Thread: Ernesto Portillo Jr. : Many work to be sure entrants know ri

Published: 12.09.2007

Opinion by Opinion by Ernesto Portillo Jr. : Many work to be sure entrants know rights.
The immigration raids are coming. It's no longer a matter of if, but when.
Southern Arizona's undocumented immigrants know this. They are also getting to know their rights.
Lawyers, teachers, school counselors, human-rights groups and neighbors are educating undocumented immigrants and their U.S.-born children of their right to remain silent, their right to counsel and their right to go before a judge.
"It's ingrained in our democracy," said Margo Cowan, an assistant public defender with long immigration-law experience. "Popular culture doesn't control determination of legal status."
Popular culture today has declared undocumented immigrants criminals. In addition the vitriol heaped on them has made them scapegoats and easy targets.
And as we know from history, ours and that of other countries, the majority of people will look the other way to make it easier to detain, interrogate and deport people deemed undesirable.
The Constitution does not make the same judgment that xenophobes make. Immigration law and universal human rights give undocumented immigrants rights afforded to citizens.
"It's pretty simple. We have a Constitution that calls for it," said immigration lawyer Maurice Goldman.
Goldman is enlisting attorneys who will provide legal advice and assistance to undocumented immigrants snared in workplace raids or detained by local police. Goldman is the state chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which has created the national pro-bono program.
Across the country U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has stepped up workplace raids and removal.
In fiscal year 2001, ICE removed 116,017 undocumented immigrants from the country. In 2007, the number jumped to 232,755 and an additional 40,534 illegal entrants voluntarily returned, according to ICE.
In Arizona, the number of people removed dropped to 39,098 in fiscal year 2007 from 42,483 in 2005.
While Arizona has largely escaped workplace raids, local police are increasingly stopping Latino motorists, inquiring about their legal status and calling immigration agents to detain undocumented immigrants, according to human-rights groups.
Border Action Network has trained people like Carmen Preciado to inform neighbors of immigration law. In her South Side home, Preciado has hosted meetings with friends and neighbors, many of whom were afraid to leave their homes in fear of being stopped.
Armed with the information, her neighbors are a little more confident knowing where their rights begin and where unlawful interrogation stops.
"We should be able to live in dignity," said Preciado, a volunteer with Border Action Network.
In the aftermath of the recent removal of two brothers from Catalina Magnet High and Doolen Middle schools, as well as the deportation of their undocumented parents, a few teachers and counselors are informing students what to say and what not to say if they are detained by police or immigration agents. Officials began investigating the family because the older student was believed to have marijuana at school.
"I inform my classes of the laws as well as their rights," said Cholla High School social-studies teacher Larry Lopez. Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, are advised to give their name and date of birth to police and immigration agents, not to give false information and to be respectful. They also can ask for an attorney — not at government expense — and ask for a hearing before an administrative judge.
Undocumented immigrants do not have to submit to voluntary deportation. It is an administrative matter to determine legal status, said Cowan.
If a police officer inquires about their citizenship, immigrants are advised to respond, "With all due respect, you do not have authority to ask me that question."
Undocumented immigrants are learning they have legal options. And protection, too, under our Constitution.
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This is all part of the new movement telling people to stay quiet and not answer questions if law enforcement asks you about your status...

"They also can ask for an attorney" this is a minor child and a foreign national she is talking about.

Cowan is a paid county employee and works with Isabel Garcia.

Good Heavens -

Do we need some new strategies? It seems our government, our justice system, our education system are all working against us.

Wjat rights do they have?

"Popular culture doesn't control determination of legal status."
Popular culture today has declared undocumented immigrants criminals. In addition the vitriol heaped on them has made them scapegoats and easy targets.
And as we know from history, ours and that of other countries, the majority of people will look the other way to make it easier to detain, interrogate and deport people deemed undesirable.
The Constitution does not make the same judgment that xenophobes make. Immigration law and universal human rights give undocumented immigrants rights afforded to citizens.
"It's pretty simple. We have a Constitution that calls for it," said immigration lawyer Maurice Goldman.

Unbelievable. Makes me ill.

Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." ~ anonymous

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

I think one of the most important things said in this article is the fact that school teachers and councilors are instructing these kids as to how to play this game. Shouldn't the school district be brought up on some aiding and abetting charges?

If a police officer inquires about their citizenship, immigrants are advised to respond, "With all due respect, you do not have authority to ask me that question."









Someone correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't this wrong information?

It's my understanding that any law enforcement officer has the right to question someone's legal status if they have suspicions and are then obligated to turn that individual over to ICE for further action.




Oh well......let them play their little games while they can. It won't last. The federal government has made it clear, by going after Illinois, that only so much of the antics to protect the "rights" of IAs and aiding and abetting garbage, will be tolerated before they find themselves in deep trouble. They will eventually get around to going after individuals and organizations doing the same.

Patience, folks. All of these tactics will prove just as worthless as the boycotts, protests, and everything else they've tried.

The Constitution does not make the same judgment that xenophobes make. Immigration law and universal human rights give undocumented immigrants rights afforded to citizens.

Oh Yeah?? And just where, exactly does our Constitution state that ILLEGAL immigrants have the same rights afforded to citizens?

Geez...where do these people come up with this stuff? And are there actually people out there ignorant enough to believe it??