Activists decry immigration arrests

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Activists decry immigration arrests

By Mitch Dudek
Tribune staff reporter
Published April 20, 2006, 6:28 PM CDT

Immigrant rights activists gathered in the Loop today to call for the release of undocumented workers arrested in a series of raids that netted 26 people on the city's Southwest Side and nearly 1,200 nationwide.

The arrested workers later were released on recognizance bonds after being processed.

The activists also called for a moratorium on arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents like the ones that took place Wednesday at IFCO Systems, at 2000 W. 32nd St. near the Pilsen neighborhood.

During a search consented to by the company, 24 male and 2 female employees, all Mexican nationals, were taken into custody and charged with being in the country illegally, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gail Montenegro.

A work site enforcement operation targeting IFCO, the largest pallet company in the United States, resulted in the arrests of approximately 1,187 illegal immigrant workers at 40 IFCO sites in 26 states, Montenegro said.

At today's news conference in Chicago, immigrants rights activist Roberto Carlos Lopez called for the immediate release of workers on their own recognizance, as well as a stop to all such arrests and future deportations while the debate for immigration reform takes place in Congress.

He also called for Illinois senators and representatives to meet with President Bush to negotiate the terms of the moratorium.

In addition, Lopez said the immigrant community would continue to mobilize throughout May until the moratorium is established or some type of legislative solution is reached. An immigration rights march planned for May 1 in Chicago will proceed, Lopez said.

Lopez, who stood with a small crowd of activists, said the arrests were intended to intimidate.

"It is undeniable that these raids were timed right after the historic marches and demonstrations, and it's a move by the (Bush) administration to try and intimidate and stop this movement," Lopez said in front the Customs Enforcement office at 10 W. Jackson Blvd.

"The national raids have separated families, destroyed lives, and traumatized children across this country," Lopez said. But, he added, "They can't stop our movement. If anything it will make us stronger."

The arrests resulted from an investigation into IFCO's employment of undocumented immigrants that began more than a year ago in Guilderland, N.Y., according to a Customs Enforcement news release.

All 26 people arrested were released on their own recogizance late Thursday afternoon from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview, Montenegro said.

They have been placed into deportation proceedings and were released pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge.

Those arrested in Chicago ranged in age from 18 to 57, she said.

They will be "instructed to appear before an immigration judge who will hear the details of their case and decide whether they will be deported," Montenegro said.


Did you catch that???

"The national raids have separated families, destroyed lives, and traumatized children across this country," Lopez said. But, he added, "They can't stop our movement. If anything it will make us stronger."

These people are out of their minds! Cracking down on illegal activity is now destroying lives. Umm... How???

I guess all the marches and protest for release them isn't considered intimadation now?

The children were not tramatized by running threw the desert in the pitch black of night. Dodging headlights on the highways....Familys were not separated as they one by one ran across the boarders.....

I see a pattern here. On every single event, issue and word it appears to be changed to the "we can do it but you can't game".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jezzabell

I see a pattern here. On every single event, issue and word it appears to be changed to the "we can do it but you can't game".

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Yep, it's because they are too ignorant to realize the hypocrisy of their methods.

Isn't it nice to see that the free education we are providing for them teaches them how to write hate slogans on poster boards but not apply logic and rational thought to their own movements?

Rights! Laws! Fair,not fair! Just a one way street with these guys. Wish I was so SPECIAL.

Talk about unmitigated GALL.

Gee, does that mean if we are debating say a new law on murder, that all murders should be released on their OR, and that we should cease arresting additional murderers until a decision on the new law is decided?

Pinto Bean

Quote:

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At today's news conference in Chicago, immigrants rights activist Roberto Carlos Lopez called for the immediate release of workers on their own recognizance, as well as a stop to all such arrests and future deportations while the debate for immigration reform takes place in Congress.

He also called for Illinois senators and representatives to meet with President Bush to negotiate the terms of the moratorium.

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That was the paragraph that caught my attention also PintoBean. Since when did Chicago immigrant rights activists get to call for the right to make the laws for the United States.

This is so outrageous I don't even know where to begin. First of all, the United States has every right to ENFORCE it's laws. These illegals have been coddled to the point they think they are above the law and it doesn't apply to them.

Second, maybe they ought to look in the mirror and discover what the word "HYPOCRISY" means. Mexico deports more illegals every year than the United States does. Their simple minds cannot comprehend this. They chose to come here, we didn't invite them. If they get deported they have no one to blame but themselves. Enough is enough already.

Michael Graham of 96.9 FM Talk in Boston said that he was debating with someone from the irish coalition on immigration and the man stated that until the US has laws they approve of regarding immigration they will not abide by them. Since when do have to make laws that illegal immigrants approve of? Since when do we have to run everything by people who are in this country illegally? They have no rights here.