ICE Raids, Amnesty Scams, Target Filipino Family in Queens

News Release
October 10, 2006

Reference: Henry Soliveres, Justice 4 Immigrants Filipino Coalition,
email: justice4immigrants @ yahoo.com

ICE Raids, Amnesty Scams, Target Filipino Family in Queens

NEW YORK CITY -- Six Filipino immigrants were arrested by agents of the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who raided the house in Elmhurst,
New York, where they were staying on September 22.

ICE officials entered the house without a warrant and continued to
search the premises for undocumented immigrants. Two of the raid
victims are parents of a newborn baby boy. The father is currently being
detained at a facility in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

The six believe their names were linked to an amnesty scam that tipped
ICE officials of their whereabouts. Although the victims declined to reveal
their real names, they are speaking out to warn other Filipinos of ICE raids
and amnesty scams that are prevalent in the Filipino immigrant community.

Max [not his real name], who was one of those arrested, revealed that
certain individuals have been going around the Filipino community claiming that
those without legal status could apply through them in order to retroactively
avail of a 1986 amnesty bill passed under the Reagan administration.

The going rate can go as high as $2,000 for an application.

"He wanted a social security number, and there are many more Filipino TNTs
[tago nang tago] that will pay that price out of economic hardship and the need
to provide for their families. There are no jobs in the Philippines. Poverty is what
pushes Filipinos to take these measures for our loved ones," stated Robert Roy,
Executive Director of the Philippine Forum.

Max said he believed that his application through the said individual was most
likely the link that brought ICE officials to his home.

"We are speaking out as a warning to others in our community. We do not
want others to fall into this trap," Max continued.

Five of the victims and their family members took their story to the Philippine
Forum, a not-for-profit, community service organization based in Queens.

"Amnesty scams abound, such as those involving the CSS / LULAC cases -
a symptom of the ills of the immigration system," said New York attorney
Cristina Godinez, who is also the immigration policy analyst of the Philippine Forum.

"If the TNTs had a way to earn legalization, they would be less likely to fall prey to
unscrupulous schemes and would not think twice about coming forward," she added.

Godinez explained that the CSS / LULAC cases refer to two class action suits won against
the then-INS for imposing illegal requirements on applicants unlawfully present in the US
before January 1982, who were otherwise qualified for amnesty.

Under the settlement terms of the Catholic Social Services, Inc. (CSS) v. Ridge
and Newman (LULAC) v. USCIS cases, amnesty applicants were allowed to reapply until
December 31, 2005.

"Con artists have approached TNTs offering to fill out INS forms for temporary residence
pursuant to CSS/ LULAC terms for a fee. The forms basically contain false statements
and the TNTs actually sign them," Godinez added.

In January 2006, the Philippine Forum and eight other Filipino organizations formed the
Justice 4 Immigrants Filipino Coalition (J4I), a coalition dedicated to the protection of
immigrant rights and building Filipino leadership in the broader immigrant rights struggle.

Since then, J4I has been conducting immigration townhall meetings in Queens and Jersey
City in Tagalog. J4I has also mobilized sizeable Filipino contingents to participate in various
immigrant rights rallies and demonstrations in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

J4I was one of the convening organizations for the historic May 1st , 2006 demonstration for
immigrants rights that brought nearly 1 million protestors to Union Square in Manhattan. It has
remained active in local, city-wide, and even nationwide organizing initiatives for immigrant rights.

Filipinos comprise the 3rd largest immigrant community in the entire US, with an
undocumented population of approximately one million.

"Right now a new father is in detention. His wife's future is also uncertain. Their
newborn son may be separated from both his parents. What has happened to these
Filipinos is a violation of basic human and civil rights. But what is just as sad is how
common this condition is in our community and how more and more Filipinos are being
forced to accept such a fate," Roy ended.

J4I will conduct a series of community meetings to garner support for the
"Elmhurst 6". An organizing meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, October 12th,
3:30pm at the Philippine Forum office located at 54-05 Seabury Street in
Elmhurst (V/G/R trains to Grand Avenue).

For more information, contact the Philippine Forum at 718-565-6682, or
email justice4immigrants @ yahoo.com. For more information on J4I,
visit http://www.migrante-ny.blogspot.com. ###