National Immigrant Solidarity Network webpage: _http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org_ (http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/) e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
*to join the immigrant Solidarity Network daily news litserv, send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) or visit: _http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn_ (http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn) Reports from Los Angeles Independent Media Center _http://la.indymedia.org_ (http://la.indymedia.org/) Long Beach, CA: Liliana’s Fight--Growing Church Sanctuary Movement Has A New Face by Mexica Movement Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2007 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) (323) 981-0352 Minuteman protest against church draws over 100 supporters for new Church Sanctuary resident. Attention is drawn to racist U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Night vigil by supporters is scheduled for Friday August 17, 2007 @ 7:30 P.M. (outside church). indymedia_lilliana_sanctuar.jpgqcwlvx.jpg, image/jpeg, 500x400 She is a prisoner, but she is not a criminal. She is a devoted mother, wife, and daughter. She had a full-time job, a driver’s license, and paid her taxes. But for the last two months, Liliana (last name withheld) has taken on a new role. She is taking sanctuary within Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach. Liliana has been made a prisoner within an inhumane cage of U.S. migration laws. Despite having a husband who is an American citizen and three children who are also U.S. citizens, ICE officers entered her home in May and attempted to take her away. Like a scene out of “Schindler’s List,” the storm troopers had declared her “an undesirable” and were subjecting her to forced removal. Terrified and terrorized, Liliana thought of her three children (U.S. citizens), her husband (U.S. citizen), her brothers and mother who also reside near her. ICE was demanding to tear her family apart and take away everything she had worked so hard for. By a stroke of luck and persuasion on the part of her husband, Liliana was given five days to turn herself in for deportation. She used that time to find a way to fight back. “I will stay and fight” Those counter-protestors who stayed after the Minuteman protest on Saturday morning met the new face of the Church Sanctuary Movement. Inside the church, a potluck dinner was held for Lilliana and her supporters. Liliana is well-spoken and exudes a quiet strength. She handles television media questions calmly and intelligently. But her pain is never far from the surface. Instead of cowering in fear, she said, she decided to stay and fight (SEE VIDEO LINKS BELOW). Allowing herself to be deported was unacceptable for her and her family. She has rights and she knows that Washington D.C. is wrestling with changing the laws that imprison her --and her family. Her Only Crime Liliana’s only "crime" was that she was not born a European. She was born a Mexican woman, a person of Indigenous descent on this continent. But she was not born in England, Italy, or Germany—three of the 25 European-descent countries which enjoy the privileged U.S.Visa Waiver Program. Other Visa Waiver Program countries include (but are not limited to): Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Wales, The Netherlands, and Ireland. Liliana recounts a story of meeting an Italian who boasted to her that he was here without an Immigration Visa: he was an Italian national and therefore only needed to flash a simple passport at any U.S. port of entry. No questions asked. Liliana said, "They say that this country isn't racist. So why don't they demand that the Europeans get visas to enter the country? Is it about skin color?" The Fight Forward Because she is Mexican, Lilliana is being held to a standard unthinkable of enacting against Europeans. Because she is Mexican, she is now being held in sanctuary, a prisoner of racism. Lilliana never had the “instant amnesty” of being born a Canadian, German, or Australian. And that is why she --and several others-- are fighting for their rights. GET INVOLVED. SUPPORT LILIANA AND HER FAMILY: Email Debbie at [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) Or contact Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach. Attend the Night Vigil by supporters: scheduled for Friday August 17, 2007 @ 7:30 P.M. (outside church). WATCH VIDEOS OF LILIANA SPEAKING: _http://media.putfile.com/Lilliana-news-interview-sanctuary_ (http://media.putfile.com/Lilliana-news-interview-sanctuary) _http://media.putfile.com/Lilliana-sanctuary-story_ (http://media.putfi le.com/Lilliana-sanctuary-story) _http://media.putfile.com/Liliana-talks-about-arrest-by-ICE_ (http://media.putfile.com/Liliana-talks-about-arrest-by-ICE) _www.mexica-movement.org_ (http://www.mexica-movement.org/) 7/30: SOS/Minutemen in Long Beach by Carlos Cantu Monday, Jul. 30, 2007 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) A handful of SOS and Minutemen faithful showed up on the corner of 7th and Atlantic in Long Beach to protest the sanctuary given to Liliana, a 29 year old immigrant from Mexico by St. Luks Episcopal Church. The sun was hot in Long Beach but an anti-Minutemen protest at St. Luke’s was not. Tame by comparison to past anti-Minuteman actions in the past the gathering last Saturday lacked the usual “fire”. However the Minutemen and Save Our State were soundly beaten by numbers alone with the anti-immigrant protesters only being able to field about 40 members and pro-immigrant forces gathering to about 100 at the height of the event. Meant to be the start of an all out offensive on immigrant harboring churches this clear program of intimidation by Save Our State and The Minutemen Project was far less than successful. The SOS and Minutemen camp dwindled to about 15 or less before the end of the action. The morning consisted of statements being fired back and forth via megaphone as both sides faced each other on the corner of 7th and Atlantic. Both groups were separated by wooden barricades, orange vested volunteers and of course the Long Beach police. One anti-immigrant protester was led away by police after he tried to cross into the pro-immigrant side. The SOS and Minutemen showed their usual ignorance to history, politics and the socioeconomic situation and even religion. A few of their signs bore harsh criticism of the Catholic Church even though the protest was at an Episcopal house of worship. One anti-immigrant protester responded with a blank stare when questioned about the incongruity. Pro-immigrant supporters were on the other hand confident and upbeat making plans for future meetings, plans and events. The anti-immigrant megaphoned rants were later drowned out by the Aztec Dancers and the event got a little emotional when Liliana’s two young children came out in front of the news cameras and made a plea to have there mother returned home to them. After the event when you’re humble narrator and companion were confronted by Long Beach Police officers. While on our way back to our car around the corner from where pro-immigrant protesters were filtering away and fifteen minutes after the SOS/Minutemen had already left . We came across three squad cars, four cops were “gearing up” with riot helmets, gas masks and 4 foot long nightsticks. We turned on the video camera and started shooting and asked them what they were getting ready for. One very large officer came up to us and barked “step back…you are too close to my police vehicle!” we stepped back and he barked at us again declaring that we were getting too close to him. I notified him that he was the one walking towards us, he replied with a smirk. Clearly using provocational tactics reminiscent of MacArthur Park we never the less and held our ground. The police became very self conscious of the camera and began to fiddle with their equipment as they looked towards their leader for further orders. Two other units pulled up but by then an order was given to pack away there weapons and gear. We decided to leave. We took an indirect route back to our car, as we turned up 6th street we noticed a couple of police units and an unmarked car cruising slowly behind us. We stopped and looked right at them as they photographed us with their little digital cameras and cell phones. When asked why they were photographing us one officer responded by saying “if you can do it, we can do it to”. We told them that they could go ahead since “we are the ones with nothing to hide”. We changed direction and they went on there way. We zigzagged a bit and headed back to our car; I spotted the undercover car in an alley but decided to continue on our way home. As we made our way down to Atlantic the undercover car was clearly tailing us. I turned into the crowded left lane and slowed down, the undercover police car with it’s darker than night smoked windows pulled along side and we waved our hands and gave them big smiles. We made a left turn and made a round about journey back to the 710 deciding not to patronize the City of Long Beach and ditched our plans to see the Soviet sub moored along side the Queen Mary. 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