Thread: Activists want haven for undocumented workers

Activists want haven for undocumented workers
THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE
uPosted on Thu, Feb. 22, 2007

By Michael Manekin



Nearly three weeks after federal immigration raids unnerved Redwood City's large Latino community, a dozen immigration advocacy groups have formed a coalition aiming to convert Redwood City and San Mateo County into a haven for undocumented immigrants.

``Our vision would be for Redwood City and San Mateo County to be a community that's safe for all of its residents,'' said Sheryl Bergman of the International Institute of San Francisco, whose Redwood City office assists the local Latino community. ``We want public assurance from our local leadership that parents will be safe when they walk their children to school.''

To combat fear and paranoia, the newly formed Redwood City Immigrant Rights Coalition -- which includes the International Institute, El Concilio of San Mateo County and a variety of non-profits, many already working with the local Latino community -- is recommending that local government intervene.

The coalition is drafting a resolution that it will send to Redwood City's city council and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. The hope, Bergman said, is that officials will sign a similar resolution denouncing the recent sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and declaring the county and the city ``sanctuaries'' for undocumented immigrants.

Since the raids, Bergman said, some in the city are still living in fear. Rather than walk their children to school, many parents have asked U.S. citizens to do it for them. Meanwhile, a small underground economy has formed on the back of undocumented immigrants too fearful to go to market: Citizens and the fearless among the immigrants have taken to shopping for milk and rice, charging a fee for their services.

The Richmond City Council passed a resolution condemning the immigration sweeps, and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is to consider a similar resolution at the end of the month. Although Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice declined to say whether local officials' condemnation would affect federal anti-illegal-immigrant operations, the Redwood City Immigrant Rights Coalition says it believes that a local condemnation would make an important symbolic stance against ``a broken national immigration system'' and comfort a shaken community.

Members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the Redwood City's city council did not return calls for comment Wednesday.

The coalition also intends to step up legal education for undocumented immigrants, holding workshops and training sessions on constitutional rights for residents living here illegally. It also plans to pool resources to assist families affected by the arrest of undocumented immigrants during future immigration operations.

The recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps are part of the federal agency's ``Operation Return to Sender,'' a stepped-up campaign to arrest undocumented immigrants with arrest or deportation records. Since June, the operation has arrested more than 13,000 residents, many without any prior charges, Kice said.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 755799.htm

``Operation Return to Sender,'' a stepped-up campaign to arrest undocumented immigrants with arrest or deportation records. Since June, the operation has arrested more than 13,000 residents, many without any prior charges, Kice said.

Cool, now let's get the other 20+ million stomping around our country demanding citizenship!