Press Conference: Stop ICE Immigration Sweeps through Neighborhoods

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Groups Call on Public Officials to Demand Halt on ICE Immigration Sweeps through Neighborhoods

What: Press Conference on the Immigration Raids
When: THURSDAY, February 1, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Where: Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), 1663 Mission St., Ste. 602,
San Francisco, CA 94103

Contact information about the press conference:
Mark Silverman (ILRC): 415-305-8217; mark [at] ilrc.org
Renee Saucedo (La Raza Centro Legal), 415 575-3500

Contact information for interviews with people working with CCISCO in
Richmond where there was a very successful meeting this past Sunday.
Cristina H. Espinoza (CCISCO): 925-301-6198; cciscocristina [at] aol.com
<mailto:cciscocristina [at] aol.com> .
El Comite de Padres Unidos, los Voluntarios de la Comunidad, and the
Immigrant Legal Resource Center will be holding a press conference to
criticize the immigration authorities enforcement arm, ICE, (Immigration and
Customs Enforcement) for their conduct during at least the past two weeks,
ICE authorities have posed as police officers and gone door-to-door in
neighborhoods in search of people, or have stood outside grocery stores and
arrested residents who cannot provide documentation legal residency.
According to ICE out of 119 detainees in Contra Costa County, 94 were
"encountered in the process", meaning they had no deportation orders.

"These arrests are ripping our communities and families apart," testifies
Jessica Peregrina, St. Mark's and CCISCO leader. "Children are being
separated from their parents, people are afraid to walk on the street, or
send their children to school."

These practices make it much more difficult for Richmond police to combat
crime because they put roadblocks in the way of immigrant communities
cooperating with the police.

"I believe that raids are illegal and unconstitutional," states Mark
Silverman with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. "I know that they are
immoral. This makes no sense, especially in a year when Congress is moving
to enact comprehensive immigration reform."

Community leaders are demanding an immediate halt to these door-to-door
raids and calling for a full investigation of the actions of ICE officers.
Community leaders are also calling for city officials and public agencies to
put pressure on ICE to halt these raids, follow guidelines and stop
misrepresenting themselves. Community leaders want to declare Richmond a
place of refuge and lodge formal complaints with the Department of Homeland
Security to protest these divisive tactics.

"ICE needs to halt this campaign of fear that it is waging in our
community," states Fr. Ramiro Flores, pastor of St. Mark's Chuch. "We are
calling on our public officials to protest these tactics and call for real
immigration reform."

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Mark Silverman
Director of Immigration Policy
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
1663 Mission St., Ste. 602
San Francisco, CA 94103
Email: mark [at] ilrc.org <mailto:mark [at] ilrc.org>
Tel: 415-255-9499 Ext 745