Thread: Hispanic leaders educate immigrants on rights

Monday, June 4, 2007
Hispanic leaders educate immigrants on rights
By PEGGY LOWE
The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA – Spanish-speaking leaders and lawyers met with about 175 people at a Catholic church here Sunday to educate them about their rights as arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants are dramatically rising.

The training also marks a new place for the county's raging debate on illegal immigration. It has moved from the streets and day laborer centers to Catholic churches, where religious leaders say U.S. policies on deportation are "immoral" and they are working to help undocumented families stay together. Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto of Orange County said this week that he'd like to see "reasonable solutions" to the tense standoff.

Sunday's meeting, sponsored by the Orange County Congregation Community Organization, was held because of the increase in arrests of Hispanics, especially for minor infractions, said Daniel Ramirez. He cited the case of Marcelino Tzul Tzir, a Guatemalan man arrested in Costa Mesa last year for riding his bike on the wrong side of the street.

"They assure us they're not targeting certain people," Ramirez said. "But when those things happen, which is a simple violation, we get concerned about that."

After being detained, Tzul Tzir was ultimately deported, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said last week.

Since Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona instituted a plan in January that allows local deputies to use federal databases to do immigration checks, the number of holds has increased 400 percent, according to the sheriff's department. In Costa Mesa, arrests are also up significantly after that city, lead by Mayor Allan Mansoor, became the only one in Southern California to have a federal immigration officer permanently stationed in the jail full time.

Four protesters were at the training at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Sunday, including one woman who held a sign that said "den of thieves." Lupe Moreno, a former Catholic and anti-illegal immigration activist, said she quit the Catholic Church because of its support of undocumented people, which she said is "immoral."

"It's very sad for me. It's sad because the church is supported to represent what is moral. It teaches our values, it teaches right from wrong," Moreno said. "Here the church is saying it's OK to break our laws."

Training Sunday included educating people on citizenship scams, how to obtain legal status, what the process is like and how to react to law enforcement, said Mark Silverman, a staff attorney for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

"We're trying to tell people what they should do and shouldn't do," Silverman said.

For instance, Silverman said all people living in the U.S. are protected by the Constitution and he cited the right to privacy in a residence, which is under the Fourth Amendment. When federal immigration officials raid an apartment building, for instance, those living there don't have to open their doors unless the officers have a warrant, Silverman said.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 717467.php

Aaaaahhhhh, illegals do not have any rights!! They can talk until they are blue in the face, wait until ICE (hopefully) starts stepping up the workplace raids!!(again...hopefully)