STOP DEPORTING BLACK AMERICANS

BACK TO LIBERIA

By supporters

New York – A Liberian national has filed a civil lawsuit claiming that he and other Liberians are rightfully United States Citizens, as much as any Hawaiian or Puerto Rican, if not more, but that they have continuously been discriminated against based on racial origin.

Mr. Reeves claim that he is the third generation of black Americans who were forcefully removed from the U.S. and sent to a land that was named Liberia.  Mr. Reeves claim is valid and not without substance.  According to many historians, at the end of slavery, many angry whites and members of the Ku Klux Klan did not want to live in the same community or country with black Americans because they considered them inferior and not good enough to share the same country along with.  They purchased a land and named it Liberia, meaning “free.”  While some black Americans were fooled into believing that if they left their own country and went to the newly found land, they would have all kinds of incentives, many other black Americans were forcefully ejected from the United States and deported to Liberia.  Mr. Reeves argues that by a long shot, many of those departures were not done voluntarily, that those black Americans were deported from their own country by the United States, and under the auspices of a racist organization called the ACS (American Colonization Society) which was ran and funded by mostly angry ex-slave owners and never had the best interest of black America at heart.  Many black Americans, such as Mr. Reeves’ great grandparents fell as victims and his family tree backs up his claims.  Therefore, Mr. Reeves is suing that he and all other Liberians, in the same shoes, are entitled to a piece of the American pie.

According to the complaint, “Liberian history is a part of American history.”

Mr. Reeves’ states that now “that the confederate flag is going down,” the timing is ripe for him to bring his lawsuit.  Mr. Reeves’ complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey seeks billions in restitution, development for Liberia, and indemnification packages.

For decades, many historians have quietly sung the same chorus and countless books have been written about the same issue.  A search on the internet of Liberian history will support all of the claims of this man.  Now, the question remains will Judge Stanley R. Chesler allow the complaint to go forward and let this man have his day in court, so to speak.

List of abuses, failures and shortcomings of US detention of immigrants!!!

List of abuses, failures and shortcomings of US detention of immigrants!!!                                                 Sue Kenney, Former Board Member                                                                                                                                                      Current Volunteer Visitor

1.       ICE withholds money from detainees:  One widespread form of abuse is the deportation of immigrants without the money they have in prison accounts.  OLE sent to La Salle Correctional Institution in Lousiana on October 12, 2011, from the Bergen County Jail. At the time he had over $ 500.00 in his personal account in Bergen County.  He was subsequently deported to El Salvador on October 21. I made numerous calls to ICE Agent ES, and to the warden at the Bergen County Jail.  After two months of doggedly persistent phone calls, and an announcement from First Friends that we would go public with this story, ICE (Officer GF) wired OLE his money just before Christmas. 

Although OLE did get his money, most do not.  I’ve spoken to immigration lawyers, visitors of detainees, and other people involved in the detention system, and overwhelmingly, people have old me that keeping detainees’ money is common practice for ICE.  At first, I could not get a straight answer from anyone as to what happens to this money; but finally, Winnie Fallon from the Bergen County Jail told me that the money sits in an account for seven years, then goes back to ICE.  

The detention system is already generating billions of dollars in profits every year on the backs of these immigrants – the poorest of the poor.  To take what small personal sums of money they may have is unconscionable and begs the question, “what kind of a society are we?”

2.       Detainees are denied a phone call:  I have visited men who have been denied a phone call.  Their families do not know where they are, nor do their employers.  It seems that a simple phone call could help to allay fears and soothe rattled nerves on both sides.  It is a small request, yet it is denied to many.
 

3.       Deportation information is withheld:  The detainees are often treated more as inanimate objects than men. They are told nothing, and live in constant fear of being deported at any moment. Every time a door opens, or a guard walks near, they wonder if now is their time.  This prolonged state of fear is exhausting and tantamount to mental torture.  Most whom I’ve visited cannot sleep, and are too demoralized to even watch TV.  There is no relief.  If they were at least told that they were being deported, they might be able to steel their nerves and cope a little better.

4.       Visitors are treated poorly:  On the same subject, visitors are often treated as personas non grata by the guards as well.  While a few guards are pleasant to deal with, many treat visitors as nuisances or worse. Some guards actually seem to take pleasure in making visiting difficult or impossible.

5.       Guards are misinformed:  Guards often tell visitors that the detainee they are looking for is not in custody.  They are either misinformed, or they do not take the time to spell a detainee’s name correctly, or to look for more than one detainee by the same last name.  Visitors sometimes travel for miles to get to a facility and are turned away, only to find out that the person they intended to visit was there the whole time.
 

6.       Detainees live in fear:  Since the detainees are housed “dormitory style,” there are many opportunities for unchecked bullying.  Undocumented detainees, for the most part, are arrested for non-violent activities – or just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In order not to get drawn into fights, they have to live in silence, keep their heads down and hope for the best.  The constant fear of an unprovoked attack, coupled with the fear of deportation is overwhelming and inhumane.

7.       Information is withheld from detainees and from visitors:  Information about why and how detainees were arrested is only available to attorneys.  Most detainees do not have the wherewithal to get an attorney to look at their case – especially pro bono.  Visitors’ hands are tied, because without any information from the facility or from ICE, we are at a great disadvantage when trying to secure an attorney for a detainee. If a detainee gives his permission, it would seem that ICE has nothing to lose by giving out limited information to immigrants’ rights advocates.
 

8.       Education and constructive use of time is denied:  Many detainees have been working in rural areas since they were very young.   As a result, they have little formal schooling, and many cannot read or write.  Virtually all of the detainees I’ve visited have mentioned an interest in being able to attend classes in prison.  It is my understanding that Non-immigrant detainees have classes available to them.  I don’t expect the federal government to pay for teachers, but if qualified volunteer teachers could be provided, why would ICE object to detainees using their time constructively in this manner?
 

9.       Food is atrocious and unacceptable:  The food provided is nearly inedible, but the commissary sells small cups of soup and other trifles at unreasonably marked up prices. Again, do we really need to make money on these unfortunate people?
 

10.   Visits are unreasonably limited:  Visiting hours are extremely prohibitive for most working people.
 

11.   Detainees are stripped of dignity:  Many / most detainees are arrested for minor infractions, such as littering or jaywalking; others were picked up in raids.  To lock these people in prisons, make them wear prison uniforms, and treat them like criminals, is a violation of their human rights.  They are completely stripped of their dignity for the “crime” of trying to provide a better life for their families.

12.   Unreasonable restriction of materials:  Even for non-contact visits, visitors are not permitted to bring anything in with them – a pencil, a piece of paper, photographs, etc.  It would help tremendously if there was a little more freedom in this matter, as sometimes a detainee wants to give us a phone number of someone to contact, etc.  Since we are already separated by a glass partition, this type of restriction seems extreme and unnecessary. 

13.   Detainees and visitors denied the opportunity to prepare for deportation:  Visitors are not given any information about a detainee being transferred or deported.  If a detainee has been visited more than four or five times by the same person, and that person is the only contact a detainee has, it would be very helpful for both the detainee and the visitor to know when a detainee is about to be transferred.  This way, we could say goodbye, or possibly put some money in their account (provided detainees are allowed to take the money with them), so they are not deported penniless.  The lack of information regarding detainees is reminiscent of the Cold War era – but let’s not forget, we are not dealing with foreign spies here.  We are dealing with men who are working in construction or other manual labor jobs, and have been arrested for lack of documentation. 

Just a thought – We are spending billions of dollars on immigration enforcement and the detention of workers.  From my personal experience in the restaurant business, and the experiences of colleagues in various trades, undocumented workers are not taking jobs away from Americans. On the contrary, they are providing a much needed labor force.  These workers want to pay taxes.  They will gladly pay fines (Think of what they spend to get here – 5,000 to 11,000 dollars per person on average, not to mention the very real possibility of losing their lives in the process).  We could not only save the billions we are already spending, we could generate a new revenue stream for taxes by treating these people as the valuable resource they are.  

Call Newark, NJ Councilmembers! Urge Them To Vote Yes On May 20 To Creating Municipal ID Cards!

On May 20, 2015 Newark's City Council will be voting on a progressive ordinance creating the first-ever municipal ID card in the state of New Jersey. 

The Newark municipal ID card is a critical step toward integrating and protecting immigrants and low/no-income citizens living in our city. We applaud the Mayor, the Council and the Mayor’s office of International Affairs and Diaspora’s leadership. This policy recognizes the fact that New Jersey is the state with the third largest immigrant population and that much of this population resides in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area. We hope that the City of Newark will set an example to be followed by other cities in NJ and around the nation.

However we need your support in making sure ALL Councilmembers vote YES on May 20.
Please call your Council Members today, tomorrow and on May 20 with this message:
“My name is …. I am calling to urge you to VOTE YES on Ordinance 15-0804 on the municipal ID. By voting yes, you are truly speaking on behalf of the residents of Newark and are protecting the homeless, the undocumented immigrants and the marginalized population of our city.  Further, the municipal ID will ensure that these residents become active members of our community. It is a valuable tool for all residents to accomplish basic things like opening a bank account, getting into public buildings, obtaining basic services or simply taking their children to the museum. Thank you.”

LLAMA PARA ASEGURAR QUE EL CONSEJO DE NEWARK APRUEBE TARJETAS CREDENCIALES MUNICIPALES EN SU REUNIÓN DEL MIERCOLES 20 de mayo

El 20 de mayo 2015 El Ayuntamiento de Newark votará sobre una ordenanza progresiva creando por primera vez la oportunidad de obtener una tarjeta de identificación municipal en el estado de Nueva Jersey. La tarjeta de identificación municipal de Newark es un paso crítico hacia la integración y la protección de los inmigrantes y ciudadanos de bajos o que no tienen  ingresos que viven en nuestra ciudad.

Aplaudimos el Alcalde, el Consejo y la oficina del alcalde de Asuntos Internacionales y el liderazgo de la Diáspora. Esta política reconoce el hecho de que Nueva Jersey es el estado con la tercera población inmigrante más grande y que gran parte de esta población reside en el área metropolitana de Nueva York-Newark-Jersey City. Esperamos que la ciudad de Newark sea un ejemplo a seguir para otras ciudades de Nueva Jersey y en todo el país.

Sin embargo, necesitamos su apoyo para asegurarse de que todos los concejales votan SÍ el 20 de mayo.

Por favor llame hoy a los concejales, mañana y el 20 de mayo con este mensaje:

"Mi nombre es .... Estoy llamando para que por favor   VOTEN SÍ a la Ordenanza de 15 a 0.804 para el ID municipal. Al votar sí, usted está realmente hablando en nombre de los residentes de Newark y está protegiendo a los menos afortunados, los inmigrantes indocumentados y la población marginada de nuestra ciudad. Además, el ID municipal se asegurará de que estos residentes se conviertan en miembros activos de nuestra comunidad. Es una herramienta valiosa para todos los residentes para lograr cosas básicas como abrir una cuenta bancaria, para poder entrar a los edificios públicos, para obtener de los servicios básicos o simplemente llevar a sus hijos al museo. Gracias. "

Mildred Crump: Council President: (973) 733 8043

·         Augusto Amador: East Ward: (973) 733 3665

·         Anibal Ramos: North Ward: (973) 733 5136

·         Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins: Central Ward: (973) 733 5871

·         John Sharpe James: South Ward:  (973) 733 3753

·         John McCallum: West Ward: (973) 733 6427   

·         Luis Quintana: At Large: (973) 733 5880

·         Eddie Osborne: At Large: (973 )733 3794

·         Carlos Gonzalez: At Large: (973) 733 6425  

In-Country Refugee/Parole Processing for Minors in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala (Central American Minors – CAM)

Introduction

The Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee/Parole Program provides certain qualified minors in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States.

The CAM program began accepting applications from qualifying parents in the U.S. for their children on December 1, 2014. The qualifying parent is the U.S.-based parent who may complete the application. Only certain parents, described below, are eligible to be qualifying parents and file for their children. Each qualified child must be unmarried, under the age of 21, and residing in El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras. In certain cases, the parent of the qualifying child may also qualify for access if the parent is the spouse of the qualifying parent. See below for eligibility details.

Eligibility

                Qualifying Child

The qualifying child in El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras must be:

·         The child of the qualifying parent per the Immigration and Nationality Act (biological, step, or legally adopted);

·         Unmarried;

·         Under the age of 21;

·         A national of El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras; and

·         Residing in his or her country of nationality.

                Eligible Family Members

In some cases, other eligible family members may have access, including:

·         Unmarried children of the qualifying child who are under the age of 21 can be included as derivatives.

Parent of Qualifying Child Who is not the Qualifying Parent

This program is primarily aimed at minors, but a parent of the qualifying child may be included if:

·         He/she is part of the same household and economic unit as the qualifying child,

·         He/she is legally married to the qualifying parent at the time the qualifying parent files the CAM-Affidavit of Relationship (AOR), and

·         He/she continues to be legally married to the qualifying parent.

Qualifying Parent

The qualifying parent may be any individual who is at least 18 years old and lawfully present in the United States in one of the following categories:

·         Permanent Resident Status, or

·         Temporary Protected Status, or

·         Parolee, or

·         Deferred Action

·         Deferred Enforced Departure, or

·         Withholding of Removal

Deferred Action

Parolees and persons granted deferred action must have been issued parole or deferred action for a minimum of one year. For all other categories listed above, individuals who are lawfully present and in a valid status at the time of application (this means the date of CAM-Affidavit of Relationship filing) are eligible.

Application Process

There is no filing deadline for this program, but the qualifying parent must be in one of the current statuses listed above at the time of applying for this program, as well as at the time of admission or parole of the beneficiary of this program.

The qualifying parent in the U.S. files Form DS-7699 Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) for Minors Who Are Nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (CAM-AOR). This form can only be accessed and completed with the assistance of a designated resettlement agency (RA). For additional information and a listing of resettlement agencies where the CAM-AOR may be filed please visit the Department of State, Refugee Processing Center’s website. http://www.wrapsnet.org/CAMProgram/tabid/420/Default.aspx

There is no fee to participate in this refugee/parole program and it is prohibited for anyone to charge a fee for completion of the form.

DNA Testing

DNA relationship testing must occur between the qualifying parent in the U.S. and his/her biological children. The parent in the U.S. will pay the initial costs of DNA testing and will be reimbursed for testing costs ONLY if ALL claimed and tested biological relationships are confirmed by DNA test results.

Refugee Status

Refugee status is a form of protection available to those who meet the definition of refugee and who are of special humanitarian concern to the United States. For a legal definition of refugee, see section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Both the qualifying child and the in-country parent of the qualifying child must establish an independent refugee claim to be granted refugee status.

Eligibility for refugee status is determined on a case-by-case basis through an interview with a specially-trained USCIS officer.

Applicants who gain access to the program, but are found ineligible for refugee status will be considered on a case-by-case basis for parole into the United States.

For more information about refugees, see the “Refugees” section of the website.

http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees

Parole

Parole allows individuals who may be otherwise inadmissible to come to the U.S. on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.  A separate application for this process is not required.

An applicant found conditionally eligible for parole is subject to the following additional requirements:

·         Medical Clearance and Costs: All applicants for parole will be required to obtain and pay for medical clearance.

·         Travel Arrangements and Costs: An individual who is authorized parole must book his or her travel through an approved USCIS process and pay for the flight to the United States.

USCIS will be updating the CAM webpage to provide updated information on Parole as part of the CAM Program. Please check back periodically to view this updated information.

Programa de Procesamiento de Refugiados/Permisos para Niños Menores en Centroamérica (CAM, por sus siglas en inglés)

Introducción

El Programa de Refugiados/Permisos para Niños Menores Centroamericanos proporciona a ciertos menores elegibles que están en El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras una alternativa segura, legal y ordenada a las travesías que ciertos menores enfrentan al querer llegar a los Estados Unidos. 

El programa CAM comenzó a aceptar solicitudes el 1 de diciembre de 2014. Los padres a quienes se les han aprobado ciertos beneficios de inmigración son elegibles para presentar una petición por sus hijos. Solo ciertos padres, descritos a continuación, son elegibles para ser padres calificativos  y presentar una solicitud por sus hijos. Cada menor cualificado debe ser soltero, menor de 21 años, y residir en El Salvador, Guatemala u Honduras.

En ciertos casos, uno de los padres del menor cualificado podría también cualificar si es el cónyuge del padre elegible. Vea a continuación para los detalles de elegibilidad. 

Elegibilidad

Niños que cualifican

El niño que cualifica y que está en El Salvador, Guatemala u Honduras debe:

·         Ser hijo de un padre elegible  según la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (hijo biológico, adoptivo o adoptado legalmente)

·         Ser soltero

·         Ser menor de 21 años de edad

·         Nacional de El Salvador, Guatemala u Honduras

·         Residir en su país de nacionalidad.

Familiares Elegibles

En algunos casos, otros familiares elegibles podrían tener acceso al programa, incluidos:

·         Niños menores solteros nacidos del hijo que cualifica menor de 21 años de edad.

Padre de un menor que cualifica  que no es el padre elegible

Este programa está dirigido primordialmente a menores, pero un padre de un hijo que cualifica podría ser incluido si:

·         Es parte del mismo hogar y unidad familiar que el menor que cualifica,

·         Está legalmente casado con el padre elegible al momento de que éste presente el CAM-AOR,  y

·         Continúa casado legalmente con el padre elegible.

Padre elegible

El padre elegible puede ser cualquier persona que tenga al menos 18 años de edad y esté legalmente presente en los Estados Unidos bajo una de las siguientes categorías:

·         Estatus de Residente Permanente,

·         Estatus de Protección Temporal

·         Con Permiso de Permanencia Temporal T

·         Con Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA), o

·         Acción Diferida (No DACA)

·         Salida Forzosa Diferida,  o

·         Suspensión de Remoción.

Acción Diferida

Las personas con permiso de permanencia temporal y personas a quienes se les haya concedido acción diferida deben tener permiso de permanencia temporal o acción diferida vigente por un mínimo de un año.  Para todas las demás categorías listadas anteriormente, son elegibles aquellas personas que están legalmente presentes y en un estatus migratorio válido al momento de presentación de la solicitud (esto significa en la fecha en que se presente la Declaración Jurada de Relación – CAM).

Proceso de Solicitud

No hay una fecha límite para presentar solicitudes a este programa, pero el padre elegible debe estar en uno de los estatus vigente listados anteriormente al momento de solicitar a este programa, así como al momento de admisión o permiso de permanencia del beneficiario de este programa.

El padre elegible que está en los Estados Unidos presenta el Formulario DS-7699, Declaración Jurada de Relación Familiar (AOR) para Menores que son Nacionales de El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras (CAM-AOR). Este formulario solo puede ser accedido y completado con la ayuda de la agencia de reasentamiento designada (RA, por sus siglas en inglés).

No hay tarifa para participar de este programa y se les prohíbe a las personas cobrar tarifas u honorarios por completar el formulario.

Pruebas de DNA

Deben realizarse pruebas de DNA para comprobar consanguinidad entre el padre cualificado que está en los Estados Unidos y su hijo biológico.  El padre que está en los Estados Unidos pagará los costos iniciales de la prueba de DNA y se le podrían reembolsar los costos de la prueba SOLO si TODAS las relaciones biológicas reclamadas y analizadas medio de pruebas son confirmadas por los resultados de las pruebas del DNA.

Estatus de Refugiado

El estatus de refugiado es una forma de protección disponible para aquellos que cumplen con la definición de refugiado y son de especial preocupación humanitaria para los Estados Unidos.  Para una definición legal del término ‘refugiado’, vea la sección 101(a)(42) de la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés).

Tanto el niño cualificado como su padre elegible que está en el país deben probar por separado la validez de su petición de refugiado para que se le conceda estatus de refugiado.

La elegibilidad al estatus de refugiado es determinada caso por caso por medio de una entrevista con un oficial de USCIS especialmente adiestrado.

Los solicitantes que obtengan acceso al programa, pero que sean encontrados inelegibles al estatus de refugiado, podrían ser considerados individualmente para obtener un permiso de permanencia temporal en los Estados Unidos.

Para más información sobre refugiados, visite la sección “Refugiados” de nuestro sitio web.http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees

Permiso de Entrada

El permiso de entrada permite a aquellas personas que de alguna otra forma resultan inadmisibles venir a los Estados Unidos por razones humanitarias urgentes o un beneficio público significativo.

Un solicitante que desee solicitar permiso de entrada está sujeto a los siguientes requisitos adicionales:

·         Autorización médica y costos asociados: Se les requiere a todos los solicitantes de permiso de entrada obtener y pagar la autorización médica.

·         Arreglos de viaje y costos asociados: A una persona a quien se le autorice el permiso debe coordinar su viaje a través de un proceso aprobado por USCIS y pagar por el boleto aéreo hacia los Estados Unidos. 

USCIS está redactando una página de Preguntas Frecuentes para proporcionar información sobre el permiso de entrada relacionado al programa CAM. Por favor, verifique periódicamente para obtener información actualizada.

Para información adicional y una lista de las Agencias de Reasentamiento donde puede presentar el formulario CAM-AOR, visite el sitio web (http://www.wrapsnet.org/CAMProgram/tabid/420/Default.aspx) del Programa de Refugiados del Departamento de Estado.

PRESS RELEASE !

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:      Thursday, 19 March 2015

CONTACT:  Brett Abrams : 516-841-1105 : brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com

DWN: “New ICE Policy Caves to Radical Anti-Immigrant Lawmakers, Needlessly Restricts Release from Detention”

Detention Watch Network Calls on President Obama to Stop ICE’s Escalation of War on Immigrants

Statement from Silky Shah, co-director of Detention Watch Network, in reaction to ICE’s announcement that it would dramatically ramp up oversight and release procedures for immigrants with criminal convictions: “This announcement is not the result of reasoned policy analysis. Rather it was released the night before new ICE Director Sarah Saldaña was to testify before Congress and represents a preemptive surrender to its most zealously anti-immigrant members. Decisions on immigration policy and the detention of immigrants should never be based on crude political calculations.

During the hearing, lawmakers repeatedly mischaracterized all people in detention with criminal convictions as undocumented and as violent offenders. This ignores the reality that many long-term legal permanent residents are also detained and further that the proportion of people deported whose most serious crime is a non-violent immigration offense or traffic violation has risen significantly over the last six years.

For the minority of people in detention who have past violent convictions, the prevalent anti-immigrant discourse constantly obscures the fact that they’ve already paid their debt to society by serving out their prison terms. We believe that even immigrants who have committed violent offenses shouldn’t be subject to double jeopardy by being incarcerated again for the same offense.

The list of people with no hope of release in US detention centers is growing at an alarming rate: immigrant families, asylum-seekers, and now individuals with prior criminal convictions. Detention, with no alternatives or way out, for such a huge number of people who pose no safety risk to their communities is an outrageous violation of human rights and an enormous waste of taxpayer dollars.

It is increasingly disheartening that the White House, and President Obama continue to pursue and double-down on a failed, inhumane and increasingly punitive response to immigrants and their families living and working in the US.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-announces-enhanced-oversight-and-release-procedures-custody-determinations

For interviews, please contact Brett Abrams at 516-841-1105 or by email at brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com.