END Our Pain

New Jersey Activists, Advocates and Families Join Efforts to Bring the Valle Brothers Home for Thanksgiving

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:32:22 +0000

Latest Case of “Uneven” Deportation Policy Breaking Families Apart

For Immediate Release

Contact: Carlos Rojas 732-372-1487
Press Release carlos@njdac.org

Listen to the UWD Telephonic Press Conference

PATERSON, NEW JERSEY- On a telephonic press conference today, United We Dream (UWD), a network of immigrant youth organizations from over 30 states organized a call to bring to light the detention case of Michell and Yasser Valle, 2 DREAM Act eligible youth in New Jersey. Advocates, legal experts, family and friends of the Valle brothers expressed their outrage over this injustice and called for their immediate release before Thanksgiving.

Although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would review the 300,000 pending deportation cases and scale back the deportation of immigrants who came as young children, two DREAMers—the Valle brothers— are currently in detention and facing deportation. Gaby Pacheco, Education Not Deportation (END) Project Coordinator, and Rosa Saavedra, END Case Manager, spoke about a recent survey by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (AIC), which shows discrepancies in how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are exercising prosecutorial discretion. The survey results are in line with the work of UWD’s END Project, which has been successful in halting over thirty deportations this year alone.

“When brothers, fathers, and beloved community members are in detention for over a year and 3 months, we can say without a doubt that our immigration system is beyond broken,” stated Gaby Pacheco, UWD’s END Project Coordinator.

“The Newark ICE Office refused to accept the Stay of Removal request I attempted to submit on behalf of the Valle brothers. Failing to even consider a request for discretion is not consistent with the recent direction and memoranda on Prosecutorial Discretion. .” said Eric Mark, the Valle brothers’ attorney.

“When our organization learned about this case we immediately decided to take action and support the brothers. When we learned their application for discretion was not even reviewed, we knew we needed to expose this injustice. NJDAC will do everything to fight the deportation of the Valle brothers and this Tuesday we will hold a vigil (media advisory to follow),” said Juan Pablo Orjuela, END Field Coordinator for the New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC).

“I take our children to visit Michell. Every time they see their father they ask why their father can’t come home to read a book for them. My kids are very depressed. My youngest child doesn’t want to go to school.” said Karen Martinez, Michell’s girlfriend and mother of his two US citizen children.

“My children, Michell and Yasser’s nieces and nephews, think their uncles are going to be here for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I don’t know what to tell them,” stated Liz Valle, Valle brothers’ sister.

The United We Dream (UWD) Network is a national immigrant youth-led organization that aims to achieve equal access to higher education for all, regardless of immigration status. With 40 affiliate groups in 30 states, UWD recently convened 450 leaders from across the country to plan the next phase of the movement. UWD is celebrating 10 years of empowering immigrant youth to create change and promote justice for immigrant families.

www.unitedwedream.org

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As America Gears Up for Thanksgiving, Immigrant Families Pray for Unjust Deportation Proceedings to Come to a Halt

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:54:54 +0000

New Jersey Brothers Represent Latest Case of “Uneven” Deportation Policy Breaking Families Apart

For Immediate Release

Media Advisory

Contact: Carlos Rojas 732-372-1487; carlos@njdac.org,

Telephonic Press Conference: Friday, November 18, 11:00 AM EST**

**Dial in: 1-800-931-6429 Passcode: DREAM**

PATERSON, NEW JERSEY- Yesterday, the New York Times reported that Department of Homeland Security will begin a review of all deportation cases before the immigration courts and start a nationwide training program for enforcement agents and prosecuting lawyers, with the goal of speeding deportations of “high priority” immigrants and halting those of some “low priority” individuals.

In New Jersey, two of those hard working DREAM Act eligible undocumented immigrants are the Valle brothers. They are on the verge of deportation following a year and three months of combined detention. Michell D. Valle and Yasser S. Valle were born in Peru and immigrated to the United States in 1989, at the young age of 6 and 5 years old and went on to pursue their high school and college education. Michell, a father of two, has been detained for over a year (since October 25, 2010) and his brother Yasser for over three months (since August 5, 2011).

New Jersey has become one of the most intransigent states when it comes to handling deportation cases. On Monday Novemver 14, 2011, the Newark ICE Office refused to accept the Stay of Removal request that the Valle’s attorney attempted to file.

In light of this, legal experts, advocates, family and friends of the Valle brothers that have been engaged in activities to halt their deportation are coming together to address their case and unveil new support efforts.

WHAT: Telephonic press conference with legal experts, advocates, family friends to call on ICE Field Office Director, John Tsoukaris, to use Morton Memo and cancel deportation of the Valle brothers. An announcement will be made during the call on a major action that will take place on Thanksgiving’s eve.

WHO:

Gaby Pacheco and Rosa Saavedra, United We Dream (co-moderators)
Eric Mark, Valle brothers’ attorney
Juan Pablo Orjuela, New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC)
Karen Martinez, Michell’s girlfriend and mother of his two children
Liz Valle, Valle brothers’ sister

WHEN: Friday, November 18, 11:00 AM Eastern

HOW: Dial in: 1800-895-0231; Passcode: DREAM

More about the Valle brothers and their case

Michell wrote the following letter to United We Dream from a detention facility in New Jersey, where they are currently under I.C.E. supervision.

“I am a father of two beautiful kids, a boy and a girl who are only 3 and 4 years old. They depend on me and constantly ask when daddy is coming home. I also have two nieces and three nephews whom my brother and I helped raise. They think that their uncles are in a program where they can’t leave because of work purposes.” To read full letter click here. Approximately 1000 petitions have been signed from supporters to tell ICE Field Office Director, John Tsoukaris, to release Michell D. Valle and Yasser S. Valle from detention, and grant them Prosecutorial Discretion.

The United We Dream (UWD) Network is a national immigrant youth-led organization that aims to achieve equal access to higher education for all people, regardless of immigration status. We have 40 affiliate groups in 30 states. UWD recently convened 450 immigrant youth leaders from across the country to plan the next phase of the immigrant youth movement during its 3^rd annual National Congress last week in Texas. UWD is celebrating 10 years of empowering immigrant youth to create change and promote justice for immigrant families.

www.unitedwedream.org

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DHS Moves in the Right Direction

Rosa — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:53:30 +0000

After Immigrant Students’ Action, DHS Appears to Move in the Right Direction
We will continue until we see an end to our pain

WASHINGTON, DC – Over the past few months, thousands of undocumented youth have fought for the right to live free from the constant fear of deportation and for a chance to fulfill their dreams. We have fought to stop the deportations of over 80 immigrant youth — students who grew up in this country and see it as their home — with the Education Not Deportation Project.
In good faith, we have asked President Obama to meet with us and address this crisis, yet he has failed to respond. Today, the Obama Administration announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would review deportation cases based on new guidelines establishing which cases are deportation priorities and which are not. Dream Act-eligible students will fall within the ‘low priority’ category for deportation.
This is a step in the right direction. The Administration is listening to the pressure from the immigrant community and Latino voters. Given our frustration with the Administration’s immigration policy over the past 2 years, including a record number of 1,000,000 deportations, and the reinforcement of Secure Communities, we are wary of today’s announcement.
We want to ensure that our young people are not left vulnerable to the discretion of ICE offices and law enforcement in anti-immigrant states. We must be sure that individuals do not fall through the cracks, like 18-year-old Mercedes from Tennessee, who was stopped for driving less than 10 miles over the speed limit and currently faces deportation.
It is still unclear how this program will work. Marisol Valero-Davila, leader of UWD says: “The President has earned our mistrust by deporting our community and ignoring our calls for relief. He now must earn our trust, by showing us that he is serious about this new proposal. The proof will be in the pudding.”
The United We Dream Network is a national network of immigrant youth who organize and advocate for access to college and legal status for ALL. We have members in over 25 states. You can learn more at www.unitedwedream.org.###

Latino Youth Interrupt President Obama Speech to Protest His One Million Deportations, Including Many DREAMers

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:23:52 +0000

As President Obama addressed a national Latino convention in DC, Latino youth stood up wearing shirts reading: Obama Deports DREAMers

CLICK HERE TO TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA: YES YOU CAN END OUR PAIN

For Immediate Release

Monday July 25, 2011

Contact: Natali Fani-Gonzalez, 202.787.1813 natali@mateagroup.com

Washington, DC – Wearing shirts that read “Obama Deports DREAMers,” Latino youth demonstrated the Latino community’s growing frustration with President Obama. The students conducted the action while the President gave a speech today at a major Latino conference in Washington, DC.

“We stood up while President Obama gave another of his predictable speeches on immigration because we are outraged at his trying to promote his election among Latinos while continuing to deport us at a time when there is no legislative solution to the immigration crisis,” said Felipe Matos, an undocumented student from Florida and advocate with Presente.org. “The fact is that Obama has deported over one million immigrants, including DREAMers, since he arrived to the White House. It is inconceivable that he keeps giving political speeches to win the Latino vote for 2012 while dividing the Latino community with his inhumane immigration policies.”

Presente.org, an online advocacy group that seeks to empower Latinos across the nation, joined forces today with United We DREAM, a national immigrant youth-led organization with the mission of achieving equal access to higher education for immigrants, to continue urging President Obama sign an executive order that would stop the deportations of DREAM Act eligible youth until there is a legislative solution to our human rights crisis.

“I grew up in this nation with the passion of becoming a doctor and give back to my community, but now I face the reality of being deported anytime soon,” expressed Mercedes Gonzalez, one of the near 20 DREAMers who stood up during Obama’s speech.

Students participating in the action urging Obama to stop deporting them came from the states of Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, Tennessee, North Carolina and Arizona.

As shown on a recent poll by ImpreMedia/Latino Decisions, immigration is the most important issue for Latino voters – the fastest growing voting bloc in the nation. Because there is an immigration crisis in dividing our nation, Presente.org has been following and calling out the President Obama every time he addresses the Latino community.

“We organized the Latino and immigrant community during Obama’s recent appearances in Puerto Rico, Texas and now in Washington, DC urging Obama to use his executive power to stop deporting DREAMers. We won’t stop following him and organizing until he stops his inhumane deportation program,” concluded Felipe Matos.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as of May 23, 2011, the U.S. government has deported 1,026,517 immigrants since the beginning of fiscal year 2009. That figure includes noncriminal immigrants and DREAMers who are victims of our outdated immigration system.

For interview requests, please contact 202.787.1813.