Tucson, AZ – “Que vivan los ninos! Vivan!” chanted the crowd of nearly 70 outside Tucson’s downtown public library, July 30. They convened, as one mother said, “To support the children from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who are fleeing violence, gangs and poverty.” Passersby could not miss the signs naming the causes of migration that read: “U.S. supports coups,” “U.S. fuels civil wars,” “U.S. backs militarization” and “Free Trade ruins lives.”
_Obama administration begins to speed deportations _
San José, CA – As more Central American children flee violence and poverty and seek to reunite with their families already in the U.S., anti-immigrant vigilantes are targeting buses carrying children. Republican politicians have likened the children to an invading army and have called for changing the law to allow for faster deportations.
Minneapolis, MN – Protesters confronted President Obama during an electoral-season fundraising swing through Minneapolis on June 26-27. Immigrant rights, anti-war and environmental groups protested together outside a big-money fundraiser where Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on the evening of June 26.
Tampa, FL - Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) is stalled in Congress and no one is touching it – not the Democrats, not the Republicans and not President Obama. There are currently 1100 daily deportations; with a rough estimate of one immigrant deported every 1.3 minutes. Families are being split apart every minute of every day.
Milwaukee, WI – Activists, led by Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), shut down Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in downtown here, June 19. At 6:00 a.m. ten activists chained their arms together through PVC piping and sat in front of the building’s garage doors to block ICE vehicles from leaving to arrest more people. Recently, the immigration raids have started somewhere between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. About 100 people rallied in support of the chained together activists, in front of the garage doors.
Milwaukee, WI – Activists, led by Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), shut down Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in downtown here, June 19. At 6:00 a.m. ten activists chained their arms together through PVC piping and sat in front of the building’s garage doors to block ICE vehicles from leaving to arrest more people. Recently, the immigration raids have started somewhere between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. About 100 people rallied in support of the chained together activists, in front of the garage doors.
Sheriff Stanek announces Hennepin County Jail won’t cooperate with ICE hold requests
Minneapolis, MN – On June 11, Hennepin County Sheriff Stanek announced that the Hennepin County Jail will no longer honor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests, or “ICE holds”, which have resulted in countless deportations against immigrants who are guilty of no crime. The announcement is an about-face for Sheriff Stanek, who in the past has supported close police-immigration collaboration and has campaigned for harsher immigration enforcement in the state legislature. The change in policy for Minnesota’s largest jail follows four years of grassroots pressure from the No More Deportations campaign organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), as well as pressure from many other community organizations, lawyers, and from immigrant families who have spoken out about their experience with deportation.
Minneapolis, MN – Chanting, “Stanek says deportation! We say no!” 30 immigrant rights activists protested outside Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek’s reelection campaign fundraiser here June 4. Protesters marched around the busy downtown intersection of Nicollet and 9th Street for an hour, while chanting, handing out flyers and engaging the public. Stanek’s fundraiser was inside at the Minneapolis Downtown Council office. Two activists tried to enter Sheriff Stanek’s fundraiser but were immediately confronted by police, threatened with arrest and kicked out.
