immigrant rights


Apr 25 2006
Immigrant Rights: Archive of Coverage

In December 2005, anti-immigrant legislation known as HR 4437 passed the house, touching off what has become the largest wave of protests in US history. Millions of people have converged in successive decentralized protests across the country to voice their opposition to the proposed legislation, which would have raised penalties for illegal immigration and classify illegal aliens and anyone who helped them as felons. Demonstrators not only sought an overhaul of this bill, but also a path to legalization and fewer Immigration Services delays.

On May 25, the Senate passed S.2611, the "Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill," which contained some victories, as well as many onerous measures such as limitations on due process and english only services. Many condemned the legislation immediately as "reprehensive, not comprehensive." Since then, deliberations have stalled over how to reconcile the two bills. This Labor Day Weekend, organizations are pulling together to prod Congress to re-initiate efforts toward a fair reform bill.

For a summary of proposed legislation see: [Summary of Current Proposed Immigration Legislation | Resumen de propuestas inmigratorias]

This page archives indymedia coverage of immigration-related political action -- below are highlights from the last year:
» Dec 2005: Anti-immigrant legislation passes in the US House
» January 3 in Houston: Formation of "delete the border" network
» Feb 4 in Los Angeles: Caravan for Migrants Begins a Cross-Country March
» Feb 14 in Philadelphia: "Day Without an Immigrant" Protest & Strike | Reportaje en español
» Feb 16 Roundup: Demonstrations Grow Against Anti-Immigrant Legislation
» March 10 in Chicago: Over 100,000 Protest for Immigrant Rights
» March 23 in San Francisco: Hunger Strike and Week of Actions to Stop Anti-Immigrant Bills
» March 25 in Los Angeles: Over 500,000 Protest Anti-Immigrant Law in "La Gran Marcha"
» March 30 Nationwide: Students Walk Out in Protest of Anti-Immigrant Legislation
» April 10 Roundup: As Many as 2 Million Converge on US cities for National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice
» May 1 Roundup: Huelga General
» May 13 in Chicago: Mothers' Hunger Strike for Immigration Rights

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local and national features

Mar 20 2010
Supporters of Drivers License Bill Claim Victory; Prepare for Next Year

St. Paul, Minnesota --- In a packed House hearing, the “Drivers License Bill” (HF1718) was presented [Thursday] at the State Capitol. 

The bill, which would allow access to drivers licenses regardless of citizenship status, was proposed by Mujeres en Liderazgo (Women in Leadership), a group of women organizers in South Minneapolis, who have been organizing in their community for the past 2 years. 

The Mujeres chose not to push a vote today, knowing that Governor Pawlenty, who ran on an anti-immigrant campaign, would ultimately refuse to sign the bill.  Instead they gave a powerful presentation to build support for next year, when a new governor could present the opportunity for their hopes to become a reality.

Mar 18 2010
Local immigrant rights advocates to march on Washington for passage of CIR ASAP reform bill

Immigrants' rights organizations are mobilizing for the Sunday, March 21 action in Washington, D.C. in support of CIR ASAP, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act for America's Security and Prosperity.  CIR ASAP offers a chance to reduce raids and deportations, provides paths to residency and citizenship for undocumented immigrants and creates a wide range of provisions for keeping families together throughout the immigration process.  What's more, it's a bill that treats immigrants as reasonable people coming to the US for reasonable and appropriate purposes, breaking with the usual US myths of immigrants as dangerous and other.  Naturally, it has the xenophobes and white supremacists frothing at the mouth.

Local activist groups Centro Campesino and the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network are raising funds to go to DC so that immigrants themselves and their allies can lobby directly for the bill.  MIRAc is hosting a discussion of the campaign on Sunday afternoon at 2pm at El Colegio Charter School. The bill is a complicated one, pairing citizenship opportunities for undocumented immigrants, labor rights and greater security for immigrant families with increased border militarization and closer connections between federal, state and local police.  

Related: MN Mujeres en Liderazgo driver's license bill facing critical hearing Thursday

Mar 05 2010
Support Immigrant Women, Support the Driver's License Campaign! (Where the Allies At?)

from the open publishing newswire: Calling all allies and supporters!

Please come out to support the Mujeres en Liderazgo as they take their campaign for driver’s licenses to the capitol. 

After over two years of organizing, the Mujeres en Liderazgo are preparing for their bill to be voted on by the state representatives.  This is a crucial moment for the bill which would give drivers licenses to everyone.

With the support of the community, different organizations, religious groups, and legislators, “Mujeres en Liderazgo” has introduced a Bill in the State Legislature that would allow anyone living in Minnesota to get a driver’s license, regardless of their citizenship status.

Related at TC Daily Planet: Driver's License Bill for Undocumented Workers

application/pdf iconLicencias_de_Conducir_para_Todos[1].pdf

NYC
Mar 05 2010
Zapatista-Inspired Rally Held in New York City; Aims to Fight Gentrification

Thursday, March 4th– Over 120 people and 40 organizations participated in the Third Encounter for Dignity and Against Gentrification hosted by the Movement for Justice in el Barrio this past Sunday in East Harlem, New York. The meeting, referred to by the Spanish term encuentro, brought together activists from places as far as California, Puerto Rico, and Maryland. “The objective of this third encuentro was to connect our struggle. Our struggle doesn’t have boundaries,” said Filiberto Hernandez, a member of the Movement for Justice in el Barrio. Photo from Latin American News Dispatch

DC
Mar 05 2010
No Guantanamo In DC

"We don't want a Guantanamo in the Nation's Capital" said Johnny Barnes, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area, before a packed audience during yesterday's community dialogue at the University of the District of Columbia on the "Secure Communities" program. The controversial program, recently implemented by the Metropolitan Police Department without community consultation, runs the fingerprints of everyone arrested in the District of Columbia through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) database.

Feb 28 2010
"Dignity Not Detention" Campaign Calls for Closure of South Texas Detention Centers

Friday, February 26th - Faith leaders, formerly detained immigrants, and human rights activists from across Texas today participated in an action and letter-delivery as part of a launch of a “Dignity, Not Detention” campaign. Activists gathered to call on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to close two south Texas detention centers – the Willacy County “Tent City” detention center and the Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC). Both facilities have been racked by allegations of human rights abuses, and PIDC has been the site of hunger strikes lead by detained immigrants over conditions of confinement and due process concerns.

Feb 26 2010
Showing of 800 Mile Wall and Discussion with Filmmakers

The Resource Center for Nonviolence, la Liga de la Comunidad, the ACLU of Santa Cruz, and other local organizations will host a special screening of the new documentary film, "The 800 Mile Wall," on Friday, February 26, at 7pm at the First Congregational Church in Santa Cruz; at 7pm on Saturday at the Lutheran Community Church in Watsonville; and, at 2pm on Sunday at the Peace Resource Center in Seaside. The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with the film's director, John Carlos Frey and the film's producer, Jack Lorenz.

"The 800 Mile Wall" highlights the construction of the new border walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and the lethal effects on migrants trying to cross into the United States. Migrant deaths have soared since enforcement and security measures were implemented by the U.S. beginning with Operation Gatekeeper in 1994.

Feb 22 2010
DREAM Week of Action Kicks Off

A National DREAM Week of Action kicked off on February 22 and will last until Friday, February 26. Students across California and 16 other states are organizing in support of the DREAM Act, a piece of federal legislation that would provide a pathway to legalization for undocumented students educated in the U.S. Every year, 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools, but these students face serious barriers to higher education.

Feb 14 2010
Two New Satirical Videos Hit the Twin Cities

From anti-colonial activist "Robert Erickson": "The original Tea Party [documentary] trailer was too good to pass up on, so I used it as an opportunity to parody the outrageous rhetoric of the right-wing. We call on all people of conscience to take a stand against the dehumanizing tactics perpetrated by real criminals like Joe Arpaio and ICE," explained Erickson. Erickson is organizing a Back to Europe movement planned for the spring. Along with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action coalition (MIRAc), he is hoping to inspire a national day of action at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centers across the country.  Read more from the open publishing newswire | Watch video at left

And from the RNC 8: In the summer of 2007, an anarchist/anti-authoritarian group ironically named the “RNC Welcoming Committee” released a satirical video entitled, “We're Getting Ready.”  The video sparked a quarter-of-a-million dollar investigation by the infamously humorless Ramsey County Sheriff's Office. Almost a year and a half later, they're now getting ready... for court.   Read more from the open publishing newswire | Watch video below

Feb 12 2010
Decolonizing, Destroying Borders and Attacking Infrastructure. What side are you on?

solidaridad On January 16, Diné, O’odham and Autonomous/Anti-authoritarian (DO@) people answered a call-out from the O’odham Solidarity Across Borders Collective and Phoenix Class War Council to form the DO@ Block.

The bloc, consisting of anarchists and Indigenous people, converged on occupied Akimel O’odham Pi-Posh land (Phoenix) to take part in what was a larger march against Maricopa County, AZ, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio is well known for his racist border politics and strict prison regulations. However this time people were confronting his repression on those that take situations into their own hands and defiantly cross the border without the permission of others.

Feb 08 2010
Houston Immigration Convention: Uniting For A Common Goal

The Coalition In Defense Of the Community hosted a well-received event at Iglesisa Hispana Nueva Vida on Telephone Road. Tarsha Jackson made an emphatic opening call for black-brown unity and reminded us that in addition to a moral call for unity, our communities have several interests in common. Both of our communities have been victimized by a strong, strong profit motive surrounding the prison business. Pacho Arguelles co-opened with her, and did an excellent job in facilitating discussion.

Feb 05 2010
Police checkpoint this weekend in Schuylkill County

Como siempre cuando hay un gran evento o día festivo, agencias de orden público usan el pretexto para aumentar la aplicación de leyes racistas, clasistas, y antimigrantes. Habrá varios retenes, y muchas agencias reportan que van a monitorear con mayor vigilancia las vías públicas. Checkpoint response les avisa de los retenes previstos, no sólo en California, sino en el resto del país también.

As with other holidays and large events, law enforcement agencies use the pretext to heighten enforcement of classist, racist, and anti-immigrant laws. This weekend will see numerous checkpoints, as well as non-checkpoint traffic enforcement. Checkpoint response brings you this warning of the foreseeable checkpoints, and urges the utmost caution on the road.

Jan 28 2010
Houston's New Mayor Police Chief Search Will Set Tone for City's Immigration Policy

Flying below the radar during Houston’s low-key mayoral race was an undercurrent of anger toward immigrants. Right now the loudest voices are winning, and they are not voices of understanding or mercy, but of anger and division.

Leading the charge in linking immigrants as a scourge on Houston is Gary Blankinship (pictured), president of the Houston Police Officers Union. Following the shooting of Houston police officer Rick Salter in March 2009, Blankinship openly criticized Chief Hurtt and then Mayor Bill White for defending the City of Houston “sanctuary city” policy, a policy that does not allow officers to question the citizenship status of any person (General Order No. 500-5). READ MORE

DC
Jan 26 2010
Immigrants' Rights Protesters Block 12th St, Independence Ave

On January 26, several hundred immigration reform/immigrant rights activists from groups such as Casa de Maryland descended on the Department of Homeland Security to demand an end to the workplace raids and detention of immigrants. Both 12th st and Independence Ave were blocked by sitting, arm-locked protesters at different times before 24 people were arrested. Read More | Audio narration from the street blockades

Jan 18 2010
10,000+ March Against Joe Arpaio in Phoenix

Police unleash pepper gas on non-violent protesters; 5 arrested

More than 10,000 demonstrators came out on January 16 to protest against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his repression of unauthorized immigrants. In the latest and largest in a series of protests against Sheriff Joe, demonstrators marched to MCSO's "tent city", an urban concentration camp where inmates, many arrested on immigration charges, are held 24-7 in the open air.

While marchers focused on Arpaio's 287g arrangement with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and his high-profile immigration raids, other participants questioned the focus on immigration alone, given the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office's role in foreclosure evictions, and also that the Phoenix Police Department turned over more unauthorized migrants to ICE in fiscal year 2009 than did Arpaio's sheriff's department.

Related: Phoenix PD attack marchers, mace children at Arpaio protest | Video: 1, 2, 3