To: ALL MEDIA From: Familia Latina Unida/Sin Fronteras Re: Elvira Arellano to challenge U.S. border crossing, Tuesday, March 18th, at12 noon Contact: Emma Lozano, 773-671-1798 Juan Garcia 401-419-1050 ELVIRA ARELLANO TO ATTEMPT BORDER CROSSING: ANTICIPATES ARREST AND DETENTION el comite de inmigrantes en accion en conjunto con familia latina unida, se solidarisa con Elvira Arellano a quien conocemos desde su santuario en chicago, por lo que hacemos responsable al presidente Obama por la suerte de Elvira y de sus hijos y en conjunto le pedimos a todos orar por elvira vigilia en la iglesia blessed sacramnet y oraremos con ella para que dios le de fuerzas de enfrentar con valor este momento de valor en favor de todos los indocumentados en USA. EL PUEBLO UNIDO CON ELVIRA JAMAS SERA VENCIDA. “Elvira’s anticipated arrest, in the company of her U.S. citizen son and her Mexican born infant child, represents the morally indefensible 13 Year U.S. Government Assault on the Latino Family….” Familia Latina Unida Co-President Elvira Arellano will attempt to re-enter the United States at the San Isidro crossing near Tijuana on Tuesday, March 18th, at 12 noon. Elvira will be accompanied by her U.S. citizen son Saulito and her 4 month old baby, Emiliano. Elvira will attempt the crossing with 15 other mothers who have been deported and separated from their families. “The protest crossing,” according to Familia Latina Unida Co-President Emma Lozano, who is now with her, “is being done in an effort to pressure President Obama to use his executive authority to extend the deferments he gave the dreamers to their parents and the parents of U.S. citizen children. The protest crossing is also being done to highlight the situation faced by U.S. citizen children like Saulito who have returned to Mexico when one of their parents has been deported. The president has the authority to issue these mothers temporary visas so that they and their children can be reunited with family members in a safe place.” Elvira’s original arrest by armed agents in her home in front of her young son occurred shortly after the tragic events of 9/11 as part of “operation Tarmac” in a nation driven to fear and racism. Elvira had been working for a contractor cleaning out airplanes. Her long struggle to stay in this country with her U.S. citizen son took her through the formation of Familia Latina Unida, the mega marches of 2006 and sanctuary for a year in her church in Chicago. She was finally arrested and deported in California as she sought to bring the situation of the separation of bi-national families to the nation – and to provide a way for her son to grow up in his own country. For the last six years Elvira, as the Co-President of Familia Latina Unida, has been an activist in Mexico, leading the struggle against the abuse of Central American migrants and pressuring the Mexican government to advocate for bi-national families in the U.S. “For thirteen years, the politicians in Washington DC – both Republicans and Democrats - have used these families as a political football in cable news wars of rhetoric to mobilize votes and as cannon fodder in their election efforts. In the meantime, U.S. policies have continued to destabilize the situation in Mexico and Central America resulting in the targeting of U.S. citizen children and dreamers living with deported parents for kidnapping, extortion and murder. In our small church in Chicago alone four families have faced the terror of kidnappings and extortion from ruthless groups in Mexico. “Every day another thousand people face deportation and thousands of families are torn apart, thousands of children and young people are subjected to the threats and the realities of kidnapping and death. The failure of the politicians to resolve this situation has been further aggravated by President Obama’s misguided – and immoral - intensification of deportations. “We recognize and deplore the intransigence of the Republican opposition in Congress. However, the torture of families – pursued for six years by the President - was never a morally acceptable tactic to influence legislation, the claim that he made to justify what was unleashed on the families. Moreover, obviously, it has proven to be totally ineffective. It now has no weight whatsoever as any legislation passed by this congress would be implemented by Obama’s successor. “Proving he is tough on enforcement” no longer has any weight in the discussion. “The deplorable treatment of the protesting families, ripping young children from their mothers, totally traumatizing them, only symbolizes the daily atrocities suffered by these families in the shadows. Whatever the advisability or wisdom of the organizers of this form of protest, the participation of the families represents the desperation of their situation and their love for their families. We will call for Elvira’s immediate release, the release of her children and the release of others involved in a clear act of public protest .” The Deportation and separations must stop. They must stop now. The President MUST act. He must act now!
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 04:25:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015