Actualité - US: Immigrants Go Home

Washington, Jul 7 (Prensa Latina) US Federal bureaucracy encouraged thousands of highly skilled workers to apply for green cards (right to live and work in the United States) to snatch the opportunity away, denounces The New York Times on Saturday.

The tease came in a bulletin issued by the State Department in June announcing that green cards for a wide range of skilled workers would be available to those who filed by July 2.

That prompted many of whom have lived in the US with their families for years, to assemble little mountains of paper. They got certified records and sponsorship documents, paid for medical exams and lawyers and sent their applications in. Many canceled vacations to be in the United States when their applications arrived, as the law requires.

The State Department had issued the bulletin to prod Citizenship and Immigration Services, the bureaucracy that handles immigration applications.

The agency is notorious for fainting over paperwork - 182,694 green cards have been squandered since 2000 because it did not process them in time, says the newspaper s editorial.

That bureaucratic travesty is a tragedy, since the annual supply of green cards is capped by law, and the demand chronically outstrips supply. The State Department said it put out the bulletin to ensure that every available green card would be used this time.

The NYT concludes that collapse of immigration reform in the Senate showed the world what America thinks of illegal immigrants - it wants them all to go away. But the federal government, through bureaucratic malpractice, is sending the same message to millions of legal immigrants, too.

(Prensa Latina News Agency)

Actualité - How "Law and Order" Covers for Bigotry in the Immigration Debate

37 Percent of Those Arrested in Raids were not Wanted Fugitives!

Central to the debate on immigration has been the appeal to law and order. But behind all the propaganda about respect for the law the core of the anti-immigration movement is about bigotry. Not surprisingly, the laws they appeal to are, in word and practice, unjust and barbaric.

We have heard that we should make a distinction between immigrants on the one hand and illegal aliens on the other. This is a way for the anti-immigration lobby to claim they are not racist or even xenophobic. They simply believe in obeying the law. But forget about the law for a moment. There is no reason why the millions of people who have moved here from Latin America in the last twenty years should be deported or criminalized. No one is being harmed by their presence, and there is strong evidence that we are all benefiting from this influx. So why is it so important to enforce these laws? After all, people violate genuinely serious laws all the time--citizens even. Driving while intoxicated, insider trading, corporate fraud, violating clean air laws are all much bigger problems. So why focus on immigration unless out of ignorance or hate? The truth is, just as with the bigots of the past who disguised their hatred with the rhetoric of "law and order" when the law was apartheid in South Africa or "black codes" in the American South, the core of the anti-immigration movement today is about hate.

We can see this clearly with the conduct of the raids that have swept up thousands of people across the country in recent months. The federal agency under Homeland Security called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is following the lead of the anti-immigrant activists. It is the agency responsible for incarcerating children and tearing apart families. ICE defends these huge sweeps of so many non-violent people, reminiscent of the internment of the Japanese during World War II, again with appeals to "law and order." Operation Return to Sender, we are told, is not about deporting just anyone; it is about looking for the worst violators of the law; the immigrants who may actually be a burden on our communities, maybe even a danger to our communities. ICE calls them "immigration fugitives"--a nice official-sounding pejorative to add to the collection: "illegals," "aliens," "wetbacks."

Despite these claims, 37% of the 18,149 people arrested nationwide through Feb. 23 were not wanted fugitives; that number is closer to 45% in the San Francisco Bay Area; and more than half of those arrested in the San Diego region were not these fugitives ICE claims to be after. Even the "fugitives" themselves are rarely people charged with any violent or deleterious crimes.

On the one hand ICE officials claim they can't ignore people they happen to find who are in violation of immigration law, but on the other hand they defend their right to interrogate anyone at a home where they believe a fugitive might be. In the San Francisco Chronicle last week an ICE spokesperson explained, "If agents are going to the home of a target they believe is in the country illegally, they could reasonably suspect that others in the house might be here illegally as well." So it isn't as if they are just stumbling upon law violators; they are using their warrants as a pretext for broad sweeps at homes, workplaces and apartment complexes. ICE ­ as is common with law enforcement ­ is also racially profiling. There are not raids on Irish immigrants or Canadian immigrants; The overwhelming focus is on people with brown skin (just as the debate over border security is focused on our southern border).

To be blunt, ICE is using its power as enforcer of unjust immigration laws to terrorize communities of color. They have specifically raided homes before dawn and have reportedly had automatic weapons with them at some of these raids. They have moved people to far-away detention facilities within hours of arrest (such as to Texas from Massachusetts), and have intimidated and misled people into signing away their rights. They are doing all this while simultaneously claiming that they are merely enforcing the law and that immigrants have due process. Nonsense. They are in fact doing whatever they can to deny people their rights and, again, terrorize these communities.

Behind all the rhetoric about enforcing the law and respect for the law is a lot of ugliness. The immigration law as it stands is oppressive and the proposals in Congress are as well. They all presume that immigrants are a burden on our country and that we ought to have laws that spend billions of our tax dollars to build walls, add law enforcement, greatly restrict the rights of non-citizens, maintain unnecessary restrictions on citizenship and create a system of indentured servitude. Those of us who believe in human rights and human dignity must not be sucked into a debate on law and order. We should make clear that the law is unjust and defend those who are the targets of unnecessary, racist and inhumane enforcement.

(CounterPunch, par Carlos Villareal)

Actualité - Hundreds of thousands march across US for immigrant rights

Hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers and their supporters took part in marches and protests in Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and other major cities across the United States on May 1 to protest the growing number of raids and deportations and to press for basic democratic rights. The actions included demonstrations, consumer boycotts and school walkouts.

This year’s protests were smaller than a similar immigrant “boycott” that took place last May Day in which millions of workers participated. This was due in part to stepped-up harassment and intimidation of immigrant workers by federal authorities. Also, in 2006, masses of people were spurred to action by a piece of legislation in Congress that would have turned undocumented immigrants—as well as anyone who rendered them assistance—into criminals.
In the past year, the US government deported 221,664 undocumented workers, 37,000 more than the previous year, an increase of 20 percent.

In a crackdown called Operation Return to Sender, US immigration officials have arrested more than 23,000 people nationwide. While supposedly targeting felons, most of those caught up in the sweeps have no criminal records. Immigration officers have not only targeted workplaces, but they have raided private homes without warrants and even rounded up people off the streets. In Chicago, immigration police with assault rifles reportedly closed off a mall parking lot in a Latino neighborhood and began asking everyone for papers, hauling off those without proper documents.

In many cases, the deportations have resulted in the splitting of families, with US-born children separated from their parents. The raids have been so provocative that local officials in a number of cities have issued protests.

The escalating repression is aimed at terrorizing immigrants, who are being scapegoated for the falling living standards and job insecurity facing millions of working people. At the same time, while seeking to channel anger over the failures of the profit system into anti-immigrant sentiments, the dominant sections of big business want to ensure continued access to the cheap supply of labor provided by undocumented workers.

A conflict between those right-wing Republicans in Congress who favor the mass roundup and deportation of undocumented immigrants and the Bush administration, which favors a slightly less draconian approach, has prevented the enactment of new legislation for the past year.

The legislation supported by Bush is harshly punitive. It calls for increasing the number of immigration police and requiring undocumented workers seeking permanent residency to endure long waiting periods and pay hefty fines. The guest workers program contained in the bill endorsed by Bush recalls the infamous Bracero program. It is designed to put workers completely at the mercy of corporate employers while stripping them of the few rights they currently enjoy.

As part of its crackdown on immigration, the government is contracting for the building of privately run detention centers along the US-Mexican border.

The liberal and church groups sponsoring the May 1 protests have sought to orient their protests to pressuring the Democratic Party, depicting the dispute in Congress over immigration as that between reform and anti-reform factions. In fact, the Democrats and Republicans are united in their hostility to granting basic democratic rights to immigrant workers.

Typical is the position of Senator Hillary Clinton. When asked her opinion on granting amnesty to undocumented workers at the recent debate between contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, she replied, “Well, I’m in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, which includes tightening our border security, sanctioning employers of undocumented immigrants, helping our communities deal with the costs that come from illegal immigration.... After 9/11 we’ve got to know who’s in this country. And then give them a chance to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English and stand in line to be eligible for a legal status in this country.”

Among the tens of thousands who joined the march through downtown Los Angeles were many young people, including students from Roosevelt High and Wilson High Schools in East Los Angeles as well a large number of workers.

Quiroz, an immigrant construction worker who has won legal status in the US, told the World Socialist Web Site, “When I compare my own experience with recent immigrants, it is like night and day. Immigrants today live in fear; they can be taken at any time. When they try to find work, they have to produce documents. Everyone hopes for an amnesty. There is a rumor that if there is a guest worker program like Bush wants, there will be a $10,000 fee for immigrants to become legal. That will be beyond the reach of most immigrants. “It does not make sense for workers to be divided on this issue. Immigrant and US workers work in the same jobs, shoulder to shoulder.”

Jessica, a 20-year-old garment worker, told the WSWS, “I am angry because I think that the government must stop threatening people and carrying out raids in factories or against immigrants, like the one in that Chicago shopping center a few days ago. People live in fear, and are often afraid to leave their homes to go shopping and to go to school.”

Leyla and Claudio, who came to the United States 20 years ago, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador, also marched. “We saw terrible things and fled our country with little more than our lives,” said Claudio. “I reject the demand for guest workers; there must be a generalized legalization.”

Leyla added, “Conditions for immigrants are scandalous. Like us, many immigrants are part of the so-called informal economy because getting a job is difficult. We peddle things in the street. Undocumented immigrants suffer a lot of unemployment.”

Francisco, a young construction worker who has been in the US for 11 years, told the WSWS “, There has been an increase in raids, in Ontario, in Orange County and in the fields. That has to stop. People are afraid that they will be separated from their families. My deepest hope is that all immigrants will be legalized. However, I don’t think that this will happen; we have a long struggle ahead.

“I came from Guatemala. There are few jobs, and many people are forced to come to the United States. It is an arduous trip that can take weeks, months sometimes. More and more, the Mexican police tries to interfere with the immigrants from Central America.”

Concepción, 55, is a garment worker and a Mexican Indian from Veracruz Province. She told the WSWS that her cousin is being deported in three weeks. “She has a 14-year-old son who was born here,” she said. “She pleaded with the immigration people to let her stay. It was no use. Her son had broken his leg, and ICE allowed her to stay until the cast came off. Now they told her she has to leave because her child can get therapy in Mexico.

“If people get deported, there will be more families split up. The children will suffer most. I came from Mexico 20 years ago and became a garment worker. It is hard in the factories because the boss is constantly trying to cut costs by firing the workers with seniority and hiring new sewing machine operators at a lower wage, below minimum wage. Workers do not get more for working overtime. A lot of us become independent. We pick up cloth and sew it at home. I make tablecloths. “

Thousands also joined a march in Detroit that began in Patton Park. Among them was Carlos, who told the WSWS, “If you look at it, every person in this country is from another country, except the Native Americans. If it is not you, it is your parents or your grandparents. I don’t understand why some people are not for the immigrants in this country. It is bad. Families are being separated from each other. There is a family in San Diego with three children, all under 18 years old, and their mother and father were deported and sent to Mexico. I think the children were 16, 13 and 10. It reminds me of the time they took the Cuban boy and would not return him to his father. These people, say they are for families and rights, but there they did not care for the family at all.”

Patricia Palmino, also on the Detroit march, condemned the growing deportations of immigrants. “These are workers who are here to work, not to take someone’s job. They are here just to make a better life. You know that many of the Mexican workers work very hard and they do jobs other people do not want to do. Yet they receive much less money. Now, there is a new policy that if you are an undocumented, you can’t go to university. I believe you should have the right to go.

“I have a sister-in-law who has a son that did not have a Social Security number. He was only nine years old and needed to go to school, but they would not let him in the school. Hs dad went to the Mexican consul and did all kinds of things, and finally they got him a PIN number. A nine-year-old kid should be in school, whether they have a PIN number or not. The children are our future.”

Mindy Melete Lares, who is Puerto Rican, said she came to the march in Detroit to support immigrant rights. “I am opposed to what this government is doing. Bush, I think he is a direct descendent of the Nazis. He doesn’t care. I came here 50 years ago. When I came, they were looking for more workers and brought immigrants into the country. Now, look at how they treat immigrants.”

Ramon Antonio, who came to the march with his young daughter, told the WSWS, “I work two jobs to make ends meet. I am doing this for my kids. There is nothing in Mexico for decent jobs. That’s why we are here.”

George and Carlos are middle-school students who attended the march and rally. Both of them said most of their friends did not go to school today in order to attend the rally.

George said, “I think it is not right to send all the immigrants back. I believe they should have rights just like everyone here. They work and pay taxes like everyone. I think they should be treated the same.

Carlos agreed: “I think we should have the right to stay. I have been here since I was nine years old.”

One of the largest demonstrations in the country took place in Chicago, where hundreds of thousands marched through downtown to Grant Park.

Abundio Ramirez, a practicing immigration lawyer in Chicago for the last four years, said that he had joined the march to support his clients.

“They’re not here for amnesty,” he said. “There’s a lot of anger about IRAIRA [Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996], which brought reinstatement and a 10-year permanent bar. This destroys families. There’s a build-up of anger and frustration, and they are here to change policy. It’s like Prohibition in the 1920s. The moment they allowed alcohol to be sold and bought, it stopped the breaking of that law. The same can go for immigration.”

(World Socialist Web Site)

Actualité - Chavez: Europe and US Should Repent Slavery

Franc-Parler reproduit un article de Granma rapportant les propos du président vénézuélien Hugo Chavez lors du dernier sommet de l'Unité africaine. Hugo Chavez a faire valoir que l'Europe et les États-Unis devraient réparer les nations victimes de l'esclavage et du colonialisme. Il a aussi appelé les nations africaines à résister aux formes modernes de colonialisme.

Banjul, Gambia, July 2 — Europe and the United States should ask Africa to forgive them for the cruelties of slavery, said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday when addressing a summit of African leaders in Gambia.

Chavez called on the African countries to resist the current form of US colonialism. He noted that both Africa and Latin America were marked by centuries of slavery and colonialism to the benefit of Europe and the United States, reported Reuters.

"Africa is still crying (…) and Europe doesn’t recognize it. Europe should get on its knees and ask for forgiveness," said Chavez, a guest at the African Unity Summit.

Chavez called on the leaders of the 53 African Unity members to strengthen ties with Latin America to fight US imperialism.

"The powerful nations continue to give us orders through the multinational corporations and neoliberal economic policies. If we don’t resist this neo-colonialism we will be squashed," Chavez said.

The Venezuelan leader’s proposals for a Bank of the South to finance projects in the developing countries, as well as a communications media firm to combat the influence of the "fascist" global networks, were well received by the African delegates.

(Granma)

Actualité - 30th Anniversary of the Soweto Uprising

Franc-Parler publie un article à propos de la commémoration du 30e anniversaire de l'insurrection de Soweto contre le régime d'apartheid en Afrique du Sud. L'insureection de Soweto marquait un point tournant dans la lutte historique pour la libération du peuple en Afrique du Sud et pour tous les peuples d'Afrique. C'est l'esprit qui anime toujours les peuples d'Afrique dans la lutte pour la libération, la souveraineté et un autre monde.

Friday, June 16, was the Day of the African Child, celebrated all around Africa. It marked the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprisings, when thousands of children rose up to defy the South African apartheid state forces, and were brutally mowed down. We salute the spirit of the youth in daring to take a stand and shape the direction of their own and their country’s future.

It is now well-recognised that the uprising of the youth, and the martyrdom of many of their number, was a watershed in the history of the struggle in South Africa and in the liberation struggles of the people of Africa. The children on that day in 1976 were not just taking to the streets to protest against the imposition of Afrikaans, the language of their oppressors, but represented the growing consciousness that the African people themselves had to take matters into their own hands. The massacre that ensued and the detentions and imprisonment under the Terrorism Act and subsequent torture aroused the utmost outrage and condemnation from the world’s democratic forces. They were a spur to the people further organising themselves to overthrow the apartheid regime. The letter from Nelson Mandela smuggled out from Robben Island and made public two years later testifies vividly to this fact.

As the speech by the Deputy President of the ANC in Durban on June 16 this year said: "We meet during one of the most important days on the calendar of our country, a day on which we remember and celebrate the determination, heroism and bravery of our youth. Each year when we remember the heroes and heroines, who fell in Soweto on 16 June 1976, we emerge with renewed vigour and a deeper sense of purpose, to achieve all the goals they had in mind when they risked their lives for the freedom of our land.

"We have come a long way since that fateful day, when children stood up against the apartheid security forces and made it clear that they would chart their own future.

"On such a day we recall and appreciate that the freedoms we now enjoy did not come about through some goodness of the hearts of the oppressor, but the blood, sweat, tears and supreme sacrifice of our people. We are today drawing strength from the life of Hector Peterson and all the children and youth who lie buried throughout our country, as young soldiers and innocent victims who fell in the struggle for the liberation of our country."

He went on to quote, as did Thabo Mbeki, the message issued in exile on August 26, 1976, inspired by the heroism of the youth who stood against the brutal massacre and defied police bullets in a sustained offensive against oppression, exploitation and racial humiliation, for political and economic power and for human dignity: "Demonstrations and acts of resistance in Soweto and other parts of the country are, therefore, not riots by anti-social elements but blows for liberation by an oppressed people. They are not passing disturbances by adventurous and misguided students but an integral part of the continuing and irrepressible liberation struggle of our people. Our youth have raised this struggle to new heights. They have enriched our revolution. The struggle continues.''

This is the spirit that inspires the African peoples today in their present struggle against the relations of exploitation which the US and Britain, under the banner of the G8 and of a "humanitarian" and "civilising" mission, seek to impose and perpetuate on the continent of Africa. It cannot be forgotten that the British government backed to the hilt the South African white racist regime, and a principled stand of the British government today would be to denounce the crimes of racism, colonialism and slavery for which Britain was responsible and agree to pay reparations for these crimes against the African peoples. Where there is a will there is a way!

The youth of today also are moved by and find inspiration in the fight for freedom of the June 16 youth and their martyrs. They too pledge to build a bright future for themselves and for all future generations.

(Workers' Daily Internet Edition)

Actualité - Remembering How Socialism Defeated Fascism

Franc-Parler publie un article du quotidien cubain Granma à l'ocassion du 50e anniversaire de l'invasion de l'Union Soviétique par l'Allemagne nazie. La glorieuse lutte de libération contre le fascisme à laquelle l'Union Soviétique fût en première ligne des combats pour défaire le nazisme est un évènement historique pour tous les peuples du monde.

In the early morning of June 22, 1941, when the fascists practically dominated Europe, with all the economic resources and technology of the countries conquered, they began their cowardly and treacherous attack on the Soviet Union.

Hitler’s armies were used to fighting against reactionary regimes and their bourgeois forces. On attacking the Soviet Union, for the first time they came up against a different type of army with a different type of solider and a people with a different motivation. From the beginning they met with a fierce resistance.

In the end, the most sinister enemy of humanity –Nazi fascism-- was stopped at the cost of 20 million Soviet lives, lost for the noble goals of justice, security and peace.

Hitler and his generals had believed they would build a thousand-year empire on the ruins of the Soviet Union. But in less than four years a different picture was painted, illustrated by this picture of the victorious red flag flying over the German Reichstag.

(Granma - 22 June 2006)