NNIRR Hurricane 2009-2010 Chronology of Abuses

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Introduction

The stories documented in NNIRR's 2009-2010 human rights report Injustice for All: The Rise of the Immigration Control Regime reveal disturbing patterns of abuse and exploitation perpetrated against immigrants, and others perceived to be immigrants. The seventy-five stories featured here represent only a fragment of the rights violations and abuses committed against diverse immigrant families, workers, and communities throughout the U.S. during this time period.

These stories were culled from 129 reports of human rights abuses identified through the media, personal interviews and documentation by members of NNIRR’s initiative, HURRICANE – the Human Rights Immigrant Community Action Network. As in the previous three years, these stories point to long-standing concerns with existing government policies and practices. In 62 percent of the stories documented, law enforcement officials at the local, county, state or federal levels were the perpetrators, engaging in physical and emotional abuse, as well as legal or constitutional rights violations.

Alarmingly, 35 percent of abuses were committed against women who were workers, mothers, domestic violence survivors, deportees or partners of deportees. From record-high deportations to mothers losing custody of their U.S.-born children, the stories demonstrate the ugly face of an expanding immigration control regime that is tearing communities apart.

2009

Moises R. Mory Lamas won his freedom and was released from ICE jail after a lengthy legal fight to stop his deportation. Mory Lamas had already completed a sentence for a 1986 state misdemeanor drug offense but ICE had kept in prison since May 2004, trying to deport him. However, Mory Lamas was jailed again and illegally deported. See 2010 Chronology of Abuses for this update in the September 19, 2010 entry.

The Militant, "New Jersey unionist released from jail, fights deportation," by Mike Taber, January 19, 2009.

ICE immigration police agents launch a non-stop 12-day campaign to immediately deport foreign-born persons who had been booked into the county jail. This "surge" was part of the 287(g) agreement, a federal immigration-police collaboration program, with local county jailers. ICE and local jailers did not specify if any of the inmates targeted had been convicted or even tried.

Pedro was on his way home from work one evening when a police patrol car following closely behind, turned on his lights indicating he pull over.  The officer asked to see Pedro’s driver’s license, and when Pedro pulled out his consular ID, the officer tore it to shreds saying it was invalid and then arrested him, but not before asking Pedro for his “green card.” Pedro spent two weeks at the Henderson County Jail before ICE transferred him to Charlotte and then to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. ICE never informed Pedro’s family about the transfer, leaving them to wonder when they would be able to see him again. ICE deported Pedro on February 5th, separating him from his expectant wife and two year old daughter. In North Carolina, Pedro worked at a tomato-packing plant for $6 per hour, working 50 hour weeks.
In-person interview with Western North Carolina 100 Stories Project, 2/19/09.

ICE authorities accused a South American woman of voter fraud during her U.S. citizenship swearing appointment. Unaware that she was ineligible to vote for local school board members in her local precinct, the woman made mention of it during her interview. When she arrived at the polling place in her local precinct, the person in charge told her it was okay. She has been a legal permanent resident for many years, and has children attending public schools. She now faces possible deportation and separation from her friends and family.

Border Patrol agents found a two-year-old girl wandering in a cemetery alone at 1am near U.S. Highway 83, likely abandoned by smugglers. The child was taken into the custody of Child Protective Services until her father was located a week later, in Honduras. It remains unclear how the child ended up alone, but was likely separated from her parent and abandoned by smugglers who commonly transport migrants through the area.

Harvey Sachdev was deported to India, despite the fact that his case was still open on appeal in the Fourth Circuit court in Washington, DC. Sachdev has lived in the United States for almost 40 years and is the son, brother and father of U.S. Citizens - he is also schizophrenic.

After suffering in a tragic car accident, police placed a 28-year-old man was in  custody at Wake County jail, pending ICE verification of his immigration status. He was charged with driving without a license and “wreckless driving.”

Chris came to the U.S. on a visitor’s visa when he was 18 years old. After finding work in an industrial factory, he witnessed his best friend die after slipping and falling into a vat of chemicals at work. Later he found work with a construction company, where he was hired to install air conditioners in a high-rise building. There, he and three other workers fell three flights to the ground after the scaffolding collapsed, causing serious injuries that required surgery. The surgeon said his left arm and hand would never be the same after the fall. Chris had to flee New Jersey due to increased immigration enforcement and police sweeps in the predominantly immigrant neighborhood where he lived.           

Reported by Maria and Antonio Torres on January 27, 2009.

Border Patrol agents arrested Jose Antonio Hernandez (28), a legal permanent resident, and detained him for one week to verify his legal status and determined whether he could be deported. Hernandez was in the passenger's seat with his friend Daniel Rodriguez (18), who was driving, when BP agents stopped them suddenly without offering any explanation. BP agents pulled them over and arrested Daniel, accusing him of being in the country illegally. Rodriguez now faces deportation even though he was illegally arrested and questioned by agents in violation of his Constitutional rights.  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_legal_immigrant_arrest.html

U.S. Customs officials jailed T, a grandmother of two, as she tried to cross into the U.S. with her daughter-in-law and two young grandchilren. They deported the children with their mother, but jailed T, accusing her of using fraudulent documents. T was in U.S. Marshal's custody for nearly a week before anyone in her family knew her whereabouts. Her family worried because of T's diabetic condition. DHS jailed T for four months before her court hearing to determine the length of her sentence; T faces serious criminal charges for trying to reunite her grandchildren with her son in Chicago.
NNIRR phone interview with T's son, Francisco R. on February 17, 2009. 

Border Patrol agents shot a young migrant in the head during a “scuffle.” Border Patrol agents  chased him down for allegedly loading contraband onto his vehicle near the Mariposa port of entry. Edgar Alva, 21, panicked and crashed into a raised meridian and then ran from his vehicle with a gun in his hand into a Walmart parking lot. Border Patrol agents chased him down, and then reported to news sources that Edgar shot himself; it was unclear whether it was intentional or accidental.

Arizona Daily Star,  “Tucson man dies during scuffle with Border Patrol,” by Alexis Huicochea, February 19, 2009. 

40 immigrant workers targeted after SSA audit in TX school district

Mansfield, TX--February 20, 2009

After the Mansfield School District conducted an SSA audit of 120 employees, forty immigrants were fired or resigned. The District audited the workers based on a ‘tip’ from a district employee who claimed there might be unauthorized workers. District spokesperson Terry Morawski confirmed that in the initial audit of 120 employees, 40 came back as “no-match” and that only nine of the 40 were laid off as a result of failing to resolve the no-match within a 90 day period. The other 31 workers allegedly resigned on their own, many had worked for the district for up to ten years.

72 ICE officers dressed in riot gear, carrying buckets full of hand and ankle cuffs, raided Yamoto Engine Specialists and arrested 28 workers. Three women were released on house arrest and the remaining 25 workers were placed on buses and transported to an undisclosed location. Legal representatives of the workers were unable to reach them after contacting ICE. This was the first immigration workplace raid under the Obama Administration.

US District Court Judge Raner Collins ruled against Border Patrol agent Cesar Cervantes, stating he used excessive force when he shot Martinez in the chest several times in June 2003. According to reports, Martinez was apprehended by BP agent Cervantes after jumping a border fence near the Douglas Port of Entry. Cervantez claimed that his life was in danger because Martinez was throwing rocks at him. The judge declared Cervantez, "was not in imminent danger from the deceased, and the deceased was not about to commit a felony that endangered the well-being of another." The family was awarded $350,000.

In summer 2008, police arrested Juana Villegas who was nine months pregnant, and her jailed in Davidson County jail for driving without a license. Local police reported her to ICE, which placed an immigration detainer on her. However, Davidson County police failed to notify ICE about her condition, which would have warranted her immediate release. Instead, the police kept her jailed and after she went into labor at the jail, they took her to the hospital shackled by her arms and legs. The police forced her to deliver her baby while shackled to the hospital bed.

ICE agents and jail officials at the Broward Detention Center in South Florida consistently denied access to mental health care to two Brazilian migrants diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after they were trafficked from the Dominican Republic to Florida on a boat that crashed, leaving six dead. Both men fled their country for fear of persecution for being gay and for the murder of a parent. They filed a lawsuit against ICE for denial of mental health care in confinement.

Associated Press, "Brazilian migrants sue ICE over mental health care," by Jennifer Kay,  March 6, 2009.

Rita Cote faces deportation after being arrested when she called police to help save her sister who was being severely beaten by her boyfriend. Rather than arrest the abusive boyfriend, police arrested and jailed Cote, from Honduras, because of her immigration status. She was arrested in front of her two small children.

Washington Independent, “Feds fail to prevent police abuse: Immigration policy grants broad, unchecked authority to local law enforcement,” by Daphne Eviatar, March 9, 2009.

A pediatrician in Montgomery County, home to the largest immigrant community in Maryland, reported the devastating effects immigration enforcement have had including raids, detentions, and deportations. One 8-year-old boy whose father was arrested by ICE and now faces deportation, suffers from depression while his family bears the economic hardship of losing their primary breadwinner. The family had lived and worked in the U.S. for 15 years. Dr. Sithaandam, an immigrant from India herself, denounces the unjust policies and practices that targets hardworking families with neither a criminal record nor an outstanding order of deportation.

Three ICE agents lied in order to enter the home of Albena and arrested her husband Krasimir at 7am in September 2008. Since then, Krasimir Mihalev has been in an ICE jail because of a deportation order he never received and was unaware of. Mr. Mihalev, from Bulgaria, applied and was denied asylum in 2004, shortly after entering the U.S. through Mexico. After appealing in the 9^th circuit court he was denied asylum again. Neither Mr. Mihalev or his lawyer ever received the notice to appear. ICE arrested and jailed Mihalev, despite the pending 'motion to re-open' and continued to jail him even after he was granted a 'stay of removal' saying they would release him upon the court's decision on the motion. Meanwhile, Mihalev's physical and mental health dramatically deteriorated in detention, causing both him and his wife tremendous suffering and distress.

A nurse reported that immigration officers from the nearby Hutto detention center brought in an injured 11-year old child to the emergency care unit at the Scott and White hospital in Roundrock, TX, a suburb of Austin, TX. She said the child had been assaulted by an ICE officer who had struck him in the eye with a flashlight while in detention at Hutto. Hutto is about 20 minutes from the hospital. While the injury did not appear serious, a doctor at Hutto sent the child over to have his eye examined. The transport guards did not know who assaulted the child. The nurse reporting the abuse called Hutto to find out what happened and only got vague anwsers about the assault. They did not deny the assault against the 11-year old happened but they didn’t know which officer committed the assault. The child, however, said it was an ICE officer. Two guards from Hutto escorted the child and his mother to the hospital.

Three Yolo County deputies with the gang suppression unit, driving an unmarked car, stopped and questioned farmworker Luis Gutierrez, then shot him in the back six times and killed him. Gutierrez was on his way back home from the DMV. When questioned about why they even stopped and questioned Luis in the first place, police claimed they engaged in a 'consensual encounter' with Luis, which escalated when Luis allegedly tried to run from them and then turned around pointing a knife at them. However, coroner's report reveals officers fired six shots, including one through his back which killed him. Leaders of the Latino community called for an independent investigation of the shooting. The Yolo County Sheriff's killing generated a lot of fear in the Latino community, including racial profiling and children's safety.
Indybay, "Luis Gutierrez Shot in the Back by Undercover Cops in Broad Daylight," June 3, 2009. For more information on Luis Gutierrez, see Sacramento Labor Council for Latin American Advancement here.

Irving Palomo was detained and processed for deportation by ICE in 2007 after a routine traffic stop for having a clear plastic cover over his vehicle’s license plate. Davidson County Police arrested Irving after finding he had a deportation order from 1997. Although Irving and his mother are both U.S. citizens, they were caught in a dragnet by immigration officials in 1997 when they lived in Tucson, AZ and were never able to obtain documents to prove US citizenship.

The Tennessean,“Deportation Order in Nashville Snags U.S. Citizen: Officials say rules followed,” Janell Ross, June 5, 2009.

Police arrest special needs resident for driving without license, jail him for 6 weeks, before deporting w/o legal representation
Ogden, UT -- May 18, 2009

Local police stopped Miguel Soto for traffic violations and then arrested him. Ogden police then kept him jailed for six weeks before deporting him to Mexico based on past misdemeanor charges which triggered the "moral turpitude" guidelines. Miguel, a legal permanent resident, did not have access to a lawyer and is mentally disabled.

Fernando Arteaga appeared in Immigration Court as part of a lengthy battle to stay in the United States. But just before the hearing began, immigration officers removed him from the courtroom, arrested him and took him into custody. Several hours later, agents deported him to Mexico -- even though his court case was still underway.

Authorities charged 147 alleged members and associates of a Latino gang in a massive racketeering case. They were also accused of racially motivated attacks designed to drive African Americans out of the city Hawaiian Gardens.
Los Angeles Times, "Dozens arrested in crackdown of Latino gang accused of targeting Blacks," by Scott Glover and Richard Winton, May 22, 2009.
New York Times,  “147 Gang Members Charged After Inquiry in Calif.”Solomon Moore, May 22, 2009.

Three high school students were deported within less than 24 hours to Mexico after being swept up in a Transportation Security Agency (TSA) raid at the Old Town transit center on their way to school. Border Patrol detained 21 people, including the three youth, whom authorities targeted for questioning about their residency status, based on racial profiling. Families of the youth denounced the arrests and deportations during a press conference with AFSC.

Rama Carty met with Amnesty International (AI) at Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC) for the first time on June 2, 2009, after various attempts to expose the abuses suffered by detainees at the facility. After requesting to meet with AI again the next day, ICE and prison officials beat and dragged Carty away, transferring him to Louisiana that same day in retaliation for his role as an outspoken leader in the detainees’ struggle for due process rights and against physical and verbal abuses by the guards. Carty and other detainees at PIDC organized a series of hunger strikes beginning in April 2009, to bring attention to the abuse and inhumane conditions. ICE tried to deport Carty to Haiti, even though he was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has spent 38 years of his life in the U.S.
Reported to NNIRR by Anayanse Garza, Southwest Worker's Union, June 4, 2009.

A Rhode Island Supreme Court Judge stripped all parental rights from Rosalia Lopez Navor, of her two young children. ICE deported Rosalia in 2005, after she was charged with child negligence for failing to protect her son from his abusive father. He also abused Rosalia and threatened to further harm their son if she reported him. Rosalia, who was undocumented, feared reporting the abuse to the police because of her immigration status. Now, rather than protecting her rights as a domestic violence survivor, the court criminalized Rosalia instead. The court put her two children in adoption to an affluent couple in a Rhode Island suburb.

Asheville Police officer drove up, got out of their patrol car, stopped and questioned Latino immigrant who was walking down the street. Isaias reported seeing the patrol car turn around and stop near him before the officer got out of the car to question him. Police let him go after inquiring about his immigration status, place of birth, how long he had lived in the U.S., and checking his identification documents. Isaias reported the officer never gave a reason for stopping him and said, "I was frustrated that he had stopped me because of racism. Now you can't even walk on the street; I no longer feel neither safe nor free to walk on the street. One does not feel safe with police because no one knows what can happen."

Six young boys, ages 11-14, brutally beat Damian Merida, a 30 year old Guatemalan immigrant, as he slept at a local park. Police and civil rights groups confirmed the attack was racially motivated. The six youth hit Merida with bricks, bottles, and rocks, causing serious head injuries and permanent brain damage. Merida left his home country, Guatemala, 15 years ago expelled by extreme poverty and hardship. He worked doing landscaping, cleaning, and cooking to send money to his family. After the incident, other Guatemalan migrants reported being attacked; they had not spoken up because they feared calling police because of their immigration status.

Miguel Angel, 20-year-old Guatemalan youth, died in a tragic workplace accident after a large piece of glass from a glass pane fell on him, cutting his jugular vein and caused him to bleed to death.  Miguel, who stood no more than 5 feet tall, was carrying the large glass pane by himself without any protection or training on how to handle large glass panes. These shatter upon any impact and are known to be extremely dangerous to handle. Workers and friends who witnessed the incident said the contractor tried forcing the glass panel through a doorway that was too narrow. The glass pane shattered, striking Miguel with a fatal blow, after the contractor tried wedging the glass pane through the doorway. Miguel had been working with the employer for over a year and had been paid substandard wages, without any benefits or protection and training. 

Monica reported her common-law husband to police after he repeatedly beat and humiliated her; he had even threatened to get her deported if she left him. Rather than ask about Monica's immigration status, police referred her to a battered woman's shelter, where she received much needed support and services. Brownsville Police Chief spoke out against SB 1070, Arizona's anti-immigrant racial profiling law because, he asserted, it would deter immigrants from reporting crimes to police. In a city that gets up to 200 domestic violence calls per month, local police are clear that immigration status should not deter victims from reporting abuse.

GEO prison guards pepper sprayed detainees
Tacoma, WA -- August 16, 2009

GEO Group prison guards at Northwest Detention Center pepper sprayed immigrant detainees for allegedly refusing to follow orders to go to bed. GEO claimed there were no injuries and all detainees were checked out by doctors at the facility, but lawyers were concerned when several did not show up to their court hearing the next day. 

Woodfin Police stopped a Latino driver and threatened to arrest him if they caught him driving without a license again. In a clear act of intimidation, the officer who stopped him called for back-up even though Enrique was alone. Although Enrique was less than a block away from home, police insisted he call a tow truck to haul his vehicle, giving him thirty minutes to do it before they would impound his car. 

Wake County police arrested Luis Millan for listening to loud music in his car; a neighbor had complained. Luis was sitting in his car listening to music, to cool down after an argument with his fiancee. Luis now faces deportation after Wake County police, a 287g county, called ICE to verify Millan’s immigration status. 

Long-time resident and father of three was deported less than 24 hours after ICE agents went to his house looking for someone who did not live there. ICE agents entered the home and began questioning all members of the family in the home asking them for proof of citizenship or residency. Everyone in the home was able to prove legal residency status, except the father, who was then arrested by ICE. Less than 24 hours later, ICE deported him, the head of household, to Tijuana, Mexico without any money or belongings and only the clothes on his back. He left behind a home and a family, including his three daughters, after living and working in the U.S. for decades.

Dallas Police stopped Ernestina Mondragón for making an illegal u-turn; then they ticketed her for not speaking English.  Over the past three years, 20 Dallas PD agents have issued nearly 40 infractions to Latino motorists merely for not speaking English. Police profiled Ernestina Mondragón for being an immigrant, not speaking English and not being able to present a driver’s license although she has one. A U.S. resident since 1980, Mondragon felt humiliated by the incident and is now suing the Dallas Police Department.

An investigative worker with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) falsely accused Q, an indigenous Quiche mother, of neglect and child endangerment and took her baby away a day after police arrested her husband for beating her. Police reported the mother to DCYF because this was the second time they arrested the husband for domestic violence and both were in violation of a restraining order that had been activated after the first arrest. Not having been informed about the restraining order, Q was afraid of talking with the police because she saw how easily her husband was released from jail only to return and beat her again. Rather than provide an interpreter who spoke her native language, police declared her "uncooperative." At the hearing in the family court, the judge upheld the DCYF worker's accusation of neglect on the basis of a false claim that the mother had not provided a crib, baby formula, or diapers to her child, even though no efforts were made to find an interpreter who spoke the mother's language. In a final blow, the judge upheld the misinformed recommendation of the Court Appointed Special Advocate-  a volunteer attorney advocating for the "best interest of the child"- to keep the baby in foster care until Q completed the required Domestic Violence classes and attended counseling sessions. During this time, Q was only allowed supervised visits with her baby for one hour once a week. After two months of a traumatic and devastating separation from her baby, Q was finally reunited with her baby, and the court dropped all charges against her. 

ICE agents raided Mambo Seafood's headquarters and two restaurants, arresting 33 workers for their immigration status. Two workers were released on "humanitarian grounds" and placed in house arrest, but ICE jailed 31. The  company cooperated fully with ICE and planned to reopen its restaurants shortly thereafter.

After an airport employee suspected immigrant workers of using false identification during renewal of security badge, an investigation ensued and ICE arrested 15 workers from Empire Warehouse Solutions, a subcontractor with UPS. Airport workers are required to renew their security badges every two years. Nine of the 15 arrested had obtained valid security badges prior to 2007 when TSA began to check immigration status as part of their security clearance process.  

Abel Moreno called 911 after a police officer began to assault his girlfriend during a traffic stop. The officer forced Moreno to hang up the 911-call, then proceeded to arrest both Moreno and his girlfriend for resisting arrest.  Charolotte police released both because they had been falsely arrested. The officer was fired and charged after five other women came forward to report abuse. Although Moreno was falsely arrested and helped catch a crooked cop, he now faces deportation charges because of his immigration status.

2010

 At least 70 detainees facing deportation at Port Isabel Detention Center started a hunger strike on January 16th in solidarity with the National Day of Action Against Arpaio, bringing attention to the crisis in Haiti, and the courageous actions taken by Fast for Our Families and Jean Montrevil's case.

Jail officials at LaGrange County Jail illegally detained Wendy Melendrez Rivas for eight days after she posted bail, exceeding the 48 hour limit police have to hold persons with an ICE 'detainer'. Wendy was arrested on January 29th, for felony charges that she was unaware of, for a $10 check she bounced in 2008. Even though jail officials repeatedly discouraged Wendy from posting bail, saying that even if she posted bail, she would not be released because of the ICE detainer, Wendy posted bail on February 12th. LaGrange County Jail officials did not release Wendy, despite her inquiries.  Police released her only after MALDEF attorneys contacted the jail informing them that they were holding Wendy in violation of federal limitations on detaining persons post-bail.
MALDEF Press Release, “MALDEF Files Suit Against LaGrange Sheriff’s Office for Unlawful Detention of Young Mother,” June 14, 2010.

Just days after detainees waged a hunger strike to denounce abuses against immigrants jailed at  the Port Isabel Detention Center, ICE agents and PIDC prison guards swarmed the housing units and assaulted numerous detainees on hunger strike. This was the third hunger strike organized by detainees at Port Isabel this year, in protest of human rights abuses and inhumane conditions at the jail.

After MS state took baby away for almost a year, Mexican Indigenous woman fought lengthy legal battle to regain custody of her daughter. Mississippi--February 19, 2010

Less than a day after giving birth to a girl in November 2008, hospital officials with the Mississippi Department of Human Services took away Cirilia Baltazar Cruz's newborn daughter and put her up for adoption. They accused Cirila Baltaza Cruz of being an unfit mother because she was undocumented and did not speak English. Ms. Baltazar Cruz is Chatino, an indigenous people from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico, and spoke some Spanish and no English. The hospital used a Spanish-speaking interpreter and did not provide a Chatino interpreter. Ms. Baltazar Cruz was not allowed to see her daughter for almost five months until early in 2009 she was given visiting rights under strict court supervision. In May 2009, her parental rights were temporarily terminated, her visiting rights ended until a final court hearing held in November 2009. Ms. Baltazar Cruz's experience is unfortunately not unique; many Indigenous women as well as immigrant worker women have lost children to adoption because of their immigration status.

NNIRR documented over a dozen stories like Cirila's, available here. NNIRR action alert available here.

Teenager and his family are deported over 46 cents
San Francisco, CA -- March 1, 2010
ICE deported a 13-year old student, his mother and five-year old brother after being charged with felony assault. At a San Francisco, CA, school, the teen hit another youth and took 46 cents from him. Although he apologized and returned the 46 cents, he was charged with "robbery, assault, and extortion,"  after being reported to ICE.
San Francisco Examiner, "Battle over 46 cents is costly for family," by Erin Sherbert, March 1, 2010.

ICE agents raided two restaurants in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, including award-winning Timbuktu Restaurant. With the help of over a dozen Anne Arundel County police officers, ICE also raided homes near the Timbuktu restaurant where some of the workers lived. ICE agents arrested 29 people whom they "suspected of being undocumented."

Police detain seven Bay Area Muslim men for praying in public
Henderson, Nevada -- March 5, 2010

CAIR, "California Muslims Detained for Praying in Nevada," March 5, 2010.

ICE forcefully deports man after local police arrest him for expired license
Coral Springs, FL-- March 29, 2010
Coral Springs Police stopped and arrested Mr. R for driving with an expired license after questioning him about his immigration status. Mr. R had been in ICE custody at Broward County Jail for four days when ICE agents tried to coerce him into signing a 'voluntary departure' form and then transferred him to Broward Transitional Cener, a private prison for immigrants. After six days, again ICE agents harassed Mr. R to get him to sign away his right to a lawyer and to a hearing with an immigration judge. When he refused for a second time, the ICE agents handcufffed Mr. R and took him by force to the Miami airport. Then two U.S. Marshals and an ICE agent forced his hands open and physically forced his fingerprint onto the 'voluntary departure' form, even after Mr. R repeatedly stated  that he had a lawyer and wanted to fight his case. One of the U.S. Marshal agents pointed a taser gun to Mr. R's neck and tased him six times, then again twice in each of his sides and twice in his left shoulder, causing him to become so nauseous he nearly passed out. The same agent humiliated Mr. R while on the airplane and told others he was an example of what could happen to them.
Reported by No More Deaths, June 15, 2010.

Campus police arrest college senior under 287g
Cobb County, GA -- March 30, 2010

Jessica, a senior at Kennesaw State University, faces deportation after being stopped by campus police for 'impeding the flow of traffic'. Campus police reported Jessica to Cobb County Sherriff's Office and charged her with driving without a license. Cobb County officers arrested Jessica the following day. A 287g county, Cobb County police then turned her over to ICE, which then transferred Jessica to a detention center in Alabama where she faced deportation. After repeated attempts by the university president and ACLU advocates who contacted DHS on Jessica's behalf, she was released after being jailed for two months; she was given "deferred action," which means DHS will not take action on her case for a year. But Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren got a warrant for her arrest, accusing her of giving officers a false address.
Associated Press, "College Student Ignites Immigration Debate," May 14, 2010.

Hospital fires workers for speaking Tagalog
Baltimore, MD -- April 16, 2010

Four Filippina women were fired from their jobs at Bon Secours Hospital because they said one or two words in Tagalog. The instances were not during life threatening situations but just in passing or during a lunch break. The hospital management made workers sign an agreement that banned the use of all languages besides English in the emergency area workspace. The hospital fired the women  abruptly after they were overheard speaking Tagalog. The EEOC has filed a complaint against the hospital on behalf of the women. In an interview, they stated that they felt discriminated against and that they were treated unfairly. The hospital has not been able to prove that they did anything wrong as they did not document the reasons for the firings.
ABS-CBN News, "4 Pinoys lose US jobs for speaking Tagalog," by Rodney Jaleco, June 22, 2010.

CCA guard sexually assaulted women detainees at Hutto
Taylor, TX-- May 1, 2010

A CCA guard at the T. Don Hutto Detention Facility repeatedly assaulted several immigrant women sexually. The guard assaulted the women when they were under his custody and transported them alone, in blatant violation of DHS policy. The abuse went unreported for a long time, until one detainee called local authorities to report the abuse. When DHS found out about the abuse, they placed CCA on probation and issued new rules to all facilities operated by CCA. DHS has kept the investigation "in house" and has not offered any services or protection to female detainees. The CCA guard would grope the women right before being deported and solicited sex from one. ICE decided to directly oversee the prison staff rather than leave it to CCA and mandated that a female prisoner could never be left alone with a male guard.
Taylor Daily Press, "Former T. Don Hutto worker faces five charges," by Tricia Rosetty, August 21, 2010. 

SB 1070 hate crime results in killing of Mexican American man  
Phoenix, AZ -- May 6, 2010

Juan Varela was gunned down in front of his home in Phoenix, Arizona by a white neighbor who had frequently harassed the Varela family. The white neighbor repeatedly called Varela's family "wetbacks" and told them to "go back to their country." Gary Thomas Kelley walked over to Varela's home, with a loaded shotgun and started yelling racial slurs at Juan, mentioning SB 1070, Arizona's anti-immigrant, racial profiling law. After SB 1070 was passed, Kelley escalated the verbal harassment. The Attorney General declared the shooting a 'hate crime' only after the Varela family filed a complaint, Kelley faces second degree charges, although elements of the crime indicate the shooting was premeditated.
The Arizona Republic, "Phoenix murder of Latino man called hate crime," by Michael Kiefer and Michael Ferraresi, June 18, 2010.

ICE unlawfully detained Eduardo Caraballo, a US Citizen, for three days after local police in Berwyn accused him of being undocumented. Although Caraballo presented his ID and a Puerto Rican birth certificate, ICE resumed his detention because they were skeptical of the documents. ICE finally released him three days later, but only after Chicago Congressman Luis Gutierrez intervened.

On May 26th and 27th, ICE stopped, questioned, and arrested 20 immigrant workers, mainly from Guatemala and Mexico, who were on their way to work. None had criminal histories and some had been living here for many years. Most of the men have young children who have been deeply traumatized by the loss of their parents. Close to 130 people were directly affected by their arrest and detention. ICE deported all but eight, whose cases are pending in court with the help from the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights and others. 

U.S. District Judge Harry Mattice sentenced nine Indigenous women to two years probation and a $300 fine for using false identity documents to obtain work at the factory where they had been abused and fired. Two years prior, their employer, Durrett Cheese Sales, Inc, fired the women when they began speaking out against the abuses and mistreatment including sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and wage theft. The women had organized a peaceful sit-in to protest the unjust and unlawful layoff in the midst of uncovering workplace abuses and labor law violations. Nevertheless, the employer called the police and accused the women of trespassing. Police arrested all nine women on the spot and then immediately reported them to ICE when the employer accused them of being undocumented. The women were able to obtain a "U" visa, for victims of criminal misconduct, which protects them from deportation for up to four years, but the criminal conviction will affect their future eligibility to adjust their status.

In act of hate violence, white men attack Muslim man in broad daylight
Sunnyvale, CA -- June 15, 2010

A small army of 30 ICE agents raided Terra Universal, Inc and detained all employees for questioning, shut down all phone lines and internet. ICE arrested 43 workers for their 'suspected' immigration status. ICE violated the terms of its warrant, which only allowed access to search company records, not to question or detain workers. 

In collaboration with the Philadelphia Parking Authority, ICE agents arrested 26 cab drivers, mostly from African countries, for their immigration status. Parking Authority sent letters to the cab drivers, directing them to stop at a specified location to pick up owed wages. As the cab drivers arrived, a receptionist checked their identity and ushered them to a back room, where waiting ICE agents handcuffed them. Three people were released after ICE verified they were U.S. citizens. The rest of the cab drivers remain in ICE custody and face possible deportation. ICE defended the sting, saying it was part of its "anti-terrorism" operations to secure the Philadelphia Airport, where cabs have access unavailable to most people. 

Philadelphia Inquirer, "Phila. rally protest sting arrests of immigrant cabdrivers," by Jane M. Von Bergen, July 8, 2010.

Court sentences couple to three years for anti-Arab/ anti-Muslim hate violence
South Lake Tahoe, CA -- June 30, 2010

ICE agents raided the kitchen of Chili's restaurant, arresting four workers who now face deportation. The ICE agents rushed in demanding all kitchen workers to immediately show proof of immigration status and work authorization documents. Without presenting a court-issued warrant to the restaurant manager, ICE forced all kitchen workers to line up and, one by one, show their green cards. ICE arrested those who did not have one and took them away for further questioning. ICE deported one of the four workers arrested less than a month after his arrest, forcing him to leave behind friends and family. The ICE raid has devastated four families who are left behind, including one young child and a pregnant spouse. Workers reported that Chili's management threatened to fire any employee who spoke out about the ICE raid.

Reported to NNIRR by Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (WICIR), July 26, 2010.

In an early morning sweep, ICE agents knocked on the door of Marco Guevara's home and threatened to deport him even after he assured them of his U.S. citizenship. When he went to call his parents, ICE agents tackled and handcuffed him. It wasn't until Marco's mother, a white woman, spoke with the officers that they stopped to listen. According to ICE's faulty databases, Marco had a deportable offense. But what they didn't have in their database is that Marco became a U.S. citizen soon after his father was naturalized in 2003.

Border Patrol and ICE agents arrested 31 people in immigration sweeps at three bus stations in Las Vegas: Greyhound, Tufesa, and Los Angeles/El Paso Limousine bus station. Although officials claimed to target the bus stations to search for drug and human smugglers and human trafficking victims, none of those arrested were charged with smuggling drugs or people. Community witnesses reported that unidentified agents questioned them to prove U.S. citizenship during the raid. The immigration agents even interrogated the owner of one of the bus shuttle companies. During a meeting with community members to address concerns during the raid, federal immigration officials affirmed they failed to meet their goal of catching smugglers, but denied allegations of racial profiling.  

U.S. Customs officials at the Mexican border are now stopping and questioning people leaving Arizona on their way to Mexico. CBP agents are also jailing people who are returning to Mexico for their immigration status. Under the Obama Administration, tighter exit procedures at the U.S.-Mexico border now require that individuals leaving must first have their photographs and fingerprints taken to store in a database. Those found to have been living in the U.S. without authorization are being arrested and deported. A policy meant to target drug and weapon smuggling according to U.S. CBP officials, has instead sent waves of fear across immigrant communities who are leaving the U.S. to flee the repression being caused under Arizona's racial profiling law, SB 1070.

New York Daily News, "Illegal Immigrants Fleeing Arizona's SB 1070 law face arrest at the border for trying to leave," by Meena Hartenstein, August 3, 2010.

A drunken man pushed his way into a mosque in Queens and urinated on prayer rugs, disrupting the prayer service. After the man attempted to leave, worshipers pinned him down until police arrived. The police arrested him and charged him with trespassing.

Petra Gooding, from Barbados, brought her 7-year-old child to the U.S. to get treatment for neuroblastoma, a rare cancer. But now ICE is trying to force her to leave her child in the U.S. alone after ICE denied her an extension of a 9-month visa although they approved the extension for her daughter. Niamh, with stage 4 neuroblastoma, is being treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Aflac Cancer Center and requires a minimum of 18 months treatment. Ms. Gooding, whose husband and 2-year-old son are in Barbados, said she has no intention of remaining in the U.S. past her daughter's urgently needed treatment, which is not available in Barbados.

ICE agents escorted Moises Mory Lamas from the Essex County Correctional facility to JFK airport and deported him to Peru. Mory Lamas had been released from ICE custody in 2009, placed on electronic monitoring, and was required to report to ICE offices every two weeks. Mory Lamas was also issued a work permit, which expired in 2011. During one visit on August 12th, three ICE agents took Mory Lamas to the Peruvian Consulate where Consul Alejandro Beoutis threatened to falsify documents in his name if he did not submit his Peruvian passport to ICE agents and sign the 'voluntary departure' paperwork to speed up his deportation. Under intense pressure, intimidation and coercion, Mory Lamas turned over his passport to ICE agents and signed the paperwork, giving him until September 18th to leave the country. Then on August 23rd during another routine check-in, ICE arrested Mory Lamas because he had not purchased an airline ticket for his 'voluntary departure.' ICE agents jailed him at the Essex County Correctional facility, where jail officials cut off access to library, denied him visitation rights, and cut off hot water for days. Sources: Letter from Moises Mory Lamas, October 1, 2010. "U.S. ICE Deports Moises Mory Despite Pending Cases," Editorial by H. Nelson Goodson, September 11, 2010.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has received a surge in complaints of discrimination in the workplace from Muslim workers across the country. EEOC recorded 803 complaints in FY 2009, representing a 20 percent increase over the previous year. Abuses reported include being called names, such as "terrorist" or "Osama," to employers barring them from wearing head scarves or taking prayer breaks. Muslim communities make up less than 2 percent of the US population, but accounted for one quarter of the religious discrimination claims filed at EEOC.

An armed man impersonating an ICE agent, scammed nearly 250 people into paying him to submit immigration paperwork and provide services he never provided. Robert Mejia took up to $1 million from immigrants whom he also threatened with deportation if they spoke to anyone about the transaction. The police arrested Mejia in April, when an investigation revealed he had accepted more than $97,000 from five people after promising them citizenship. Dozens more victims came forward to report they had been scammed by him.

ICE agents carried out sweeps across 26 Colorado cities and a small town in Wyoming, arresting 78 people; 14 of them for immigration status. ICE publicized that 64 had criminal records and 5 were alleged "gang members."