Summit County Hosts Civil Rights Organization, CIRC

The first ever Colorado Immigrant's Rights Coalition annual assembly in Summit County will be held this weekend.

Roughly 25 residents from Summit County, including residents from the mountain towns of Breckenridge and Dillon, will be included in the state-wide meeting.  Over 200 people from organizations across the state of Colorado are expected to attend.

In addition to CIRC members, representatives from law enforcement will also attend the event.

The Summit County organization Unidos por la Igualdad (United for Equality) will discuss the efforts it has made in Summit County.  They will have a clinic on wage theft and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and other topics.

Summit County has come a long ways towards fostering better relations between authorities and immigrants.  In 2004, Summit County was the site of one of the worst immigrant roundups in area history.  Officials knocked on doors late at night in subdivisions occupied by immigrants.  Those who answered their doors were questioned about their immigration status, while those who refused to answer their doors were not molested.  Authorities had no warrants and simply were doing "knock and talks".  Local authorities were backed up by FBI and federal immigration authorities.

Multiple parties who answered their doors were hauled to the local jail pending identification.  Most of those who were rounded up were black.  When many of the parties detained proved to be documented, Law enforcement claimed the massive roundup and time spent detained was merely an inconvenience.  Today, law enforcement is working more closely with the immigrant community that has proven to be vital to the tourist economies.

The town of Breckenridge has historically been an activist for minority rights.  Breckenridge was created in November 1859 by General George E. Spencer. Spencer chose the name "Breckinridge" after John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky, the 14th Vice President of the United States.  Spencer hoped to win support of the U.S. government and gain a post office, turning the community into an official town.  It was to be the first post office on the Western slope of Colorado between the continental divide and Salt Lake City.

However, when the civil war broke out, Spencer changed the name of the community from Breckinridge, to Breckenridge.  Vice President John C. Breckenrige was siding with the South and pro-slavery states and Spencer wanted to put distance between that divisive issue and the new town.

Today, a large percentage of the population in the ski towns are immigrants.  The early immigrants in Summit County were looking for gold.  Today, most immigrants and others depend upon the white gold of the ski industry.

Sophia Clark, CIRC Rocky Mountain region organizer, said registration is closed, and the event is at capacity, but anyone interested in getting involved in the future is encouraged to reach out to the organization.

ICE Chases Drunk Drivers In National Raid

Reuters/Joshua Lott

ICE continues to deport a near record number of undocumented immigrants.  Amongst them are some of the people who have caused lots of problems in the U.S.  Those include drug dealers, child pornographers, drunk drivers, drug abusers and dealers and gang members.

Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced the results of a nation-wide sweep collecting immigrants in the problem category.  More than 2,000 people were arrested in a 5 day sweep in operation "cross check".

While ICE likes to shine the spotlight on serious offenders, only slightly more than 50% of their nation-wide sweep netted "serious" offenders.  The rest of the unlucky 2,000 immigrants who got caught in the sweep, nearly half, may have had no offense at all, or only minor offenses.

It does not take much to get on the "serious offender" list, including being convicted of a DUI or mere possession of a controlled substance not involved in "dealing".  If this is what ICE considers a serious offender, including 991 of the 2,000 people ICE picked up in it's raid, then it is clearly targeting the wrong people.

It is the arresting of the completely innocent immigrant in these nation-wide man hunts which troubles activists the most.  ICE is perfectly happy to arrest any immigrant they come across while looking for the "serious offender", and in their "knock and talks" despite knowing the President has prioritized enforcement efforts.  To justify it's knock in the wee hours of the morning, ICE releases propaganda claiming to arrest the "worst of the worst" when the majority of the people they arrested had misdemeanor DUI changes.

ICE makes no distinction how long ago an offense occurred.  People with 30 year old DUI charges are hardly a risk to U.S. society, as the passage of time and a clean record since their conviction shows they are rehabilitated and no risk to citizens.  More recent offenders are under court ordered rehabilitation programs.  Their arrest removes them from the supervision of the court and may be robbing them of the opportunity to resolve their addictions.

Some wonder who is better to manage serious criminals: the U.S. or a third world country?  When ICE dumps immigrants into the hands of gangs in central locations, like Ciudad Juarez, then it is destabilizing those nations.  These "dangerous" people are now on the loose, free to offend, when they would have been better managed by the U.S. justice system.  Offending from afar is much easier these days with the Internet, especially for child predators.  Dumping serious gang members into the hands of cartel members just increases the working rants of drug cartels.

The targeting of drunk drivers is also troubling.  Most of these drivers have gone through or are in court ordered rehabilitation programs that last a year or more.  The solution to alcoholism is not deportation.  Alcoholism and drug addiction are better solved from the social scientists rehabilitation point of view combined with a strict dose of the criminal justice system to help people find a solution to their addictions.  Catching and removing people from these rehabilitative processes degrades the effectiveness of court ordered rehabilitation.  

The prospect behind homeland security is to make America safer and stronger.  National raids targeting "serious" criminals, but catching mostly D.U.I. offenders and innocent immigrants, is not a step towards making America stronger.  Pulling people out of their rehabilitation support systems and dropping them in high crime recruitment areas does not protect national security or make the world a safer place.  Sending the true hard criminal to a third world where they can offend with impunity, likewise does not make any country safer.  The U.S. is the best place for them as we manage to institutionalize more people per capita than any other nation.  

ICE has a vital role to play in the security of our nation.  Their efforts stopping sex tourism and sex trafficking are nothing short of noble.  They protect the copyright of private industry.  They help prevent terrorist attacks.  Yet their praying on everyday common immigrants who have done nothing more than drink and drive, and mostly nothing at all, is destabilizing other countries, dividing families and making America an unsafe place to live.  It is also directing the precious resources of a national law enforcement agency towards chasing drunk drivers rather than chasing threats to national security.

U.S. Veteran Ask Senator Bennet To Help Stop Deporting Veterans

Stop deporting U.S. veterans
Bring Deported Veterans Home

Manuel and Valente Valenzuela fought in Viet Nam.  Years later, after applying to renew their driver's licenses, little could they know they would have to fight the very country for which they offered their lives to during the Viet Nam war.

The Valenzeula Brothers ask the White House to issue an executive order to halt the deportation of veterans and to bring deported veterans home.

Both brothers put their lives on the line in active duty.  Valente arrived in 'Nam just after the Tet Offensive.  His brother came later. Valente was recruited by a special services division.  He says he cannot talk about what he was required to do, even to this date.  However, the activities give him nightmares.

Manuel was part of a team that rescued soldiers in trouble.  Both he and Valente got into the thick of fighting in support of an unpopular war.  

When they returned to the U.S. they had human waste tossed on them.  There was no respect for the sacrifice soldiers had been making.  After living in the U.S. nearly all of their lives, they each went to the Driver's License bureau to renew their licenses.  It was post 911, and the country had changed.

Manuel hid his notice of removal for fear it would devastate his brother and closest friend, Valente.  Little did Manuel know, Valente had also hid his notice of removal.  Soon, the secret was out and both Valenzuela brothers were in a fight for their right to stay in the country for which they fought.

The brothers want the President to issue an executive order halting the deportation of veterans and to bring those veterans who have been deported, home.

DAPA Applicants Encouraged To Continue Despite Court Order

ablive

Immigrants who believe they will qualify under the Obama executive order which prioritizes removal (deportation) prospects, and grant certain immigrants a three year stay SHOULD CONTINUE preparing for the launch of the largest program around April 16th.

Melissa Crow, Legal Director for the American Immigration Council, Marielena Hincapié, Executive Director of the National Law Center, and Debbie Smith, the Associate General Counsel for the Service Employees International Union, said the Obama Administration will certainly appeal the order by Texas Judge Andrew Hanen which puts a stay, or pause on the implementation of the DAPA and expanded DACA programs.

Immigrants should not despair or be afraid.  The temporary injunction will be eventually lifted, through an appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Marielena Hincapié.  

Current DACA qualified immigrants are not affected by the stay.  They may continue under their current program and may continue to renew their status.  

Melissa Crow said the judge found the state of Texas, at least, had standing to bring the suit.  Further, the state would experience financial harm in issuing driver's licenses because it would have to offer licenses to DACA and DAPA immigrants.  Crow said it was interesting the Court focused on the license issue, and over-looked evidence about the positive effects immigrants make to the economy.

Crow continued to say the court found the Obama Administration failed to comply with rule making procedure.  However, Crow said enforcement actions are generally not subject to rule making.  She says the Obama Administration  is on solid footing in issuing it's executive order.

Debbie Smith said immigrants should not panic.  She believes the suspension is temporary, will likely be lifted, and immigrants should continue preparing for the process, including gathering documents.

The temporary stay of execution of the Obama executive order is not a final decision about whether the DACA and DAPA processes should continue.  Those decisions will be made later during extended litigation.  The DAPA portion of the executive rule is not scheduled to roll out until April 16th.  By then, the temporary stay could be lifted or "stayed" pending the final resolution of the lawsuit.

Bennet, Udall, Gutierrez Meet For Reform

Denver, Colorado  Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Mark Udall of Colorado along with U.S. House of Representatives, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, hosted a meeting in support of immigration reform for 2014.  Today marks the 1 year anniversary of the passage of a comprehensive bill with tough provisions that was passed by the U.S. Senate.  However, the Speaker of the House refuses to allow the law to even come to to the floor for a vote, where a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans are ready to support passage.

Senator Bennet has been at the forefront of immigration reform.  He is one of 8 senators who worked out the details of the version of the law that was passed in the Senate.  The senators, known as the "Gang of 8" come from both sides of the aisle and represent a mix of liberal and conservative senators from each party.  Substantial compromise was made on each side to eventually agree on a bill that will provide relief to at least 60% of the undocumented immigrants who are present in the U.S.

The final Senate version contains tough enforcement provisions and provides a difficult route to citizenship for those who qualify.  It is certainly not amnesty, but allows undocumented workers a clear path to citizenship so long as they remain in good standing with the law and follow certain other procedures.  The Obama Administration is currently deporting roughly 450,000 immigrants every year, many who would be helped by the version passed in the Senate.

Most American families are immigrants or descendants of immigrants.  The U.S. has benefited from immigrant ingenuity including the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell and in modern times, the founder of Yahoo and part of the group who founded Google were both immigrants.  One of the requirements under the Senate version of the law is for immigrants to pay a fine which will help reduce the national debt.  Also, the Senate version requires border security as a condition for immigration reform.

Opponents of the bill want to solve immigration on a piece-meal basis.  They want more effort spent on border security before considering a path to citizenship.  However, conservatives who are concerned about the nation's security encourage the passage of the law because it would help identify people who are in the country.

Although main-stream press have whistled immigration reform as a dead duck until President Obama leaves office, advocates continue to encourage a last minute change in positions.  Both Republicans and Democrats stand to gain from the passage of the bill, and each stands to lose if nothing is done.  Republicans signaled they were ready to work towards a solution after heavy losses during the last election.  Voters indicated they were tired of the gridlock and animosity between the parties and wanted law makers to work towards resolution of issues for the benefit of the country.  However, a few conservative law makers have pressured House leadership to refuse to allow the bill to come up for a vote.