LaborNet - Internet Board
Global online communication since 1991 for a democratic, independent labor movement
Home | Current Blog | News Archive | Video | Resources | Back Links | About LaborNet

image image

National Day of Action to Stop Deportations and Deferred Action for All
Source labornet@labornet.igc.org
Date 13/11/27/14:00

DECEMBER 12TH - NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO STOP DEPORTATIONS AND DEFERRED ACTION FOR ALL
BY THE "UNITED FRONT FOR JUSTICE & DIGNITY "

In this Message :
1) Dec. 12 -- National Day of Action to Stop Deportations and Deferred Action for All -- Call initiated by United Front for Justice and Dignity

2) Motion on Immigrant Rights Adopted by the San Francisco Labor Council Executive Committee on November 4, 2013

3) Stop the Deportations, Deferred Action For All Undocumented Immigrants! -- Excerpts from Statement by United Front for Justice and Dignity following national AFL-CIO Convention

4) Congresspersons Grijalva/Clark "Dear Colleague" Open Letter (urging Obama to halt deportations and grant deferred action)

* * * * * * * * * *

1) DECEMBER 12TH - NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TO STOP
DEPORTATIONS AND DEFERRED ACTION FOR ALL


Immigration reform legislation has definitively stalled in Congress as both political parties jockey in favor of their respective positions and point fingers of blame at each other. The needs and desires of immigrant families take second place to the electoral political agendas of Washington, D.C. belt-way lobbyists and corporations. However, deportations and separation of families continue at break-neck speed and at historic highs. Approximately 1,200 deportations occur every day and the threshold of 2 million removals under President Barack Obama will be reached any day now.

Our families require and deserve immediate relief. Our families have worked tirelessly for fair and humane immigration reform and have been extremely patient and understanding of the political process.

Is it not true that since 2001 our communities have marched, protested, lobbied, sent letters and petitions, voted in repeated elections, fasted, participated in acts of civil disobedience and been arrested, telephoned and visited our federal and state legislators, been active on internet social networks, filmed, YouTubed, and done everything within the great historic traditions of social movements in this country seeking the kind of change our families need?

Is it not true that immigrants, their families, friends and allies marched in the millions never before witnessed in the U.S. during 2006 and 2007 and repeatedly amassed at the national mall in Washington, D.C. demanding fair immigration reform? And now we are told that it won't happen in 2013, unlikely in 2014 due to the elections, and maybe in 2015. How much longer must we wait? If not now, when?

Join thousands of organizations throughout the nation in a December 12th National Day of Action to demand that President Obama STOP DEPORTATIONS AND SEPARATION OF FAMILIES AND DEFERRED ACTON FOR ALL the eligible undocumented members of our families.

Celebrate this December 12th -- Day of Veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe in search of shelter (posada) for her family at a critical health moment in her life. Celebrate this day in any kind of public action that your organization or coalition sees fit according to your capacity and inclination -- a press conference, rally, vigil, non-violent civil disobedience, forum, picket in front of ICE facility, pilgrimage with the local church parish, or however you wish to express the urgency to stop the bleeding of our families and communities.

Let President Obama hear the millions of voices of our families united and living the change we want to see.

-- Call Initiated by the United Front for Justice and Dignity (in collaboration with immigrant rights organizations and coalitions across California, Washington state and Illinois, list in formation)

[Please distribute widely. To co-sponsor this call, please contact Nativo López at and/or Sacramento LCLAA at .]

* * * * * * * * * *
2) Motion on Immigrant Rights Adopted by the
San Francisco Labor Council Executive Committee
(November 4, 2013)

Given the continued impasse in Congress over Comprehensive Immigration Reform, immigrant rights coalitions are uniting and mobilizing across the country to demand that President Obama use his executive authority to stop the deportations of undocumented immigrants and to grant deferred action to these immigrants and their families.

This orientation has been supported publicly by the top leadership of the AFL-CIO.

Accordingly, the San Francisco Labor Council will propose to our coalition partners that they include these two demands on President Obama -- Stop the Deportations, Grant Deferred Action to All Undocumented Immigrants! -- in the upcoming immigrant rights action when Obama comes to San Francisco (*) and in future actions in defense of immigrant workers.

-- Submitted by SFLC Executive Committee member Alan Benjamin, OPEIU Local 3
- - -
(*) Obama will be in San Francisco on Monday, November 25 and will deliver a public fundraising speech at the Betty Ong Recreation Center (1199 Mason St.) that will deal, in part, with the issue of immigration reform. For more information about this event, call the Recreation Center at 415-292-2017.

* * * * * * * * * *
3) Stop the Deportations, Deferred Action
For All Undocumented Immigrants!

(excerpts from Statement by United Front for Justice and Dignity following national AFL-CIO Convention)

Speaking at a press conference organized by the AFL-CIO during its national convention in Los Angeles on September 10, Tefere Gebre, past executive director of the Orange County (Calif.) Labor Council and newly elected vice president of the AFL-CIO, stated that no one knows whether Comprehensive Immigration Reform will be approved by this Congress given the "obstructionist role" of many of the Republicans in the House. And he added, "No matter what happens in the Congress, we know this: President Obama could use his authority as president to issue an Executive Order to halt all deportations today!"

This is absolutely true.

Given this impasse in the Congress and the political void it has created, and given the huge anger from below over the more than 400,000 yearly deportations under Obama, far more than under George W. Bush, more and more organizations, including the AFL-CIO, realize that something must be done to address this untenable situation.

Ana Avedaño, director of immigration and community action at the AFL-CIO, put it this way in a press statement published by Associated Press on Sept. 19. "If Congress doesn't move, the President has a duty to act," she said. "Just because the Republicans have buried their heads in the sand doesn't mean that immigrant communities aren't feeling the sting of constant deportations."

Obama and the White House have rejected the call by labor and immigrant rights' groups to unilaterally stop deportations and extend Deferred Action to the millions awaiting legalization. White House spokesperson Bobby Whithorne told a press conference on Sept. 19 that, "The President will not take any further steps. That's it. Full stop. The only way to bring 11 million undocumented individuals out of the shadow economy is for Congress to pass common-sense reform with an earned path to citizenship."

The very next day Obama told Telemundo that such an executive action [for Deferred Action] was "not an option."

But as Gabriel Camacho, an organizer with the Campaign for a Humane Immigration Policy (CHIP), noted in a commentary on Sept. 20, what Obama does or does not do can change very quickly depending on political circumstances and, above all, on what masses of people are able to do in the streets to press for their demands.

"The second-term president said that he does not have the authority to grant Deferred Action, nor to stop the deportations," Camacho stated. "But this is the same president who miraculously discovered that he had the authority to grant temporary legal status to undocumented youth under DACA during his re-election campaign."

And Camacho concluded:

"As long as legislative advocacy is framed on one end, on how to get Republican votes, and on the other end, on how do we curry favor with the Democratic Party, humane immigration reform will never be achieved. As in every successful social movement, the most affected must lead the struggle -- not the Beltway experts and strategists."

[LAST MINUTE: We should add that on Nov. 22, despite all his statements to the contrary, President Obama extended Deferred Action to military families -- which shows that when there's the political will to take action, there's a way. Deferred Action Can and Must be extended to ALL, NOW! Not One More Deportation!]

* * * * * * * * * *
4) CONGRESSPERSONS GRIJALVA / CLARK "DEAR COLLEAGUE" OPEN LETTER

Dear Colleague,

We ask that you join us in signing the letter below asking President Obama to expand the successful deferred action program and suspend any further deportations of those who would be potential citizens under immigration reform.

The civil disobedience action on Tuesday, October 8th has shown our commitment to making sure immigration reform is brought to the floor and families stop being separated. Thousands of people, including labor unions and faith groups, joined our effort on Tuesday to underscore the urgent need for House Republican leadership to take concrete action to ensure that the House of Representatives has votes on immigration reform this year. Those affected by deportations spoke at the rally, including Angel Aguilar, an eleven year old boy whose father was deported. Support Angel and children just like him by urging the President to stop deportations while the House works on a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

The United States is now deporting people at a faster rate than at any time in our modern history, more than 1,100 people per day. Between the years 2008 and 2012, an estimated 1.5 million immigrants were deported. Although the administration has reportedly prioritized deporting only criminals, our broken immigration policy has separated far too many families. According to a 2009 report by the Department of Homeland Security, only 11% of those detained were held for violent crimes.

As we continue our push for immigration reform, and as it is met with opposition, working people should not have to continue to live in fear of separation from their families and our communities. Deferred action would give millions of families the opportunity to contribute to our great nation in a variety of ways. We urge you to join us in building a humane immigration system that addresses our needs as a single society connected by family values, economic needs, and the desire to create a life for ourselves and those we love.

Some of our colleagues worked with representatives from 543 organizations across the nation making this request to the President and we are pleased to formalize it in this letter.

If you would like to join us or have any questions, please contact Christina Partida at christina.partida@mail.house.gov or at 5-2435.
Raul M. Grijalva
Member of Congress

Yvette Clarke
Member of Congress

Current cosigners: Raúl M. Grijalva, Yvette Clarke, John Delaney, Jan Schakowsky, Del. Eni Faleomavaega, Dina Titus, Mark Pocan, Marc Veasey, Alcee L. Hastings, Mike Honda, Tony Cardenas, Barbara Lee, Lloyd Doggett, Charles Rangel, Rubén Hinojosa, Filemon Vela, John Lewis, Grace Napolitano, Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Sam Farr, Sheila Jackson Lee, Rush Holt, Bobby L. Rush, Madeleine Bordallo, Gwen Moore, Beto O'Rourke

"DEMANDAMOS QUE EL PRESIDENTE OBAMA" OTORGA LA "ORDEN EJECUTIVA DE EL CESE DE IMIDIATO A LAS DEPORTACIONES !, Y QUE DEMANDAMO


"DEMANDAMOS QUE EL PRESIDENTE OBAMA" OTORGA LA "ORDEN EJECUTIVA" DE EL CESE DE IMIDIATO A LAS DEPORTACIONES !, Y QUE DEMANDAMOS "LA ACION DEFERIDA" A LOS 11 MILLONES DE INDOCUMENTADOS EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA YABASTA !

PLATAFORMA DEL MOVIMIENTO DE LOS DERECHOS DE LOS INMIGRANTES EN LA COYUNTURA ACTUAL

El movimiento se pronuncia en contra de la propuesta S744 porque vulnera los derechos de las familias migrantes sin documentos en Estados Unidos, militariza la frontera con México de una forma irracional, condena a millones de inmigrantes a un proceso de deportación y posible encarcelamiento, ofrece un tortuoso camino a la ciudadanía con una espada de Damocles en la cabeza de las familias migrantes, periodo que podría tomar hasta 16 años y que solamente cubriría a un tercio de la población elegible para la regularización.
El movimiento condena al Partido republicano por sus políticas anti-inmigrantes, anti-obreras y anti-mexicanas mostradas durante los últimos años al no aceptar tener una discusión racional sobre la política de inmigración de esta nación, proponiendo medidas más coercitivas, discriminatorias, como la criminalización de la comunidad inmigrante y su interés expreso de militarizar la frontera México-Estados Unidos. Además los republicanos están empecinados en empantanar el tema migratorio en La cámara de representantes para infligir una derrota al Presidente, que recientemente los derroto durante el cierre del gobierno.
El Movimiento rechaza la política adoptada por el Partido demócrata de apoyar a toda costa la propuesta del Senado 744 con marchas, desobediencia civil y cartas a los líderes republicanos instándolos a que voten la propuesta en la cámara baja. Suponiendo que la propuesta fuera puesta a votación correría posiblemente la misma suerte que el voto que se tomó sobre el Dream Act en que la cámara decidió por la deportación de los jóvenes, medida controlada por el voto republicano.
En vista de las elecciones federales y ante la movilización de los jóvenes en las calles, desobediencia civil en las oficinas de congresistas y campaña mediática, el presidente Obama se vio obligado a dictaminar una orden ejecutiva para parar la deportación de los jóvenes, ordenando al departamento de Seguridad interna la acción diferida que protege de la deportación y otorga permisos de trabajo a los estudiantes que reúnen las siguientes características:
Tener menos de 31 años a la fecha del 15 de junio de 2012
Llegado a los Estados Unidos antes de los 16 años de edad
Haber residido continuamente en los Estados Unidos desde el 15 de junio de 2007, hasta este momento
Haber estado presente en EE.UU. el 15 de junio de 2012 y al momento de presentar su solicitud de Acción Diferida ante USCIS
Haber entrado sin inspección antes del 15 de junio de 2012 o su estatus legal de inmigración expiró al 15 de junio de 2012
Estar asistiendo a la escuela, haberse graduado de la escuela superior, tener un Certificado de Educación General (GED, por sus siglas en inglés), o ha servido honorablemente en ;a Guardia Costera o en las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos
No ha sido encontrado culpable de un delito grave, delito menos graves de carácter significativo, múltiples delitos menos graves, o representan una amenaza a la seguridad nacional o a la seguridad pública
Ante la inminente falta de acción legislativa del congreso, el Presidente Obama tiene la oportunidad histórica de corregir su record de haber deportado acerca de dos millones de personas durante su administración. Obama prometió en las elecciones pasadas que la reforma migratoria era una prioridad, sin embargo otros temas fiscales han ocupado la atención del congreso, lo que llevo al cierre parcial; del gobierno y aunque se resolvió temporalmente el año entrante la nación se volverá a enfrentar a este problema que genero la división más álgida entre el legislativo y el ejecutivo y la confrontación de los partidos demócrata y republicano más aguda de las últimos años.
Por lo tanto demandamos del Presidente lo siguiente:
Que por medio de un decreto-orden ejecutiva—declare una ampliación de la acción diferida a todos las personas sin documentos que esperan ser legalizados en este país. Que la orden ejecutiva sea otorgada por el tiempo necesario hasta que el congreso se pueda poner de acuerdo en una reforma al sistema migratorio que sea justo y humano. Se reclama que las personas puedan recibir un permiso de trabajo y la posibilidad de visitar sus familiares en su lugar de origen y regresar bajo la figura de “advanced parole.”
Esta es la gran oportunidad para el Presidente Obama a cumplir con la promesa de campaña de legalizar a millones de indocumentados, ya que aunque no resuelva el problema de fondo sienta las bases para regularizar a la población indocumentada que por años ha estado a expensas de los caprichos políticos de ambos partidos y la utilización del tema como asunto electorero. Obama podría ponerse en los zapatos de Lincoln y abolir vía orden ejecutiva la esclavitud de los trabajadores inmigrantes.
PLAN DE ACCION
Movilizar al movimiento hacia la casa Blanca demandando la Acción diferida para todos.
Organizar acciones de boicot económico contra las empresas que colaboran con las políticas anti-inmigrantes del Partido republicano y que practican acciones anti-inmigrantes en sus centros de trabajo
Apoyar actos de resistencia civil contra las deportaciones racistas ejecutadas por ICE
Realizar tareas de información y difusión entre la comunidad para dar a conocer la realidad de la llamada reforma migratoria.
Reuniones con los medios de comunicación para romper el cerco noticioso en que solamente se escucha una opción sobre la reforma migratoria, la opción que ha diseñado las organizaciones nacionales y locales de carácter corporativo.
Declarar un día nacional contra la 744 y Por una Acción Diferida. Por un alto a las deportaciones y permisos de trabajo para todos. El dia propuesto es el 12 de diciembre del 2013.

ALIANZA POR LOS DERECHOS DE LOS INMIGRANTES *Alliance for the Rights of Immigrants
FRENTE UNIDO PARA LA JUSTICIA Y LA DIGNIDAD *United Front for Dignity and Justice

Chicago, Illinois; Los Ángeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Orange, Ventura, California; Seattle, Washington;

Todopoderalpueblo.orgunited-front
ORGANIZACIÓNES EN APOYO

• Agencia Autónoma de Comunicación Subversiones www.agenciasubversiones.org
• Ángeles Sin Fronteras www.angelessinfronteras.org
• Asamblea Popular de Familias Migrantes APOFAM familiasmigrantes.org
• La Asociación de Migrantes Organizados de Aguascalientes/Association of Migrant Organizations of Aguascalientestinyurl.comAgenciaAutonoma
• Banished Veterans www.banishedveterans.com
• BAYAN USA (Southern California) bayanusa.org
• Coalición Humanitaria Internacional Pro-inmigrante CHIP www.chipmigrante.org
• Colectivo Todo Poder al Pueblo – Oxnard, CA www.todopoderalpueblo.org
• Comité Ciudadano en Defensa de los Naturalizados y Afro Mexicanos ccdnam.blogspot.com
• Comité por la Democracia en México/Committee for Democracy in Mexico
• El Organizador/The Organizer – Central Valley
• Freedom Socialist Party www.socialism.com
• Frente de Mexicanos en el Exterior (FME)/ Front for Mexicans Living Abroad
• Frente de Resistencia por Mexico - Los Ángeles
• Hermandad Mexicana www.hermandadmexicana.org
• Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) – Los Angeles General Membership Branch www.iww.orgbranches/US/CA/lagmb
• Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) – Sacramento sacramentoiww.wordpress.com
• La Voz de los Trabajadores (Workers' Voice) lavozlit.com
• Labor Council for Latin American Advancement – Sacramento AFL- CIO (LCLAA) www.lclaasacramento.org
• Mexican American Political Association (MAPA) www.mapa.org
• Organización de Trabajadores Agrícolas de California (OTAC) – Stockton
• Occupy Riverside
• Pan-African Perspective & The African Observer
• Peace and Freedom Party www.peaceandfreedom.org
• Pueblo Sin Fronteras pueblosinfronteras.us
• Radical Women www.radicalwomen.org
• Socialist Organizer www.socialistorganizer.org
• Southern California Immigration Coalition www.immigrationcoalition.org
• Unión Cívica Primero de Mayo – Sacramento www.primerodemayo.com
• Yo Soy #132 – San Diego www.yosoy132media.org

[View the list]