees were there illegally. Forty-one illegal immigrants were taken into custody and complaints were filed against two bakery supervisors and an employee.
"Some of them don't know their rights; some don't understand they have a right to have a lawyer present. We feel that everyone has a right to work, whether they are documented or undocumented," said Macias.
Critics argue businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants should be prosecuted.
ICE released the following statement:
"ICE's worksite enforcement program focuses on auditing and investigating employers suspected of knowingly employing illegal workers. When our agents conduct worksite investigations, the focus is on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers, not sweeps or raids to target undocumented workers. We also ensure that all undocumented workers are afforded an opportunity to see an immigration judge if they are detained as a result of a worksite enforcement action."
http://www.10news.com/news/25652450/detail.html
Friday, October 22, 2010
Legal Immigrants Imprisoned and Deported in 'Wide Net' of DOC
By Tara MacIsaac
Epoch Times Staff
Oct 20, 2010
NEW YORK—Several hundred Immigrants marched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Tuesday, October 19, to draw attention to Department of Corrections (DOC) practices that they say threaten the freedoms of legal and illegal immigrants alike.
Thousands of immigrants held by the DOC are transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) every year, according to Make the Road New York (MRNY), the immigrant advocacy group that organized the march. Among the 3,000 to 4,000 transferred to detention centers as far away as Texas or Alabama, are not only undocumented immigrants, but also asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, and those seeking protection under the Violence Against Women Act.
“They’re brought into the jail system and then (corrections officers) do a background check and then they’re suddenly in detention centers. It doesn’t mean that they’re here illegally. We’re estimating that about 35 percent are permanent residents, people who are here legally, who are just foreign born. That’s what they’re using to identify people. … There are cases of U.S. citizens being deported,” said Melissa Lefas, a law student at Cardozo School of Law and a member of the Immigration Justice Clinic at Cardozo.
A program run by ICE, Secure Communities, aims to identify criminal aliens for deportation by sharing information between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. A Secure Communities brochure states that “fingerprints submitted during the booking process (are) checked against FBI criminal history records and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records, including immigration status, providing valuable information to accurately identify those in custody.”
The brochure highlights the case of several criminals involved in violent crimes and drug infractions who have been apprehended and deported through the information-sharing program. Lefas, however, maintains that "they’ve got this really wide net and there aren't the mechanisms to really be able to filter through and identify the right people."
Lefas supports legislation that City Council Members Daniel Dromm and Melissa Mark-Viverito are proposing, which calls for the city’s withdrawal from Secure Communities. DOC participates in the program voluntarily and is under no legal obligation to release detainee information, according to the proposal.
The current situation discourages immigrant victims of violence or witnesses of crimes to cooperate with police, say MRNY members. “Domestic violence victims in particular are reluctant to call for vital police assistance if they know the result will be the deportation of their loved one,” said MRNY in a press release.
DOC attorneys did not respond to inquiries and ICE did not respond as of press deadline.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44575/
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
US, Mexico Swap Accusations Over Border Shooting
15-Year-Old Boy Shot and Killed at U.S.-Mexico Border; Govt' Officials Suggest Misconduct at Play
June 8, 2010
CBS News
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, (AP) U.S. and Mexican officials are trading suggestions of misconduct as the shooting of a 15-year-old Mexican by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on the border with Texas swells into a full-blown international incident.
Arturo Sandoval, spokesman for the Chihuahua state Attorney General's Office, says a shell casing was found near the body.
A U.S. official close to the investigation says a video shows what appear to be four Mexican law enforcement agents crossing the border, picking up an undetermined object and returning to Mexico. The official says on condition of anonymity the video shows the Border Patrol agent who shot the boy never entered Mexico.
The agent shot and killed the boy after a confrontation at an international bridge near downtown El Paso, Mexican authorities said Tuesday.
Agents detaining suspected illegal immigrants Monday came under assault from rock throwers across the border in Mexico, FBI spokeswoman Andrea Simmons said.
The FBI is leading the investigation because it involved an assault on a federal officer. The agent was not injured, she said.
Chihuahua State officials released a statement Tuesday demanding a full investigation into the death of the boy, identified as Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca.
It was not immediately known if the boy was among the rock throwers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Doug Mosier said preliminary reports indicated one person was shot Monday evening on the U.S. side of the Paso Del Norte bridge, across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
The Rio Grande, which marks the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, is now a broad muddy moat flanked by shallow concrete banks.
T.J. Bonner, president of the union representing Border Patrol agents, said rock throwing incidents against Border Patrol agents are common and capable of causing serious injury.
"It is a deadly force encounter," Bonner said. "One that justifies the use of deadly force."
The violence in Mexico combined with assaults against Border Patrol agents in the U.S. has increased the level of apprehension agents have about their safety, Bonner said.
Less than two weeks ago, Mexican migrant Anastacio Hernandez, 32, died after a Customs and Border Protection officer shocked him with a stun gun at the San Ysidro border crossing that separates San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico.
Last week the San Diego medical examiner's office ruled that death a homicide.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/08/world/main6562186.shtml
June 8, 2010
CBS News
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, (AP) U.S. and Mexican officials are trading suggestions of misconduct as the shooting of a 15-year-old Mexican by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on the border with Texas swells into a full-blown international incident.
Arturo Sandoval, spokesman for the Chihuahua state Attorney General's Office, says a shell casing was found near the body.
A U.S. official close to the investigation says a video shows what appear to be four Mexican law enforcement agents crossing the border, picking up an undetermined object and returning to Mexico. The official says on condition of anonymity the video shows the Border Patrol agent who shot the boy never entered Mexico.
The agent shot and killed the boy after a confrontation at an international bridge near downtown El Paso, Mexican authorities said Tuesday.
Agents detaining suspected illegal immigrants Monday came under assault from rock throwers across the border in Mexico, FBI spokeswoman Andrea Simmons said.
The FBI is leading the investigation because it involved an assault on a federal officer. The agent was not injured, she said.
Chihuahua State officials released a statement Tuesday demanding a full investigation into the death of the boy, identified as Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca.
It was not immediately known if the boy was among the rock throwers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Doug Mosier said preliminary reports indicated one person was shot Monday evening on the U.S. side of the Paso Del Norte bridge, across from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
The Rio Grande, which marks the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas, is now a broad muddy moat flanked by shallow concrete banks.
T.J. Bonner, president of the union representing Border Patrol agents, said rock throwing incidents against Border Patrol agents are common and capable of causing serious injury.
"It is a deadly force encounter," Bonner said. "One that justifies the use of deadly force."
The violence in Mexico combined with assaults against Border Patrol agents in the U.S. has increased the level of apprehension agents have about their safety, Bonner said.
Less than two weeks ago, Mexican migrant Anastacio Hernandez, 32, died after a Customs and Border Protection officer shocked him with a stun gun at the San Ysidro border crossing that separates San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico.
Last week the San Diego medical examiner's office ruled that death a homicide.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/08/world/main6562186.shtml
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
1,000 at rally call for overhaul of immigration
By Bruce Lieberman
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
Monday, June 7, 2010
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO — Students terrified their parents will be deported. Day laborers afraid to call police because they lack green cards. Routine traffic stops may lead to deportations.
These were among the stories shared with more than 1,000 people calling for comprehensive immigration reform at a rally Sunday.
The gathering was coordinated by the San Diego Organizing Project, a faith-based community group.
Sunday’s demonstration followed a rally Saturday at City Hall organized by the Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition, a conservative political group.
“So many people from (Mexico) ignore our rules and come on in,” said Leslie Eastman, a spokeswoman for that group, who said about 100 people attended. “I would like to see enforcement so we can have people here legally.”
The rally on Sunday at Chicano Park was followed by a march to St. Joseph Cathedral.
An Arizona law aimed at curbing illegal immigration has reignited the national debate on the issue. Demonstrators said the law has created a culture of fear among undocumented immigrants. They called for reform to reunite families separated by deportations, among other changes.
“We came together united as a people of prayer … that our system can be fixed,” said the Rev. Henry Rodriguez of St. Jude’s Shrine. “That above all the politics, rhetoric, anger … there is a more concrete way to address this issue.”
National polls show most Americans support the Arizona law, despite the legal challenges.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/07/1000-at-rally-call-for-overhaul-of-immigration/
THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
Monday, June 7, 2010
DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO — Students terrified their parents will be deported. Day laborers afraid to call police because they lack green cards. Routine traffic stops may lead to deportations.
These were among the stories shared with more than 1,000 people calling for comprehensive immigration reform at a rally Sunday.
The gathering was coordinated by the San Diego Organizing Project, a faith-based community group.
Sunday’s demonstration followed a rally Saturday at City Hall organized by the Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition, a conservative political group.
“So many people from (Mexico) ignore our rules and come on in,” said Leslie Eastman, a spokeswoman for that group, who said about 100 people attended. “I would like to see enforcement so we can have people here legally.”
The rally on Sunday at Chicano Park was followed by a march to St. Joseph Cathedral.
An Arizona law aimed at curbing illegal immigration has reignited the national debate on the issue. Demonstrators said the law has created a culture of fear among undocumented immigrants. They called for reform to reunite families separated by deportations, among other changes.
“We came together united as a people of prayer … that our system can be fixed,” said the Rev. Henry Rodriguez of St. Jude’s Shrine. “That above all the politics, rhetoric, anger … there is a more concrete way to address this issue.”
National polls show most Americans support the Arizona law, despite the legal challenges.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/07/1000-at-rally-call-for-overhaul-of-immigration/
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Hunger Strikers Pressure Bloomberg to End Deportations
El Diario, News Report
Posted: Jun 04, 2010
NEW YORK -- A group of 40 pro-immigrant, religious and political leaders have gone on a hunger strike to protest cooperation between federal immigration authorities and the state Department of Corrections in New York, reports Spanish-language newspaper El Diario.
According to the strikers, roughly 4,000 people are deported from New York prisons and jails every year, regardless of whether or not they are found guilty of the crime for which they were originally detained.
The protesters have placed blame squarely on the shoulders of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who they accuse of allowing deportations to continue despite being a self-described, pro-immigrant politician. In addition to those activists on hunger strike, a larger group of over 200 religious leaders have asked Bloomberg to stop cooperating with federal immigration officials.
http://newamericamedia.org/2010/06/hunger-strikers-pressure-bloomberg-to-end-deportations.php#
Posted: Jun 04, 2010
NEW YORK -- A group of 40 pro-immigrant, religious and political leaders have gone on a hunger strike to protest cooperation between federal immigration authorities and the state Department of Corrections in New York, reports Spanish-language newspaper El Diario.
According to the strikers, roughly 4,000 people are deported from New York prisons and jails every year, regardless of whether or not they are found guilty of the crime for which they were originally detained.
The protesters have placed blame squarely on the shoulders of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who they accuse of allowing deportations to continue despite being a self-described, pro-immigrant politician. In addition to those activists on hunger strike, a larger group of over 200 religious leaders have asked Bloomberg to stop cooperating with federal immigration officials.
http://newamericamedia.org/2010/06/hunger-strikers-pressure-bloomberg-to-end-deportations.php#
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Hispanics protest Arizona bill to combat illegal immigration
April 23, 2010
The Associated Press
PHOENIX – Hundreds of Hispanics protested outside the Arizona Capitol complex on Thursday, calling on Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a sweeping bill to combat illegal immigration.
Brewer wasn't taking action Thursday on the bill championed by fellow Republicans, her office said. She has until Saturday to act on the bill sent Monday to her by the GOP-led Legislature.
"This is not a Latino fight. This a fight against hate," said Daniel Rodriguez, an Arizona State University graduate, who spoke at the protest.
In the crowd, high school sophomore Citlalli Reyes said she feared police would engage in racial profiling if the bill becomes law.
"They're trying too hard to get rid of us," the 16-year-old Phoenix resident said.
The bill would require police to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. It also would make it a state crime for illegal immigrants to not have alien registration documents.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-immigration_23tex.ART.State.Edition1.4c727b7.html
The Associated Press
PHOENIX – Hundreds of Hispanics protested outside the Arizona Capitol complex on Thursday, calling on Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a sweeping bill to combat illegal immigration.
Brewer wasn't taking action Thursday on the bill championed by fellow Republicans, her office said. She has until Saturday to act on the bill sent Monday to her by the GOP-led Legislature.
"This is not a Latino fight. This a fight against hate," said Daniel Rodriguez, an Arizona State University graduate, who spoke at the protest.
In the crowd, high school sophomore Citlalli Reyes said she feared police would engage in racial profiling if the bill becomes law.
"They're trying too hard to get rid of us," the 16-year-old Phoenix resident said.
The bill would require police to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally. It also would make it a state crime for illegal immigrants to not have alien registration documents.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-immigration_23tex.ART.State.Edition1.4c727b7.html
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
At Washington's immigration reform march, a warning from Latinos
Immigrants and activists turned out by the tens of thousands to urge President Obama to keep his campaign promises on immigration reform
By Eloise Quintanilla, Staff writer
The Christian Science Monitor
March 22, 2010
Washington — From the tens of thousands who rallied for comprehensive immigration reform in Washington on Sunday, the message to President Obama and the Democrats was clear: Make us a priority or don’t count on us in November elections.
The activists and immigrants traveled from around the country and converged on the National Mall, blocks from where House Democrats worked feverishly to secure last-minute votes for Mr. Obama’s landmark healthcare overhaul bill. Waving American flags and chanting Mr. Obama’s campaign slogan “Si se puede,” they called for legislation that would give 12 million immigrants currently residing in the US illegally a pathway to citizenship.
Obama had promised during his campaign to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority in his first year – a promise he reiterated last Thursday to Representative Gutierrez in exchange for his vote on the healthcare reform bill and again on Sunday to the crowd assembled at the Mall via a video address shown on giant screens.
“I have always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system, and that’s a commitment that I reaffirm today,” he said.
But some demonstrators, like Rigoberto Rodriguez, a Chicagoan who voted for Obama and the Democrats in 2008, were disappointed and frustrated by Obama’s lack of action on immigration.
“If he doesn’t keep his word, we’re not going to vote. He promised he would reform immigration. If there’s not reform, we won’t support him,” he said.
The march’s leadership echoed this message at a panel discussion with reporters last week, when they released a new poll by Democratic pollster Sergio Bendixen.
“What Sergio Bendixen concluded,” explained Frank Sherry, executive director of America's Voice explained in a phone conversation, “is that if Democrats don’t fight for immigration reform, there’s a chance that Latino immigrant voters will stay home in November” – a scary outcome for Democrats in key battleground states like Illinois, Colorado, and Nevada, the argument goes.
But Marc Rosenblum, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, says Latinos recognize that this is a politically difficult climate for Obama to pass immigration reform.
“That’s the ultimate card grass roots can play... It’s not an empty threat, but it’s not an immediate threat... I think Latino voters have shown that they care a lot about healthcare and jobs. Immigration is not the only thing they care about.”
He says he doesn’t think any major damage has been done to the relationship between Obama and Democrats and Latinos.
At the rally, Raquel Batista, a Colorado State University student whose parents were migrant farm workers, says it’s hard not to get impatient for change.
“It’s frustrating that we haven’t seen change. We haven’t seen what we expected. But I understand that things in the government take time.” And she says she plans on voting for Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet because of the things he’s already done for the Latino community.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0322/At-Washington-s-immigration-reform-march-a-warning-from-Latinos
By Eloise Quintanilla, Staff writer
The Christian Science Monitor
March 22, 2010
Washington — From the tens of thousands who rallied for comprehensive immigration reform in Washington on Sunday, the message to President Obama and the Democrats was clear: Make us a priority or don’t count on us in November elections.
The activists and immigrants traveled from around the country and converged on the National Mall, blocks from where House Democrats worked feverishly to secure last-minute votes for Mr. Obama’s landmark healthcare overhaul bill. Waving American flags and chanting Mr. Obama’s campaign slogan “Si se puede,” they called for legislation that would give 12 million immigrants currently residing in the US illegally a pathway to citizenship.
Obama had promised during his campaign to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority in his first year – a promise he reiterated last Thursday to Representative Gutierrez in exchange for his vote on the healthcare reform bill and again on Sunday to the crowd assembled at the Mall via a video address shown on giant screens.
“I have always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system, and that’s a commitment that I reaffirm today,” he said.
But some demonstrators, like Rigoberto Rodriguez, a Chicagoan who voted for Obama and the Democrats in 2008, were disappointed and frustrated by Obama’s lack of action on immigration.
“If he doesn’t keep his word, we’re not going to vote. He promised he would reform immigration. If there’s not reform, we won’t support him,” he said.
The march’s leadership echoed this message at a panel discussion with reporters last week, when they released a new poll by Democratic pollster Sergio Bendixen.
“What Sergio Bendixen concluded,” explained Frank Sherry, executive director of America's Voice explained in a phone conversation, “is that if Democrats don’t fight for immigration reform, there’s a chance that Latino immigrant voters will stay home in November” – a scary outcome for Democrats in key battleground states like Illinois, Colorado, and Nevada, the argument goes.
But Marc Rosenblum, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, says Latinos recognize that this is a politically difficult climate for Obama to pass immigration reform.
“That’s the ultimate card grass roots can play... It’s not an empty threat, but it’s not an immediate threat... I think Latino voters have shown that they care a lot about healthcare and jobs. Immigration is not the only thing they care about.”
He says he doesn’t think any major damage has been done to the relationship between Obama and Democrats and Latinos.
At the rally, Raquel Batista, a Colorado State University student whose parents were migrant farm workers, says it’s hard not to get impatient for change.
“It’s frustrating that we haven’t seen change. We haven’t seen what we expected. But I understand that things in the government take time.” And she says she plans on voting for Democrat Sen. Michael Bennet because of the things he’s already done for the Latino community.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0322/At-Washington-s-immigration-reform-march-a-warning-from-Latinos
Monday, March 22, 2010
200,000 Is Just the Beginning
By Janet Murguía
President and CEO NCLR (National Council of La Raza)
The Huffington Post
March 22, 2010
Yesterday, I stood in front of 200,000 very hopeful people who were in Washington asking the president and Congress to restore order and common sense to our broken immigration system. All around me, I could feel the power and energy radiating from everyday people from all backgrounds and all corners of our country who have seen first hand the devastation caused by a broken immigration system that separates families, hurts workers, undermines our economy, and goes against the values that we as Americans hold dear. We came together on the National Mall for a new beginning to our national movement.
We stood together united in our belief that America's future depends on economic justice, human rights, family unity, and reviving the American Dream for those born here and those who join us as immigrants. Labor leaders, civil rights leaders, students and young people, citizens and noncitizens, immigrants and those from families who have been in the U.S. for centuries--all spoke with one voice on the urgency of addressing the immigration issue. It is unacceptable for a country that values family, freedom, and opportunity to have an immigration system where on average 40 people are deported every hour, and an immigrant loses his or her life every day because we have failed to fix the morally bankrupt public policies that govern who can come and stay legally in our country.
We remember the promises that were made two years ago on the campaign trail that are yet to be kept. We also remember the energy and excitement in the Latino community that saw Latinos stand up and participate in our democratic process in 2008 like never before--our effect on the outcome of the elections is undeniable.
But this is not just a Latino issue. Our Black brothers and sisters stood with us too. In the Summer of 1963, they stood on practically the same expanse of grass on the National Mall where we stood Sunday, calling for justice and opportunity and for America to live up to her highest ideals. Yesterday, we stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to work together to achieve economic and social justice for all Americans.
Dozens of members of Congress took time to stand with us on this historic stage too, but we need more of them to add their voices and their votes to our cause. The 200,000 voters and future voters who stood on the Mall yesterday will hold their legislators accountable for inaction on this issue.
This campaign is just getting started, and the work will continue. Congress is receiving calls in favor of reform as we speak. Coordinated in-district visits and a scorecard of where legislators stand on this vexing issue are forthcoming, keeping the momentum and energy from yesterday's event alive. Those legislators who roadblock this issue, as well as those who choose to sand on the sidelines, will certainly be held accountable by Latino voters, the fastest-growing segment of the American electorate.
It's time for our elected leaders in Washington to stand up and be counted. The time for action is now. Two hundred thousand people stood up for comprehensive immigration reform, and this is just the beginning. It's time for our leaders in Washington to stand with us and for us and demand concrete action. Not doing so will have serious consequences for American workers, America's economy, American families, and the future of our nation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-murguia/200000-is-just-the-beginn_b_508731.html
President and CEO NCLR (National Council of La Raza)
The Huffington Post
March 22, 2010
Yesterday, I stood in front of 200,000 very hopeful people who were in Washington asking the president and Congress to restore order and common sense to our broken immigration system. All around me, I could feel the power and energy radiating from everyday people from all backgrounds and all corners of our country who have seen first hand the devastation caused by a broken immigration system that separates families, hurts workers, undermines our economy, and goes against the values that we as Americans hold dear. We came together on the National Mall for a new beginning to our national movement.
We stood together united in our belief that America's future depends on economic justice, human rights, family unity, and reviving the American Dream for those born here and those who join us as immigrants. Labor leaders, civil rights leaders, students and young people, citizens and noncitizens, immigrants and those from families who have been in the U.S. for centuries--all spoke with one voice on the urgency of addressing the immigration issue. It is unacceptable for a country that values family, freedom, and opportunity to have an immigration system where on average 40 people are deported every hour, and an immigrant loses his or her life every day because we have failed to fix the morally bankrupt public policies that govern who can come and stay legally in our country.
We remember the promises that were made two years ago on the campaign trail that are yet to be kept. We also remember the energy and excitement in the Latino community that saw Latinos stand up and participate in our democratic process in 2008 like never before--our effect on the outcome of the elections is undeniable.
But this is not just a Latino issue. Our Black brothers and sisters stood with us too. In the Summer of 1963, they stood on practically the same expanse of grass on the National Mall where we stood Sunday, calling for justice and opportunity and for America to live up to her highest ideals. Yesterday, we stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to work together to achieve economic and social justice for all Americans.
Dozens of members of Congress took time to stand with us on this historic stage too, but we need more of them to add their voices and their votes to our cause. The 200,000 voters and future voters who stood on the Mall yesterday will hold their legislators accountable for inaction on this issue.
This campaign is just getting started, and the work will continue. Congress is receiving calls in favor of reform as we speak. Coordinated in-district visits and a scorecard of where legislators stand on this vexing issue are forthcoming, keeping the momentum and energy from yesterday's event alive. Those legislators who roadblock this issue, as well as those who choose to sand on the sidelines, will certainly be held accountable by Latino voters, the fastest-growing segment of the American electorate.
It's time for our elected leaders in Washington to stand up and be counted. The time for action is now. Two hundred thousand people stood up for comprehensive immigration reform, and this is just the beginning. It's time for our leaders in Washington to stand with us and for us and demand concrete action. Not doing so will have serious consequences for American workers, America's economy, American families, and the future of our nation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-murguia/200000-is-just-the-beginn_b_508731.html
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Protest quickly staged after raid leads to 7 being detained; Casa de Maryland says Hondurans are in custody
By Liz F. Kay and Andrea F. Siegel
The Baltimore Sun
February 5, 2010
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained seven people from Honduras after a raid Thursday in Anne Arundel County, prompting a demonstration outside the Baltimore Federal Building.
ICE spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs confirmed that an enforcement action took place and that seven Hondurans were in custody.
She said that because the investigation is continuing, she could provide only limited information. Fobbs did not disclose the name of the business where the Hondurans were working or the location of the business.
Protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in Baltimore late Thursday afternoon. About 15 people held signs and shouted slogans, including, "Reform not raids" and "Stop separating families."
Leaders of Casa de Maryland, advocates for immigrants' rights, said they were told that seven males, one of them a juvenile, were taken into custody at a Hanover restaurant.
Elizabeth Alex, Casa's lead organizer for the Baltimore region, said there haven't been many workplace raids under the Obama administration. Advocates had hoped that raids would stop until comprehensive immigration reform can be achieved.
"We're unhappy we're seeing a return to Bush-era policy," Alex said.
"We would hope immigration enforcement would be reserved for people who are criminals," she said later.
The protesters hoped that the detainees would be released on their own recognizance or be permitted to meet with legal counsel within 24 hours.
Alex said that people who have been detained after raids might be given contact information for lawyers but might not necessarily reach them before they are sent to detention centers in York, Pa., or on the Eastern Shore.
"Due process is part of the foundation of this country," said Gustavo Andrade, senior organizing director of Casa de Maryland.
Lawyers for Casa waited 90 minutes in the ICE offices before they were told that they would not be allowed to meet with the detainees, Alex said.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/bal-md.raid05feb05,0,3834674.story
The Baltimore Sun
February 5, 2010
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained seven people from Honduras after a raid Thursday in Anne Arundel County, prompting a demonstration outside the Baltimore Federal Building.
ICE spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs confirmed that an enforcement action took place and that seven Hondurans were in custody.
She said that because the investigation is continuing, she could provide only limited information. Fobbs did not disclose the name of the business where the Hondurans were working or the location of the business.
Protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in Baltimore late Thursday afternoon. About 15 people held signs and shouted slogans, including, "Reform not raids" and "Stop separating families."
Leaders of Casa de Maryland, advocates for immigrants' rights, said they were told that seven males, one of them a juvenile, were taken into custody at a Hanover restaurant.
Elizabeth Alex, Casa's lead organizer for the Baltimore region, said there haven't been many workplace raids under the Obama administration. Advocates had hoped that raids would stop until comprehensive immigration reform can be achieved.
"We're unhappy we're seeing a return to Bush-era policy," Alex said.
"We would hope immigration enforcement would be reserved for people who are criminals," she said later.
The protesters hoped that the detainees would be released on their own recognizance or be permitted to meet with legal counsel within 24 hours.
Alex said that people who have been detained after raids might be given contact information for lawyers but might not necessarily reach them before they are sent to detention centers in York, Pa., or on the Eastern Shore.
"Due process is part of the foundation of this country," said Gustavo Andrade, senior organizing director of Casa de Maryland.
Lawyers for Casa waited 90 minutes in the ICE offices before they were told that they would not be allowed to meet with the detainees, Alex said.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/bal-md.raid05feb05,0,3834674.story
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Feds arrest 7 workers in raids
The Capital (Annapolis)
February 5, 2010
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials served search warrants at three county businesses Thursday, arresting seven people from Honduras.
Ernastine Fobbs, an ICE spokeswoman, said officials raided three locations late Thursday morning.
County police said officers assisted ICE at the Red Parrot Asian Bistro at 7698 Dorchester Blvd. in Hanover at about 10:30 a.m. Fobbs confirmed that ICE served one of the three warrants at that location.
Because the investigation is ongoing, Fobbs declined to identify the other two places that were raided or say how many arrests took place at each business. But she confirmed that seven people were currently in ICE custody.
Wendy Chang, owner of the Red Parrot Asian Bistro, said she did not know some of her employees were working in the country illegally. "We have a Thai chef that hired some people that we really didn't know," she said. "They told us they had the proper papers."
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in Baltimore Thursday to demand that the detained workers be allowed to speak with their attorneys, according to Tania Del Angel of Casa De Maryland.
Leaders of Casa De Maryland hoped those arrested would be released on recognizance within 24 hours.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nbh/2010/02/05-27/Arundel-Digest.html
February 5, 2010
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials served search warrants at three county businesses Thursday, arresting seven people from Honduras.
Ernastine Fobbs, an ICE spokeswoman, said officials raided three locations late Thursday morning.
County police said officers assisted ICE at the Red Parrot Asian Bistro at 7698 Dorchester Blvd. in Hanover at about 10:30 a.m. Fobbs confirmed that ICE served one of the three warrants at that location.
Because the investigation is ongoing, Fobbs declined to identify the other two places that were raided or say how many arrests took place at each business. But she confirmed that seven people were currently in ICE custody.
Wendy Chang, owner of the Red Parrot Asian Bistro, said she did not know some of her employees were working in the country illegally. "We have a Thai chef that hired some people that we really didn't know," she said. "They told us they had the proper papers."
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in Baltimore Thursday to demand that the detained workers be allowed to speak with their attorneys, according to Tania Del Angel of Casa De Maryland.
Leaders of Casa De Maryland hoped those arrested would be released on recognizance within 24 hours.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nbh/2010/02/05-27/Arundel-Digest.html
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Felony charges filed against immigration protestors
By Mike Sunnucks
Phoenix Business Journal
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has filed felony charges against immigration protestors involved in a minor skirmish with Phoenix Police at a march Jan. 16.
Thomas filed aggravated assault charges — a state felony — against the three protestors who poked at a Phoenix Police officer on a horse and threw a water bottle during the incident. The office pepper sprayed a small crowd during the incident, which occurred during protests against Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration raids and crime sweeps. Those sweeps were targeted against businesses suspected of hiring illegal immigrants.
Jeremiah Matthew Henry, 18, Sarah Grace Daniels, 23, and Issa A. Emadi, 26, were charged. Henry and Daniels are charged with poking sticks at the mounted officer. Emadi faces felony charges for tossing a water bottle at police.
The protesters insist Arpaio is unfairly targeting Hispanics in his immigration raids and crime sweeps. Arpaio denies wrongdoing.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/01/25/daily3.html
Phoenix Business Journal
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas has filed felony charges against immigration protestors involved in a minor skirmish with Phoenix Police at a march Jan. 16.
Thomas filed aggravated assault charges — a state felony — against the three protestors who poked at a Phoenix Police officer on a horse and threw a water bottle during the incident. The office pepper sprayed a small crowd during the incident, which occurred during protests against Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration raids and crime sweeps. Those sweeps were targeted against businesses suspected of hiring illegal immigrants.
Jeremiah Matthew Henry, 18, Sarah Grace Daniels, 23, and Issa A. Emadi, 26, were charged. Henry and Daniels are charged with poking sticks at the mounted officer. Emadi faces felony charges for tossing a water bottle at police.
The protesters insist Arpaio is unfairly targeting Hispanics in his immigration raids and crime sweeps. Arpaio denies wrongdoing.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/01/25/daily3.html
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