All posts tagged civil disobedience
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OctBREAKING: San Francisco Blocks Deportation Buses
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In wake of unprecedented protests in AZ, Bay Area groups urge national halt to deportations in order to jump start immigration reform
Just moments ago, dozens of undocumented immigrants and allies peacefully sat down in front of the San Francisco offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and blocked a bus filled with community members en route to deportation. Read more
On Friday, protestors locked themselves to the wheels of buses carrying detainees destined for Operation Streamline, a federal court they cite as the worst example of the criminalization of immigrants. As a result of the protest, it's reported that those on the bus were immediately repatriated instead of facing felony convictions and months in private prisons before being deported.
After two days of conferencing over the weekend, the Day of Action to Shut Down ICE began with six people, including Sandy Estrada who's brother has been in detention for nearly a year, chaining themselves together on the entry road to the notorious privately-run Eloy Detention Center. After bringing attention to the facility and disrupting its activities, protestors unchained and joined several hundred in Phoenix for a march and protest determined to prevent any deportations from being processed through the building today. Read more
Just now, protestors chained themselves in front of the Eloy Detention Center. Their action calls on the President to stop deportations and the criminalization of immigrants. Through civil disobedience they say they’re exposing the inhumane imprisonment at the center of current immigration policy and the needless warehousing of the undocumented who could benefit from reform.
Many of those inside Eloy have committed no major offense and instead are victims of Congress’ 34,000 minimum detention bed mandate and the profiling of Sheriffs like Arpaio and Border Patrol required to fulfill the arbitrary quota. Read more
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This morning, 12 immigrant rights activists locked themselves to the wheels of two deportation buses headed to Operation Streamline at a federal court where 6 additional people had chained themselves to the entrance to protest the proceeding they say is criminalizing immigrants and destroying core principles of the justice system.
According to multiple sources, as a result of the three and a half hour long and continuing peaceful blockade, the court, for one of the only times in it’s history, cancelled the proceedings where detainees are presented in shackles in front of a judge and sentenced as a group.
The protest is part of the #Not1More Deportation campaign calling on the President to use his authority to keep families together and provide immediate relief from deportations for those who could benefit from a permanent solution. Read more
Undocumented Leaders & People Facing Deportation Handcuff Themselves to White House Fence Calling for President to Stop Deportations, Announce Plans for Further Civil Disobedience in Arizona
On September 18th, seven undocumented migrants from across the country handcuffed themselves to the White House fence to push forward the demand the President stop deportations and tell him they won’t take ‘no’ for an answer despite his comments to Telemundo last night.
“The only ‘no’ we’ll accept, is no more deportations,” explained Tomas Martinez, a member of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR). “The President can’t deny he has the power and the responsibility to stop deportations. We’re being told to wait for reform but waiting is not an option when 1,200 of us are being deported each day?”
Incredible action by ADAC and United We Dream
These 11 people are risking arrest in civil disobedience calling on the President to use his power to stop deportations.
Luis Serrano is an undocumented organizer with the Los Angeles Immigrant Youth Coalition. Since 2009 Serrano has advocated for the decriminalization of migrant communities. Luis has taken an active role in organizing around deportation cases, many of which are his personal friends.
Betty Hung is part of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) and the daughter of immigrants from Taiwan who emigrated to the United States after racist national origins quotas were finally lifted in 1965. Her parents settled roots in the San Gabriel Valley and sponsored their family members – their sisters and brothers – to join them in the U.S. She believes in the human right of all families – including LGBTQ families – to be together with their loved ones. No family should be separated. She stands in solidarity with migrant communities and urges president to end deportations.
Barbara Moore is a life long Unitarian Universalist and her faith is the primary source of her commitment to working for social justice. She serves on the Immigrant Justice Steering Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry in California.
Martha Arévalo is the executive director for the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN). She specializes in immigrant advocacy work, community outreach and Latino strategic communications. Arevalo has extensive experience in the areas of social marketing, public education, immigration, education, civic participation, public policy and community organizing.
Claudia Ramirez came to the USA when she was only 4 years old. By organizing she knows it is time to let go of fear and to stop protecting ourselves behind four walls. Claudia has been active in the Los Angeles Immigrant Youth Coalition and the Saint Lawrence Dream Team, focusing on organizing youth in East and South Los Angeles. Claudia has been a pioneer in highlighting the mental health issues that affect undocumented youth through sharing her experiences and creating safe spaces for others to do so as well.
Edna Monroy is an undocumented and unafraid woman. She came to the United States in 2001 at the age of 12. Born in Iguala Guerrero, México, she came to reunite with her father after jobs as flower street vendors could no longer support them in a tough economy. She grew up in South Central Los Angeles, and after graduating from high school she attended UCLA where she became involved in organizing. She is engaging in this type of work because it is important to continue building momentum, and escalate to hold the government and president Obama accountable for the numerous deportations that have taken place and continue to occur throughout the country.
Myisha Arellano was born in Mexico. She grew up in both Mexico City metropolitan area and the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. She has resided in California since the age of nine. She became involved in her community through her work as an artist and has been active ever since. Currently she is part of the Los Angeles Immigrant Youth Coalition (IYC) and San Fernando Valley Dream Team. Myisha is currently a student at California State University, Northridge after receiving a scholarship at CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts – Multimedia and Performing.
Adrian James is an undocumented Malaysian-Indian immigrant from Bangkok, Thailand. He chooses to take action against the immoral criminalization and deportation of immigrants because he holds the fundamental belief that NO human being is disposable, especially to achieve political ends. He also recognizes that current anti-immigrant efforts are part of a broader system of oppression against people of color and that it must be actively resisted. Adrian is a passionate community organizer, writer, student, and film-maker. He completed two undergraduate degrees in philosophy and psychology. He hopes to attend law school in the future. Adrian is an organizer with the Inland Empire Immigrant Youth Coalition.
David Lemus was born in San Salvador, El Salvador. He came to the United States in 2008, at the age of 15. Since then he has lived in South Central Los Angeles. David attended John C. Fremont High School and graduated with the class of 2012. He is currently attending the University of California Berkeley, planning to double major in Ethnic Studies and Spanish. He organizes with the East Bay Immigrant Youth Coalition and USEU (Unión Salvadoreña de Estudiantes Universitarios) He is undocumented, unafraid, unashamed and unapologetic.
Alexandra Suh is executive director of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA). Her past experience includes community organizing and advocacy on issues of police brutality and women workers; peace and trade justice; and homelessness, prostitution, mental illness, and substance abuse faced by immigrant women. She is a co-founder and board member of the Korea Policy Institute. Alexandra holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and was a professor of literature and cultural theory at Scripps College.
Luis Enrique Gonzalez came to the USA when he was 15 years old and graduated from Benjamin Franklin high school. He attends Pasadena City College majoring in math but also wants became a social worker . Luis is an undocuqueer youth organizer with the San Gabriel Valley Immigrant Youth Coalition working to create safe spaces for undocuqueer youth in his community.
Read More about the action at: http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/?p=1692
Watch Live:
As President Visits Los Angeles to Fundraise, Undocumented People and Allies Unfurl Banner Reading “Not1More Deportation” in Intersection at 26th and San Vicente in Santa Monica.
(06.07.2013) Los Angeles, CA – Seated around a banner that says “Undocumented, Unafraid: Not1More Deportation” 11 undocumented people and allies blocked a busy intersection in Santa Monica during a larger rally nearby the President’s Los Angeles fundraiser. The rally referred to Los Angeles as the “deportation capital of the United States” citing that Los Angeles County deports more people under programs like “Secure Communities” than any other in the country, even more than Sheriff Arpaio in Arizona.
Similar to protests that greeted the President when he visited his hometown of Chicago, participants are risking arrest to urge the President to stop the 1,100 daily deportations that he continues to oversee as Congress debates reform.
“Why should my family still have to live in fear of being deported at the same time that Congress is talking about passing immigration reform? ” asked Myisha Arellano, an undocumented member of the Immigrant Youth Coalition originally from Mexico. “The President can’t just give speeches about reform when he’s also deporting our families in record numbers. He could stop our suffering and stop deportations with the stroke of a pen.”
Another protestor, Adrian James, an undocumented Malaysian-Indian immigrant from Thailand said, “Under the President’s current policies, people are being racially profiled and targeted. Victims of crimes can’t even seek help. We’re doing this to make that change.”
Luis Serrano, an undocumented member of the Immigrant Youth Coalition, added “It doesn’t make sense to keep deporting people that could qualify for immigration reform. We want our families to still be here when a path to citizenship opens. We’re calling on the President to give our parents and everyone in our community the same relief he gave when he created DACA.”
Also in attendance at the rally were families currently in deportation proceedings whose specific cases protestors were calling to be closed.
Read the bios of the participants here
Livestream at http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/2013/06/07/iyc-demo/. Follow on Twitter at @ImmigrantPower and @NDLON
(05.29.2013) Chicago, IL – Seated around a banner with the number 400,000, the amount of people scheduled to be deported this year under White House quota, Chicagoans mounted a morning rush hour protest to call on President Obama to suspend deportations as Congress seeks reform.
“Plans and promises of immigration reform are not enough. While Congress is talking about passing immigration reform, I’m scared that my own parents will be one of the 1,100 who are deported every day,” explains undocumented protestor Stephanie Camba, 22. “The President can’t be a bystander in reform when he could stop our suffering and stop deportations with the stroke of a pen.”
Another protestor, Ireri Unzueta Carrasco, 26, a recipient of the President’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) said, “It doesn’t make sense to keep deporting people that could qualify for immigration reform. We want our families to still be here when a path to citizenship opens. We’re calling on the President to give our parents and everyone in our community the same relief he gave us.”
The protestors sat on Michigan Avenue circling a banner saying “400,000, Not 1 More Deportation” in front of the Hilton hotel, where the President is scheduled to speak at a fundraiser later in the day. An additional afternoon immigrant rights rally is planned for 4: 30pm across from the Hotel.
Protestors Are Asking Supporters to Take Action:
1. Sign the petition to the President calling for a suspension of deportations.
2. Call (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senator. When transferred, tell them that a key step to supporting immigration reform is getting the President to stop the deportations of those who could be included in it.
Sample Script: I’m calling to ask the Senator to send a letter asking the President to stop deportations as Congress seeks reform. It doesn’t make sense to keep deporting people today who could be offered the path to citizenship tomorrow. Each day that the debate in Congress continues another 1,100 people are deported. The President could end the suffering of those families and move immigration reform forward with the stroke of a pen and I’m asking for your office to go on record with that request.
Read about the 12 people arrested here
Livestream at www.ustream.tv/user/undocumentedil. Follow on Twitter at @UndocuIL and @IYJL
