MICHAEL O. ALLEN

Tag

immigrants

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: If You Encounter ICE

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And so it has come to pass, well into the 21 st Century, that whole communities are being terrorized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on American soil in search of people who “look like immigrants” so the new administration of Donald Trump can throw them out of the country and/or into detention camps.

Immigrants, even undocumented migrants, have rights and here are some precautions you should take:

Do’s & Don’ts

  • You are not obligated to open your door to ICE agents so don’t open the door.
  • Ask to see a warrant and ask them to slip it under your door so you can examine it.
  • The officers need to show you the right type of warrant, which is a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
  • A judicial warrant authorizes ICE officers to enter a home, question people and, potentially, detain them.
  • An ICE warrant, which is usually signed by the officers, does not authorize the officers to enter your place of residence.
  • Ask the agents to get a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
  • Non-citizens such as green card holders and people with Employment Authorization Document (EAD) are required to carry identification.
  • If you don’t have identification (or you don’t have legal status), remember:

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT!!!

  • You are not required to answer questions from agents who approach you.
    Do not speak to anyone until you are provided with an immigration lawyer.
  • If you have a case in progress, carry copies of receipts of the case around with you.
    While the receipts won’t stop you from getting detained, they will help your attorney get you out of detention.
  • If you’re a U.S. citizen, especially if you look ethnic, get in the habit of carrying your passport on you in case you get swept up in a raid and being detained. It is not unheard of!!!

TRAVEL WITHIN THE U.S.

  • Be very careful and don’t travel if you don’t have to.
  • Remember, you’re liable to be pulled over by law enforcement at any time while driving.
  • There could be checkpoints while trying to board a bus or train.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

  • Again, be very careful. Don’t travel if you can help it.
  • Green card holders, and people with advance parole travel document that allows certain noncitizens to leave the United States and return without applying for a visa and those Employment Authorization Document (EAD) cards should refrain from traveling during Trump’s term in office.
  • Green card holders who encounter problems returning to the U.S. should ask the official that they wish to see an immigration judge and want to be placed in proceedings.
  • That should allow you to see a judge where you could get a chance to enter the U.S.

FINALLY,

  • If you have any criminal history, even if you were just charged but not convicted, refrain from driving or traveling.

RESOURCES:

A perspective on Obama’s election

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The Central Virginia Progressive-The DAVISReport sends us The Ethnicity of our President Elect and how it changes the paradigm

A friend sent me the essay below and when I read it I knew I had to share it on this blog. The author, Mr Robert J. House, in his 70’s, is a retired professional man of Black African descent,who came of age before, during, and through the civil rights 1960’s.
His thoughts on the election of Barack Obama and how it changes the paradigm:
Some have asked what I think, so I thought I would add my two cents worth. I’m amazed at how calm I was when at 11PM election night, MSNBC made the announcement.
Of course there was a great sense of pride, but true to my nature after a pause, the wonderment came, what will it all mean? When Barack Obama walked out with his family, my emotions were a misting in my eyes, and a chill, followed by a warm glow of fulfillment. I was amazed at how much he has aged, coupled with the sadness etched on his face by the loss of his grandmother.
Women shaped his life, as is the reality for many of the black men of our generation who “amounted to anything” . I know that was the case for me – it has been both a blessing and a challenge.
For America, and the world, his election is a daunting task. We all know about the Two Wars, the economy, failing education, crumbling infra-structures and a health care system that borders on genocide for the poor and disenfranchised.
All this coupled with our damaged reputation around the world. My question is, will America “step up” and support this new young president and begin to seriously address and fix these problems or will some Americans, particularly those out of power,or those possessed with racial and cultural hatred coupled by fear and fueled by lack of economic opportunity, rather see this country fail than give this “n***** ” a chance to succeed?
The thing is, those who would strongly withhold their support fail to take into consideration that when they had power and access, they failed, because they could not or were not equipped to handle the issues.

For we Americans of “Black African descent”, the days coming are going to be particularly challenging and life altering times. I’m reminded of Tavis Smiley’s annual forum on the “State of Black America” and how last year, he got “pissed” because Obama would not attend. My thoughts are that that forum dwindled in effectiveness (other than a place to complain) because the lack of jobs, poor education, poor infrastructure, the cost of energy and the overall economy now affected all ethnicity.

Our task will be to understand our particular place in American society and our responsibility to that place and ourselves. Unlike other “minorities” we are unique in that we do not have a typical ancestral and cultural core that we can identify and cling to.

The Latinos (not to be confused with Hispanics), Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, etc) Eastern Europeans, Middle Eastern (Iran, Iraq, Egyptians, Laotians, Syrians, etc) all have their separate cultural identity from dress, language, food, religious worship, role of women, etc. These immigrant minorities came here of their own free will. Whereas our ancestors, for the most part, came here against their will.
This stripped from us ancestral and cultural identity, aspects that would sustain us though generations. The vast majority of us cannot identify what country or continent we came from and only assume we must come from one of the west African countries. But we do have a uniqueness that sets us apart and makes us “first among equal” of the immigrant groups.
Our african ancestors built this country and we have the blood, sweat, tears and the scars to prove it. For me, for all of us, this is the country of our ancestors and Barack Obama’s election as it’s Chief Executive is the manifestation of our ownership, our pride of ownership, our inclusion.

With his election to the presidency, Barack Obama has shone the bright light on our ownership and it is our responsibility to do all that we can to protect and enhance it. We cannot, with any conviction, no longer say that we cannot succeed, not be responsible for and to our families (particularly our children), not be stewards of our communities, not establish meaningful and worthwhile relationships because “the man won’t let us”.

Truth be told, we are “the man” and it is past time (particularly for our men) to prepare and act like it!

Not all of us will go to college, achieve noteworthy status, or get rich, but all of us have something to offer.

It’s only when we fail to try and take our place in ensuring our ownership that we tear down those who work hard, sacrifice, get knocked down and get back up and keep on trying. In God’s time he sent the world Barack Obama, loaded his back like a country mule and told him to keep stepping. We can do no less.
The DAVISReport

SOMETHING BLUE AT CITY WEDDINGS Cops check immigrants By MICHAEL O. ALLEN, Daily News Staff Writer

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Monday, March 17, 1997

The city clerk yesterday said law enforcement agents will continue to check for fraud among immigrants seeking to get married even as critics said the officers’ presence intimidates brides and grooms.

City Clerk Carlos Cuevas requested police support last month when city marriage offices overflowed with couples hoping to wed before immigration reforms go into effect April 1.

Yesterday, he said he will follow guidelines issued by city Corporation Counsel Paul Crotty, which allow immigrants to get married without valid visas but also support the use of cops.

In a letter Friday to First Deputy City Clerk Raymond Teatum, Crotty put to rest immigrants’ fears they needed valid visas to marry in the city. Any form of identification will do, Crotty said.

But the corporation counsel raised the specter of city employees turning immigrants away if they deem the marriage a sham.

“You are entitled to be vigilant of the use of false documents,” he said.

“The involvement of the Police Department and other law enforcement authorities in this effort is entirely appropriate and should be continued,” he wrote.

Cuevas said yesterday he had not yet seen Crotty’s letter. He said that cops from the police anti-fraud unit, along with Immigration and Naturalization officers, will continue to look over documents that people present for identification.

“Anyone that is proper and is not doing anything against the law should certainly not be intimidated by police. It is not my purpose,” he said.

But Norman Siegel, director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, called on Cuevas to remove the officers.

He said they are “a chilling and intimidating presence” to immigrants.

“How is the clerk going to know when two people come up to the desk that this is a sham marriage or not? You won’t know that until months later,” Siegel said.

Mayor Giuliani said Friday that the city clerk’s office has the right and the responsibility to make sure it is not being used to perpetrate a fraud.

Giuliani said a marriage is obviously a sham when the same person shows up with 10 different couples.

That person, more than likely, is a marriage broker taking advantage of desperate immigrants, the mayor said.

“If somebody is paying a broker for a marriage, $5,000, $10,000, that’s not something you should encourage or allow to have happen,” Giuliani said.

Cuevas said his only concern now is how to speed up the line at a time when his office’s caseload has quadrupled while he contends with an antiquated computer system and a budget that has been cut 41% over three years.