Community forum after ICE raids in Concord

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Concord Congregations and Community Groups Outraged by Recent Immigration Raids Say:

“STOP TERRORIZING OUR COMMUNITY”

Community Groups are Outraged by Immigration Authorities Following Parents and their Kids after School, Going door to door in Apartment Complexes and Fomenting Fear and Distrust in Our Community


Contact information:

Cristina H. Espinoza at 925 301 6198 (cell); cciscocristina [at] aol.com -- CCISCO


What: COMMUNITY FORUM
When: WEDNESDAY, February 7, 2007 – 7pm
Where: St. Francis of Assisi Church- 860 Oak Grove Rd.-Concord

CCISCO (Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization) leaders at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Concord, armed with their faith, are hosting an event this coming Wednesday to resist the recent immigration raids in the City of Concord and call for their City and Congress representatives’ support.


We are working families that take pride of being residents of the City of Concord but are very concerned because of the pain and fear that our community is experiencing. Parents are afraid of sending their kids to school, children are afraid to be followed home, families that already live under a lot of pressure are feeling even more stress. Some in the community have the notion that it is the Concord Police Department conducting the immigration raids.


People in the community are scared and there is a lot of misinformation. “My nine year old nephew knows he is not supposed to open the door, he has watched the TV coverage on the raids, he knows we need to protect ourselves” states one of our leaders. “My uncle (a day laborer) was detained after being lured by a potential employer who resulted to be an immigration official” laments another.


At least 37 cases of abuse of authority have being registered in the City of Concord.


We need to hear form our City officials. We are working hard to respond to those concerns and are calling on our City officials’ presence to rebuild the trust in our community.


"We love our community; some of us have lived here for decades. The recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) actions jeopardize our hopes to build a beloved community where our children feel safe and where our families thrive” states a small business owner and church leader.


VISUAL: Local residents who have witnessed and have been victims of the raids will provide testimony about the impact on their families; a lawyer and local leaders will educate residents about their legal rights; and public officials will respond to community requests for support.



******************
Larisa Casillas
Director
Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC)
310 Eighth Street, Suite 303
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: (510) 839-7598
Fax: (510) 465-1885
http://www.immigrantrights.org




=================================================================