Reform Not Raids: A Community Discussion of the Broken Immigration System
Over 125 people joined us at a community dialogue on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at the St. Luke’s Community Health Education Center in Bellingham, Washington. This forum was in response to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on the business of Yamato Engine Specialists on February 24, 2009. 28 workers were arrested and processed, three were released on humanitarian grounds to be with their children; the rest were sent to the N.W. Detention Center in Tacoma.
Immigration is a complex issue. This forum gave folks an opportunity to better understand the immigration issue and hear from a diverse group of people who believe the system needs to be fully reformed and raids are not the answer. A panel of immigrant rights advocates, attorneys and members of the business community engaged in a discussion on our current system and provided possible solutions to fixing the system. The panel discussion was followed by a lengthy Q&A period witha lively dialogue.
For a mp3 recording of the discussion, click this link: Reform Not Raids Recording
Panel Participants:
Rosalinda Guillen, Executive Director of Community to Community
Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of OneAmerica (formerly Hate Free Zone)
Greg Boos, American Immigration Lawyers Association
ICE raids Yamato Engine Specialists in Bellingham, detains workers
Tuesday February 24, 2009: Homeland Security dispatches Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) agents to a local workplace, Yamato Engine Specialists in Bellingham, WA. A story quickly emerged of overwhelming force on a reputable workplace that has been providing a livelihood for 127 Whatcom County families for many years. Approximately 75 agents in full riot gear with SUV’s, buses and a hovering helicopter arrived in the early morning around 9:00am. The agents entered the building with buckets of handcuffs and ankle chains and rounded up all the workers, including administrative staff and management. Outside the building was blocked off from the public by a perimeter of agents and I.C.E. vehicles; all exits and entrances were closed off inside the manufacturing plant. One by one all workers were questioned about their status, even though they had the list of the 28 workers suspected of lacking work permits. Twenty Eight workers were handcuffed and chained at the ankles and loaded on to the buses, after being spread-eagled and patted down. After weeping and begging, the only three women in the group were released on humanitarian grounds, but first they were taken to the local I.C.E. office and questioned. All three are single mothers and have young children at home. The 25 workers on the buses were eventually taken to the N.W. Detention Center in Tacoma.
This is the first big raid in Whatcom Country since August 30, 2006 and unfortunately not much has changed in Homeland Security’s Gestapo-style enforcement of immigration law, which is still a civil offense. Workers in America deserve the respect guaranteed by our Constitution to all people in the U.S. During these times of economic crisis, local employers and workers are being terrorized- we know how much suffering, trauma, and heartbreak is caused, but just how much does it cost in tax dollars to carry out a raid like this? We urge you to work with us to stop this heartless and costly enforcement of immigration laws.
OneAmerica has some great video interviews discussing the raid and its effects over at their website, take a look!
