Thread: Praise for a benevolent benefactor ICE bail donor Hildreth

Wiley: Praise for a benevolent benefactor

By Miryam Wiley/Contributing columnist


GHS
Posted Mar 21, 2008 @ 10:46 PM


The infamous immigrant raids of New Bedford a year ago made many of us mad, but they prompted some action. One man decided it was his duty to help bail out those sent to Texas.


This week The Wall Street Journal reported on the name of the hero, Bob Hildreth, who gave more than $200,000 in matching funds to some 40 immigrants whose lives were disrupted in the traumatizing raids at Michael Bianco Inc.


As it turns out, Hildreth's name had been reported before in a story by the Boston Globe in June 2007 (the WSJ makes the correction on its Web site), but this is as good as any time to celebrate this man who told the Journal that he became "infuriated" when he saw the news of the raids on television.


"I saw the people getting chained and they were flying them to Texas and there's no need to fly anybody to Texas," he said in a phone interview. "I didn't think it was fair because they were being taken into processing buildings before they knew what their rights would be, before the chance to talk to lawyers."


So Hildreth contacted the Greater Boston Legal Services and offered to help bail people out.


"He was, in many ways, like the angel for many families," said Greater Boston Legal Services lawyer John Wilshire Carrera in a phone interview.


Meanwhile, the MIRA Coalition and legal service lawyers traveled to meet the immigrants, and Harvard law student Adriana Lafaille went along, getting close to those in captivity as an interpreter. It was there that she saw the chance to make her small contribution to help.


She gave her phone to one of the women, and soon after she got back to Boston, she was called, as the woman learned that she could be free on bail. Still, the woman was afraid, Lafaille recalls, because the bail money had to be there in two weeks and she didn't know if her family would have it.


"I realized that if I didn't do something, no one would do it," Lafaille said. "I knew of this man who was matching funds, so I called the woman's daughter to find out if they had any money and decided to get in touch with other people at the Brazilian Women's Group.


Lafaille's efforts soon multiplied, as the Green Cooperative of Brazilian Women's Group started spreading the news and many contributed.


Soon the woman was able to have the $2,500 that was matched by Hildreth.


Immigrant leader Heloisa Galvao, the founder of Brazilian Women's Group, couldn't contain her excitement in seeing this story published this past week.
"Bob Hildreth is inspiring because he reminds us of the American values," said Galvao.


"An action such as this says that the human being is above everything and there are those unalienable rights that all of us are created equal. This country tries to divide people according to their race and status, but no one should have the right to do what was done to those people."


Hildreth told the Journal that his contributions were a form of giving back, as he made his fortune trading Latin American bonds during the 1980s.


In our conversation, he said that while he was primarily in Bolivia, as an economist he got to know many of the countries and he loves Latin America.


Of course, reaching out to undocumented immigrants to give them a chance at having their rights respected is a beautiful act to many, but backlash is sort of expected. Still, surprises abound.


"Since this article was published, we've had a lot of people say to us ' good work', and a businessman from Arizona who liked what we are doing said he wants to contribute to the fund," said Wilshire Carrera, the legal service lawyer. "I am sending him to Bob Hildreth."
As for Hildreth himself, so far so good.


"I was amazed that very few gave me a hard time," he said. "I expected to get roughed up.

THERE WAS A BLOG WITH THE USUAL ATTACKS, "HOW DARE THE ELITES SHOW COMPASSION

There was a blog with the usual attacks, 'How dare the elites show compassion' but what is most surprising is that I have scores of e-mails showing emotion. It is almost as if my story allowed them to come out as in favor of immigrants."


Wilshire Carrera said that of the 361 immigrants who were rounded up in New Bedford, about 160 have been deported, a couple have gone to Canada, a few more have gone back in volunteer departure and close to 200 are staying, all having different legal procedures, including a number applying for asylum. The last one of those imprisoned in Texas got out two days ago and is back with his family. Three or four youths are getting green cards.


Let's hope good sense prevails in the future to keep families together. As for now, teach your children about Bob Hildreth. His other work includes supporting early childhood education together with Boston University and, as he puts it, he will be doing more good work, "going with his nose."

Contact Miryam Wiley at inamericacolumn@yahoo.com.

The purposes of the military contracting program includes channelng money to Americans and legal immigants in depressed areas.


Having a legal immigrant like Michael Bianco owner Francesco Insola make millions off illegal aliens is not an equitable outcome for our tax money when there are sewing contractors operating in a legitimate fashion who lost out because Insola underbid them.


The advocates for the illegal aliens involved are trying to make ICE out to be unpatriotic. What is unpatriotic is that the real Americans in New Bedford or some other depressed community did not get the jobs.

Originally Posted by Richard

The purposes of the military contracting program includes channelng money to Americans and legal immigants in depressed areas.


Having a legal immigrant like Michael Bianco owner Francesco Insola make millions off illegal aliens is not an equitable outcome for our tax money when there are sewing contractors operating in a legitimate fashion who lost out because Insola underbid them.


The advocates for the illegal aliens involved are trying to make ICE out to be unpatriotic. What is unpatriotic is that the real Americans in New Bedford or some other depressed community did not get the jobs.

It is sad....and infuriating.....to know those jobs and subsequent income did not go to those deserving to rightfully have it.

It is more infuriating to realize that the likes of Bianco was awarded the contract with help from his friend Teddy K, almost without a doubt did not pay the workers what they were supposed to be paid with the difference lining his, and perhaps, Kennedy's, pocket, and, in typical fashion, they are both involved in trying to divert attention from their own wrongdoing by screaming racism and pointing fingers at ICE.