WITNESS FOR JUSTICE

A Call for Allies of Immigrants:
We Must Expose and Oppose Detention of Immigrants

WHEN: Wednesday, October 1st, 5pm-6pm
WHERE: at Boston City Plaza (by the Government Center T Stop).
This location is near the JFK Building – home of the immigration court.
 
Background

Since 9/11 and the subsequent "War on Terror", the abuses and terror in Iraq have become the norm and have been carried over at home to the detention and treatment of undocumented workers, with more punitive and restrictive measures, criminalizing a civil, administrative matter. After 9/11, ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) replaced the INS. ICE, which is under Homeland Security, has a budget of $5 Billion per year. Its mission is to deport the 12 million undocumented workers in our country, most of whom are from Mexico and Central America. It’s not practical to actually deport 12 million immigrants; so ICE is creating fear and terror throughout immigrant communities with targeted raids, detentions and deportations.
  
Raids, Detentions and Deportations:

ICE has raided factories and homes across the country, including the New Bedford Raid in Massachusetts in March 2007, and the recent raids in August in Somerville, Lynn, East Boston, and Lowell. Under the pretext of conducting gang sweeps, ICE officials went knocking on doors at all hours of the night, arresting about 150 immigrants (documented and undocumented) and detaining them. They were separated from their families—from their children. Many were transferred without notice to different detention centers. Their families had no idea where they were being held. Some have been deported and many others now face deportation.
 
Call to Action: Stop the Raids, Deportations, and Abusive Treatment.
Justice for Immigrant Families.
Provide a Path to Citizenship.

Sponsored by: Arlington Street Church, First Parish Church in Malden (Unitarian), Centro Presente, Cambridge United for Justice with Peace (C-UJP), The Task Force on Immigration of the UU Church of Medford