St. Paul, MN – On February 19, the House Subcommittee on Local Government voted to pass House File 3060. HF 3060 is a bill that would end contracts that local jails in Minnesota have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people facing civil immigration charges. Currently several county jails in Minnesota have contracts with ICE to hold hundreds of immigrants facing deportation.

The bill, sponsored by democrat Representative Fue Lee, who represents part of north Minneapolis, will now advance to the Government Operations Committee.

Before voting on the bill, the committee heard testimony from members of Sanctuary and Resistance to Injustice (SARI), the Sanctuary State Coalition, Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM) and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). After hearing their testimony, the committee voted to pass the bill.

In the face of the Trump administration’s relentless attacks on immigrants, this bill is one of several supported by the movement fighting to make Minnesota a sanctuary state.

#StPaulMN #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC #HouseFile3060

Minneapolis, MN – People holding signs reading, “Municipal ID for all” and “Sanctuary now!” packed into the Minneapolis City Council Public Health, Environment and Civil Rights Committee hearing November 26. They came to give testimony and to encourage the city council to create a Minneapolis Municipal ID.

Dozens of Minneapolis residents spoke to their need for an ID due to immigration status, gender identity, housing instability, age and other reasons. After hearing the testimony, the committee voted unanimously in favor of creating a Minneapolis Municipal ID. The vote of approval from the committee forwards the ordinance to the full city council for a final vote on December 7.

The immigrant rights movement has led the push for creating municipal IDs in cities around the country, especially within states where immigrants are excluded from obtaining drivers licenses or other official government identification.

Speakers at the hearing talked about how the lack of an ID makes everyday interactions difficult or impossible, like picking up medical prescriptions, picking up kids from school, renting an apartment, or opening a bank account.

Most importantly, any interaction with police is dangerous when you can’t identify who you are; in such cases police will often arrest a person and bring them in to jail for booking to fingerprint and identify them even if they have done nothing wrong. Once in the criminal justice system, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) often intervenes and starts deportation proceedings against someone who can’t prove their immigration status. This is a large source of the skyrocketing deportation rates over the past decade.

In response, several cities around the U.S. have created a municipal ID in recent years to extend the democratic right of an official identification to people who are excluded or discriminated against with other types of official identification because of immigration status, gender, housing stability, age or other issues.

The campaign for a Minneapolis Municipal ID has been pushed forward by community-based organizations like the Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM), the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), among many others.

MIRAC launched a Sanctuary Platform in September 2017, which included 13 things the Minneapolis city council could do to protect Minneapolis immigrant residents from the Trump administration’s attacks. One of the biggest points on the platform is the creation of a Municipal ID. So far, the city has implemented at least four of the platform planks, and is one vote away from creating a Municipal ID.

This is a significant step toward a victory for democratic rights of all Minneapolis residents. The next steps in the process are budget hearings and then the full city council vote on December 7. MIRAC, MIM and others are mobilizing for a large community presence for the December 7 vote.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MunicipalID #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommitteeMIRAC

Milwaukee, WI – Voces de la Frontera, Youth Empowered in the Struggle and community members protested at the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services building in downtown here, May 29, to condemn the May 27 immigration raids. About 22 people were picked up and arrested at their homes and workplaces in the raids.

The immigration sweep was carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cooperation with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). The sweep was executed systematically, digging into government archives in order to find any excuse to validate the arrests. The victims that were picked up by the MPD were accused of bogus and irrelevant charges and included cases which had already been closed.

The community members detained by the MPD are in diverse stages of the deportation process, with some of them already in the Juno, Wisconsin Detention center and some others in county jail on an ICE hold. After the arrests, MPD officers prevented any type of direct communication between the detainees and their loved ones or their lawyers. Eventually, lawyers were allowed to directly communicate with the detainees as their cases progressed.

The actions carried out by ICE occurred due to a federal quota system known as the ‘bed mandate’, where all detention center beds need to be occupied.

Community members at the rally condemned ICE’s and MPD’s actions and described them as variously as violent, unfair, appalling, inexcusable, inhumane and terroristic.

“The raids happened at people’s homes in front of their families,” Cynthia Tellez, one of the attendees and member of Youth Empowered in the Struggle, commented on the incident. “How can this be done in the name of [national] security? That’s inhumane!”

Another target of furious chants and speeches was the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and other liberal organizations which are asking president Obama to delay any type of executive action to stop or reduce deportations. SEIU’s statement coincides with the same day the sweep happened.

“The SEIU have sold out the movement in an attempt to win over the right wing on this issue. In the meantime, more than a thousand a day will continue to be deported,” said Sean Orr, a local immigrant rights activist. “Organized labor needs to support legalization for all, not more delays.”

The organizers of the rally plan on continue the fight to free the 22 detainees and to prevent any more immigration raids. They have scheduled call-ins for the coming days. Here is the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/478322572314345/

#MilwaukeeWI #immigrantRights #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #VocesDeLaFrontera #NoMasDeportaciones

Asheville, NC – Amidst the backdrop of continuing congressional inaction on immigration reform, over 100 community members gathered at Saint Lawrence Basilica and marched to the courthouse, demanding an end to deportations and full legalization for all families. The Asheville chapter of Coalición de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas (COLA) joined over 80 cities taking part in a National Day of Action to End Deportations on April 5, organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON).

With patience worn thin from discarded political promises, the marchers chanted “Hey Obama, don't deport my mama!” Protesters held signs that said “Liberation not deportation” and “ICE out of our communities,” with the hashtags #Not1More and #2Million2Many. Several speakers relayed their experiences dealing with the deportation of family members.

“More than 1000 people are being deported every day and President Obama has the authority and the power – he can definitely do what’s right,” said Bruno Hinojosa, a member of COLA. Speakers explained that, despite promises to take action on behalf of immigrants, President Obama has instead functioned as deporter-in-chief.

#AshevilleNC #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #immigrationRights #legalizationForAll #borderRepression #NoMasDeportaciones

The Legalization For All (L4A) network is initiating an all-hands-on-deck, national push for Deferred Action to apply to all undocumented immigrants! Now.

This coming Thursday, October 3, 2013 we are calling on President Barack Obama to make an executive decision: Make Deferred Action apply to all 11 million undocumented immigrants!

June 27, 2013, L4A strongly condemned the inclusion of the Corker-Hoever amendment in the Senate 2013 Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) Bill. On that same day, the U.S. Senate passed the Corker-Hoever amendment by a 68 to 32 margin. The Corker-Hoever amendment would increase militarization on the border, expand the E-verify workplace enforcement, and try to track the more than one hundred and fifty million people who enter the United States each year. This same amendment called for an additional $46 billion to further militarize the border, including 20,000 more border patrol officers, hundreds of miles of new fencing, and mandates use of military technology. Attacks such as these would mainly be felt by Mexicans and Central Americans trying to cross the border, leading to even more deaths.

Friday, September 20, 2013 the mainstream media announced that the CIR 2013 would not be brought up in the House of Representatives. During the lead up to this announcement, efforts around the country were being made to pressure Republicans to act. L4A organized National Call-In days pressuring Representative John Boehner, Republican Representative Paul Ryan and Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

In Arizona, a group of young leaders took to the streets and stopped a Detention Center bus from deporting a bus-full of immigrants. They didn't let it go anywhere. In Minneapolis, immigrant rights activists demanded a stop the deportations at the Hennepin County Jail. In Tampa, an immigrant rights caravan joined with the community and protested Marco Rubio. Los Angeles community members fought back against the use of neighborhood blockades by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).

When President Barack Obama stated he had no intention of stopping the deportations of DACA (Deferred Action for Child Arrivals) recipient's parents, Obama chose to take a stand against the people. All 11 million undocumented also need a Deferred Action or an executive decision by the President to stop the daily, deportations of immigrants. We cannot let our families continue to be torn apart. These attacks on our communities and the silent raids of our homes and work-places is not how we want to continue living. We will not sit back and let these attacks continue. Enough is enough.

It is also important to remember that while DA is our best option given that CIR 2013 is stalled, it is up to us, the people to demand what is most beneficial to us. This includes and is not limited to our L4A pillars:

1. Legalization Now! The current Senate bill has a ten-year wait for undocumented to become legal permanent residents. This and other barriers will exclude many from legalization.

2. No more militarization of the border! No drones! Right now hundreds of immigrants are dying trying to cross the border because the militarization of the border drives people to harsh desert areas. The current Senate bill will lead to military drones flying over millions of Americans who live within 100 miles of the border, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With the U.S. government already tracking our phone calls and emails, we do not want drones watching us around the clock.

3. Stop the Deportations! Under the Obama administration, there are record numbers of deportations. There should be a moratorium on deportations while the legalization process is starting. Why should the government deport more people and tear apart families who will become legal residents?

Join us. Invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/671834526162295/

L4A: http://legalizationforall.wordpress.com/

#UnitedStates #immigrantRights #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #legalizationForAll #LegalizationForAllNetwork

Charlotte, NC – On July 17, the day of Uriel Alberto’s scheduled meeting with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and likely deportation, Alberto received a phone call and was told his order of ‘Stay of Removal’ had been approved.

What started off as a simple demonstration against reactionary anti-immigration policies, turned into a year-long struggle against Uriel Alberto’s ICE-enforced deportation process. In Raleigh, on Feb. 29, 2012, immigrant rights group El Cambio crashed a House Committee meeting on immigration issues, resulting in Alberto standing up and ripping off his outer shirt, revealing an undershirt reading, “Undocumented and Unafraid!”

Alberto was detained for his actions, sparking a ten-day hunger strike against his imprisonment. He was eventually released, but from then on ICE has been scheduling a year-long process in deporting him back to Mexico because of his unwillingness to do so voluntarily.

On July 4, what many in the United States mark as their Independence Day, Alberto launched a hunger strike against his scheduled deportation in front of the ICE office here in Charlotte. A petition was subsequently launched, calling for the U.S. House of Representatives to call off their hunt, reaching over 400 signers.

As was suggested by friends and family, Alberto began calling for an order of ‘Stay of Removal’ as July 17 kept getting closer and closer. Since then, it’s now been approved. A ‘Stay of Removal’ isn’t a permanent solution, but it would allow Alberto to remain in the country until the immigration court is able to sort out any legal issues and then bring back up his deportation case. For now, his deportation has been postponed.

When asked of the campaign’s temporary success, Alberto said, “Well I feel blessed with all the support from loved ones and strangers alike. Though I also feel some remorse because I feel there are others a lot more deserving perhaps, that have not been as lucky as I am. I’m glad to be able to stay in the country, but this “Stay of Removal” does not allow or give me any rights. This is part of the new immigrant working class that the Federal Government is creating, but it is a small victory in a long battle, and I’m ready to put it behind me and keep moving forward. Hopefully we will be able to apply for DACA now, because previously the government had advised us to not apply.”

Given the nationwide struggle for immigrant rights, and the subsequent call for ‘Legalization for All’, Alberto wished to speak to all those who are fighting the same struggle. “My one piece of advice to everyone,” he says, “is to fight until the end. To not give up, to not self-deport, but to fight your cases until the end!”

#CharlotteNC #deportations #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #immigrationRights #ElCambio #legalizationForAll #UrielAlberto

Charlotte, NC – On July 4, father and head of household Uriel Alberto sat in front of Immigration and Customs Enforcement office here to partake in a hunger strike against his scheduled deportation on July 17. The hunger strike was temporarily suspended for him to join his family and friends in Winston-Salem who demonstrated against his deportation, but will return to Charlotte on July 8 to continue his hunger strike.

What started off as a simple demonstration against reactionary anti-immigration policies, turned into a year-long struggle against Uriel Alberto’s ICE-enforced deportation process. In Raleigh, on Feb. 29, 2012, immigrant rights group El Cambio crashed a House Committee meeting on immigration issues, resulting in Alberto standing up and ripping off his outer shirt, revealing an undershirt reading, “Undocumented and Unafraid!”

Alberto was detained for his actions, sparking a ten-day hunger strike against his imprisonment. He was eventually released, but from then on ICE has been scheduling a year-long process in deporting him back to Mexico because of his unwillingness to do so voluntarily.

Alberto has been in this country since he was seven. He’s the father of two children and provides for them financially. His deportation won’t just affect him as an individual with rights, it will affect his whole family, if the reactionary rightists get their way.

Giovanna Vargas, member of Yadkinville chapter of El Cambio, has started a petition, calling for the U.S. House of Representatives to end the hunt against undocumented immigrants, and in particular Uriel Alberto. The petition can be accessed here: http://www.change.org/petitions/john-morton-luis-guti%C3%A9rrez-help-stop-the-deportation-of-devoted-father-and-head-of-household

Giovanna says in relation to the current situation, “Uriel's case is one of many. Families are torn apart every day; perfectly good parents are taken from their children. Their children are then placed into institutions, when they actually have parents who love them and want to care for them. This immigration reform makes the system worse – it further criminalizes those families who want nothing more but a safe and better future.”

She continues, “North Carolina legislators have a huge fight on their hands, because organizers like myself, and more people from our communities are watching, we are resisting and we will keep fighting against the powers that be.”

So show your solidarity to Uriel Alberto by signing the petition, sharing it amongst friends and family, and join with Alberto in Charlotte, in front of the ICE office, in hunger strike against his deportation.

No more deportations! Legalization for all! ¡No a las deportaciones! ¡Legalización para todos!

#CharlotteNC #deportations #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #immigrationRights #ElCambio #legalizationForAll #UrielAlberto

Los Angeles, CA – On May 29, members and supporters of the Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC) held a picket and protest in front of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Los Angeles office. SCIC opposes major elements of the current U.S. Senate immigration proposal. They presented the following demands to Sen. Feinstein:

—Oppose the inclusion of a ten-year waiting period to apply for legal residency, and the three additional years of application process for citizenship;

—Oppose increasing border militarization;

—Oppose creating a mandatory E-Verify for employment; and

—Oppose expanding temporary worker programs.

The SCIC views these provisions as punitive and as efforts to sneak in ‘guest worker’ programs, under a new name. In contrast to the senate proposal, California immigrant rights leaders demand, “Legalization for all; oppose expanding guest worker programs and bring an end to the ICE deportations, now.”

The rally included members of Bayan USA, Centro CSO, UdB and Arise Youth.

A delegation, including longtime Chicano activist Carlos Montes, entered the office to deliver a message to the senator, who was not to be found. The senator’s staff handed out an old press release in which Feinstein takes credit for the inclusion of an agricultural workers’ program with a five-year limit. This primarily benefits the large agribusiness corporations that make massive profits from mostly Mexican farmworkers in the hot California fields.

SCIC is calling on people to continue the struggle and have your voices heard by joining a protest during President Barack Obama’s Los Angeles visit on June 7.

#LosAngelesCA #immigrantRights #SouthernCaliforniaImmigrationCoalition #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #legalizationForAll #SenatorFeinstein

Phoenix, AZ – Thunderous voices of more than 120 people echoed through Phoenix on May 29 as protesters marched to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, demanding the release of Bertha Hernandez and an end to deportations of undocumented immigrants. Students, counselors and teachers from Carl Hayden High School joined immigrant rights activists in the streets to protest the detention of Hernandez and other immigrants.

ICE agents stopped Hernandez, a mother of five, at the Arizona-California border in November 2012. Though Hernandez lived in the U.S. for more than 16 years – raising five children, all whom are U.S. citizens – ICE took her into custody and placed her in Eloy Detention Center. The for-profit Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) runs Eloy. Hernandez has no criminal record. She immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador seeking political asylum. She currently faces deportation, which will effectively break up her long-established family.

Organizer Beto Soto of Puente, a grassroots organization of immigrant rights activists, said in an interview about the case, “Jennifer’s mother has been held in Eloy Detention Center since November. Given that she applied for asylum in the U.S., and given Arizona does not have an asylum case manager, her case has yet to be heard from an expert.” Soto called this “an injustice, in no uncertain terms.”

Puente linked up with the Hernandez family to organize the rally, demanding Hernandez’s release from Eloy Detention Center and an end to the deportations. Hernandez’s case drew widespread community support from Chicanos, Central Americans and Mexicans in Maricopa County. Importantly for students and parents, Phoenix Union High School District Superintendent Kent P. Scribner and Carl Hayden High School approved of the protest organized by their students and the children of Bertha Hernandez.

The rally began mid-morning in Steele Indian School Park, where protesters gathered to hear about Hernandez’s case. Speakers outlined the day’s plan and then protesters marched off to the ICE office in Phoenix to voice their demands directly to the officials responsible for Hernandez’s detention. Chanting “No more deportations!”, protesters congregated outside the building to hear testimony and speeches from Hernandez’s family and others who face racist repression.

In front of the crowd, Jennifer Hernandez, Bertha’s daughter and a student at Carl Hayden High School, demanded, “Release my mom! She did not commit any crime.” She gave a powerful speech about the impact of her mother’s detention and the stress caused to the family by not knowing if she will be deported. Hernandez also spoke about the breakup of hundreds of thousands of families, “We need to stop deportation in general.”

ICE officials refused to meet with the protesters regarding Hernandez’s case.

Since the 2010 passage of Arizona’s SB 1070, which allows law enforcement to practice blatant racial profiling, Arizona remains a major battleground in the struggle for immigrant rights. The notorious Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, facing a recall campaign, was found guilty of racial profiling by a U.S. Federal District Judge on May 24. Arpaio’s abusive and racist reputation as the most anti-immigrant sheriff in the U.S. leads to the detention and deportation of people like Hernandez. However, there is a strong and growing fightback movement in Arizona and nationally, aiming to defeat Arpaio, ICE and deportations.

“The systematic attacks on families in Maricopa County are being met with the organizing efforts of students, teachers and parents,” said Soto. “Deportations affect the academic lives of students, our Chicano and Latino communities and the future of Arizona.”

All over the U.S. this week, immigrant rights activists raised the demand, “Stop the deportations! Legalization for all!” by taking direct action. “Cases like Hernandez’s highlight the need for a truly comprehensive immigration reform that provides legalization for all undocumented people,” said Soto.

Puente and other immigrant rights groups plan for further action to stop the deportation of Bertha Hernandez. On June 14, Puente and Hernandez’s family will attend Sheriff Arpaio’s hearing on the federal court ruling and demand his immediate resignation.

#PhoenixAZ #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #Arizona #immigrationRights #legalizationForAll #BerthaHernandez #Puente

Miami, FL – Over 2000 people marched here, April 6, demanding legalization for undocumented workers and calling for an end to the deportations of immigrants. Young and old, undocumented and documented, workers and students came together in order to push local and national policy makers, including President Obama, into immediate action.

The rally included members of Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), SEIU, UNITE HERE, Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Florida Immigrant Youth Network, and Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami (Haitian Women of Miami). These groups are among dozens calling for Florida's roughly 1 million undocumented workers to be treated fairly

The march began at noon in Jose Marti Park, located at the center of Little Havana in Miami. Leaders took to the stage and fired up the crowd with speeches directed toward President Obama and Florida Senator Marco Rubio ®, demanding that they “Say yes!” to immigrant rights.

Large numbers of undocumented Haitian and Central Americans joined the protest. Many are service workers in Miami or farm workers throughout Florida. These workers attended the rally seeking justice for their families and equal treatment in their workplace. Throughout the event, activists chanted and gave speeches in Spanish, Haitian Creole and English. In Haitian Creole, the crowd shouted, “Rezidans, wi! Depòtasyon, non!” Meaning, “Residence, yes! Deportation, no!”

Local leaders Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and Catholic Archbishop Thomas Wenski spoke out for immigrant justice. Archbishop Wenski, addressing the crowd in Spanish and Haitian Creole, pointed out that most of those in attendance were members of his parish. He declared that the government must not simply pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill, but a “just one.”

Several immigrants spoke about their families being separated due to current immigration policies. A tear-filled plea from a young immigrant from Nicaragua gripped the crowd. Marbelis Soza explained how her brother was seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) and is currently being detained. He will be the fourth member of her family to be deported.

Raina Laham, an organizer with People's Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR), was at the rally holding a sign that read, “Immigrants in, drones out,” as part of an anti-drone campaign in South Florida. “Not only are drones being used to kill innocents abroad,” Laham said, “but they also threaten civil liberties and lives at home by turning our borders into war zones.” Predator drones are currently being used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency — largely along the southwestern border.

After an hour at the park, the activists began a 20-block march through the heart of Downtown Miami holding signs that read: “Keep families together,” “Undocumented and unafraid,” and “We all have a dream.” As the massive group took to the streets, cars honked in approval and locals cheered from their windows and storefronts. An hour later, the marchers arrived at the Torch of Friendship in Downtown Miami, where a stage was set up and Afro-Caribbean band Bachaco played.

As the rally drew to a close and the last speeches delivered, the activists in attendance left ready to continue the struggle for immigrant rights. Some groups are travelling to Washington D.C. for a national demonstration for immigrant justice on April 10.

#MiamiFL #ImmigrantsRights #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #drones #legalizationForAll #borderRepression

Due to mass outrage, Andiola’s mother and brother have been released from custody Andiola’s mother had been placed on a bus to Mexico, when the bus driver received a phone call and made a U-turn. The bus driver then explained to Andiola’s mother that her daughter had successfully organized the entire country to stop her deportation.

Later, after Andiola’s brother was released, he reported that ICE showed him a large file they had on his sister. This is an attempt at intimidation.

For years, Erika Andiola has been taking a stand against the oppression visited upon her and millions of other immigrants. Andiola is known for her aggressive manner in confronting politicians. From Arizona Sheriff Arpaio to Mitt Romney, Erika Andiola has been there to directly ask, “Why continue immigrant oppression?”

Immigrant rights activists like Erika Andiola demonstrate how ICE and other repressive forces will not silence those who advocate for justice. In a country that does not recognize undocumented immigrants as – first and foremost – people, immigrant rights activists represent the demand for full legalization for all.

President Obama won his reelection in part due to his platform for changes to the current immigration laws. In 2012, under Obama's presidency, more than 400,000 immigrants were deported.

Activists and the immigrant population know President Obama will not push for what is truly needed: legalization for all. So it is up to us to continue with direct resistance. Stand up, fight back!

#TampaFL #deportations #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #ErikaAndiola

Los Angeles, CA – Immigrant rights organizations staged a press conference here July 12, to demand that Sheriff Lee Baca stop cooperating with the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ‘Secure Communities’ program. The Secure Communities program has resulted in the repression of thousands of immigrants. The press conference was organized by the National Day Labors Organizing Network. Participants included representatives from CARCEN Day Labor Center, ACLU, Pomona Day Labor Center, Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC) and CHIRLA.

Pablo Alvarado, with National Day Labors Organizing Network, said the L.A. County jail under Sheriff Baca deports more people per year than Arizona’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Alvarado also said that when President Obama was looking to push Secure Communities, he wanted Sheriff Baca’s support, because Los Angeles is trend-setting city.

Carlos Montes spoke on behalf of the Southern California Immigration Coalition, demanding that Sheriff Baca stop collaborating with ICE and that Baca support the Trust Act legislation. The Trust Act, which already passed in the California Senate, allows local police to not honor ICE detainer requests. This would prevent the deportation of thousands of mostly Mexican immigrants.

Montes also stated that SCIC has been organizing against the police department’s car checkpoints and car impounds, and in support of street vendors. “The police/ICE collaboration causes the detention and deportation of immigrants for minor infractions like traffic violations or street vending, not serious crimes. Many of these police actions are in poor Mexican/Chicano and Black communities – which led to more racial profiling. This leads to distrust of local police for fear of detention and deportation and separation from families,” says Montes.

#LosAngelesCA #immigrantRights #CarlosMontes #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #SecureCommunities #SheriffBaca #SComm #NationalDayLaborsOrganizingNetwork

Saint Paul, MN – Amidst the flurry of budget cuts hastily pushed through on July 19 and signed on July 20 on the 20th day of the state government shutdown, immigrant rights activists claimed one victory and one defeat amidst the chaos.

The victory is that the Secure Communities deportation program was not included in the final Public Safety/Judiciary budget bill. This makes Minnesota one of the states that continues to refuse to implement the controversial fingerprint-sharing deportation program that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Obama administration are trying to implement nationwide. It was recently revealed that the program has a behind-the-scenes push from the FBI, which is hungry to universalize such programs that gather biometric data on as many people as possible.

The absence of the Secure Communities program from the Public Safety bill was a reversal from the version of the bill that passed at the end of the legislative session in late May. About a week before the Minnesota legislative session ended, Sen. Ortman ® snuck the deportation program into SF1143, an omnibus bill, with no debate, discussion or committee hearings, and it quickly passed with an unanimous 57-0 vote. Then just before the end of the session, Secure Communities was transferred into SF958, the Public Safety bill, which the legislature passed just before the session ended on May 23. However, on May 24, Governor Dayton vetoed SF958, along with all the other budget bills.

According to Anh Pham of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc), “Preventing Secure Communities deportation program from being implemented in Minnesota is a victory. Because of this, there will be fewer families torn apart over the next year. The No More Deportations campaign will continue working to stop the other deportation programs that are already separating families in Minnesota. Even one separated family is too many.”

The setback for immigrant rights this session is that the national E-Verify program was inserted into the State Government Finance bill. The new law says that any company with contracts with the state of Minnesota over $50,000 will need to use E-Verify to screen their workers for immigration status. In 2008 Governor Pawlenty implemented this same policy administratively through an executive order. When Dayton became governor last year, he decided to let this and another of Pawlenty’s anti-immigrant executive orders expire without renewing them. According to Anh Pham, “It was a step forward when Gov. Dayton let Pawlenty’s anti-immigrant executive orders expire. Now it’s a step back to have the unreliable and unfair e-verify program put into law in Minnesota. The Republican leadership and Governor Dayton shouldn't have done this.”

Battle over Cuts and Taxing the Rich Led to Shutdown

At the end of the regular legislative session in May, Governor Dayton’s vetoed all the Republican-crafted budget bills that contained severe budget cuts with no new revenue. Dayton instead favored an approach of keeping some budget cuts, but cutting less severely by raising taxes on the richest 2% of Minnesota. The Republicans wouldn’t budge from their all-cuts and ‘no new taxes’ pledge, protecting the richest 2% of Minnesotans from paying even a tiny bit more in taxes while the budgets for education, transit, health and human services programs are gutted. This impasse led to the state government shutdown on July 1.

In mid-July Gov. Dayton finally gave in to the obstinate Republicans, announcing he would accept their June 30 budget proposal made right before the shutdown. This led to a sudden and furious push by the governor and the Republican legislative leadership to hastily rewrite all nine budget bills behind closed doors, without debate or time for public review, at the special legislative session that Gov. Dayton initiated on July 19 with only a couple hours notice.

The Health and Human Services bill has severe cuts. Among other things, $58 million are taken from TANF funds designated for poor people. According to Linden Gawboy of the Welfare Rights Committee, “TANF is supposed to be used for poor families, but because they didn't tax the rich, they had to steal from the poorest of the poor.” Education, transit and other key services are not spared either.

One Front in the State-by-State Battle Over Immigrant Rights

In the absence of national immigrant rights legislation, battles are being fought state-by-state. Over the last few years, deportations that separate immigrant families have increased around the country to levels not seen even under the Bush administration. Secure Communities is a program that is responsible for a large part of this increase in deportations. States opt in to the ICE program, and then force counties to connect booking information from county jails to a federal database used by both ICE and the FBI. ICE claims that Secure Communities focuses on deporting “dangerous criminals”. But over 70% of the people deported under Secure Communities have not been convicted of any crime or have only been convicted of minor traffic-type offenses.

While harsh anti-immigrant laws are being passed in states like Arizona, Georgia and Alabama, immigrant rights activists have struck back against repressive ICE programs in other states. Specifically ICE and the Obama administration are on the defensive around the country about the Secure Communities deportation program. Illinois, Massachusetts and New York announced they want to get out of the program. California’s Assembly voted to allow it’s counties to opt out if they want to. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus came out against it as well as many other congresspeople. Dozens of counties and cities around the country have also tried to opt out of Secure Communities.

In response, ICE told states and counties that they can not opt out, but this just caused more states and counties to say they don’t want to participate. In damage control mode as more states abandoned ship, the Obama administration finally announced in mid-June that they would make minor reforms to the embattled program. But most activist groups see this as too little too late. Dozens of immigrant rights and civil liberties organizations jointly signed a letter to ICE director John Morton on July 20 condemning their inadequate review and reforms of Secure Communities, and instead demanding that a moratorium be called to halt the program entirely.

#SaintPaulMN #ICE #deportations #MIRAc #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee #NoMoreDeportationsCampaign #SecureCommunities #GovernorMarkDayton #governmentShutdown #everify

St. Paul, MN – On April 14, immigrant rights activists in Minnesota celebrated a victory as Governor Mark Dayton announced he would not pursue an Executive Order collaborating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on deportations and enforcement programs.

Earlier on April 5, Governor Dayton announced he would let two Executive Orders concerning immigration enforcement left over from former Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty expire and that he would spend about a week deciding whether to pursue any new executive orders regarding immigration.

The first order he let expire was Pawlenty’s order mandating employers with state contracts to check new employees using the E-Verify federal immigration database. The second order was one that directed state agencies to pursue cooperation with ICE to carry out deportations and other punitive enforcement wherever possible, including the Criminal Alien Program (CAP) and 287g agreements with the Department of Public Safety, among other things. CAP is responsible for many deportations in Minnesota and is implemented in the county jails. 287g is a program that trains police officers to act both as local police and as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents.

When former Governor Pawlenty, who is now running for the Republican presidential nomination, announced the immigration enforcement executive orders in January 2008, it touched off a firestorm of protests and criticisms. Most considered the executive orders to be little more than divide-and-conquer political grandstanding in an election year, yet the orders had a real effect in making life more difficult for immigrants in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee ( MIRAc) is waging a No More Deportations campaign which aims to stop Minnesota and its counties from collaborating with ICE deportation programs like CAP, 287g and Secure Communities. MIRAc put out a statement encouraging people to call Governor Dayton to demand that he not pursue any further collaboration with ICE on deportation or enforcement programs.

According to Niger Arevalo of MIRAc, “It’s good that Governor Dayton didn’t renew Pawlenty’s anti-immigrant executive orders. But this is just the beginning – immigrant workers are still being deported and families are being separated at an alarming rate in Minnesota and this has to stop now. The No More Deportations campaign wants to make sure that Governor Dayton does not implement the so-called Secure Communities deportation program. And we’re calling on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to vote to stop cooperating with ICE through the Criminal Alien Program. We encourage people to join our campaign to stop deportations in Minnesota.”

#SaintPaulMN #InJusticeSystem #ICE #MIRAc #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee #287g #CriminalAlienProgram #NoMoreDeportationsCampaign #SecureCommunities #GovernorMarkDayton

The youth were protesting the new law banning undocumented immigrant youth from accessing higher education in Georgia. In a statement issued through TheDreamIsComing.com, one of the protesters, Georgina Perez, said, “We had a simple request of the president; do not comply with the ban on undocumented youth. Instead of hearing us out, when trying to deliver a letter [on April 5], the door was almost shut on us.”

While ICE agents interviewed the youth at the beginning of their detention, ICE did not move to place them in deportation proceedings.

“We wanted to challenge the system and the system completely broke down,” said Viridiana Martinez, one of the protesters. “It was a victory in that it proved that even in the South, in the state that holds the biggest detention center, undocumented youth took a stand and faced deportation and the system broke down.”

When asked about the connections between the struggles for immigrants rights in North Carolina and Georgia, Martinez told Fight Back!, “We came into this understanding the connections with North Carolina and Georgia. This is the South which historically has oppressed people of color and continues to oppress people of color.”

Martinez continued, “The immigrant youth movement needed to take a stand and to make that statement here in the South. You hear all this stuff about Arizona, but you rarely hear about North Carolina, South Carolina or Georgia. And things are only getting worse after the DREAM Act failed. There’s been no relief for our community, just more enforcement.”

Martinez emphasized, “Fear is the biggest weapon of the anti-immigrants,” and urged other undocumented youth to come out of the shadows and take a stand.

With bans on education pending in the North Carolina legislature – HB 11 and HB 343, introduced by Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow) – the struggle to demand justice for undocumented youth will escalate in the coming weeks and months. Martinez concluded, “It’s no longer about advocates speaking for us, but it’s about acting – taking a stance through actions. That’s what we’re bringing back home.”

#AtlantaGA #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #DREAMAct #NCDreamTeam #TheDreamIsComing #RepGeorgeCleveland

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 19 activists from the No More Deportations campaign brought their message to the New York Plaza shopping center on Lake Street in Minneapolis. In the Latino market, activists explained the campaign to weekend shoppers and signed up dozens of people on the petition to stop deportations in Hennepin County.

The No More Deportations campaign is an all-volunteer effort to stop deportations in Hennepin County. They are organizing community outreach and education activities like this to explain how immigrants can exercise their rights and be part of the struggle to stop deportations that tear apart families and communities.

Many shoppers stopped to listen as activists explained about the No More Deportations campaign. The campaign aims to stop Hennepin County Jails from cooperating with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the so-called Criminal Alien Program (CAP). The campaign also aims to block the so-called Secure Communities program from being implemented in Hennepin County. It’s not here yet, but the Obama administration wants to implement it nationwide by 2013. These programs, along with 287g, are responsible for the majority of deportations under the Obama administration.

Under the CAP program, during the jail booking process people are asked where they’re from, and if they’re immigrants their file is flagged so that ICE comes to interview them and possibly start the deportation process, even if the person is never charged with or convicted of a crime. Likewise, under the Secure Communities program, people are fingerprinted when they are booked into jail, and their fingerprints are run through a national database to see if they should be deported. County jails are not obligated to participate in these deportation programs. The No More Deportations campaign aims to convince the Hennepin County Commissioners to vote to cut off these programs.

At New York Plaza, four activists with the campaign did a street theater to demonstrate that immigrants should exercise their right to not talk to the police or let the police into their house without a warrant, because they could end up getting deported. Christian performed a spoken word decrying the government for its repression against immigrants and all oppressed people and Niger explained the Secure Communities and Criminal Alien Programs, encouraging people to get involved in the campaign to demand that the Hennepin County Commissioners stop these programs.

The No More Deportations campaign was initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc), a Twin Cities-based immigrant rights group fighting for legalization and full equality for immigrants.

#MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #MIRAc #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #Deportation #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee #CriminalAlienProgram #NoMoreDeportationsCampaign #SecureCommunities #CAP

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 14, Juan and Maria, two workers from Chipotle Mexican Restaurant who are Mexican immigrants, spoke out at a press conference after being fired as part of a statewide immigration sweep. Over 20 other fired Chipotle workers stood by them as they told what has happened over the past week and presented their demands to Chipotle Mexican Restaurant and to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Starting on Dec. 6, more than 80 workers have been fired at Chipotle Mexican restaurants around the state in coordinated immigration-related firings. The firings of Latino immigrants appear to be ongoing, since Latino workers in several locations say they are being asked to train in new white workers who they fear will become their replacements once the training is complete, as happened in several of the stores where firings have already occurred.

Despite repeated attempts from the fired workers and from the media to find out what’s going on, both Chipotle and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have refused to explain why the workers are being fired. ICE has made no statement and Chipotle only released a terse one-sentence statement saying they were cooperating with an ICE request for documents.

According to a statement from the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc), which is working with Chipotle workers, multiple Latino workers were fired at the Chipotle restaurants on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul; at Lake Calhoun, Seven Corners and Downtown skyway in Minneapolis; in the Minnesota cities of Golden Valley, Coon Rapids, Richfield, Stillwater and Saint Cloud and in Hudson, Wisconsin. Firings at other stores have been reported but not verified. The total number fired is more than 80, and likely more than 100, but activists say the exact number is difficult to know since Chipotle won’t even acknowledge the firings, let alone confirm how many people they have fired.

Chipotle workers from multiple stores where there have been firings organized a press conference on Dec. 14 with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) and Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL).

At the press conference, fired Chipotle worker Juan presented the fired workers’ three demands: “What we’re asking from the company are three things. We’re asking them for the truth. They’re given different people different reasons about why we’re being fired and we haven’t received any documentation. We need the truth. Secondly, we want time. People deserve a reasonable amount of time to be able to resolve any discrepancies that exist, to be able to resolve it before being terminated. And finally, we want to have our compensation for the time that we’ve worked there, and our bonuses that we get at this time of year.”

The workers also demanded that ICE stop these kinds of audits so that other workers won’t have to go through what they have experienced. Though they won’t verify it, Chipotle’s statement points to the firings being the result of an I-9 audit, which is one of the most common methods the government is using now to attack immigrant workers. Immigrant rights activists characterize I-9 audits as ‘desktop raids’ in which large numbers of immigrant workers who have done nothing wrong in their jobs suddenly are all fired in a mass sweep. Activists argue they are particularly harmful, considering that the economy is still in crisis. The workers fired include many long-time dedicated workers who have worked at Chipotle for up to ten years.

These Chipotle firings come on the heels of other recent mass firings in Minnesota based on I-9 audits. Last year 1200 janitors who worked for ABM and who were members of SEIU Local 26 in the Twin Cities lost their jobs as a result of I-9 audits. One of the fired ABM workers spoke at Tuesday's press conference in solidarity with the Chipotle workers. Two months ago, over 50 workers at a South Saint Paul tanning company were fired and last week around the same number were fired at a South Saint Paul cattle-hide processing company.

MIRAc is asking people to contact Chipotle management and demand that they stop firing Latino workers in Minnesota. Chipotle can be called at 303-595-4000 (press 0 to talk to a person) or email mediarelations@chipotle.com.

According to MIRAc member Brad Sigal, “Firing large numbers of Latino workers right before Christmas is the wrong thing to do. We demand that Chipotle stop this cruel wave of firings and we demand that ICE stop these I-9 audits that punish workers, not employers.”

#MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #Labor #MIRAc #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee #Chipotle

For over a week now, thousands of people have been taking to the streets in protest. Calls for a boycott of Arizona have gone out from numerous sources, including Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva, who said, “We are calling on organizations not to schedule conventions and conferences in Arizona until it recognizes civil rights and the meaning of due process.”

Immigrant rights lawyer and founder of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos was asked about three components that have been widely discussed – boycotting Arizona conventions, tourism and the Arizona Diamondbacks (who are major contributors to Republican supporters of SB1070). Her response: “Yes, all of that! Do not spend your money in Arizona!” Exempted are visits to family and friends and participation in mobilizations against the Arizona Apartheid apparatus.

Angel Sanchez is a Tucson High School student. He addressed an April 23 demonstration saying, “We are not criminals. We…demand dignity and respect….They want to cause us fear, but it is those individuals who need to be afraid…because in November we will vote….We need to work together and show this is our community and our state. We will show them we are here. We will march and nonviolently show them who we are – that we are bigger than they will ever be.”

#TucsonAZ #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #Apartheid #SB1070 #CoaliciónDeDerechosHumanos

The bill would turn Arizona into an apartheid state, requiring people to carry proof of citizenship on their person at all times – reminiscent of the hated passbook laws in segregated South Africa. While the law doesn’t explicitly state that requirement, it gives local and state police the authority to detain and investigate anyone they suspect of being an undocumented immigrant. In other words, any Latino-looking person who is speaking Spanish can be arrested if they are not carrying identification on their person. The bill includes a number of other repressive components, including provisions to sue governmental agencies for not enforcing immigration laws aggressively enough, requiring citizenship checks for all government services, making it illegal to solicit day labor or to hire day laborers and outlawing churches and government entities from offering sanctuary or instructing local police to not enforce immigration laws.

What perhaps was not foreseen by the architects and proponents of this bill is that it would cause a groundswell of opposition that is radicalizing those who are taking to the streets in struggle. People are mad and they are also energized.

On April 20, some 100 students from four Tucson schools walked out in protest of SB1070. Before the walk-out occurred, police vehicles circled the school, with at least a couple of officers stationed on bikes when the walkout was beginning. According to one Tucson High student, the school administration tried to prevent students from leaving, with all the gates, entrances and exits locked. However, they had to open a gate to let students and cars in at one point, at which time the student explained, “We all went through. They had to let us – there were too many of us. I was jumping over people to get by!” Once off school grounds, police did not interfere with the students’ march.

Later at a rally at the State Building in Tucson, the spirit was palpable. From two blocks away you could hear the students shouting: “Whose land? Our land! Whose state? Our state! Whose desert? Our desert! Whose family? Our family!” There may have been 100 students, but they sounded like many more!

On April 22, there were many more actions, with more than 1000 students walking out of five Phoenix high schools. One of the most amazing things about these walkouts has been that they have not been organized or called by any organizations or regular ‘movement’ channels. Instead, they were completely student run, the word spread via text messaging, facebook and other forms of social networking.

That’s how it has been, from Nogales on the border to Tucson to Phoenix and beyond – people are taking to the streets and getting ready for what everyone knows is going to be a protracted struggle.

The spark to the fire was set April 15, just two days after the House passed SB1070, when 800 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, with the cooperation of local, state and, across the border, Mexican authorities, undertook the largest raid in ICE’s seven year history. Communities in several Arizona cities were subject to a military style invasion, complete with helicopters and officers armed with heavy weaponry. People were pulled off shuttle services and city bus lines and investigated for the simple suspicious act of looking Latino. One person, a Mexican immigrant and activist, was detained and questioned while handing out “Know Your Rights” fliers.

On April, 19, a group of nine college students from Phoenix and Tucson were arrested and detained overnight, after chaining themselves together at the State Capitol to protest the legislation. Since then, there have been daily protests going on at the capitol and in other cities. What is clear is that the movement is growing and ready for the fight.

Editors note: SB 1070 was signed into law, Friday April 23. Protests are under way in Arizona.

#TucsonAZ #ChicanoLatino #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #SB1070

Los Ángeles, CA – Se reunieron aquí estudiantes y sus familias el 10 de octubre para oponerse a las redadas de la agencia de inmigración (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) en contra de los indocumentados; gritaron consignas exigiendo derechos iguales, un alto a las redadas racistas, detenciones, las deportaciones y la derrota de John McCain.

El activista chicano Carlos Montes dijo, “Esta manifestación fue muy importante porque muestra que la comunidad entera está en contra de la represión de ICE y está lista para luchar y defender a sus familias y exigir igualdad.”

La protesta fue dirigida por el grupo de Estudiantes Chicanos de la escuela El Sereno y apoyada por Latinos Contra la Guerra. Se hizo en solidaridad con el llamado nacional ‘Ya Basta’ y el Día Internacional de los Pueblos Indígenas.

#LosÁngelesCA #LosAngelesCA #News #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #LatinosContraLaGuerra #DíaInternacionalDeLosPueblosIndígenas