Thread: Rights Organizations Denounce Mass. ICE Raids

Rights Organizations Denounce Mass. ICE Raids
by Jason Pramas (Staff), Aug-08-08 Immigration Somerville

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiIRVVKe ... g/node/277




SOMERVILLE, Mass. - For the past two days, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in coordination with local police have raided numerous homes statewide - many in the middle of the night - and arrested over 80 undocumented immigrants in what has appears to be an accelerating government campaign against so-called "illegal aliens" nationwide. In a related story, at least 54 undocumented immigrants were arrested in Miami, Florida this week.

Although an ICE press release, dated today, claims that most of the arrested were gang members and that the rest had criminal records, immigrant rights advocates say that at least some of the arrestees had committed only minor offenses. The real purpose of the raids, they say, is to strike fear in the hearts of immigrant communities around the country.

"We strongly reject the presence of ICE in our communities," said Maria Elena Letona, executive director of Centro Presente and member of the Executive Committee of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, said in a press release today. "We denounce the tactics which we find to be militaristic, intimidating and discriminatory ... A profound change in the immigration policy of the United States is urgently needed; a legal overhaul that reflects the true principles of liberty and democracy under which this country was founded."

"Law enforcement operations like this should reassure the public that ICE is committed to putting public safety first. Every individual targeted as part of this operation has a criminal record," said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent-in-charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Boston, in the ICE release. "Criminal aliens should be on notice that ICE is working closely with local law enforcement to take off the streets those who threaten the very safety of our neighborhoods."

ICE states that the Massachusetts arrests were all part of "Operation Community Shield," a "national law enforcement initiative launched by ICE in 2005 that brings all of ICE's law enforcement powers to bear in the fight against violent crime." They claim that 52 of the 80 plus arrestees were gang members and associates, representing 24 different gangs "including Tiny Rascals, Bloods, Crips, 18th Street, MS-13 and the Deuce Boys among many others."

Open Media Boston will continue following this breaking story as it develops.
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/277

"We strongly reject the presence of ICE in our communities," said Maria Elena Letona, executive director of Centro Presente and member of the Executive Committee of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities,

I strongly reject Illegals even being here . Plus most are Bangers .
BTW: Why do they always give themselves such self-important titles ? Executive Committee ? How many Business Degrees sit on that committee ?

We are enforcing our laws....got a problem with that?????????

What is wrong with people who object to criminals being arrested ? After all these same people site violence in their own countries as part of the reason they come here.

Illegals protesting Illegals being arrested now that is a big surprise.

We strongly reject the presence of ICE in our communities,"

We the American "Citizens" strongly reject the presence of illegal aliens in our commuities! All Illegal aliens, even the ones crossing the border illegally, just to work illegally, steal or falsify ID illegally and so on and so on....

member of the Executive Committee of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities,

Lady, you are in the wrong country! This sounds like a well-assimilated group, doesn't it?? Just more of the balkanization of America!