News Release on massive ICE-police raids in Arizona from Derechos Humanos: Community Demands Answers from Obama Administration

Coalición de Derechos Humanos

Post Office Box 1286

Tucson, Arizona  85702

 

 

 

For Immediate Release

Contact: Derechos Humanos: 520.770.1373

 

Press conference and Protest

 

Community Demands Answers from Obama Administration

Thursday, April 15, 2010

2:30pm

Tucson Federal Building

 

Arizona-- In an unprecedented fashion, today more than 800 ICE agents descended on our communities across the state, spreading fear and panic. Working together with U.S. Marshals, Sheriff and other local law enforcement, they terrorized families and businesses alike.

 

“The scene this morning on the south-side of Tucson was one of massive show of force, with dozens of agents, police vehicles, and weapons, assaulting our community in a fashion never seen before in Tucson, Arizona. This action clearly demonstrates what we have predicted, that we would all be living in a police state here in Arizona. How can the Obama administration permit these actions while espousing a commitment to ‘change’?” stated Kat Rodriguez of Derechos Humanos.

 

“We demand an immediate response from the President and Secretary Janet Napolitano, as this community is already scrambling from the Jim Crow-type laws coming from the extremists in the Arizona legislature.” she continued.

 

In NYC for a series of presentations about the border and immigration, Derechos Humanos Co-Chair Isabel Garcia faced off against Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce on CNN this morning, calling on the country to begin to properly frame the issue of migration as an issue of economic and political policies, not as an issue of law enforcement or security. “We have permitted Arizona to be the engine for the creation of laws and politicians that will impact every person living in this country,” stated Garcia, “with copy-cat legislation appearing across the states.”

 

“It is time that we stand firm with the border communities in demanding real reform, not the principles outlined by Senators Schumer and Graham,” stated Rafael Samanez of Vamos Unidos in New York City. “We can see how Arizona in particular has been used as the 'canary in the mines' in order to diminish all of our rights,” he continued, “as we can now see these policies impacting all of us across the country.”

 

There will be a protest to follow today’s press conference, with a diverse group representing the Tucson community and our demands for answers from the Obama Administration as well as immediate halt to the criminalization of immigrant and migrant communities across the country.

 

###