Interviews from 12/29 Press Conference on Immigrant Cutoff from Emergency Medical Assistance

Please call Gov. Dayton at 651-201-3400 to ask that he take executive action or that he appropriate emergency funding to assure that nobody dies from the Jan. 1 cutoff of immigrants to Emergency Medical Assistance in Minnesota. Nobody should die of an illness when there’s treatment available just because of their immigration status. Having the “wrong” immigration status should not be a death sentence.

More info: https://mirac1.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/call-gov-dayton-stop-cutoff-of-immigrants-from-minnesota-emergency-medical-assistance-on-jan-1-2012/

Read Full Post »

Call Gov. Dayton: Stop cutoff of immigrants from Minnesota Emergency Medical Assistance on Jan. 1, 2012

(Español abajo)

We call on Governor Dayton to take action to assure nobody dies from this inhumane law!

On January 1, 2012 undocumented immigrants in Minnesota will no longer qualify for many medical treatments under Minnesota’s Emergency Medical Assistance program. This means that immigrants in Minnesota who receive chemotherapy, dialysis, diabetes management, and alcohol and drug treatment, among other things, will be in danger of not receiving their treatments. For people receiving essential treatments like chemotherapy for cancer or dialysis for kidney disease, this can mean life or death.

A letter from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to the people currently receiving Emergency Medical Assistance from the state explains that undocumented immigrants will no longer be able to receive coverage for these treatments. According to the letter, the only services that will soon be allowed for immigrants are for medical emergencies treated in an emergency room or hospital (this includes labor and delivery), and some very limited follow-up under very tight restrictions. Undocumented immigrants would not receive treatment for other medical care that the Human Services Department deems to be “non-emergency”.

This new anti-immigrant policy was passed at the end of the legislative session on July 20, 2011 in the middle of the night. It was passed by the Republican legislature and signed by Democratic Governor Dayton. The law that was changed so that it now discriminates based on immigration status is House File 25, Article 6, Section 27. (available here:http://tinyurl.com/7g8py3c)

Many people didn’t notice this anti-immigrant change in the law until too late because legislators added in a lot of things at the last minute. The majority of the legislators didn’t even have the chance to read the final bills before having to vote on them.

MIRAc denounces this new anti-immigrant law that could cause many people to needlessly die in Minnesota. Anti-immigrant policies such as this one are inhumane, attacking people who depend the most on medical services and care — the elderly, and people who suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and kidney disease. We denounce the fact that Minnesota’s politicians chose to balance the state budget on the backs of immigrants who have serious illnesses.

We call on Governor Dayton to take immediate action to assure that nobody in Minnesota dies from this inhumane law. In Minnesota, and everywhere else, nobody should die of a disease when treatment is available, just because of their immigration status. Everybody has basic human rights including the right to receive medical care – nobody is “illegal”!

Take Action!

Call Governor Dayton at 651-201-3400 or send him a message here (http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/) to demand that he:

• Do something immediately by taking executive action to assure that nobody dies from this new anti-immigrant law. In Minnesota nobody should die of an illness when there’s treatment available just because of their immigration status!

• Repeal the anti-immigrant changes that they made to the law in House File 25, Article 6, Section 27 during the last legislative session. Basic health care is a right for all!

---

Llamemos al gobernador Dayton: Exigimos que pare el recorte a Asistencia Médica de Emergencia para inmigrantes el 1 de enero 2012

Queremos que el gobernador Dayton tome accion para asegurar que nadie muera de esta nueva ley inhumana

El 1 de enero 2012, los inmigrantes indocumentados en Minnesota ya no calificarán para muchos tratamientos medicos bajo el programa de Asistencia Médica de Emergencia (Emergency Medical Assistance) del estado. Eso significa que inmigrantes en Minnesota que reciben quimioterapia, diálisis, ayuda con diabetes, y tratamiento para alcoholismo y adicciones a drogas, entre otras cosas, ya están en peligro de no recibir sus tratamientos. Para personas recibiendo tratamientos esenciales como la quimioterapia para cáncer, o la diálisis para enfermedad de los riñones, eso es un asunto de vida o muerte.

Una carta del Departamento de Servicios Humanos del estado de Minnesota a las personas que actualmente reciben Asistencia Média de Emergencia del estado explica que los inmigrantes indocumentados ya no van a poder recibir cobertura para estos tratamientos. Según dice esta carta, los únicos servicios que pronto seguirían dando a los inmigrantes indocumentados son para emergencias medicas tratados en la sala de emergencia de una clínica o hospital (eso incluye el labor y parto de un bebe), y unos tratamientos de seguimiento muy limitados bajo muchas restricciones. Inmigrantes indocumentados no recibirían tratamiento para otros servicios que el Departamento de Servicios Humanos califica como ‘no-emergencia’.

Esta nueva política anti-inmigrante se aprobó al fin de la sesión legislativa el 20 de julio, 2011 en la madrugada. Fue firmada por los legisladores republicanos y el gobernador Dayton, demócrata. La nueva ley que cambió los requisitos para discriminar en base del estatus migratorio es el House File 25, Artículo 6, Sección 27. (disponible aquí en ingles:http://tinyurl.com/7g8py3c)

Muchas personas no se dieron cuenta de este cambio de ley anti-inmigrante porque los políticos metieron muchas cosas al último minuto. La mayoría de los legisladores ni tenían la oportunidad de leer la propuesta de ley final antes de tener que votar.

MIRAc denuncia a esta nueva ley anti-inmigrante en Minnesota que podría causar la muerte innecesaria de muchos ser humanos. Políticas anti-inmigrantes como esta son inhumanas por que atacan a las personas que mas dependen en los servicios medicos — los ancianos y personas con enfermedades serias como cánceres y enfermedades terminales de los riñones. Los políticos balancearon el presupuesto del estado sobre las espaldas de los inmigrantes enfermos.

Queremos que el gobernador Dayton tome acción inmediata para asegurar que nadie en Minnesota muera por esta ley inhumana. En Minnesota, como en cualquier lugar, nadie debe morir de una enfermedad cuando hay tratamiento disponible, solo por su estatus migratoria. Todos tenemos derechos humanos como el derecho de salud – nadie es “ilegal”.

¡Tomemos acción!

Llame al gobernador Dayton a 651-201-3400 o mandale un mensaje aqui: (http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/) para pedirle que:

• Haga algo inmediatamente por acción ejecutiva para asegurar que ninguna persona muera de esta nueva ley anti-inmigrante. En Minnesota nadie debe morir de una enfermedad cuando hay tratamiento disponible, solo por su estatus migratoria.
• Revoque los cambios anti-inmigrantes a la ley que hicieron en House File 25, Article 6, Section 27 en la última sesión legislativa. ¡La salud básica es un derecho de todos!

Read Full Post »

Support MIRAc – support the immigrant rights movement! A year-end fundraising appeal

Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc)
651-389-9174 | mirac1.wordpress.com | miracmn@gmail.com
____________________________________________________

This has been an active and exciting year for the immigrant rights movement in Minnesota! We write this letter to ask for your support as we continue the struggle to stop deportations and to push forward for legalization & full equality for all immigrants.

MIRAc is an all-volunteer group that raises our money entirely from the community. So please consider giving MIRAc a donation to help us continue our immigrant rights organizing into the new year.

You can you can donate to MIRAc online via paypal at this link: http://bit.ly/sbRNoa  or mail a check (made out to “MIRAc” ) to: MIRAc, PO Box 7266, Minneapolis, MN 55407. Any size donation is a great help. A donation of $20 will help make copies of educational materials for a ‘know your rights’ presentation. $40 will help us buy materials to make signs and banners for marches. And $150 will cover our rent for a month!

Our main campaign is the No More Deportations campaign. With this campaign we’re targeting the “Secure Communities” and “Criminal Alien Program” deportation programs. Our biggest success of 2011 was helping stop Secure Communities from being imposed in Minnesota. Minnesota remains one of the few states that hasn’t implemented this program which has caused deportations to increase at least threefold when implemented elsewhere. Our main work this year will be to continue fighting to stop deportations in Minnesota. Our other largest activity this year was again playing a key role in the May 1st march for workers and immigrant rights.

Here’s some of what we did this year:

Community Organizing, Education and Outreach

• Biweekly No More Deportations campaign meetings to involve new people in the movement. No More Deportations / Know Your Rights presentations for about a dozen local churches, community centers and organizations. Media appearances including La Voz del Pueblo radio show, many articles in La Prensa, Gente, and La Conexión Latina newspapers, and coverage in most English-language TV and newspapers around the fired Chipotle workers in late 2010-early 2011. MIRAc booth at Mexican Independence Day on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Mass produced a MIRAc CD in Spanish with music and ‘know your rights’ info.

Direct Support

• MIRAc organized a free immigration legal clinic with help from the National Lawyers Guild. Distributed thousands of “know your rights” cards in the community. Responded to phone calls from people with family members facing deportation.

Marches, Protests, and Political Pressure

• We played a key role in building the coalition for this year’s May 1st workers & immigrant rights march, uniting major immigrant rights groups and unions to have one unified march to the State Capitol in St. Paul. Organized two protests at the Capitol and two call-in/email campaigns targeting Gov. Dayton to veto any bill that included Secure Communities. Helped over 100 fired Latino Chipotle workers organize against their mass firing. Protested outside the Mexican consulate and met with consular officials to show solidarity with Paso a Paso Hacia la Paz caravan of Central American immigrants through Mexico. Organized to stop HF0064 and SF0175, the racist & anti-immigrant “English only” bills in the MN legislature. Co-sponsored protest in support of Los Angeles-based immigrant rights leader Carlos Montes whose house was raided by the LA Sheriff and FBI.

As you can see, we had a very active 2011…and we are just getting started! If you choose to support us, you’ll be helping us continue the fight against deportations in Minnesota, provide direct support to families facing deportation, fight against any other anti-immigrant initiatives that come up, and build toward another successful May 1st march. We also have some amazing media initiatives in the works, including the possibility of starting a MIRAc radio show, exciting video work, and more.

Again, you can you can donate to MIRAc online via paypal here: http://bit.ly/sbRNoa  or you can mail a check (made out to “MIRAc” ) to: MIRAc, PO Box 7266, Minneapolis, MN 55407.

In solidarity,

The members of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee

Read Full Post »

Sabado 17 de deciembre/Saturday Dec. 17: No More Deportations Meeting/Reunión de la campana No Mas Deportaciones

(Español abajo)

Saturday, December 17 – 11:00 am – No More Deportations campaign meeting
At Walker Church, 3104 16th Ave. South, Minneapolis.
Join us for the No More Deportations campaign to help stop the programs that threaten and deport people in Minnesota. Invite your friends!

Sábado, 17 de diciembre – 11:00 am – Reunión de la campana No Mas Deportaciones

En la iglesia Walker, 3104 16th Ave. South, Minneapolis.

Ven a la reunión de la campana No Mas Deportaciones para ayudar en la lucha contra los programas que amenazan y deportan gente en Minnesota. Invitar a tus amigos!

Read Full Post »

Conozca sus derechos

Haz clik arriba o aqui para ver el documento en formato PDF

Aqui esta la tarjeta de MIRAc “Conozca sus derechos”. Continene informacion sobre sus derechos:

• Si la policia o agentes de migracion lo detienen
• Si lo paran en su vehiculo
• Si la policia o agentes de migracion llegan a su casa
• Si lo paran para cuestionarlo
• Si lo arrestan

Read Full Post »