How did your family get here? My grandparents came over 'on the boat' from the old country, which for them happened to be Czechoslovakia. And unless you're Native American, you probably have a similar history, give or take a generation or two. With little more than a dream, they came to make their way, and despite their broken English and their different culture, they made a home and raised a family. And they were welcomed here.
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore;
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
No where in Emma Lazarus' poem can I find "... and round them up and take their young children from them". Yet incredibly, I heard a right wing radio hack the other day defend the practice, comparing 'illegal' immigrants to murderers, and proclaiming they should receive similar treatment. He went on to trash Sen. Kerry unmercifully for being, well, merciful.
Parenthetically, I have to say that I think 'illegal immigrants' is an ugly and imprecise label. People are not 'illegal', even though their actions may be. George Bush started an illegal war, but we don't call him an 'illegal President'.
OK bad example, but I think you get my point.
Now, I'm not saying that people who are here illegally shouldn't be penalized. Certainly, they should, and we have to protect our borders and enforce our laws. But this is America, and you would think that a country that was founded on and by immigrants would be a little more compassionate than to separate parents from young children and treat people who are looking for a better life like hardened criminals. I have to believe that most Americans still believe that people, even people who are here illegally, deserve to be treated humanely. Or have we really sunk that low?
Let's not forget where we came from. We're not a country that's afraid of people who are different, we are a country of people who are different. And it's going to take more than a bunch of right wing radio fear mongers and inhumane enforcement tactics to change that.
March 6, 2008
The Honorable Julie Myers
Assistant Secretary
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
425 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20536
Dear Secretary Myers,
As you may know, today marks the one year anniversary of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Operation United Front in New Bedford, Massachusetts, a raid on the Michael Bianco Inc. factory in which 361 immigrants were taken into custody. In the past year I have contacted your office several times to express concern and frustration over the planning, execution and aftermath of this raid. I also requested an investigation by the Inspector General into the protocol followed by ICE agents and what could have been done to avoid the humanitarian tragedy that followed the raid. I look forward to receiving that report.
Beyond those efforts, I introduced legislation, the Families First Immigration Enforcement Act, to provide clear humanitarian standards which ICE officials would have to obey during workplace enforcement raids. The goal behind my bill was to ensure that a raid like the one in New Bedford never occurs again. I was pleased last November when ICE finally acknowledged the responsibility they have in protecting immigrants and their families during these raids. As you undoubtedly know, the agency proposed guidelines, similar to provisions in my legislation, to address the situation. I was hopeful that this action from ICE would result in more humane raids.
Unfortunately, that has not been the case. One year after the raid in New Bedford, we are still hearing stories of ICE agents intimidating immigrants, horrible detention conditions and families being torn apart. Just last month in Van Nuys, California, a raid on a printer supply company lead to widespread reports of violations of these very guidelines. A lawsuit has even been filed alleging that ICE agents denied detainee’s access to legal counsel and, as in New Bedford, workers who attempted to call family members and arrange for child care claim that agents prevented them from doing so. This is unacceptable.
I am therefore renewing my efforts to enact the Families First Immigration Enforcement Act into law. We can all agree that our immigration laws should be enforced, but we must ensure that they are done so humanely. My bill requires ICE to take several common-sense measures to help enforce the law without inflicting undue suffering. For example, it requires ICE to give state agencies advance notice so that they can arrange for someone who speaks the same language as the detainees at the raid site. My bill includes special exceptions for the sick, the elderly, pregnant or nursing women, for parents who are the sole caretakers of children or elderly relatives, and for other groups especially vulnerable to the consequences of a raid. And the Families First Immigration Enforcement Act also demands that access to free legal counsel be provided to detainees. Given that ICE used many of these same provisions in their own guidelines, I would hope that you would share my dedication towards ensuring that these humanitarian standards be met.
To that end, I respectfully request a detailed update on what internal actions you are taking to ensure that your own guidelines are followed. Specifically, I would also like to know if you will consider taking the discretion away from ICE agents to follow the guidelines and make them enforceable rules. I thank you in advance for your attention to this matter and look forward to your timely response.
As the city of New Bedford continues to heal, we cannot forget what happened on March 6, 2007. We owe it to the community and the families to ensure that a tragedy like this is never again repeated.
Sincerely,
John Kerry
