Thread: Contra Costa:Panel eyes pro-immigrant resolution

Panel eyes pro-immigrant resolution
Human Relations Commission's plan similar to those passed by Richmond council, West County school board
By Tom Lochner
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

The Contra Costa County Human Relations Commission will discuss today formulating "a pro-immigrant resolution" to forward to the county board of supervisors.
The proposed resolution would be similar to ones passed by the Richmond City Council and the West Contra Costa Unified School District board, said a commissioner, Jaime Cader. The city and school district do not routinely collaborate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"One of the features (of Richmond's resolution) is having the local police not cooperate with the immigration authorities when they arrest or detain people," Cader said.

The resolution is being sponsored by Arturo Cruz, an unsuccessful candidate for the San Pablo City Council in 2004 who has said he will try again in 2008; the San Pablo Against ICE Committee; the Latino/Latina Democratic Club; and Promoción Latina, a nonprofit community outreach organization. Cruz is president of Promoción Latina and a member of the two other groups.

"We just want to let the immigrant community know that we're still supporting them and that they have rights," Cruz said. He acknowledged that reports of supposed raids by ICE have subsided, but "they're (ICE) still active out here," he said. "That's why we're trying to pass a resolution."

ICE has denied it is performing random raids such as those that immigrants and immigrant rights groups have accused it of. The agency has said it targets illegal immigrants who are on a deportation list and
that the focus is on those who have committed crimes.
Cruz and Cader said they hope the commission's action will result in a countywide pro-immigrant policy.

The commission also will discuss whether to seek funding from Chevron for some commission programs.

"This is controversial because of some of the negative health issues that have been created in Richmond and also because of the health issues of Native Americans in Ecuador," Cader said.

Chevron is a defendant in an Ecuadorean court in a suit accusing the San Ramon-based company of failing to clean up billions of gallons of toxic wastewater in the Ecuadorean jungle.

Chevron has called the case a "legal farce."

Thousands of settlers and Amazon Basin Indians are plaintiffs in a class-action suit seeking about $6 billion to clean up a section of Ecuadorean rain forest where Texaco Petroleum Co. spent three decades extracting oil before it was acquired by Chevron in 2001.

Chevron denies the allegations and says Texaco followed Ecuadorean environmental laws in a $40 million cleanup that began in 1995.

The commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the Contra Costa County Office Building, 2425 Bisso Lane, Concord.

Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@cctimes.com.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_6347669

When I read articles that basically say " How dare ICE do its job, we're ILLEGAL and we have rights" I think, what next? How far down the scale will it go. Will I soon read " We are ILLEGALS the no law pertains to us"

"The resolution is being sponsored by Arturo Cruz, an unsuccessful candidate for the San Pablo City Council in 2004 who has said he will try again in 2008; the San Pablo Against ICE Committee; the Latino/Latina Democratic Club; and Promoción Latina, a nonprofit community outreach organization. Cruz is president of Promoción Latina and a member of the two other groups."

I believe these are the folks ICE should target first.

[quote="Cliffdid"]When I read articles that basically say " How dare ICE do its job, we're ILLEGAL and we have rights" I think, what next? How far down the scale will it go. Will I soon read " We are ILLEGALS the no law pertains to us"[/quote]

Well the law really does not pertain to them, does it. They enter the country illegally and are rewarded with jobs, welfare, free medical, free education, etc. etc. etc.
I am a law abiding citizen and I get no freebies, I pay for their freebies with my taxes.

Plus they commit identity theft to get false documents.

How many Americans, if caught, get away with ID theft?