February 4, 2010
A Bitter Guest Worker Story
Editorial, The New York Times
A federal agency appears to have collaborated in an effort to silence foreign workers who claimed they were lured here under false pretenses and abused by the company they worked for. The role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - reported in The Times by Julia Preston - is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.
February 2, 2010
Suit Points to Guest Worker Program Flaws
by Julia Preston, The New York Times
Immigration authorities worked closely with a marine oil-rig company in Mississippi to discourage protests by temporary guest workers from India over their job conditions, including advising managers to send some workers back to India, according to new testimony in a federal lawsuit against the company, Signal International.
The cooperation between the company and federal immigration agents is recounted in sworn depositions by Signal managers who were involved when tensions in its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., erupted into a public clash in March 2007.
February 3, 2010
ICE and Big Business: Too Close for Comfort
by Marielena Hincapié, The Huffington Post
Today, workers, along with immigrant and civil rights advocates, exposed evidence of a disturbing and dangerous attack on workers’ rights by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Testimony in the case David et al. v. Signal et al. has revealed that high level executives of defense contractor Signal International worked closely with ICE and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to quash organizing efforts by courageous workers from India who were allegedly caught in a human trafficking ring.
The case should be alarming to all workers, because an attack on the rights of any group of workers puts all workers’ rights at risk.
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Through My Eyes: Louisiana’s First Independent Evacuation Shelter Monitoring Report
Evacuation can never be effective, humane or legal without prioritizing community community input and decision making in evacuation planning, preparation, and implementation. This grassroots monitoring report is one step towards building adequate transparency and accountability into Louisiana’s emergency preparedness and response.
The purpose of this report is to provide families of Southeast Louisiana with a comprehensive and honest assessment of Louisiana’s evacuation plan and sheltering readiness prior to a mandatory evacuation. The information comes from community assessors - 90% were former evacuees in state run shelters during the 2008 mandatory Gustav evacuation.
STAND’s specific priorities were: (1) to determine the readiness of the State of Louisiana’s 2009 Evacuation and Sheltering Plan: (2) to assess the humanitarian standards in place at ‘State-run’ Critical Transportation Needs Shelters (CTNS) and Medical Special Needs Shelters; and (3) to evaluate the state’s shelter management and organization.
To download the full report, click here.
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DETENTION CONDITIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Immigrant Detainees Report From Basile, Louisiana
IN THE LAST MONTH, OVER 100 IMMIGRANT DETAINEES HAVE ACTED AS HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORS IN THE PRIVATELY-RUN IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER IN BASILE, LOUISIANA. THEY HAVE REPORTED EGREGIOUS VIOLATIONS TO JAIL STAFF, IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS, AND ADVOCATES.
ON THE DAY THAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DECIDED TO REJECT A FEDERAL COURT PETITION CALLING FOR LEGALLY ENFORCEABLE DETENTION STANDARDS, DETAINEES IN BASILE, LOUISIANA DECLARED A HUNGER STRIKE, PROTESTING INHUMANE CONDITIONS.
THIS REPORT COMPILES THE ACCOUNTS OF DETAINEE HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORS, REVEALING THAT THE FACILITY FALLS BELOW ICE’S OWN STANDARDS - AND ALL STANDARDS OF HUMAN DECENCY.
Compiled by the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice
based on the reports of over 100 detainee human rights monitors.
Click here to download full report
