Open letter to Mr. Richard M. Daley, Mayor of the City of Chicago, and
Jorge Mujica
To the City Council:
Mr. Daley and members of the Chicago City Council:
Both you and the members of the City Council supported the May Day 2008 march and rally calling for 'legalization for all the undocumented' and 'equal rights for all workers' in the United States. At the rally in Federal Plaza, you said that "immigrants past, present and future built Chicago" and the city "needs" them.
But today, the George W. Bush administration is escalating its unjustifiable and unnecessary war on the undocumented. The May 12th raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville, Iowa served to deepen fear and terror in immigrant communities across the nation and criminalize millions of undocumented workers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 389 workers during the militarized raid. Subsequently, the workers caught up in Bush's brutal dragnet were forced to appear in court, in shackles, and 270 of them were sentenced five months imprisonment for the 'crime' of working. Is this the fate of all 12 million undocumented workers in the United States? Will this happen in Chicago?
In Chicago, we have real concerns about a growing crackdown on immigrant communities. Chicago and Cook County are sanctuaries for immigrant communities, but the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency of the Department of Homeland Security is finding loopholes in the Sanctuary legislations of both entities, making them, in fact, collaborators in the enforcement of an outdated and broken immigration system.
In particular, some practices by the Chicago Police Department may be jeopardizing the freedom and livelihood of the city's immigrant community.
Since 1996, law changes open the door to consider any crime a "felony", and we understand that the Chicago Police Department officers have clear indications to look for the highest possible charges even when the suspect committed only a petty crime or misdemeanor.
We have uncovered cases of harsh accusations, such as DUI to a person who was not driving a vehicle, and "criminal trespass" to a worker after a gate was opened to him to enter a workplace.
This kind of accusations imply that an immigrant who would have been freed on a $100 dollar bond at the police station end up instead in Cook County jail, where bonds are not accepted once ICE learns they are non-citizens.
We have indications, in some cases, that Chicago Police Department officers have rejected identification thru Matricula Consular ID's and, even worse, we have testimonies of police officers telling suspects that they are going to be deported for being here illegally.
One more practice we found is asking where detainees "are from", under the reasoning that non-citizens could have added rights under the Geneva Convention. Rarely this kind of information benefits the suspect, and instead flags them to ICE.
Considering the state of the economy, to which immigrants undoubtedly contribute in Chicago, and in light of the considerations exposed in this letter, we have a number of proposals to be implemented by you, Mr. Mayor and City Council members. We feel these proposals can make words into deeds, where and when it actually matters, and send a strong message to the those who wish to pollute the air with hatred and fear that Chicago will stand with immigrant workers: past, present and future.
1. Chicago, as a Sanctuary City, led by the Mayor's office and City Council, should organize a public campaign to let the undocumented know they are safe in Chicago. Every undocumented immigrant should know their rights under the Sanctuary ordinances, what exactly is covered and what not, what kind of violations may jeopardize their freedom, and eventually their stay in this City, and what petty offenses and misdemeanors should not, under the law, make them end up in the hands of authorities other than the City's.
This campaign should be implemented through a TV, billboards, radio, newspapers and other media and forms. We recommend the Mayor's office study elements of the campaign recently initiated by the Mayor and the City of San Francisco.
2. All City authorities, starting with the Chicago Police Department should be trained in pro-immigrant policies. The training should teach and or remind City officers that Ordinance Chapter 2-173 of the City Codes clearly establishes that "No agent or agency shall request information about or otherwise investigate or assist in the investigation of the citizenship or residency status of any person unless such inquiry or investigation is required by Illinois State Statute, federal regulation, or court decision."
Information regarding rights under the Geneva Convention should be given to suspects as their Miranda rights are, instead of actively investigating the place of birth of any suspect.
3. An immediate review, as ordered by Chapter 2-173-060, of "All applications, questionnaires, and interview forms used in relation to City of Chicago benefits, opportunities, or services", with particular emphasis on any form or log used by the Chicago Police Department, and specially those the Chicago Police Department gives to any other agency or department outside the City.
4. Mayor Daley and the City Council should demand, in the strongest possible way, an immediate end to terrifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in homes, neighborhoods and workplaces. Mayor Daley and the City Council should also condemn the sentencing of undocumented workers in Postville, Iowa and call for their immediate release. Let everyone in Chicago, in Illinois, in the nation and the world see how strong the belief is in Chicago that we need immigrants, that we respect their contribution, that we know they are workers not criminals. This can be done. It has been done elsewhere.
--
Jorge Mujica
carra...@aol.com
It's time to go back to school! Get the latest trends and gadgets that make the grade on AOL Shopping.
Carlos Perez
Collegas,
Daley won't do it. Being polite with one of the criminal masterminds of police brutality in Chicago wont work, Daley must go!!!
Carlos
donr...@aol.com
gracias
donreggie-in la casa with the flubug.
Jorge Mujica
Bravo, I hope this was given to Alderman Ocasio today at he's hearing on this issue.
gracias
donreggie-in la casa with the flubug.
--
Jorge Mujica
alberto bocanegra
alberto bocanegra
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 09:50:18 r\\r-0700
From: carlos...@yahoo.com
Subject: <ChicagoMayDay> Re: [10demarzo:9558] Open letter to Mr. Richard M. Daley, Mayor of the City of Chicago, and