Concord Response to Raids: “Stop Terrorizing Our Community"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Concord Congregations and Community Groups Outraged by Recent Immigration
Raids Say:
“STOP TERRORIZING OUR COMMUNITY”
Community Groups are Outraged by Immigration Authorities Following Parents
and their Kids after School, Going door to door in Apartment Complexes and
Fomenting Fear and Distrust in Our Community

Contact information:
Cristina H. Espinoza at 925 301 6198 (cell); _cciscocristina [at] aol.com_
(mailto:cciscocristina [at] aol.com) -- CCISCO
What: COMMUNITY FORUM
When: WEDNESDAY, February 7, 2007 – 7pm
Where: St. Francis of Assisi Church- 860 Oak Grove Rd.-Concord
CCISCO (Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization) leaders
at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Concord, armed with their faith,
are hosting an event this coming Wednesday to resist the recent immigration
raids in the City of Concord and call for their City and Congress
representatives’ support.
We are working families that take pride of being residents of the City of
Concord but are very concerned because of the pain and fear that our community
is experiencing. Parents are afraid of sending their kids to school, children
are afraid to be followed home, families that already live under a lot of
pressure are feeling even more stress. Some in the community have the notion
that it is the Concord Police Department conducting the immigration raids.
People in the community are scared and there is a lot of misinformation. “My
nine year old nephew knows he is not supposed to open the door, he has
watched the TV coverage on the raids, he knows we need to protect ourselves”
states one of our leaders. “My uncle (a day laborer) was detained after being
lured by a potential employer who resulted to be an immigration official” laments
another.
At least 37 cases of abuse of authority have being registered in the City of
Concord.
We need to hear form our City officials. We are working hard to respond to
those concerns and are calling on our City officials’ presence to rebuild the
trust in our community.
"We love our community; some of us have lived here for decades. The recent
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) actions jeopardize our hopes
to build a beloved community where our children feel safe and where our
families thrive” states a small business owner and church leader.
VISUAL: Local residents who have witnessed and have been victims of the
raids will provide testimony about the impact on their families; a lawyer and
local leaders will educate residents about their legal rights; and public
officials will respond to community requests for support.
******************
Larisa Casillas
Director
Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC)
310 Eighth Street, Suite 303
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: (510) 839-7598
Fax: (510) 465-1885
_http://www.immigrantrights.org_ (http://www.immigrantrights.org)