TO ALL MEDIA
PRESS RELEASE FROM CENTRO SIN FRONTERAS
CONTACT EMMA LOZANO 773/671-1798
CHICAGO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL BACK DEMAND FOR MORATORIUM ON RAIDS, DEPORTATIONS AND SEPARATIONS OF FAMILIES, SUPPORT ELVIRA ARELLANO IN SANCTUARY AND ESTABLISH SUNDAY, APRIL 29TH, AS “FAMILY UNITY DAY” IN CHICAGO..
The Chicago City Council today by a vote of 45 to 0 approved a resolution which demanded that President Bush immediately issue an executive order +to cease and desist in the execution of all raids and deportations.” The council resolution paid special attention to the separation of families and called for the immediate release of the 17 currently held on high bonds. These include mothers still nursing infant children.
The resolution was introduced by Alderman Danny Solis, Alderman Ed Burke, Alderman Billy Ocasio and Alderman Ricardo Munoz. These and several other Alderman spoke passionately about the separation of families and the cruel irony of raids that are deporting people who may well be legalized in a few months with the expected passage of comprehensive immigration reform.
Alderman Burke spoke eloquently about the appearance of Saulito Arellano at last Saturday’s rally and cited the “unimaginable cruelty of separating him from his mother, Elvira Arellano. The resolution offered “moral encouragement” to Arellano in her seven-month stand off in sanctuary with Homeland Security and supported the introduction of a private bill in Congress to give her legal status.
Finally, the resolution established Sunday, April 39th, as “Family Unity Day” in Chicago and called on that day for residents of the city “to gather peacefully in prayer and petitioning of their congressional representatives.”
The official resolution will be presented to President Bush, Homeland Security Officials, Members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation and to Elvira and Saulito Arellano.
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RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN END TO THE ESCALATION OF IMMIGRATION RAIDS, DEPORTATIONS AND SEPARATION OF FAMILIES
Whereas the Mayor and City Council of Chicago are on record in support of comprehensive immigration reform that would provide legalization and a road to citizenship for millions of undocumented people in this city and this nation; and
Whereas, the Mayor and City Council of Chicago are on record in opposition to the separation of families by the enforcement of our current immigration laws and in support of the reunification of families that have been so separated, especially those “mixed status” families with U.S. citizen children of which there are an estimated four million children currently in this country; and
Whereas, the Mayor and City Council of Chicago are on record calling for a moratorium on deportations, especially of families with U.S. citizen children, until comprehensive immigration reform is finalized; and
Whereas, raids and deportations are increasing in scope and number in recent weeks and months, separating families; and
Whereas 17 individuals are currently being held in the Chicago Metropolitan area with excessive bonds including mothers with infant children and fathers who are the sole support of their families; and
Whereas, national political leaders such as Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts have called for congressional investigations of these raids especially in respect to the harm caused to children by the incarceration of sole caregivers; and
Whereas, the escalation of these raids and deportations comes at a time when congress is about to begin the debate on comprehensive reform and when the President has called for the passage of comprehensive immigration reform by August of this year; and
Whereas, Chicago is home to Elvira and Saulito Arellano who have taken sanctuary in a Chicago church for seven months in a courageous act of civil disobedience against current immigration laws which would separate U.S. citizen children from their parents;
NOW THEREFORE,
Be It Resolved that the Mayor and City Council of Chicago call on the President of the United States to to issue and executive order to cease and desist in the execution of all raids and deportations that do not relate to our national security or to criminal activity until comprehensive immigration reform is completed and to suspend immediately all deportations of parents with U.S. citizen children and to specifically release those now held in custody in the Chicago Metropolitan area on their own recognizance; and
Be It Further Resolved that the Mayor and City Council of Chicago urge the members of the Illinois Congressional delegation to support comprehensive immigration reform which ends the separation of families, promotes the reunification of families and provides legal status with a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented in this country; and
Be It Further Resolved that the Mayor and City Council of Chicago offers its moral encouragement to Elvira and Saulito Arellano and reaffirms its support for the introduction of a private bill which would grant her legal permanent resident status and allow her to stay with her U.S. citizen son; and
Be It Further Resolved that the Mayor and City Council of Chicago establish Sunday, April 29th, 2007, as Family Unity Day in Chicago and urges all residents to participate in a day of prayer, peaceful gathering and petitioning of their representatives for an end to the tragedy and suffering of the separation of families; and
Be It Further Resolved that suitable copies of this resolution be printed and presented to the President of the United States, to the members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation, to both local and national officials of the Department of Homeland Security and to Ms. Elvira Arellano.
DANIEL S. SOLIS EDWARD BURKE
Alderman 25th Ward Alderman, 14th Ward
BILLY OCASIO MANUEL FLORES
Alderman, 26th Ward Alderman, 1st Ward
RICARDO MUNOZ
Alderman 26th Ward
APPROVED BY A VOTE OF 45 TO O
MARCH 13TH, 2007
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6 comments:
What is this claim about family-separation? since when does Mexico refuse the return of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans?
Elvira Arellano is a "hero" but the (Hispanic) Border Patrol agents, Ramos and Campean, go to jail for shooting a drug dealer?! Where's your resolution supporting THEM?
It's acts such as yours, providing sanctuary for illegal aliens, that have created the situation Ms. Arellano finds herself in. Cities that claim that they won't help enforce immigration law because it's a "federal matter" shouldn't interfere in its enforcement either. As for family values, let Ms. Arellano (a single mother--where's Saul's father) take him with her back to Mexico.
As if Black Americans in Chicago haven't been economically hammered enough, with the disappearance of generations of heavy industry and manufacturing from the 1960's through the 1980's, the disappearance of which helped to create the Chicago ghetto, but now, with the proposed Amnesty that Daley et al. will be supporting, Chicago blacks will be drowing to stay afloat and keep what they have in the wake of 20,000,000 amnesty recipients and the additional tens of millions of family members who will follow them. These immigrants won't be willing to share what they have in an ever-shrinking supply-and-demand wage crunch with Blacks. Bet on that, brother. Their numbers will further their political influence and lock out more blacks by the sheer strength of their numbers. Get ready to drown.
First the Irish 150 years ago, and now the Mexicans.
You would figure black folks could see the disaster coming a mile away, but no dice.
Let's just hope the Mexicans don't riot and kill hundreds of black folks the way the Irish did in New York City in the Civil War draft riots.
Black folks need to find their backbone and stop sucking up to Rev. Al and Rev. Jesse, both of whom are more interested in sucking up to Mexicans and Puerto Ricans than fighting for black folks.
And the native americans were driven off their lands and faced genocide before the rest of us got to these shores. Immigrants can also learn from black history. The way this country works, they'll be displacing somebody and will get ripped off in the process. Color against color? It's a trap.
Ramos and Compean went to jail for killing a man (Killing) , how dare you compare these two with Elvira Arellano , sure the accusations are that the person they shot was a drug dealer , but who are they to take the law in their hands ? , this is NOT a vigilante country.
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