Posted in Uncategorized on May 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
MIRAc presente en Turning the Tide summit, Arlington, VA:
MIRAc presente en Turning the Tide summit, Arlington, VA:
Arriba: Companero de Trabajadores de Nuevo Orleans; Ejercicio de conocimiento con otras personas; Yadira, una organizadora de la conferencia
Arriba: Organizacion GLAD de Georgia; un organizador de la conferencia; companeros de Florida
Posted in Uncategorized on May 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Twin Cities Daily Planet:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2011/05/25/activists-oppose-secure-communities-bill
Representatives of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) protested outside Governor Dayton’s office and presented with a petition seeking veto of SF 1143.
Senator Ortman added an amendment to SF 1143 (“Omnibus Data Practices Bill”) that would obligate Minnesota to participate in the controversial deportation program known as “Secure Communities”. She added the amendment at the last minute, without debate, without any committee hearings, and without discussion on the floor of the senate. The amendment passed 57-0.
“Secure Communities” is a program run by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) that obligates local police and jails to work with ICE to deport more immigrants. This program is one that the Obama administration is trying to get states to implement nationwide. It’s effect is to increase deportations of immigrants and separation of families.
Text of the amendment:
The state shall participate in the United States Department of Homeland Security’s secure communities initiative. The commissioner of public safety shall enter into an agreement on behalf of the state with the United States Department of Homeland Security to implement this section. This agreement shall be legally binding on the state. Data on individuals collected, created, received, maintained, or disseminated by the commissioner of public safety for purposes of participation in the initiative are criminal history data under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.87.
Posted in Uncategorized on May 23, 2011| 1 Comment »
(Español abajo)
MIRAc strongly condemns the raid on May 17 at 5:00 a.m. by the SWAT Team of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and members of the FBI on the home of immigrant rights leader Carlos Montes in Los Angeles. Carlos is a long-time Chicano activist, a leader in the Southern California Immigration Coalition and in Latinos Against War. Carlos is a nationally-known and widely respected leader of the immigrant rights movement.
The SWAT Team smashed Carlos’s front door and rushed in with automatic weapons as Carlos slept. The team of Sheriffs and FBI proceeded to ransack his house, taking his computer, cell phones and hundreds of documents, photos, diskettes and mementos of his current political activities in the pro-immigrant rights and Chicano civil rights movement. Also taken were hundreds of historical documents related to Carlos Montes’ involvement in the Chicano movement for the past 44 years.
This attack on Carlos Montes is part of the campaign of FBI harassment taking place against the 23 peace and justice activists which has until now been centered in the Midwest. Carlos Montes’ name was listed on the subpoena left in the office of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee last September 24, and FBI agents tried to question him about the case during the raid.
Carlos Montes has dedicated his life to struggling for immigrant rights, for education rights, and against war. He has done nothing wrong. This is an attack on him and an attack on the Chicano movement for equality and the immigrant rights movement as a whole.
Stop the Attacks on the Chicano and Immigrants Rights Movement!
More information on the attack on Carlos Montes and other activists is available at stopfbi.net.
MIRAc denuncia fuertemente la redada el 17 de mayo a las 5:00 a.m. por el equipo SWAT del departamento del sheriff de Los Angeles y miembros del FBI en la casa de Carlos Montes, líder del movimiento inmigrante en Los Angeles. Carlos es un activista chicano, un lider del Southern California Immigration Coalition y de Latinos Contra la Guerra. Carlos es un lider del movimiento inmigrate bien conocido y respetado al nivel nacional.
El equipo SWAT rompió la puerta de la casa de Carlos y entró con armas de fuego automáticas mientras Carlos dormía. El equipo del Sheriff y el FBI saqueo su casa, tomaron su computadora, teléfonos celulares y cientos de documentos, fotos, discos y recuerdos de sus actividades políticas actuales en el movimiento pro-inmigrante y el movimiento por los derechos civiles de los chicanos. También tomaron cientos de documentos históricos de su involucramiento en el movimiento chicano por los últimos 44 años.
Este ataque contra Carlos Montes es parte de la campaña del FBI en contra de 23 activistas por la paz y la justicia que hasta ahora está tomando lugar en el medio oriente del país. El nombre de Carlos Montes estaba en la citación legal que dejaron en la oficina del Comité Anti-Guerra en Minneapolis durante la redada el 24 de septiembre pasado, y durante la redada de su casa los agentes del FBI intentaron cuestionarle sobre este caso.
Carlos Montes ha dedicado toda su vida a la lucha por los derechos de los inmigrantes, por el derecho a la educación y en contra de la guerra. Él no ha hecho ninguna cosa mala. Este es un ataque no sólo en contra de Carlos sino que en contra del movimiento Chicano por la igualdad y el movimiento para los derechos de los inmigrantes.
Alto a los ataques contra el movimiento Chicano y el movimiento por los derechos de los inmigrantes
Hay mas informacion sobre la represion contra Carlos Montes y otros activistas en stopfbi.net.
Posted in Uncategorized on May 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Members of MIRAc and the No More Deportations campaign delivered this letter to Gov. Dayton’s office on Friday, May 20th.
May 20, 2011
Governor Dayton,
We are here today representing the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) and the No More Deportations Campaign. We were extremely concerned to hear that earlier this week an agreement to implement the Secure Communities program here in Minnesota had been introduced by Senator Ortman and attached as an amendment to the Omnibus Data Practices bill, SF 1143, passing unanimously and without a public hearing.
As you may already know, Secure Communities (S-Comm) is a fingerprint database that is used to check the immigration status of those who are arrested. Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE) claims that Secure Communities will work to deport “dangerous criminals” and reduce racial profiling, and wants to implement it nationwide by 2013.
However, the statistics paint a very different picture. Since the implementation of Secure Communities in 2008, 79% of those deported through the program had either been convicted of petty offenses (such as traffic violations), or had committed no crime at all. 28% of people deported through S-Comm since its implementation have not been convicted of any crime at all, and that number is on the rise. The state of Illinois recently pulled out of the Secure Communities program, and Governor Pat Quinn stated in a letter to ICE “that the implementation of the Secure Communities program in Illinois is contrary to the stated purpose of the MOA… By ICE’s own measure, less than 20% of those who have been deported from Illinois under the program have ever been convicted of a serious crime.”
Secure Communities causes many other problems as well, including:
We urge you, on behalf of the immigrant community here in Minnesota, to reject our state’s participation in the Secure Communities program by vetoing SF 1143. Immigrants from many nations form a vibrant part of the fabric of our community here in Minnesota, and implementing S-Comm will only serve to harm our community. In this light, MIRAc has recently launched the No More Deportations Campaign, and we are working to stop ICE-police collaboration on programs like Secure Communities and the Criminal Alien Program in Hennepin County. So far we have collected over 300 signatures on a petition opposing these two programs. We are counting on your support on this critical issue.
Sincerely,
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee
No More Deportations Campaign
Posted in Uncategorized on May 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »
This is a red alert! Secure Communities deportation program may be about to pass in Minnesota. This will lead to a dramatic increase in deportations & separation of families in Minnesota. We have to speak out now if we want to stop it! See Star Tribune article. The time to act is NOW!
We Insist that Gov. Dayton Veto SF 1143 Unless the “Secure Communities” Deportation Amendment is Removed!
Join MIRAc at the Capitol on Friday to send a message to Minnesota legislators and to Governor Dayton that we don’t want “Secure Communities” deportation program in Minnesota! On May 16, State Sen. Ortman added an amendment to the Omnibus Data Practices Bill (SF 1143) that would force Minnesota to participate in Secure Communities deportation program. She snuck this onto the totally unrelated bill with no debate or discussion, no committee meetings, no discussion on the senate floor. If Gov. Dayton doesn’t veto this bill, Secure Communities will be implemented statewide in Minnesota.
Join us to insist that Gov. Dayton VETO SF1143 unless the Secure Communities amendment is removed!
If you can’t be there, please call Gov. Dayton at 651-201-3400 or 800-657-3717.
__________________________
Exigimos que gobernador Dayton vete al SF 1143 si no quitan la enmienda del programa de deportaciones “Secure Communities”
Unete con MIRAc en el capitolio en San Pablo el viernes para mandar un mensaje a los legisladores y al gobernador Dayton que no queremos el programa de deportaciones “Secure Communities” en Minnesota! El 16 de mayo, Senador Ortmann anadio una enmienda al Omnibus Data Practices Bill (SF 1143) que obligaria a Minnesota participar en el programa de deportaciones “Secure Communities”. Ella metio esta enmienda en una propuesta de ley que no tiene nada que ver con inmigracion sin debate, sin discusion, sin audiencia de ningun comite, sin discusion del senado. Eso va a ser la ley si gobernador Dayton no vete la propuesta de ley entera.
Unete con nosotros para insistir que el gobernador VETA al SF1143 si no sacan la enmienda Secure Communities de la propuesta de ley.
Si no puedes llegar el viernes, por favor llame al gobernador Dayton: 651-201-3400 o 800-657-3717.
___________________________________________________
Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc)
651-389-9174 | mirac1.wordpress.com | miracmn@gmail.com
Posted in Uncategorized on May 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »
MIRAc will be attending the Turning the Tide summit on May 26-28, in Arlington, VA. Here is more information on this important summit:
MIRAC 