Got some bad news just before xmas. Someone close to the family’s probly getting deported. They’re from someplace in Europe. They came here on a tourist visa and overstayed. They brought their kids over without visas, using some kind of papers which aren’t totally up and up, I’m not clear on what the deal is here. They were found out and got convicted (this is a felony, which is absurd). The conviction was for house arrest.
Conviction then I think clicks on some new power for the INS to act. So they’ve been to several hearings etc, thought the felony conviction and house arrest meant this was over. At the last hearing the kids had to be there too. It was supposed to be a regular hearing. Instead they were taken into custody, without any ID or money (which means only being able to call out collect). They were shipped several states away to a detention facility, and are being held under the name of one of the kids, which made them hard to find for several days. Currently the immediate task is to get them out on bond, which might not be able to begin until after New Year’s. At least the Homeland is secured.
Ah, crap, Nate. That really sucks. Hope they’re okay, and can be gotten out of detention.
Comment by az — December 28, 2006 @ 3:05 am
Ditto. Roundups all over - and if you really want to get your blood boiling, watch this.
Comment by s0metim3s — December 28, 2006 @ 5:19 am
Thanks Az, Angela. I think I’ll let the old blood not be on the boil quite so constantly just now, so I’ll view the youtube thing later. Word tonight is that they’re doing pretty well, all things considered. I think they’ve been in just short of two weeks. Once there’s more clarity it’ll be a bit easier, this being in limbo thing is really hard as it feels like it could go on forever. On a related note, closer to where I live there’s been a big immigration raid a while back, local folk are doing solidarity stuff. My IWW branch was raising money, among other things. News story’s here http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?article_1_108
I saw my middle brother over the holidays, for the first time in a while. He works as a welder in a plant with pretty much all undocumented mexicans. Conditions are bad and pay’s low. The boss uses immigration status to keep folks in check, both as a stick and as a carrot - re: the latter, for instance when the INS rolls up they help people hide and they help people get fake social security numbers etc. Nothing new I suppose, but it’s a little more prominent on my mind at the moment.
Comment by Nate — December 28, 2006 @ 6:29 am