Monday, April 28, 2008
May Day Almost Here!
Immigrant Rights Are Human Rights!
Injustice To One Is Injustice To All
May Day Rally
Amherst Common
12 – 2 pm
(in case of rain, Amherst rally will be held at Grace Church Parish Hall)
Northampton City Hall Steps
5 pm
We believe in the human right of family
- 14 million people in mixed status families
- 3 million citizen children with one or both parents undocumented
- Stop tearing families apart!
- Wages should ensure living with dignity
- Everyone has the right to form and join a union
- Immigrants’ Rights are Workers’ Rights!
- Protection from arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home
- Protection from attacks upon honor and reputation
- Immigrants are human beings!
- Protection from torture and cruel or degrading treatment or punishment
- Protection from arbitrary arrest and detention
- Guarantee legal representation and due process
- Equal protection before the law!
wmciwr@gmail.com
Co-Sponsors:
Artists for Justice, SAGE, Western Mass. Jobs With Justice, Western Mass. AFSC, Greensboro Justice Fund, Western Mass. Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice, Western Mass. CopWatch
Sunday, April 27, 2008
News Digest, April 26, 2008
Economy & Labor
Immigration law should reflect our dynamic labor market (Opinion, Dallas Morning News)
"When large numbers of otherwise decent people routinely violate a law, the law itself is probably the problem. To argue that illegal immigration is bad merely because it is illegal avoids the threshold question of whether we should prohibit this kind of immigration in the first place."
Study: Illegal worker crackdown could cost employers $1B (Business Week)
"The government's plan to crack down on illegal workers could cost employers more than $1 billion a year and legal workers billions in lost wages, a study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says."
Don't Turn Social Security into an Immigration Agency (New American Media)
"On March 26, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule that attempts to turn a Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits program into an immigration enforcement tool. If implemented, the rule will result in tens of thousands of lawful immigrant workers and U.S. citizens losing their jobs and the loss of at least $1 billion dollars to businesses each year."
Tomato Growers Cut Crop amid Immigration Worries (National Public Radio)
"Tomato growers in New Jersey say tougher immigration enforcement may change this year's crop. It's getting harder to hire the migrant laborers — many of them from Mexico — who traditionally pick tomatoes during the few weeks when they're ripe."
"When large numbers of otherwise decent people routinely violate a law, the law itself is probably the problem. To argue that illegal immigration is bad merely because it is illegal avoids the threshold question of whether we should prohibit this kind of immigration in the first place."
Study: Illegal worker crackdown could cost employers $1B (Business Week)
"The government's plan to crack down on illegal workers could cost employers more than $1 billion a year and legal workers billions in lost wages, a study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says."
Don't Turn Social Security into an Immigration Agency (New American Media)
"On March 26, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposed rule that attempts to turn a Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits program into an immigration enforcement tool. If implemented, the rule will result in tens of thousands of lawful immigrant workers and U.S. citizens losing their jobs and the loss of at least $1 billion dollars to businesses each year."
Tomato Growers Cut Crop amid Immigration Worries (National Public Radio)
"Tomato growers in New Jersey say tougher immigration enforcement may change this year's crop. It's getting harder to hire the migrant laborers — many of them from Mexico — who traditionally pick tomatoes during the few weeks when they're ripe."
Immigration Enforcement
U.S. Plans to Deport All Undocumented by 2012 (Mshale, African Community Newspaper)
"The raids on worksites, along with the growing number of "fugitive operations teams" that pursue individuals with removal orders and a program that increases local police cooperation in immigration enforcement, are "creating an incredible climate of fear," says Andrea Black, network coordinator of Detention Watch Network, a national coalition of individuals and nearly 100 groups advocating humane reform of the U.S. immigration detention and deportation system."
Bad guys a priority over migrant sweeps (Arizona Republic)
"I ask you, as a citizen who pays our salaries and expect police leaders to make critical decisions on your safety, would you want your police departments chasing down illegal aliens or would you rather they spend their time cuffing fugitives, gangsters, burglars, thieves, armed robbers and child molesters?"
Hiring Law Snares Zero Employers (Arizona Republic)
"However, outside of Maricopa County there have been minimal complaints, with nine of the 15 county attorneys telling The Arizona Republic they have not received a single one. Meanwhile, not one civil suit has been filed against an employer...Critics of the law say Arpaio's employer-sanctions enforcement measures that target employees are another example of him using one law to enforce another, not unlike his department's practice of using minor traffic violations to arrest illegal immigrants and get them deported."
In Mississippi, Work Is Now a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants (Truthout.org)
"...it will become a felony for an undocumented worker to hold a job. Anyone caught "shall be subject to imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or both." Anyone charged with the crime of working without papers will not be eligible for bail."
L.A. civil rights attorney files claims over federal immigration raid (Los Angeles Times)
"A longtime Los Angeles civil rights attorney is trying a new strategy to push federal immigration authorities to change the way they conduct workplace raids. Peter Schey filed 114 federal claims for damages late Thursday on behalf of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who were temporarily detained during a recent raid at Micro Solutions Enterprises in Van Nuys."
Immigrant Detention"The raids on worksites, along with the growing number of "fugitive operations teams" that pursue individuals with removal orders and a program that increases local police cooperation in immigration enforcement, are "creating an incredible climate of fear," says Andrea Black, network coordinator of Detention Watch Network, a national coalition of individuals and nearly 100 groups advocating humane reform of the U.S. immigration detention and deportation system."
Bad guys a priority over migrant sweeps (Arizona Republic)
"I ask you, as a citizen who pays our salaries and expect police leaders to make critical decisions on your safety, would you want your police departments chasing down illegal aliens or would you rather they spend their time cuffing fugitives, gangsters, burglars, thieves, armed robbers and child molesters?"
Hiring Law Snares Zero Employers (Arizona Republic)
"However, outside of Maricopa County there have been minimal complaints, with nine of the 15 county attorneys telling The Arizona Republic they have not received a single one. Meanwhile, not one civil suit has been filed against an employer...Critics of the law say Arpaio's employer-sanctions enforcement measures that target employees are another example of him using one law to enforce another, not unlike his department's practice of using minor traffic violations to arrest illegal immigrants and get them deported."
In Mississippi, Work Is Now a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants (Truthout.org)
"...it will become a felony for an undocumented worker to hold a job. Anyone caught "shall be subject to imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or both." Anyone charged with the crime of working without papers will not be eligible for bail."
L.A. civil rights attorney files claims over federal immigration raid (Los Angeles Times)
"A longtime Los Angeles civil rights attorney is trying a new strategy to push federal immigration authorities to change the way they conduct workplace raids. Peter Schey filed 114 federal claims for damages late Thursday on behalf of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who were temporarily detained during a recent raid at Micro Solutions Enterprises in Van Nuys."
Immigrants Transferred After Riots (Daily Journal)
"Just one day after a riot broke out at a Lancaster detention center, federal officials began moving dozens of immigrants out to undisclosed facilities."
Imprisoned families: on the real tour (Commentary, Houston Chronicle)
"Opening more family detention facilities is a troubling prospect in and of itself, considering that ICE has been specifically instructed by congressional appropriations committees to prioritize alternatives, such as effective, less-expensive electronic monitoring. But one can only hope the mistaken model of converting a former prison into a "homelike" environment won't be duplicated."
Federal Legislation - SAVE Act"Just one day after a riot broke out at a Lancaster detention center, federal officials began moving dozens of immigrants out to undisclosed facilities."
Imprisoned families: on the real tour (Commentary, Houston Chronicle)
"Opening more family detention facilities is a troubling prospect in and of itself, considering that ICE has been specifically instructed by congressional appropriations committees to prioritize alternatives, such as effective, less-expensive electronic monitoring. But one can only hope the mistaken model of converting a former prison into a "homelike" environment won't be duplicated."
Flawed Act Will Not Solve Our Immigration Problems (Forward, The Jewish Daily)
"As Jews and Americans, we must ask ourselves what kind of country we are and what kind of country we want to become. Do we want to be a country that locks up millions of immigrants and children who have committed no crime? Do we want to be the kind of country where immigration agents break down the doors of people's homes in the middle of the night waving guns in their faces? Are we the kind of country that turns a blind eye to the ruthless exploitation of workers at the hands of unscrupulous employers?"
"As Jews and Americans, we must ask ourselves what kind of country we are and what kind of country we want to become. Do we want to be a country that locks up millions of immigrants and children who have committed no crime? Do we want to be the kind of country where immigration agents break down the doors of people's homes in the middle of the night waving guns in their faces? Are we the kind of country that turns a blind eye to the ruthless exploitation of workers at the hands of unscrupulous employers?"
The Immigration Maze - some good news
Steps Set for Kin of 9/11 Victims to Stay in U.S. (New York Times)
"Federal officials on Thursday opened a path to temporary legal status for illegal immigrants whose spouses or parents died on 9/11, a step the families' supporters called a breakthrough in the effort to allow them to remain permanently in the United States."
Salvadorean family who fled violence allowed to stay in U.S. (Houston Chronicle)
"An immigrant woman who sought refuge in the U.S. to escape the gang violence linked to her husband's slaying in El Salvador won't be deported to the Central American country along with her three children as the family had feared, their attorney said Wednesday."
Hispanic and Latino Reaction"Federal officials on Thursday opened a path to temporary legal status for illegal immigrants whose spouses or parents died on 9/11, a step the families' supporters called a breakthrough in the effort to allow them to remain permanently in the United States."
Salvadorean family who fled violence allowed to stay in U.S. (Houston Chronicle)
"An immigrant woman who sought refuge in the U.S. to escape the gang violence linked to her husband's slaying in El Salvador won't be deported to the Central American country along with her three children as the family had feared, their attorney said Wednesday."
Congressional Hispanics knock Democratic leaders (Associated Press)"The Congressional Hispanic Caucus denounced House Democratic leaders Wednesday as "spineless" and little better than Republicans for failing to take on comprehensive immigration reform. Leaders of the all-Democratic caucus, which numbers two dozen, criticized their party leadership at a news conference for instead scheduling hearings on enforcement legislation and specific visa issues."
Immigration Debate Riles Latinos (San Francisco Chronicle)"Take it from Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization. She recently delivered a passionate and important speech to the National Press Club in Washington. Her topic: the immigration debate and what she labels a wave of hate sweeping the land -- one that isn't limited to illegal immigrants, or even immigrants in general, but which is now splattering onto all Hispanics regardless of where they were born, what language they speak or what flag they wave. "Most Latinos aren't immigrants," she said. "More than 80 percent of Hispanics in this country are U.S. citizens or legal residents. But the truth is, Hispanics understand that this issue is about all of us.""
New England NewsImmigration Debate Riles Latinos (San Francisco Chronicle)"Take it from Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization. She recently delivered a passionate and important speech to the National Press Club in Washington. Her topic: the immigration debate and what she labels a wave of hate sweeping the land -- one that isn't limited to illegal immigrants, or even immigrants in general, but which is now splattering onto all Hispanics regardless of where they were born, what language they speak or what flag they wave. "Most Latinos aren't immigrants," she said. "More than 80 percent of Hispanics in this country are U.S. citizens or legal residents. But the truth is, Hispanics understand that this issue is about all of us.""
Summer employers brace for shortage of foreign workers (New York Times)
"Breakfast will not be served this summer at Cape Cod's Crown & Anchor. The Provincetown resort and entertainment complex usually hires 10 to 12 people from Jamaica and Eastern Europe each summer as cooks, housekeepers and maintenance workers. But new visa restrictions mean the guest workers it used last year aren't expected back. With fewer workers, the resort's management realized it wouldn't have the manpower to serve three meals a day."
Temporary worker standoff irks businessowners (Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel)
"If the law is not renewed, Maine's seasonal businesses could take a financial hit. The population of Wells explodes from 10,000 to 50,000 during the summer and businesses cannot find enough workers."
Immigration debate erupts in R.I. fueled by budget crisis (Boston Globe)"The state's budget deficit for next fiscal year is about 10 percent of expected state spending, and the governor and lawmakers have been making deep cuts in programs like education, social services and aid to local communities to close the gap. So it's not surprising that illegal immigrants are now in the governor's sights, said Darrell West, a political scientist and pollster at Brown University. "Illegal immigrants are a convenient target because they don't vote, they tend to be poor and they don't have a lot of political power," West said."
Bartenders serve up drinks, customs checks (Boston Globe)"All the 33-year-old illegal immigrant wanted was a beer. After nearly a decade in this country, the Irish national knew to steer clear of police and federal agents. But he was stunned this month when a bartender at the Orpheum refused to serve him because his passport lacked a US Customs stamp."
"Breakfast will not be served this summer at Cape Cod's Crown & Anchor. The Provincetown resort and entertainment complex usually hires 10 to 12 people from Jamaica and Eastern Europe each summer as cooks, housekeepers and maintenance workers. But new visa restrictions mean the guest workers it used last year aren't expected back. With fewer workers, the resort's management realized it wouldn't have the manpower to serve three meals a day."
Temporary worker standoff irks businessowners (Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel)
"If the law is not renewed, Maine's seasonal businesses could take a financial hit. The population of Wells explodes from 10,000 to 50,000 during the summer and businesses cannot find enough workers."
Immigration debate erupts in R.I. fueled by budget crisis (Boston Globe)"The state's budget deficit for next fiscal year is about 10 percent of expected state spending, and the governor and lawmakers have been making deep cuts in programs like education, social services and aid to local communities to close the gap. So it's not surprising that illegal immigrants are now in the governor's sights, said Darrell West, a political scientist and pollster at Brown University. "Illegal immigrants are a convenient target because they don't vote, they tend to be poor and they don't have a lot of political power," West said."
Bartenders serve up drinks, customs checks (Boston Globe)"All the 33-year-old illegal immigrant wanted was a beer. After nearly a decade in this country, the Irish national knew to steer clear of police and federal agents. But he was stunned this month when a bartender at the Orpheum refused to serve him because his passport lacked a US Customs stamp."
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Def Poetry - Paul Flores - Brown Dreams
As the Iraq war drags on and the soldier death toll rises, the United States military increasingly focuses on immigrant recruitment to fill their needs. With the coveted prize of expedited citizenship, educational financial aid and the opportunity to demonstrate their loyalty, many young men and women join, and die, before their beloved home recognizes them as one of their own.
According to the Tampa Tribune's article, "Immigrant Troops Important to Military," 39,000 non-citizens, currently serve in the military, with Mexican immigrants accounting for the majority.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
News Digest
The Immigration Maze
Legal Immigrants, Until They Sought Citizenship
"The Servanos are among a growing group of legal immigrants who reach for the prize and permanence of citizenship, only to run afoul of highly technical immigration statutes that carry the severe penalty of expulsion from the country." New York Times
U.S. Residency Denial For Honor Student Outrages Transylvania University
"As a 12 year old in Sudan, Lino Nakwa was abducted at knifepoint in 1992 by the Sudan People's Liberation Army, which killed his father, according to his asylum papers." The Courier Journal
Illegal immigration issues find way to nation's heartland
"The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office is allowing Marie Gonzalez to remain in the country for one more year, long enough for her to graduate ..." Chart (subscription) - Joplin,MO,USA
Suits over US citizenship backlogs spike
He has now joined growing numbers of prospective U.S. citizens who are suing the immigration service, which under federal law is supposed to respond to naturalization petitions within 120 days of an applicant's interview. Zambrano passed his in June 2006. Miami Herald
"The Servanos are among a growing group of legal immigrants who reach for the prize and permanence of citizenship, only to run afoul of highly technical immigration statutes that carry the severe penalty of expulsion from the country." New York Times
U.S. Residency Denial For Honor Student Outrages Transylvania University
"As a 12 year old in Sudan, Lino Nakwa was abducted at knifepoint in 1992 by the Sudan People's Liberation Army, which killed his father, according to his asylum papers." The Courier Journal
Illegal immigration issues find way to nation's heartland
"The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office is allowing Marie Gonzalez to remain in the country for one more year, long enough for her to graduate ..." Chart (subscription) - Joplin,MO,USA
Suits over US citizenship backlogs spike
He has now joined growing numbers of prospective U.S. citizens who are suing the immigration service, which under federal law is supposed to respond to naturalization petitions within 120 days of an applicant's interview. Zambrano passed his in June 2006. Miami Herald
US Economy
E-Verify Would Cost $40 Billion
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the estimated cost to implement H.R. 4088, the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007, and found that the proposed legislation would cost taxpayers more than $40 billion over 10 years." ACLU Press Release
At Tax Time, Many "Illegal Immigrants" Are Paying Too
The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check. Associated Press
Immigration Issues Worry Farmers
"Keith Eckel is a fourth-generation farmer from northeastern Pennsylvania, and the largest tomato farmer in the state. In March he said he will no longer grow tomatoes because he cannot find enough workers to harvest the fruits from his 2.2 million plants. He blames Congress' failure at immigration reform, and the climate it has created, which diminished the number of potential workers." York Daily Record
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the estimated cost to implement H.R. 4088, the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007, and found that the proposed legislation would cost taxpayers more than $40 billion over 10 years." ACLU Press Release
At Tax Time, Many "Illegal Immigrants" Are Paying Too
The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check. Associated Press
Immigration Issues Worry Farmers
"Keith Eckel is a fourth-generation farmer from northeastern Pennsylvania, and the largest tomato farmer in the state. In March he said he will no longer grow tomatoes because he cannot find enough workers to harvest the fruits from his 2.2 million plants. He blames Congress' failure at immigration reform, and the climate it has created, which diminished the number of potential workers." York Daily Record
Enforcement
Should cops be la migra?
"...nearly three of four chiefs who had considered but decided against training their officers to do immigration duty did so out of a concern that it would decrease overall public safety because undocumented residents, fearing deportation, would be less likely to contact the police if they were a victim of, or witness to, a crime." LA Times
Immigration, Outsourced
"To see how unhinged things have become, it pays to zero in on the squalid doings in Maricopa County, Ariz. It is home to Phoenix, the country's fifth-largest city, and the largest 287(g) program anywhere. It is run by the county sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who has built a national reputation for toughness through years of cruealty to prison inmates and an insatiable appetite for publicity. Where most departments have only handfuls of officers trained to enforce federal immigration laws, Sheriff Joe, as he is known, has 160. Their efforts are supplemented by what the sheriff says, without apology, is a 3,000-member "posse."" New York Times Editorial
Crackdown on Immigrants Draws Protests in Phoenix
"Last week, the Arizona Ecumenical Council and American Jewish Committee issued a joint letter saying the patrols "evoked a 'police state' atmosphere" and led to "detainment on the basis of a racial profile and dehumanization of innocent people." " Associated Press
L.A. mayor chides ICE for workplace immigration raids
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked the federal government to review its immigration enforcement priorities, warning that work-site raids on "non-exploitative" businesses could have "severe and lasting effects" on the local economy." LA Times
Visa Violators Swept Up In Widening Dragnet
"In recent years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has implemented a new strategy to identify people who are here illegally: Get local police to nab them on an unrelated offense, such as a traffic infraction." Wall Street Journal
New Jersey's Immigration Crackdown
"Lawyers and advocates for immigrants say that they have received reports that some police departments, especially in rural areas, are routinely questioning immigrants who are not covered by the directive, including some who were simply passengers in cars pulled over for minor traffic offenses. These actions come dangerously close to racial and ethnic profiling." New York Times Editorial
Crossing the Line?
"David Jones, president of the Arizona Contractors Association, says about 35 percent of Arizona's 280,000 construction workers are Latinos, and even with a downturn in housing construction, it's hard to find workers. "We have created an atmosphere in which Latinos, whether legal or illegal, no longer feel welcome here," he says." Newsweek
Abuse of Immigrants"...nearly three of four chiefs who had considered but decided against training their officers to do immigration duty did so out of a concern that it would decrease overall public safety because undocumented residents, fearing deportation, would be less likely to contact the police if they were a victim of, or witness to, a crime." LA Times
Immigration, Outsourced
"To see how unhinged things have become, it pays to zero in on the squalid doings in Maricopa County, Ariz. It is home to Phoenix, the country's fifth-largest city, and the largest 287(g) program anywhere. It is run by the county sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who has built a national reputation for toughness through years of cruealty to prison inmates and an insatiable appetite for publicity. Where most departments have only handfuls of officers trained to enforce federal immigration laws, Sheriff Joe, as he is known, has 160. Their efforts are supplemented by what the sheriff says, without apology, is a 3,000-member "posse."" New York Times Editorial
Crackdown on Immigrants Draws Protests in Phoenix
"Last week, the Arizona Ecumenical Council and American Jewish Committee issued a joint letter saying the patrols "evoked a 'police state' atmosphere" and led to "detainment on the basis of a racial profile and dehumanization of innocent people." " Associated Press
L.A. mayor chides ICE for workplace immigration raids
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked the federal government to review its immigration enforcement priorities, warning that work-site raids on "non-exploitative" businesses could have "severe and lasting effects" on the local economy." LA Times
Visa Violators Swept Up In Widening Dragnet
"In recent years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has implemented a new strategy to identify people who are here illegally: Get local police to nab them on an unrelated offense, such as a traffic infraction." Wall Street Journal
New Jersey's Immigration Crackdown
"Lawyers and advocates for immigrants say that they have received reports that some police departments, especially in rural areas, are routinely questioning immigrants who are not covered by the directive, including some who were simply passengers in cars pulled over for minor traffic offenses. These actions come dangerously close to racial and ethnic profiling." New York Times Editorial
Crossing the Line?
"David Jones, president of the Arizona Contractors Association, says about 35 percent of Arizona's 280,000 construction workers are Latinos, and even with a downturn in housing construction, it's hard to find workers. "We have created an atmosphere in which Latinos, whether legal or illegal, no longer feel welcome here," he says." Newsweek
Case highlights room for abuse in H-2B program
"In a statement released less than three weeks after the Southern Poverty Law Center sued, Marler announced Signal International no longer would hire new temporary workers under the government's H-2B program until protections are put in place to shield the workers and the U.S. companies that hire them. Signal also was pursuing claims against its recruiters for charging excessive fees and making false promises, according to Marler." Houston Chronicle
"In a statement released less than three weeks after the Southern Poverty Law Center sued, Marler announced Signal International no longer would hire new temporary workers under the government's H-2B program until protections are put in place to shield the workers and the U.S. companies that hire them. Signal also was pursuing claims against its recruiters for charging excessive fees and making false promises, according to Marler." Houston Chronicle
Border Fence
Tommy Lee Jones on the border fence: "fascist madness"
"The idea of a fence between El Paso and Brownsville bears all the credibility and seriousness of flying saucers from Mars or leprechauns. Or any manner of malicious, paranoid superstition. ... It's very destructive. Very, very destructive. And it's the perfectly wrong thing to do. First of all, it won't work. You can't build a fence that I cannot get over, through, or under if I want to go to Mexico. In that [border] country, you cannot do it. It's a complete folly. Ecologically, it's a complete disaster, and sociologically, it's a complete disaster. It's an act of fascist madness." 02138 magazine
"The idea of a fence between El Paso and Brownsville bears all the credibility and seriousness of flying saucers from Mars or leprechauns. Or any manner of malicious, paranoid superstition. ... It's very destructive. Very, very destructive. And it's the perfectly wrong thing to do. First of all, it won't work. You can't build a fence that I cannot get over, through, or under if I want to go to Mexico. In that [border] country, you cannot do it. It's a complete folly. Ecologically, it's a complete disaster, and sociologically, it's a complete disaster. It's an act of fascist madness." 02138 magazine
Government Authority is Crossing a Line
"Last week, Eloisa Tamez, 73, lost the latest round in her ongoing fight with the US government. A judge ordered her to let Washington survey her land near Brownsville, Texas. It lies in the path of a proposed border fence." Truthout
"Last week, Eloisa Tamez, 73, lost the latest round in her ongoing fight with the US government. A judge ordered her to let Washington survey her land near Brownsville, Texas. It lies in the path of a proposed border fence." Truthout
P.O.V. - Made in L.A. . Trailer | PBS
Smith College and Sweat Free Communities screened the documentary "Made in L.A." last night. The packed 120 seat auditorium, filled with 5 College students and community members, was moved to laughter and tears by the inspiring story of 3 seamstresses organizing workers in Los Angeles sweatshops providing clothing for the clothing store of Forever 21.
I highly, highly recommend this documentary. It is beautifully made, moving and universal.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Oppose the SAVE Act (H.R. 4088)
The Social Security Administration admits that there is a high error rate in its database, with and estimated 17.8 million errors related to name, date of birth, or citizenship status. Of these, 12.7 million of its records contain errors related to U.S. citizens, which will result in 2.5 million citizens a year at risk of losing their jobs because their will be miscategorized as unauthorized to work.
The bill would also formally approve the detention of CHILDREN, and would not address the deplorable conditions in which many immigrants are held. If you don't know what this means, you should look up the Hutto Detention Facility in Texas.
Furthermore, the bill would require local police act as immigration agents. This is a policy that has been shown to foster distrust between law enforcement and the communities they are meant to protect. People will not want to call the police when they witness a crime or are victims of a crime.
Finally, it would put religious and humanitarian workers behind bars for so-called "alien smuggling", what some would call being a Good Samaritan.
This is a misguided bill which will negatively impact all people in the United States, not just undocumented immigrants, but citizens as well. Please write to your Representatives demanding they oppose this bill. You NEED to do this NOW. Click here for a sample letter you can use (thank you B. Mitchell for writing it up and sharing).
Friday, April 18, 2008
Leaflet Big Y With Jobs With Justice
Saturday April 19
LEAFLET BIG Ys FOR JUSTICE @ SMITHFIELD
Chicopee store (650 Memorial Drive, near MassPike exit ): 1-2pm; contact Jon, (413) 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org, for more details for the Chicopee Team, or to do another store.
Amherst store (175 University Drive): Noon-1pm;
Northampton store (136 North King Street - Rt. 5) &/or downtown intersection (Main & Pleasant & King) - team will decide: 1:30-2:30pm;
contact Rose, (413) 320-2028, [or (413) 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org] for more details for the Amherst/Northampton Team.
THE BIG WHY:
Smithfield Foods has created an environment of intimidation, racial tension, violence, and fear of deportation for workers who want a voice on the job.
Poverty wages, brutal line speeds and other working conditions, crippling injuries, a dictatorship at work - 5,500 workers in Tar Heel, North Carolina, face this every day at the world's largest hog processing plant. They are trying to correct it by forming a union.
Their employer's response got it cited by Human Rights Watch for violating international human rights standards and cited by the National Labor Relations Board and US Court of Appeals for labor law violations.
More info at www.smithfieldjustice.com.
You can help them exercise their right to a union. The local Justice @ Smithfield committee is asking Big Y to stop selling Tar Heel pork (USDA establishment codes: 18079 and [bacon] 79-C).
Stop & Shop, Atkins Farms Country Market (Amherst), State Street Fruit Store and Delicatessen (Northampton), Coopers Corner (Florence), and US Foods at Westover Job Corps (Chicopee) are not offering Tar Heel pork. The Springfield City Council and Mayor have urged all area stores to join in. State Rep. Ben Swan has personally appealed to Big Y.
But when a delegation of religious, community, labor, educational, and student leaders tried to see Big Y's owners, they were kicked out of the Springfield headquarters.
So we're leafleting Big Y customers.
Join us! Info: 827-0301, wmjwj@wmjwj.org.
And you can ask Big Y to stop selling Tar Heel pork at https://www.bigy.com/contact
Friday, April 11, 2008
No-Match Letters Hurt All Workers
The Bush administration is still pushing for No-Match Letters, a proposed program where Social Security Administration would send employers letters listing Social Security Number (SSN) mismatches. The program would require workers to rectify these mistakes and employers to fire workers who are unable to do so within a specified time period.
The American Civil Liberties Union, along with the AFL-CIO and other labor organizers have many credible arguements agains this program. It is detailed very consicely and eloquently in this Jobs With Justice video.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Breaking the Chains Program at WBAI
For those who missed it, WBAI (a New York based Peace and Justice Community Radio Station) had an hour-long report on April 1st, 2008, focusing on the war on immigrants. Titled Global Movements, Urban Struggles, the program includes conversations with...
- David Fraccaro, Coordinator of the *Sojourners* Program, a prison visiting program based at Riverside Church, serving primarily immigration detainees at Elizabeth Detention Center (re: needs, including huge gaps in services available to asylum seekers)
- Families for Freedom members, including, Ravi Ragbir and Michelle Brane of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children (re: the impact of the Intensive Supervised Appearance Program or *ISAP* that recently arrived in NYC)
- Linda Rabben, long time Human Rights activist and author; Khalid Koser fellow in Humanitarian Affairs at the Brookings Institute; and Deputy Director of the Internal Displacement Project at Brookings-Bern; and Dr Esther Ezra Lopatin, Visiting Scholar at Georgetown's Institute for the Study of International Migration (re: comparison of immigration policies and politics in *Europe* to ours)
- Betsy Dewitt, member of Families for Freedom (re: the recent passage of NY City Council Resolution 1250 and upcoming plans to help pass the Child Citizen Protection Act-HR1176 (CCPA)).
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
May Day Rally
Immigrant Rights Are Human Rights!
Injustice To One Is Injustice To All
May Day Rally
Amherst Common
12 – 2 pm
Northampton City Hall Steps
5 pm
We believe in the human right of family
- 14 million people in mixed status families
- 3 million citizen children with one or both parents undocumented
- Stop tearing families apart!
- Wages should ensure living with dignity
- Everyone has the right to form and join a union
- Immigrants’ Rights are Workers’ Rights!
- Protection from arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home
- Protection from attacks upon honor and reputation
- Immigrants are human beings!
- Protection from torture and cruel or degrading treatment or punishment
- Protection from arbitrary arrest and detention
- Guarantee legal representation and due process
- Equal protection before the law!
wmciwr@gmail.com
Co-Sponsors:
Artists for Justice, SAGE, Western Mass. Jobs With Justice, Western Mass. AFSC, Greensboro Justice Fund, Western Mass. Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice, Western Mass. CopWatch
Welcoming Massachusetts
The Welcoming Massachusetts campaign urges individuals, organizations and elected officials to take a moral stand on immigrants and immigration policy. The goal is to collect 10,000 pledges by July 1st, which will then be presented to legislators at the MA State House. The following is the actual pledge.
I commit to publicly reject the politics of division and isolation that fan anger and hate against any person or community and to work towards just, workable and humane immigration policies that are anchored in America’s finest ideals and core values.Please take a minute to sign this important pledge and show your support for immigrants in Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I call upon members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation and the Administration to enact real solutions to America’s broken immigration system in the first 100 days of the 111th Congress.
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