STOP THE WAR ON IMMIGRANTS! STOP THE RAIDS!

Boston, August 13, 2007. - Another immigration raid has taken place in the usual military style, this time in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Proclaiming that they were going after “criminals”, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents rounded up 27 “Brazilians” in yet another effort to terrorize our immigrant community. According to ICE, the 27 arrested were part of “identity-fraud rings” that sold workers' permits and green cards to undocumented migrants. According
to affidavits, an ICE agent over an extended period sold false documents to a group of undocumented migrants for thousands of dollars. ICE then made the arrests. This operation reflects the business as usual atmosphere in this country where the government fleeces undocumented workers of their money and then they are hauled off to jail.

The Market Basket supermarket raid by ICE was no accident. This supermarket for many years has been an important place of commerce for the largely immigrant community in this city. Municipal officials here recently declared Chelsea a sanctuary city that welcomes immigrants regardless of their legal status. Now, as it can be expected, many residents fear that their community is a target by the Department of Homeland Security.

Migrant workers are victims throughout the country in the overall drive to undermine the rights working people, migrant and native born alike. These attacks seek to weaken our solidarity and scapegoat migrants for the problems we face. Criminalizing migrant workers provides a useful cover for the criminals in Washington who enjoy immunity for their crimes against humanity.

We warn everyone concerned about justice for migrant workers NOT to be fooled by the propaganda coming from ICE, their partners in the media, or by Chelsea City officials. This raid is an attack on all migrant workers and we should all, migrant and native born alike, condemn this raid and the others that will follow. We call on all who support justice to demand the immediate end to the raids, arrests, and
deportations throughout the country and full, immediate, unconditional, and non-revocable legal residence for all undocumented migrants and their families.

If the undocumented migrant workers who reside here were able to obtain permanent residency, then the selling of documents would not be necessary. There would be no raids if the draconian police state legal framework did not exist. As long as the long arm of ICE is able to reach in and terrorize our communities, then none of us is safe from government repression.

As the federal government through the Homeland Security ICE Police increases its terror offensive against undocumented workers, we must step up our active opposition to this fear campaign. As we prepare to commemorate the execution of two Italian immigrant workers in 1927, Sacco and Vanzetti, it is imperative that we join in the march scheduled for Thursday, August 23, at 4pm from Copley Square to the North End. Eighty years have passed since the judicial murder of
these two immigrant workers in the days when it was easy to scapegoat the Italians. They were falsely accused of a crime they did not commit because of their political beliefs. Today, it seems like not much has changed with the exception of the scapegoats, now they are Latino immigrants and immigrants of color.

These raids are happening just as the Bush administration releases its Strategic Plan for Enforcement, which is even more of the same, more raids, increasing expenses for repression, and further militarization -- and everybody should take note of this -- not only of the borders but of the entire country.

WE JOIN THE SACCO VANZETTI MARCH ON AUGUST 23 TO DEMAND AN END TO STATE REPRESSION OF MIGRANT WORKERS!

WE DEMAND AND END TO THE RAIDS!

WE DEMAND THAT THE U.S. SIGN THE U.N. CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF ALL MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES!

WE DEMAND AN END ON THIS WAR AGAINST IMMIGRANTS AND AN END TO ALL WARS THE U.S. WAGES AGAINST WORKERS HERE AND IN THE WORLD!

WE ENCOURAGE ALL COMMUNITIES TO ORGANIZE RAPID RESPONSE NETWORKS AGAINST ICE RAIDS AND ATTACKS ON MIGRANT WORKERS!

Sign our petitions on-line to stop the raids and for the U.S. to
sign the UN Convention on the Protection of Rights of All
Migrant Workers and their Families.

www.bostonmayday.org