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DOCUMENTS
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Immigration Reform 2010: We Need a Better AlternativeMarch 22, 2010.- Oakland, California - Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announced Thursday (3/18) their plan for immigration reform. Unfortunately, it is a retread, recycling the same bad ideas that led to the defeat of reform efforts over the last five years. In some ways, their proposal is even worse.
Schumer and Graham dramatize the lack of new ideas among Washington power brokers. Real immigration reform requires a real alternative. We need a different framework that embodies the goals of immigrants and working people, not the political calculations of a reluctant Congress.
What's wrong with the Schumer/Graham proposal?
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Discussing root causes of oppression as a strategy to build unity among U.S. born and migrant workers 05/02/2010 - A speech given by Camilo Viveiros, Exec. Dir of Rhode Island Jobs with Justice at the "Workers have no Borders" event organized by the Boston May Day Committee on February 4, 2010.
The U.S. economy has been based on the exploitation of immigrants since the nation’s founding.
The history of exploiting immigrants mirrors the history of political repression in this country. Historically, immigrants have brought a broader social analysis to labor struggles – and for this radical vision they have been criminalized, attacked, and even deported. Many immigrants were attacked by government and business because they saw labor struggles as challenging larger systems of oppression.
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Boston May Day Committee (BMDC) condemns targeting of immigrant workers by ICE agents and Foxboro police departmentBMDC calls for legalization of all undocumented workers now
Build May Day 2010
On January 6, Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents and police officers from Foxboro, Massachusetts, detained 58 immigrant workers at a road block near Gillette Stadium. They targeted a caravan of four passenger vans traveling from Providence, Rhode Island. The workers had been hired to shovel snow off the seats at Gillette Stadium where the New England Patriots football team would be playing the coming weekend.
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Do Undocumented People Have Rights? 13/11/2009 - By David Bacon November 2009
One winter morning in 1996, Border Patrol agents charged into a Los Angeles street-corner clinic where 40 day laborers had lined up to be tested for AIDS. One worker, Omar Sierra, had just taken his seat, and a nurse had inserted the needle for drawing the blood. As agents of the migra ran across the street and sidewalk, Sierra jumped up, tore off the tourniquet, pulled the needle out of his vein and ran.
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Immigrant Detention Facilities in MassachusettsThere are many immigrant detention centers in Massachusetts, starting with the Boston Service Processing Center in Boston. Then there is a number of county facilities that contract with Homeland Security for the detention of immigration related prisoners such as the Suffolk County House of Correction in Boston, Bristol County Correctional Facility in North Darmouth, Franklin County Correctional Facility in Greenfield, Plymouth County Correctional Facility in Plymouth, and the Norfolk County Correctional Facility in Dedham. In addition there is the Federal Medical Center in Ayer.
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Amnesty International: Immigrants Jailed Without Justice 26/03/2009 - Migration is a fact of life. Some people move to new countries to improve their economic situation or to pursue their education. Others leave their countries to escape armed conflict or violations of their human rights, such as torture, persecution, or extreme poverty. Many move for a combination of reasons. Governments have the right to exercise authority over their borders; however, they also have obligations under international law to protect the human rights of migrants, no matter what prompted an individual to leave his or her home country.
This report focuses on the human rights violations associated with the dramatic increase in the use of detention by the United States as an immigration enforcement mechanism. In just over a decade, immigration detention has tripled. In 1996, immigration authorities had a daily detention capacity of less than 10,000. Today more than 30,000 immigrants are detained each day, and this number is likely to increase even further in 2009.
To read the full report in pdf format click here.
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A Hemispheric Call to Mobilize Against the Exploitation and Persecution of Migrant Workers "Mobilizations by the large workers federations, women’s, students, and indigenous organizations in Latin America, the Caribbean and North America are key to a solution There is a tradition of solidarity in this region that is yet to be fully expressed. Global labor mobilizations will also help overcome any hesitancy on the part of US unions to fully recognize and support their migrant worker comrades.
Likewise, traditionally Latin American students have mobilized in defense of peoples’ rights, not only those in their own countries, but they have also in solidarity with international struggles. Understanding that global migration impacts students personally, we must appeal to all students to support this cause: both from the high schools and the universities. Today’s student is tomorrows (migrant) worker!
Our objective therefore is to mobilize the largest amounts possible of unions and popular organizations for May Day 2009. This will require of an education campaign and connections with all levels of leaders and grassroots members in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. "
Para leer este documento en español pinche aqui.
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Llamado hemisférico para movilizarse contra la explotación y persecución de los trabajadores migrantes
Las movilizaciones de las grandes federaciones de trabajadores, las organizaciones de mujeres, de estudiantes y de los pueblos indígenas en Latinoamérica, el Caribe y Norte América, son la clave para lograr una solución al problema. Existe una tradición de solidaridad en estas regiones que no se ha manifestado en toda su dimensión aun. Una movilización global de los sindicatos ayudará también a superar las dudas de parte de las uniones estadounidenses en reconocer y apoyar a sus hermanos y hermanas trabajadores migrantes.
De igual manera, tradicionalmente los estudiantes Latinoamericanos se han movilizado en defensa de los derechos de los pueblos, no solamente de sus propios países sino en solidaridad con luchas internacionales. Entendiendo que la migración global impacta a los estudiantes personalmente, apelamos a todos los estudiantes para que apoyen esta causa – tanto los estudiantes universitarios como secundarios. ¡Los estudiantes de hoy día pueden llegar a ser los trabajadores migrantes de mañana!
Nuestro objetivo, por lo tanto es movilizar la mayor cantidad posible de los sindicatos y las organizaciones populares para el Primero de Mayo del 2009. Esto requiere de una campaña de educación y de conexiones con dirigentes de todos los sectores y con miembros de base en los EE.UU., Canadá y México, y Centro, Sur América y el Caribe.
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The Boston May Day Coalition Reorganizes to Continue the Struggle08/01/2009 - On November 12, 2008 the Boston May Day Coalition met and after a thorough discussion of the agenda items which included the Coalition, work and current situation, two major decisions were made that changed the Coalition status to a Committee and to close the petition demanding that Bush stop the ICE raids and deportations. Below are the decisions and brief descriptions.
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STATEMENT OF MARK LAURITSEN BEFORE THE WORKSITE ENFORCEMENT PANEL BRIEFING U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 Last Tuesday morning, 13,000 workers clocked in to work as they do every day. They didn’t know that government agents would soon storm their worksites dressed in riot gear, brandishing military weapons and locking the doors to prevent anyone from coming in or out. Their mission involved a warrant ICE had obtained to apprehend 170 individuals suspected of identity theft.
The ICE action clearly reached far beyond those 170 suspects. Workers were herded into cafeterias and segregated. In Utah, the ICE agents used skin color to identify the “suspects.” In other locations naturalized citizens were separated from the native born.
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Migrant Workers Day
Brazil: Letter from Brazilian Migrant Workers
Demanding Universal Citizenship and Human Rights
Considering that currently there are about 200 million immigrants in the world, and that from these, 3 millions Brazilians live abroad; and, considering that millions come from faraway places among them Asians, Europeans, Latin-Americans, who have chosen to live today in Brazil.
Considering that important migrant movements always preceded historic changes in humanity and that the presence of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds always contributes decisively to progress in societies towards more humanitarian reality.
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Día Mundial del Migrante
Brasil: Carta de los migrantes Servicio Pastoral de los Migrantes Ciudadanía Universal y Derechos HumanosConsiderando que, existen actualmente, en el mundo mas de 200 millones de inmigrantes y, que de esta población, aproximadamente, tres millones son brasileños que viven en el exterior, y que millones de personas, llegan, de los más distantes continentes, entre ellos, africanos, orientales, europeos y latinoamericanos y viven hoy en Brasil.
Considerando que los grandes cambios en la historia da la humanidad, siempre fueron precedidos de importantes movimientos migratorios y, que la presencia de personas, culturas y etnias diferentes, siempre contribuyeron en la formación de usos, costumbres, desarrollo técnico y formación cultural, creando así, un escenario de progreso y contribuyendo de manera decisiva para una realidad mas humana.
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U.S. Women Immigrant Workers: Invisible and Abused but Making their Voices HeardThe number of undocumented (‘illegal’) immigrants in the United States (U.S.) is about 12 million and according to a new estimate they account for 1 in every 20 workers. There are an estimated 7.2 million undocumented workers. Women represent about 35% of the undocumented immigrant population and an estimated 54% are in the workforce. Undocumented immigrant workers are an integral part of the U.S. economy and account for nearly 1 in 4 farm workers, 1 in 6 maids and housekeepers, 1 in 7 construction and 1 in 8 food preparation workers. 27% of butchers and food processing workers are undocumented.
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More Documents / Mas Documentos
- Historic City of Chelsea Resolution as Sanctuary City to Immigrants - 6/4/07 Click Here
- Briefing Note for North American Migrants Rights Activists on Recent African Migration Experiences, European Union Repression, and European-African Activist Responses
by Jeanne Koopman
January 31, 2007 -- There is a striking similarity between North America and Europe experiences in the recent upsurge in unauthorized migration from the South, the militarization of borders, anti-immigrant legislation, criminalization of undocumented migrants, government raids, and expulsions. In response, migrants’ rights activists in Europe, North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) and West Africa (Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Niger, Benin) are mobilizing communities, organizing activist forums and networks, and conducting demonstrations at national and international levels.
This note is meant to inform the North American migrants’ rights movement of recent events in Europe and Africa as part of a wider effort to promote international unity in the struggle for migrants’ rights.
Click Here
- THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM 2007 AND MIGRANT WORKERS RIGHTS
Nairobi, Kenya, January 20-25, 2007
Report by Sergio Reyes, for the World Social Forum Boston Organizing Committee and the Boston May Day Coalition (2/14/07)
The seventh edition of the World Social Forum took place for the first time in an African country. Naturally, the organizers' intention was to attract a larger African presence in the Forum. While the official figures of participants by country has not yet been released, it is possible that African participation was indded larger than in previous versions of the Forum. The total number of participants was estimated by Forum officials to be 60,000 (lately the estimation is 40,000). It is important to point out though that original expectations went from 150,000 down to 100,000, and they were further lowered by reality.
Click Here
- October 7, 2006: Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls On this document the European left that worked closely with the European Social Forum point the way in the definition of the situation as one of violation of migrant workers rights and proposes the internationalization of the struggle against it. Click here.
- International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. Adopted by the General Assembly resolution 45/158 of 18 December 1990. Enters into force on July 1, 2003. Click here.
- Convención internacional sobre la protección de los derechos de todos los trabajadores migratorios y de sus familiares -- Adoptada por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas en su resolución 45/158, de 18 de diciembre de 1990. Para ver el documento completo (en formato .pdf) pinche aqui.
- Remarks by AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson at Immigration Press Briefing of February 2006. Click here.
- Assesment of the action called by the Boston May Day Coalition at the Boston Common on May 1st. 2006 Click here.
- Historic City of Cambridge Resolution as Sanctuary City to Undocumented Immigrants - 5/8/06 Click Here
- National Call to Action on May Day by the Los Angeles Coalition. Click Here
- National Statement to Support Human and Civil Rights for All Immigrants And to Oppose Compromise Immigration Reform Proposals Click Here
- Declaración Nacional Para apoyar los derechos humanos y civiles de todos los y las
inmigrantes y contra las propuestas pactadas sobre reforma migratoria Ver documento arriba en inglés y español.
- lro. de Mayo - Día Internacional de los Trabajadores: Los Mártires de Chicago en el Corazón de los Trabajadores Latinos.
Pinchar aquí
- May Day 1886 -- The Haymarket Affair (a short history) Click here.
- Statement on the Rising Immigrant Rights Movement: Add the Voice of Arab-Americans to the Demand for Justice and Dignity!
Click here
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