The first time I saw an Immigration & Customs Enforcement van was in Detroit. For some children of immigrants in Detroit, they may say the same thing and add that the last time they saw their parents was in an ICE van.
The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) is reporting that in Detroit ICE followed parents taking their children to the Hope of Detroit Academy, detained at least two parents, and essentially forced other parents to remain inside the school, afraid of leaving and afraid of being detained by ICE. Eventually the ICE officers left.
I remember this happening in another school somewhere else. So this is not a new fear tactic. The irony of the school being called “Hope”, one of Obama’s 2008 election campaign slogans, exemplifies the double-speak the Obama administration continues to use.
I reject the framing that this kind of thing doesn’t happen in the U.S., that this type of harassment is something that belongs to other countries, especially “exotic, POC” countries, where our families often come from. This type of terrorism is what built the United States and what maintains the current balance of power here. So long as we keep using the narrative that these sort of things: the summary killings of people on the border, the robbing of children of immigrants, and the robbing of parents of children, the harder it will be to fight. I also reject that these are the actions of a few rogue ICE agents. There have been far too many instances of using power and fear over our communities to make this a “one off”. This is how ICE functions. This is the current immigration policy of the Obama administration.
Call 202-282-8000 – Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to demand stopping the terrorizing of our communities.
I guess Obama thinks this will help him win Michigan?
According to the census, Detroit lost 25% of its population over the last ten years, and Michigan was the only state to lose population. That loss cost the state an electoral vote. I guess Obama wants to make it even worse by harassing the people who actually own businesess there.
One more thing. If there is a government shut down nobody will test our food/water for radiation!
I wish the Dems would run somebody else. Even though I detest the GOP, I cannot in good conscience vote for Obama.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-05/white-house-resists-push-to-stop-deportations-lawmakers-say.html
The White House is urging lawmakers to back away from a campaign led by Hispanic Democrats to block deportations involving U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, a move that risks antagonizing Latino voters crucial to President Barack Obama’s re-election.
Several members of Congress who were scheduled to attend a March 31 news conference on the issue said administration officials contacted them to voice concern about their participation. Until U.S. immigration law is overhauled, the lawmakers say, Obama should use his executive power to protect families facing deportation or separation because at least one parent is an illegal immigrant.
Karen,
Again I think the Detroit issue predates Obama but again, he’s not helping.
As for the second link you posted. Yeah, pretty gross actually. It’s being called a gag order by many.
What difference does it make if it predates Obama? This is his issue now just like the wars, not closing Gitmo, extension of the Bush tax cuts, etc.
It’s not just that he’s “not helping.” He’s making it worse by setting up a climate of “disappearing people” just like in repressive Latin American countries. The language you use makes him seem like a pasive player, when he is the one creating the policy!
He seems to have no trouble suspending Miranda rights, or going to war without the consent of Congress,etc But when it comes to immigrantion his hands are tied. Yeah, right.
I was specifically referring to “shrinking” Detroit not anything else.
I heard about this. It disgusts me. It makes me think of all the families that stayed home in our area when the ICE raids were going on. Elementary schools reported half the normal attendance. How are Latino students supposed to “assimilate” like everyone wants them to if they are missing school in fear that their parents are going to disappear?
Even if it means risking their lives Undocumented Immigrants will keep coming here to have a better life.
Undocumented Immigration to the USA will never stop as long as extremely wretched poverty,misery,hopelessness exist in other countries.
The capitalist ruling class-the power structure in this country,will,as it is within their inherently hypocritcal nature allow and encourage undoumented immigration due to cheap exploitable labor which translates into many billions in profits at the expense of the established domestic US working and middle class.
This same elite ruling group which holds most of the power in this country must also respond to political pressures in opposition to undocumented immigration coming from mostly white,(to a lesser extent black and asian americans).
After all,whites,blacks and asians make up over 90% of the american electorate,from which many tens of millions vehemently oppose immigration,despise immigrants-most especially the brown and spanish-speaking ones.
The ruling class in this country has many tools,many options they can utilize as response to social and political problems they face.
In US history we have seen how Terrorism as a tactic has been selectively and effectively used at many different times in it’s history-mainly as a weapon to deal with political opponents,mass opposition.They will also use Terrorism to control,manipulate and exploit specific populations for political reasons.
The Obama adminstration represents an example of how Terrorism is used for political reasons-to appease racist xenophobic americans,to placate them with draconian,cruel and violent government policies carried out by ICE,Secure Communities, 287(g)..etc etc..
Such tyrannical,proto-fascist policies(Terrorism) are used to take heat off government,parties and politicians.The more violent and vicious the harrassment,violence,raids and deportations the more american racists and xenophobes are satisfied.
Terrorism for political effect-televised widely mostly by the English speaking mainstream media for maximum effect.
Terrorism is a usfeful tool which the ruling class will use whenever they need it.
I believe that in the not so distant future as the situation of undocumented immigration grows,festers into a cancerous social tumor,becomes more hostile and contentious in nature,as more of the Latino population becomes more involved,outspoken and active in opposition some even willing to carry out acts of civil disobedience,willing to break laws, risk imprisonment…we will see Terrorism as a response.
As this phenomena grows and expands with Latinos becoming more unified,organized,activist and militant.I foresee the government incrementally expanding it’s net of Terorism to include ever larger segments of the Latino community.Terrorism will be appied not only to specific enclaves but also to entire neighborhoods,not just to undocumented immigrants,but to also documented immigrants and citizens who attempt to help them,some going so far as to commit civil disobedience by breaking immigration statutes that prohibit aiding and abetting the undocumented.
Besides Government sponsored Terrorism,Latinos will also have to deal with Patriot and Minutemen,activist SB1070 supporter types,white supremacist based organizations who have the potential to become a de facto “reserve army” of the US power structure.We have already seen many violent deaths coming from hate crimes as well as from forces along the border.The depth of violence and cruelty coming from some of these people has no limitations..witness the cold blooded murders of Brisenia Flores-a 9 year-old girl and her father.
The last thing the ruling class in this country wants to see arise from within the boiling cauldron of undocumented immigration is a movement -a wider political struggle more threatening to their control and interests centered around more general questions of self-determination,social equality, economics and justice.
As to Terrorism-Yes,of course they will use Terrorism against Latinos.
They’ve used it all along in their history.It is one of their most powerful and useful weapons.
I am appalled!! So much for hope and change! Obama is trying to pin all of this on the unco-operative Republican party, but I do not beleive it is going to work this time in the election.
If President Obama does not keep his promise to enact CIR, I know for a fact that people will not be voting for him. A lot of my friends who are die hard Republicans changed their VOTE to Obama solely based on the fact that he PROMISED CIR IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS!!!! We have professional friends who are affected by this stupid broken system and we all rallied around Obama to get their situation fixed. So here we are three years later and now he is still spouting need Republicans to agree when he had a full Democratic HOUSE AND SENATE and he did not do it.
President Obama is hailed as such an inteligent President, in fact supposedly the smartest one yet (!) SUrely he cannot honestly think that this will be accepted?? If he does then I am afraid he is not too smart.
He really just cannot truly believe that people who are suffering everyday and have been suffering now for the last three years not seeing their children or husbands and being terribly affected by these raids and deportations when they have not committed any crimes, are suffeing each day.
I think he might get the vote if he enact CIR because people will be so grateful, but i do not beleive people will buy into more empty promises when he had such a perfect opportunity to get this done and creating such goodwill and gratefulness. Now to be going on about the BAD REPUBLICANS is just not going to fly.
I am sure he cannot believe that we are that stupid!? People who are affected by this issue knows EXACTLY what is going on because they are hanging onto every little thread that might smell of a promise being kept on CIR, so people know what is going on and can see that he is using CIR as that golden carrot for votes in 2012 – NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!
THAT GOLDEN CARROT HAS BECOME ROTTEN AND IS NO LONGER OF INTEREST! We are looking and watching.
Rose,
I agree with what you are saying here.We know what kind of con-game the Obama administration is running down on the Immigration issue.
Sad to say,I have a very strong feeling that The Democratic party establishment along with the Obama administration are confident that they can continue to exploit and manipulate Latinos for votes using the “Golden Carrot” you describe.I think they are pretty sure they can whip their legions of Latino leaders and enforcers into shape who will come out en masse as we approach election 2010.
Just watch them come out gangbusters using that same old bogeyman-”the GOP is going to kill you and eat your first born child if you don’t vote for Obama again.”
And guess what? I think it will work again.That’s the tragic part of it.The Democratic Party has figured out how to keep Latinos captive on their plantation for the forseeable future.
And as long as Latinos accept and accomodate themselves to the two party system of democrats vs GOP and accept treacherous and incompetent Latino misleadership,ain’t nothing significant gonna change for them.basically,they will just be running in cirlces,spinning their wheels going nowhere..
Just wait as 2012 approaches for the DNC Latino operatrives flunkies and lapdogs to get out there to do Obama’s bidding-lying and deceiveing Latinos with more false “Hope and Change” BS..
It will work!
..and Obama will get relected..just mark my words.
They have Latinos figured out,they’ve got their number..
what more can I say??
Yes, I do agree with you but I think that the Latino operatives will have a tough job selling it again this time. Especially in the light of so many deportations of people with no criminal records and the administration is doing nothing to rectify that.
Even when they (the administration) are questioned of that it amazes me how they skirt the question or repeat the same old mantra everytime and people continue to be deported, families seperated, children from their parents.
And yet do you really think that the Latino people will be accepting of this and still vote??? I really cannot see that. It is an insult to their intelligence if they do. No I think they are going to allign themselves with another candidate.
And not necessarily a democratic candidate either. You might recall when Pres Bush – a republican pres in 2007 almost based his entire presidency on the immigration issue, and the vote fell short by 5 votes, so i am sure that trying to paint the Republicans as against this issue is just not true and just cannot and will not work.
People are not that stupid, they can see who voted in 2007 and certainly on issues being put forth .
No they were just not going to allow Pres. Bush to take the victory of having sorted out this problem.
In all fairness, Pres. Obama most probably will be given credit for tightening up and enforcing the immigration laws and record breaking deportations. ANd the figures speak for themselves.
Trying to get into the USA is extremely difficult. The cost in obtaining visas and the hoops one needs to jump through is astounding. I am amazed that people are still bothering to come. I know of quite a few people have opted to visit Canada or NZ or AUS or UK instead of coming to US, and then they are reporting what a wonderful time they had and planning return trips to those countries. Well that alone should be cause for pause and rethink.
So this alone flies in the face of a president that is supposedly in support in affecting CIR. i am all in favor of deporting all those bad people that contribute to giving all immigrants a bad name, and certainly a good thing to get rid of them, but it seems deportation numbers are high becuase of non criminal deportations and easy targets to reach.
However it is shameful that this is still not resolved. The Dream Act alone has been going on for over 10 YEARS!!!!!! THAT IS SHAMEFUL AND SHAME ON THE POLITICIANS!. To be playing politics like this with young budding professionals that can contribute. I am actually tired of repeating this statement over and over again.
It is soul destroying!!! I just do not understand how this has mamanged to go on for this long. And that the public seem to be so accepting of this status quo. Quite frankly it is just not acceptable.
Perhaps a solution to this problem will be for them to MAKE A DECISION – OR TAKE A VOTE – OR VOTE ON THE ISSUE!!
And then regardless of the outcome of that VOTE, perhaps they should then either grant CIR and get people to create a better America
OR
THEN MAKE THE LAW THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO LEAVE!!!!!
VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
GIVE A TIME TABLE OF TWO YEARS TO GET YOURSELF SORTED OUT AND FIND A NEW HOME – AND AFTER THAT IF YOU ARE CAUGHT THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!!
But to continue with these promises of hope and change and keeping people in limbo is just not acceptable. Let these people then leave and go and make wonderful contributions to their home countries – and with this globalization taking place, some good things can happen.
Some people are stuck now for years who cannot buy a car, house, start a business, cannot fly – IMAGINE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT this will have when these people are being mobilized!!!! But no they want to keep them hanging there and for WHAT????
I say if they are going to do it – they must do it and STOP KICKING THIS CAN DOWN THAT ROAD!!!!
WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR MUCH LONGER!!! STOP PLAYING POLITICS!!!
WE ASK PRESIDENT OBAMA TO SHOW LEADERSHIP AND GET THIS DONE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER!!
Anyway we are exhausted and so are my friends. We are tired of hearing everybody concurring and agreeing that the system is broken and needs to be fixed,
If I can give a penny for everytime a politician has said that………. ugh
But alas, you can only fool people so many times, so we shall see what we shall see and let the chips fall where they may!
We are watching and listening…..
Re: “The Democratic Party has figured out how to keep Latinos captive on their plantation for the forseeable future.”
I’m not so sure about that. If Obama wins in 2012 it will be because the corporations were so happy with him that they did not field a serious Republican candidate.
Notice that when Obama ran for US Senate, the GOP ran Alan Keyes after Obama got Ryan kicked off of the ballot, which was pretty much the same as having Obama run unopposed. Then the DNC forced Hillary to drop out so that Obama would get the Democratic nomination without a floor fight. Obama did not have enough delegates to secure the nomination when the primaries ended in June 2008. He didn’t officially get the nomination until the convention. He even reduced the number of Latino delegates because he thiought they would vote for Hillary.
He’s going to win regardless of what the voetrs want because that has been his pattern.