Grantee Report Documents Civil Rights Abuses in Immigration Policing

Saturday, December 18th is International Migrants Day -- a time when communities and nations pause to celebrate the rights of the more than 185 million people worldwide who live outside of their countries of origin as migrants or refugees. But according to a report newly released by Ms. Foundation grantee the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, we here in the United States have precious little to celebrate these days when it comes to our treatment of migrants and our respect for their rights.

The NNIRR report, Injustice for All: The Rise of the Immigration Policing Regime [pdf], argues that in the past decade, the US government has built a "brutal system of immigration control and policing that criminalizes immigration status, normalizes the forcible separation of families, destabilizes communities and workplaces, and fuels widespread civil rights violations." Furthermore, the report's authors point out, the system encourages "racial discrimination and hate violence against immigrants" -- as well as against individuals perceived to be foreign born or "illegal."

Read more »

Arizona Governor Signs Racist, Anti-Immigrant Legislation - Join the Grassroots Response

Last Friday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the horrific anti-immigrant bill SB 1070 into law, explicitly condoning racial profiling and the criminalization of undocumented immigrants. We're appalled.

Governor Brewer may have signed the bill for her own political gain, but SB 1070 supporters have undoubtedly been capitalizing on and feeding a broader climate of fear and intolerance encouraged by the likes of Fox News and the Tea Party movement (see our upcoming conference call on May 11, "The Right-Wing Backlash"), hoping to inspire similar legislation in other states and stymie federal reform. As we wrote last week, the potential consequences are vast: "This bill wouldn't just undermine the rights of communities of color and immigrants in Arizona, but nationwide."

Grassroots organizations across the country are mobilizing to fight back. Ms. Foundation grantee, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), has posted four actions to take a stand for justice and human rights. NNIRR will also host a telephone briefing on Wednesday 28 April with more analysis and next steps. [Update: Call canceled; more to follow.] NNIRR will be issuing further statements and alerts for national action. Details will be posted here.

We cannot permit the strong-arm tactics of this law to hijack the immigration debate. Last Friday, President Obama himself criticized the bill, saying it would "undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe."

So join the conversation. Help organize a strong response to Arizona's alarming legislation and promote just immigration reform on a national scale.

Photo: by Elizabeth Rappaport. (detail) Immigration Reform March in Washington, DC, 21 March 2010.