Thread: Deportations protested of illegal farmworkers in New York

Deportations protested


Dozens demonstrate against removal of illegal farmworkers


Greg Livadas
Staff writer



(August 3, 2006) — IRONDEQUOIT — More than two dozen people Wednesday protested the continued detention and deportation of illegal farmworkers by the U.S. government.

Hundreds of such workers, mostly from Mexico, have been apprehended in raids in upstate New York by a "fugitive operations team" formed late last year by the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"They're dumping on folks whose only crime is to try and work," said Brian Erway, an organizer of the event and member of Rochester Alliance for Immigrant Rights.

Sister Lucy Romero of Catholic Migrant Ministries said 40 to 60 workers were taken from their job sites and homes in raids near Sodus, Wayne County, in recent weeks.

"They're violating our human rights and international treaties for workers," Romero said in Spanish.

"You don't know how traumatizing it is to be grabbed and deported. It's like the world has ended," she said.

Romero said the process to become a legal citizen is very complicated, takes years and is very costly.

Belen Colon of Rochester befriended a 26-year-old Mexican jailed here who was deported in March, only to return here for work and detained again.

"I'm very aggravated," she said. "He's not killing people. He took the risk of coming back to feed his wife and son. He looks like a very decent kid. He deserves to be in this country. It's a country of freedom."

The protest took place on the sidewalk in front of the U.S. Border Patrol office on Pattonwood Drive. The office was closed for the day.

Even if it had been open, it's doubtful anyone would have commented because the office focuses on border crossings. Illegal farmworkers are a focus of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit, a separate agency.

GLIVADAS@DemocratandChronicle.com

Romero said the process to become a legal citizen is very complicated, takes years and is very costly.

In other words, because we want it, we'll break the law and do it our way.
After all, we're entitled to it, right?

"They're violating our human rights and international treaties for workers," Romero said in Spanish.

Here we go again with the human (civil) rights thing. I'm still waiting to see the documentation on this as to where their human rights are protected as an illegal immigrant.

How about we change her sign to this:

VIVE AQUI, NO!
VAMONOS IMMEDIATIMENTE, SI!

BTW senora, why isn't your sign written in English?

What human rights abuse and international treaties is she talking about?!
She should go to Mexico and fight for workers rights.

They are breaking the law! You brake the law you are going to pay a price. DEPORTATION.

Why can't these people get that through their heads!

Go back to Mexico and fight for human rights and work in your own country. Why are they blaming our country!

American citizens are tired of paying the tab for illegals!

I think the people prostesting are the people that are profiting.

Sister Lucy Romero of Catholic Migrant Ministries said 40 to 60 workers were taken from their job sites and homes in raids near Sodus, Wayne County, in recent weeks.

In my opinion the Catholic Minitries is one of the biggest importers of and abetters of illegal aliens.