|
Since September 11th, the INS and FBI have detained over 1200 immigrants and asylum seekers, mainly of Arab American, Pakstani American and South Asian origin. Despite Attorney General Ashcroft’s assurances to the contrary, many are being held without access to legal assistance or proper care. JOIN US TO PROTEST THIS RACIST ATTACK ON IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES Friday December 14th Noon to 1pm, on Broadway across from 26 Federal Plaza (The INS offices) Take the 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge, walk north and west, take the N/R to canal, walk south and west, the 1/9 to park place, walk north and west Our Demands: 1. Release all immigrant and Asylum seekers currently in detention, including but not limited to all those picked up in connection with S11 and not charged criminally. (Note that Immigration violations are of a civil nature, and as such are the only civil proceedings where people are held in custody) 2. Repeal the racist Patriot Act, the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), and the 1996 Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. 3. Release a real list of detainees, not a list of charges and countries of origin such as Ashcroft recently released, but a list with names of all those who do not explicitly wish to remain anonymous. Anything else amounts to “disappearing” all those held. 4. Provide full and proper access to legal information and representation. Provide real referral list with real immigration lawyers, allow full access to phone for legal calls, fund representation through legal aid, allow access to non legal aid legal organizations such as the National Lawyers Guild, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, etc. 5. Ensure all facilities used for detention meet the INS standards for detention, including but not limited to: culturally appropriate food (the reason Hudson county detainees recently went on hunger strike, still not being allowed here in NYC at the Metropolitan Detention Center[MDC] in Brooklyn) Access to consul of appropriate countries (e. g. the Canadian Consul has still not been informed of all Canadian Citizens in custody, and MDC detainees still have no access to their consuls Recognition and respect for Detainees cultural and religious practices Allow access to proper medical care Stop all forms of physical, verbal and psychological abuse in detention and in arrests, including but not limited to 24 hour illumination of cells, over crowding of units, solitary confinement, and lockdown conditions Stop all racist and xenophobic abuse including but not limited to racial slurs by guards, FBI agents, and INS officers 6. Move all detainees into general population (60 or more detainees held in the Special Housing Unit in the MDC in Brooklyn, charged only with Immigration Violations, are being held 24 hours a day under lights, with no access to TV, programs, proper medical care, etc.). 7. Give Detainees access to proper legal information prior to asking them to sign voluntary deportation orders, at the least a proper “Know Your Rights“ presentation. 8. Inform detainees of when they will appear before a judge, be released, or be deported (currently few detainees know how long they are to be held, or what their fate will be, amounting to indefinite detention as struck down in INS vs. St Cyr.) 9. Deport or release on bond all those who have been granted bond or ordered removed, immediately (Ashcroft has stated his intention to disregard Immigration Judges’ decisions and hold detainees as long as he likes) The recent Patriot Act has extended the racism and hate of the 1996 ILLIRA which expanded the power of the INS to detain and remove so-called “criminal aliens”, people who have served time for their crimes, or have yet to be tried for crimes. With the Patriot Act, immigrants, including Long Term Permanent Residents, can be certified by the Attorney General, or his designees (any officer he gives the power to) as “terrorists” and detained or removed. This is only challengable in a very few high level courts, and basically deems the immigrant guilt until proven innocent. As well, the Patriot Act expands the definition of Terrorism to include any support for any organization involved in violent activity anywhere to influence government policy or public opinion. This means that if one supported the African National Congress in their legal activities to end Apartheid, they can be deemed a Terrorist, and detained until removed. Also, the Patriot Act allows for indefinite detention where the Immigrant cannot be removed. Indefinite detention was recently ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but both Ashcroft and Bush have declared their intention to thwart this court and the constitution in their ongoing war against immigrants. People visiting detainees describe them as “. . . workers, students, mothers, doctors, fathers, average people being held without explanation and for no apparent reason” (legal assistant visiting in Passaic County). These people have no idea when they can return to their families, or their daily lives. They are being denied release even after being granted a bonded release by a judge, and are often only guilty of minor immigration violations which would have been dealt with in an interview prior to S11, and still would were they not of Arabic, Pakistani or South Asian origin. Please join us to fight this racism and xenophobia, or write a protest letter to your local congressperson or Attorney Ashcroft: U. S. Department of Justice
Websites to locate your Senator and Congressperson’s addresses: http://www.house.gov/writerep/ Please note that a letter carries more weight than an email or call. The Coalition on Detentions and Imprisonment.
|