NEWS RELEASE Friday, October 10th, 2008 Contact information: National Coordination email list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Chicago, Illinois: [EMAIL PROTECTED], 773-852-8815 Madison WI - 608-345-9544, immigrantworkers.org Sodus NY 315-483-6662, www.nnirr.org Rochester NY 585-454-7932 , NYC, 212-633-6646, Detroit, MI, 313 580 5474 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Boston, NJ, 617.922.5744, bostonmayday.org San Francisco, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
*National Day of Action against Raids and Deportations on Columbus Day / "Dia de la Raza" * >From coast to coast, hundreds of immigrant rights activists and community leaders are getting ready for a national day of action in response to the current immigration crisis. Congress has been unable or unwilling to pass comprehensive immigration reform for the 12 - 15 million undocumented workers and their families living in the U.S. In the last few months, ICE and the DHS have been carrying out their own election year campaign on the issue of mass deportations. The recent raids in Postville, IA and Laurel, MS have a very specific purpose; to target basic workers' rights and unionization efforts and to terrorize the immigrant community. ICE is taking on the role of law maker and enforcer at the same time, rolling out new strategies that are effectively shaping immigration policy around the country. In ICE's Fiscal Year 2007 Annual Report can be read as follows: "ICE removed a record 276,912 illegal aliens, including voluntary removals, from the United States ... ICE dramatically increased penalties against employers whose hiring processes violated the law, securing fines and judgments of more than $30 million while making 863 criminal arrests and 4,077 administrative arrests." Every day, ICE holds an average of 29,786 illegal aliens in facilities nationwide. This escalation of ICE's activities is not proportionally related to public opinion on the question of immigration. Immigration tops just 3 percent of likely voters' list of most pressing concerns this election year, as compared to the economy and jobs at 48 percent or terrorism and national security at 14 percent (CBS News/New York Times Poll, 9-12-08). Silence from the two main presidential candidates after the tragedies of Mississippi and Iowa, is in effect a green light for ICE to keep attacking immigrant workers, disrupting factories and terrorizing neighborhoods. STOP DEPORTATIONS IMMEDIATELY: ¡Basta YA! >From coast to coast, national coalitions and organizations responsible for the massive rallies in 2006 are getting ready for a "coordinated national day of action" on October 12th This action is taken to address the humanitarian crisis in the USA, and more specifically, the abuses and persecution that millions of immigrants face every day. Among the cities calling for these actions are: Detroit (MI), Madison (WI), Chicago (IL), San Francisco (CA), New York City (NY), Minneapolis (MN), Boston (NJ), SODUS NY, Rochester (NY), and many cities more. October 12th was chosen "for its significance in the history of this continent. Over 500 years ago, European imperialism arrived to this continent and established a flourishing empire on the bones and ruins of the peoples and societies who had lived in this land for thousands of years," said one organizer in one of the many national phone calls to organize this national day of action. The main demands of the broad and growing national coalition are: · An end to I.C.E. raids and deportations · A call on all presidential candidates to announce an immediate and unconditional moratorium on the raids and deportations · Immigration Reform to be enacted within the first 100 days of the new federal government, including legalization for all 15 million immigrant workers and their families. Also, as the U.S. and European governments close their borders and deport tens of thousands of immigrant workers and their families, several organizations in the coalition aim to raise awareness to the foreign and economic policies of the U.S. and European governments. To the correlation between these policies and the millions of people who are forced to leave their home countries in search of work. One of the biggest concerns expressed by many of the organizations in the coalition is that this persecution is being used to justify the idea that new comers to this country do not have basic rights. That these new comers should not be paid decent wages and should not have decent working or living conditions; that they should have no access to education, health care, and other basic social services. Thus, eventually creating the basis for a more sophisticated form of exploitive-labor; "The Guest Worker Program" in words of a long time Michigan activist "we reject and equate to SLAVERY". The national day of action, which has been endorsed by over 20 (number of cities and organizations), will support and in some cities demonstrate together with other social movements. Specifically with the national day of anti-war actions on October 11th in the words of one of the national organizers: "Immigrants are not the only victims of these policies of seeking maximum profit from the lives and rights of millions of people around the world. The war in Iraq, the AIDS epidemic, in the US workers and the poor are facing the hardest times since the 1930s; 47 million without health insurance, unemployment and poverty skyrocketing. Clearly then, on October 12th, we will demand peace, human, civil, and workers' rights, as well as extending a fraternal salute of solidarity to the global immigrants movement. Especially to our brothers and sisters that are suffering similar repression in Europe." ### -- Jorge Mujica --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Internet group address: http://groups.google.com/group/ChicagoMayDay To send e-mail: [email protected] To unsuscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
