immigrant

Over 400 immigration activists met May 26-28 in Arlington, Virginia, for the Turning the Tide National Summit hosted by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and supported by National Jobs with Justice. The summit focused on how communities can and are pushing back against the program known as “Secure Communities”*. This program allows for collaboration between local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The program actually makes communities less safe as they fear being reported to ICE if they seek out help from police officers, and it means that folks can be detained or deported if they come into police custody for even minor violations.

It is clear we are at a time when attacks on labor and immigrants is extremely high and the need for these movements to have a united front is critical. One strategy session focused on the work being done in Georgia in response to the passage of HB87 (an Arizona copycat bill). This legislation which is set to go into effect on July 1, is already having an impact in the way of labor shortages. Amid all of this, there has been little discussion about how to make work more available with fair wages for those who seek it.

On June 1st the Department of Labor issued an order which effectively debars Vanderbilt Landscaping from ALL guestworker programs for the next three years. There are only 5 other H-2B employers who have ever been debarred by DOL. Workers hearing the news in Mexico send their regards and thanks to all those who have supported this fight.

“Vanderbilt Landscaping retaliated against me and has sued us for lying,” said Hilario Razura, “but the evidence keeps coming out showing that what we said is the truth. This judgment is important because it will protect future workers from Vanderbilt’s abuse.”

Jobs with Justice was on the frontlines of this fight. In Nashville, Middle Tennessee Jobs with Justice mobilized community and labor allies in solidarity with workers to escape the work camps and win back their passports. Earlier this year, JwJ mobilized labor leaders to join the Alliance of Guestworkers for Dignity in a meeting with the Department of Labor to seek Vanderbilt’s debarment. And JwJ activists around the country sent letters and made calls seeking the company be removed from the guestworker program.

Every year, thousands of workers come to the United States via the H-2B guestworker visa program. Under this program, a workers' visa is tied to his or her employer, giving their bosses a great deal of control over their lives. All too often, workers in the US on the H-2B visa find themselves in unfair, unsafe, or even illegal work situations, but because their immigration status is tied to their employer, it is very difficult to organize for better working conditions. You may remember the story of Hilario Jimenez, a guestworker who escaped company housing to expose his employers for using taxpayer money to exploit migrant workers while excluding local workers from jobs.

“As you probably know, SB 6 passed the Senate but never actually came before the House for a vote.  We had several committee hearings on the bill but the significant and vocal opposition to the measure derailed it for the session.” ~State Representative David Osborne

We won!  For the first few months of 2011, Kentucky Jobs with Justice was part of a powerful group of individuals and organizations from across our state who fought back against anti-immigrant Senate Bill 6.  SB6 is Arizona SB1070 copycat legislation that would target anyone for detention who does not speak English or who appears to have been born outside of the U.S.  It would target anyone who “assists” an undocumented worker or their undocumented children.  Furthermore, SB 6 would make many immigrant crime victims, including victims of domestic violence, think twice about reporting crimes or cooperating with police it they fear racial profiling or bias.

Kentucky Jobs with Justice stands in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters who are facing anti-immigrant attacks from those who prefer to divide our country instead of build our communities.  Many of the immigrants who would be racially profiled in Kentucky represent working families that are contributing members of our communities and our neighborhoods.

Kentucky's Senate Bill 6 (SB6) is one of several bills that has been introduced in state legislatures across the country that copycat Arizona's anti-immigrant legislation SB1070 signed into law by Arizona's Jan Brewer last spring.  The law legalizes unchecked racial profiling by police of anyone they “suspect” is undocumented.

Federal Stimulus Funds & Tennessee Tax Dollars Pay for Human Trafficking, Forced Labor: Call on the Obama Administration to hold employer accountable

Late in the night on August 10, Mexican guestworker Hilario Jimenez escaped from company housing to expose his employers. Hilario and other guestworkers were recruited from Mexico and brought to the U.S. on H-2B visas by Vanderbilt Landscaping LLC.

This morning Hilario blew the whistle on a Tennessee scandal: Vanderbilt Landscaping, LLC is receiving millions in federal stimulus money and state contracts put together. And the company is importing guestworkers - cheap, captive labor - into public jobs even as local communities are suffering from record unemployment rates.

Now we ask you to stand with Hilario Middle Tennessee Jobs with Justice and members of the Alliance of Guestworkers of Dignity to fight human trafficking, forced labor, and a company that gets millions in state and stimulus money.

TELL THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO INVESTIGATE VANDERBILT.  Call 202 353 1555 and tell Attorney General Eric Holder, "The Department of Justice should investigate and prosecute the employers for criminal conduct including but not limited to labor trafficking, forced labor, unlawful conduct with respect to documents, and other crimes in coordination with the F.B.I."

The Arizona State Legislature just passed a law (SB1070) that legalizes unchecked racial profiling by police of anyone they "suspect" is undocumented. It would criminalize all undocumented immigrants as "trespassers" and subject them to misdemeanor, or in some cases, felony charges for a new "trespass" crime.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is expected to sign the bill into law any day now. Tell Governor Brewer to stand up for human and civil rights and veto this anti-immigrant, racial profiling bill.  If this bill is signed into law, your state could be next.

Tell AZ Governor Jan Brewer to VETO this bill!

SB 1070 would force police officers to arrest and detain people based on a "reasonable suspicion" that they are undocumented. It's not surprising that news of this bill has shocked the nation. There is no such thing as looking American or undocumented, and mandating police officers to racially profile sets this country back to a shameful time in its history where racial segregation was the law of the land. The state of Arizona has become home to experimental laws that use immigration as an excuse to criminalize communities of color. We have all seen the devastation caused by Joe Arpaio and others like him. The result of this struggle in Arizona will set the tone for the national debate.

Members of community, labor, religious and student organizations gathered on February 11th to hear from and support workers facing exploitation at the hands of Gillette stadium's contractor and the outrageous tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in ambushing  dozens of immigrant workers.

Earlier this year ICE detained 58 workers who were on their way to work at Gillette Stadium at a roadblock in Foxboro.  The workers were hired to shovel snow from the stadium seats in preparation for a New England Patriots game.  These hardworking Rhode Islanders now face deportation.

This ICE attack is the most high-profile act by ICE against Rhode Islanders since the raids at six RI courthouses in 2008.  It is the largest number of Rhode Islanders detained by ICE since the 2007 raid at the Bianco Factory in New Bedford.

While ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have tried to claim that the raid was directed toward people with criminal records, the vast majority of people arrested had no record whatsoever, and were unknown to ICE at the time of their arrest.  According to Juan Garcia of the Immigrants in Action Committee, “This action shows that ICE is not focused on going after people with records – they continue to go after large groups of people just for being immigrants.”

Camilo Viveiros of RI Jobs with Justice said:

First our political leaders said health care reform would cover everyone.  Now we hear that Congress is considering barring legal immigrants from health reforms that would enable low and moderate income families to secure affordable coverage.

As the House of Representatives moves to finalize its health reform legislation this week, immigrants continue to be left out.  As it stands now, most recent legal immigrants are forced to wait 5 years to use Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP, even though they pay the same taxes as citizens to support these programs.

Your voice is needed to urge the House of Representatives to act right now to give immigrants a fair opportunity for affordable health insurance. 

TAKE ACTION NOW!