Denouncing ICE Raids Press Conference and Rally on May 30th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

To: All Media
From: Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance Coalition (MIRA)
Contact:
Nidya Ramirez, (760) 533-1567, nyramire@ucsc.edu
David Partida, (831) 332-8553, un_xikano_culixi@yahoo.com

Denouncing ICE Raids Press Conference and Rally

in Santa Cruz, CA

Friday, May 30th, 2008
@ 5:00 pm- 8:00 pm

Beach Flats Community Park
161 Raymond St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
What: There will be a (press conference with various community advocates denouncing the raids in the Bay area) and rally followed by a community celebration. The goal of the rally and the celebration is to create a space where community members can become informed of their rights if approached by Immigration Customs Enforcement, (ICE), agents and to denounce and raise awareness of the recent ICE raids in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Iowa.

Who: Movement Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA), which is a coalition of different community organizations on and off the University of California, Santa Cruz campus.

Why: As a response to the numerous amounts of ICE raids that have occurred near the Santa Cruz area, we are holding the above mentioned actions. Since May 1st, hundreds and hundreds of people are being threatened, brutalized, detained, and deported. Children are afraid to attend school, students’ academic performance is being negatively affected, and families are being torn apart due to the inhumane use of force from ICE. Through the action we will inform the community of their rights and send out the message that if ICE does come to Santa Cruz there will be a response from and for the community. MIRA, along with other networks and organizations will assure that the rights of immigrants in the community are respected!

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