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Denounce ICE Raid in New Bedford, MA on 3/7/07
This time it was the turn for
an East Coast location, New Bedford, Massachusetts where scores of workers
were taken away
an East Coast location, New Bedford, Massachusetts where scores of workers
were taken away
NEW BEDFORD MIGRANT WORKERS ARE NOT THE ENEMY
Massachusetts, March 7, 2007
An army of 300 federal immigration agents from the U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has conducted yet another military
style raid on migrant workers in the country. This time it was the turn for
an East Coast location, New Bedford, Massachusetts where scores of workers
were taken away. ICE, a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
explains that their objective is "to more effectively enforce our
immigration and customs laws and to protect the U.S. against terrorist
attacks. ICE does this by targeting illegal immigrants: the people, the
money and materials that support terrorism and other criminal activities."
(From their website "About us" section). The terms "terrorism" and
"illegal immigrants" are deliberately used under the same breath by ICE
officials to sow confusion in the minds of the public. We need to ask them
exactly what those 'terrorist
acts' are that these hard working New Bedford leather workers were accused of in
that horrific military operation this morning. Most of the workers in the
Michael Bianco Textile plant are women. Many in desperation ran into the frigid
waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A Coast Guard helicopter however hovered overhead to
give information to land troops about the location of the "enemy". While the
federal and state governments fail so miserably in providing resources for the
overall health, education, transportation, and other vital needs for millions of
tax paying residents, our tax dollars are used to terrorize decent hard working
people who only wish to provide for their families. This raid should outrage
all people of good will. The Boston May Day Coalition stands firmly in solidarity
with the victims of this overwhelming, military-style attack on migrant workers.
We call on all who support justice to demand the immediate release of all victims
of this raid
and an end to the raids, arrests, and deportations being carried out throughout the
country. Release all who are being held without criminal charge NOW! These people
are not criminals. We call on all who support justice to participate in all
actions being called this Spring demanding an end to the raids and for full,
immediate, unconditional, and non-revocable legal residence for all undocumented
migrant workers. We must prepare now for the large mobilizations being organized
for May Day 2007 in defense of the rights of migrant workers and working people in
general. Politicians and enforcement officials must be made aware that the
whole world is watching. The world will mobilize on May Day to demand that no human
being should ever be considered illegal anywhere in the world.
Boston May Day Coalition
http://www.bostonmayday.org
email: info [at] bostonmayday.org
617-290-5614
---------
http://www.sreyes.org
Massachusetts, March 7, 2007
An army of 300 federal immigration agents from the U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has conducted yet another military
style raid on migrant workers in the country. This time it was the turn for
an East Coast location, New Bedford, Massachusetts where scores of workers
were taken away. ICE, a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
explains that their objective is "to more effectively enforce our
immigration and customs laws and to protect the U.S. against terrorist
attacks. ICE does this by targeting illegal immigrants: the people, the
money and materials that support terrorism and other criminal activities."
(From their website "About us" section). The terms "terrorism" and
"illegal immigrants" are deliberately used under the same breath by ICE
officials to sow confusion in the minds of the public. We need to ask them
exactly what those 'terrorist
acts' are that these hard working New Bedford leather workers were accused of in
that horrific military operation this morning. Most of the workers in the
Michael Bianco Textile plant are women. Many in desperation ran into the frigid
waters of the Atlantic Ocean. A Coast Guard helicopter however hovered overhead to
give information to land troops about the location of the "enemy". While the
federal and state governments fail so miserably in providing resources for the
overall health, education, transportation, and other vital needs for millions of
tax paying residents, our tax dollars are used to terrorize decent hard working
people who only wish to provide for their families. This raid should outrage
all people of good will. The Boston May Day Coalition stands firmly in solidarity
with the victims of this overwhelming, military-style attack on migrant workers.
We call on all who support justice to demand the immediate release of all victims
of this raid
and an end to the raids, arrests, and deportations being carried out throughout the
country. Release all who are being held without criminal charge NOW! These people
are not criminals. We call on all who support justice to participate in all
actions being called this Spring demanding an end to the raids and for full,
immediate, unconditional, and non-revocable legal residence for all undocumented
migrant workers. We must prepare now for the large mobilizations being organized
for May Day 2007 in defense of the rights of migrant workers and working people in
general. Politicians and enforcement officials must be made aware that the
whole world is watching. The world will mobilize on May Day to demand that no human
being should ever be considered illegal anywhere in the world.
Boston May Day Coalition
http://www.bostonmayday.org
email: info [at] bostonmayday.org
617-290-5614
---------
http://www.sreyes.org
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IMPORTANT!!! Sign on letter about raids in New Bedford, CT (Deadline: 3/7
10 AM EST)
Please sign on to this letter by 10:30 am EST Wednesday March 7th. Please
send to Gabe Camacho of Project Voice at _gcamacho [at] afsc.org_
(mailto:gcamacho [at] afsc.org)
Dear Friends: We urge you to please consider signing on to this letter which
will be presented tomorrow at a press conference/action in front of the JFK
Building at noon. This action has been coordinated by a broad based group of
organizations across Massachusetts in response to the raid conducted by ICE
that resulted in the detention of hundreds of immigrant workers, mostly
women, from Mayan communities in Guatemala. Scores of children were not
picked today by their parents at childcare and schools this afternoon and
their future in uncertain. PLEASE help and join us by lending your
solidarity in signing on to the letter and in distributing throughout your
networks.
We need to know your response by 10:30 am EST Wednesday March 7th.
Thank you!
M. Elena Letona
Executive Director
Centro Presente
54 Essex Street, 2nd Fl.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 497-9080, ext. 11
******************************************************************************
***********
March 6, 2007
Bruce Chadbourne
District Director
Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
US Department of Homeland Security
JFK Federal Building
Boston, MA
Dear Mr. Chadbourne:
We, the undersigned, write to communicate our dismay at the ICE raid
conducted at the Michael Bianco, Inc. factory in New Bedford that resulted
in the arrest of over 300 immigrant workers. As organizations representing
all sectors of civil society in Massachusetts, we are outraged at the
military style operation and devastating effect it is having on the New
Bedford community, especially the families of those being detained. These
types of raids tear apart families, spread waves of fear and panic
throughout the community and hurt local economies. These actions do not make
us feel any safer or stronger as a nation.
We wish to communicate to you our following demands:
1) We call for the immediate release of all the workers who have been
detained. Many of the detainees are parents with children, some of whom are
US citizens. All of them, however, are human beings, with certain
inalienable rights. It amounts to cruel and unusual punishment for them to
be detained on a military base and shipped across the country, far from
their families, while their cases are being reviewed.
2) We demand that the detained workers have full access to appropriate
legal representation. Our country prides itself upon respecting due process,
therefore we expect that your treatment of those in your custody be
consistent be with those values.
3) We also call for a moratorium on the raids. While the US Congress
continues to seek a solution to the country's immigration system, with
legislation to be introduced next week, we call upon the US Department of
Homeland Security and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to put a
stop to the raids so that the debate in Congress can be carried out in good
faith, rather than against a backdrop of fear and repression.
Amidst the pain and trauma that this raid has already caused in the New
Bedford community and beyond, we maintain hope that you will do the right
and humane thing by responding positively to our demands.
Sincerely,
(Signatory organizations here.)
CC: Michael Chertoff
Barney Frank
=================================================================
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!
webpage: _http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org_
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/)
e-mail: _info [at] ImmigrantSolidarity.org_ (mai
lto:infor [at] ImmigrantSolidarity.org)
New York: (212)330-8172
Los Angeles: (213)403-0131
Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990
10 AM EST)
Please sign on to this letter by 10:30 am EST Wednesday March 7th. Please
send to Gabe Camacho of Project Voice at _gcamacho [at] afsc.org_
(mailto:gcamacho [at] afsc.org)
Dear Friends: We urge you to please consider signing on to this letter which
will be presented tomorrow at a press conference/action in front of the JFK
Building at noon. This action has been coordinated by a broad based group of
organizations across Massachusetts in response to the raid conducted by ICE
that resulted in the detention of hundreds of immigrant workers, mostly
women, from Mayan communities in Guatemala. Scores of children were not
picked today by their parents at childcare and schools this afternoon and
their future in uncertain. PLEASE help and join us by lending your
solidarity in signing on to the letter and in distributing throughout your
networks.
We need to know your response by 10:30 am EST Wednesday March 7th.
Thank you!
M. Elena Letona
Executive Director
Centro Presente
54 Essex Street, 2nd Fl.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 497-9080, ext. 11
******************************************************************************
***********
March 6, 2007
Bruce Chadbourne
District Director
Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
US Department of Homeland Security
JFK Federal Building
Boston, MA
Dear Mr. Chadbourne:
We, the undersigned, write to communicate our dismay at the ICE raid
conducted at the Michael Bianco, Inc. factory in New Bedford that resulted
in the arrest of over 300 immigrant workers. As organizations representing
all sectors of civil society in Massachusetts, we are outraged at the
military style operation and devastating effect it is having on the New
Bedford community, especially the families of those being detained. These
types of raids tear apart families, spread waves of fear and panic
throughout the community and hurt local economies. These actions do not make
us feel any safer or stronger as a nation.
We wish to communicate to you our following demands:
1) We call for the immediate release of all the workers who have been
detained. Many of the detainees are parents with children, some of whom are
US citizens. All of them, however, are human beings, with certain
inalienable rights. It amounts to cruel and unusual punishment for them to
be detained on a military base and shipped across the country, far from
their families, while their cases are being reviewed.
2) We demand that the detained workers have full access to appropriate
legal representation. Our country prides itself upon respecting due process,
therefore we expect that your treatment of those in your custody be
consistent be with those values.
3) We also call for a moratorium on the raids. While the US Congress
continues to seek a solution to the country's immigration system, with
legislation to be introduced next week, we call upon the US Department of
Homeland Security and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to put a
stop to the raids so that the debate in Congress can be carried out in good
faith, rather than against a backdrop of fear and repression.
Amidst the pain and trauma that this raid has already caused in the New
Bedford community and beyond, we maintain hope that you will do the right
and humane thing by responding positively to our demands.
Sincerely,
(Signatory organizations here.)
CC: Michael Chertoff
Barney Frank
=================================================================
National Immigrant Solidarity Network
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!
webpage: _http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org_
(http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/)
e-mail: _info [at] ImmigrantSolidarity.org_ (mai
lto:infor [at] ImmigrantSolidarity.org)
New York: (212)330-8172
Los Angeles: (213)403-0131
Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990
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