PRESS RELEASE
Contacts:
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Charity Crouse 773-458-6071
Ana Del Rivero [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
Stop The Lies About Immigration: Omar Lopez Demands Resignation of Rep. Luis
Gutierrez
Omar Lopez, Green Party Candidate for the 4th Congressional District, calls
for the immediate resignation of Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) for failing to
serve his constituents and engaging in a campaign of recurrent deceptions
regarding his support of immigration reform.
Gutierrez made the right decision in 2005 when he announced his intentions
to retire and not seek re-election. But instead of keeping his word, the
congressman returned to congress and has subsequently been at the helm of
passing
and enforcing anti-immigrant legislation that has resulted in the
terrorization of residents of his district.
In 2005, Gutierrez failed to inform his constituents of the introduction of
the Border Protection, Ant-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of
2005, aka the Sensenbrenner Bill. This bill introduced measures that would
have, among other things, criminalized doctors, nurses, teachers, religious
organizations, etc, for assisting undocumented workers and families. The bill
passed in the House of Representatives while Gutierrez was on the House
Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship, Border control and
International
Law. It was defeated in the Senate following the mass marches of the spring
of 2006 (March 10, 2006) wherein immigrants and supporters of just immigration
policy rallied with millions around the country.
Following a failed immigration bill he co-introduced with Sen. John McCain
(R-AZ) in 2006, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, Gutierrez
introduced the Security Through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy
Act
(STRIVE) of 2007, which contained many of the criminalizing elements of the
Sensenbrenner Bill, including:
--Criminalizing undocumented workers
--Penalizing employers with sanctions and criminal prosecution for employing
undocumented workers
--Militarizing the U.S./Mexico border
--Federalizing local law enforcement agencies and engaging them in raids on
communities
--Expanding the mandate of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency
(ICE) by financing collaboration with federal anti-terror agencies and funding
increased surveillance
--Authorizing the construction of 20 new detention centers capable of
detaining up to 20,000 people for more than 6 months
These measures were passed into law through the Consolidated Appropriations
Act of 2008 and have been in effect unchallenged since then, even while
Gutierrez has stepped up the head the House Subcommittee on Immigration.
On Oct. 20, Gutierrez held a press conference outside of ICE headquarters in
downtown Chicago to present a petition in support of Francisca Lino, who was
set to be deported Oct. 21 after she was arrested during a raid in his
district. Yet it was Gutierrez who sponsored the measures that empowered the
ICE
to engage in the kind of proceedings that are seeking to separate her from her
family. Although he says he supports a moratorium on the raids that ensnared
Mrs. Lino and hundreds of other people from his district, he has introduced
NO legislation to stop the raids and has NOT responded to several recent
raids in his own district, including one at the end of September that lasted
for
more than 3 days.
Gutierrez has a history of exploiting the misfortunes of undocumented
families: the only action he has taken in the last two years as congressman
was to
introduce 3 private bills on behalf of individuals –Elvira Arellano, March
15, 2007 (deported); Teresa Figueroa, Aug. 3 2007; and Gloria Ayala Cuyuch,
Sept. 18, 2008—but all of these bills languished in committee after they were
introduced with no follow-up by Gutierrez.
Instead, their cases were presented as publicity stunts by Gutierrez to
present himself as a supporter of immigrants' rights. The recent case
regarding
Mrs.Lino is no exception.
If Gutierrez was so committed to keeping immigrant families together, why
didn't he honor his commitment to meet with the Interim Director of ICE, on
Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 8 a.m. to secure a one-year stay of deportation so she
could "get her house in order" as he announced before the press conference?
Why
did he delay resolution of her case for "2 to 4 weeks" until after the
election, in effect letting her case languish also?
Omar Lopez believes that residents of the 4th Congressional district, and
citizens of the U.S., deserve a just and fair immigration policy that honors
the work of immigrants in our country, instead of the present policy of
persecution and state of siege that presently exists in our community. Omar
Lopez
was the principal convenor of the historic March 10th mega-march and May 1
marches of 2006 for immigrants' rights. Lopez calls on full legalization for
all
immigrant workers and immigration, labor and economic policies that create
stability and security for all Americans.
Luis Gutierrez has demonstrated his disregard for the welfare of the
majority of Mexican and immigrant residents of his district. He has been
derelict in
his duties as congressman for the 4th district by neglecting to protect the
constituents of his district from the wave of persecution that began in 2001
and which is presently in full stride under the immigration enforcement
policies of the Bush administration.
Gutierrez must resign! The voters of the 4th congressional district should
fire Gutierrez for his failure to defend our interests and welfare.
Please contact Charity Crouse at 773-458-6071 or Ana Del Rivero at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) for more information.
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