NAHP to DHS and to President Obama: Cease conducting worksite and residential raids...

Resolución de la Asociación Nacional de Publicaciones Hispanas al DHS a Parar Las Redadas.

Resolución de la Asociación Nacional de Publicaciones Hispanas (NAHP) Respecto a las Redadas y Acciones Ejecutorias del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS)

CONSIDERANDO QUE la Asociación Nacional de Publicaciones Hispanas (NAHP) es una organización que representa a las principales publicaciones en idioma español que sirven a 41 mercados en 39 estados, el Distrito de Columbia y Puerto Rico, con una circulación combinada de más de 23 millones,

CONSIDERANDO QUE nuestra misión incluye servir y capacitar a las comunidades hispanas,

CONSIDERANDO QUE creemos contundentemente que las redadas de inmigración no resolverán el problema de la inmigración de indocumentados,

CONSIDERANDO QUE la NAHP ha exhortado al Congreso a promulgar una reforma amplia de inmigración que ofrezca un camino a la ciudadanía para aproximadamente 12 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados forzados a vivir en la sombra,

CONSIDERANDO QUE las redadas y otras acciones ejecutorias del DHS provocan la separación de niños ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos y sus familias,

CONSIDERANDO QUE las acciones ejecutorias del DHS violan frecuentemente los derechos de las enmiendas Cuarta y Quinta de la Constitución de los Estados Unidos,

SE DETERMINA QUE LA ASOCIACION NACIONAL DE PUBLICACIONES HISPANAS (NAHP) exhorta al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) y a la administración del Presidente Obama a:

Cesar la ejecución de redadas en sitios de trabajo y residenciales,

Concentrar las actividades ejecutorias del DHS en la protección de la población americana, enfocándose en personas que han cometido delitos serios, tráfico de dinero, armas y drogas en ambos lados de la frontera México-americana, y personas perjudiciales, y no en ejecutar acciones que separen familias,

Eliminar el programa de Operaciones Fugitivas, que ya no cumple con el objetivo inicial de aprehender delincuentes,

Realizar todas sus acciones ejecutorias de manera que los agentes solamente aprehendan a los objetivos de sus investigaciones y cesen los “arrestos colaterales”,

Eliminar las cuotas de arrestos de los agentes, que han originado violaciones a los derechos legales de la población,

Acreditar a los agentes únicamente por el número de aprehensiones de los objetivos de las acciones, y no acreditarlos por el número de arrestos colaterales, Y,

Apoyar los esfuerzos para reducir verdaderamente la cantidad de inmigración de indocumentados mediante la promulgación de una reforma amplia de inmigración.

Que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) elimine las redadas en lugares de trabajo y residenciales.

Historial de la Asociación Nacional de Publicaciones Hispanas (NAHP). La NAHP fue fundada en 1982 para promover las publicaciones en idioma español, el medio más efectivo para llegar a la creciente comunidad hispana. La afiliación está disponible para periódicos y revistas en idioma español y de propiedad hispana.

Geográficamente, los miembros de la NAHP abarcan todo el país, concentrándose en áreas de población hispana considerable. Los miembros de la NAHP producen anualmente más de 15 billones de páginas de información. NUESTRA MISION: En aras de la excelencia, reconocimiento y uso de las publicaciones hispanas, proveemos acceso a las oportunidades de desarrollo professional para servir más apropiadamente y capacitar a las comunidades hispanas.

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Resolution of The National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) on Raids and Enforcement Actions of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

WHEREAS the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) is a organization representing the leading Spanish language publications serving 41 markets in 39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, with a combined circulation of over 23 million,

WHEREAS our mission includes serving and empowering the Hispanic communities,

WHEREAS we strongly believe that immigration raids will not solve the problem of undocumented immigration,

WHEREAS NAHP has urged Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform that offers a path to citizenship to the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants forced to live in the shadows,

WHEREAS raids and other DHS enforcement actions result in separating United States citizen children from their families,

WHEREAS DHS enforcement actions often violate persons' fourth and fifth amendment rights under the United States Constitution,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC PUBLICATIONS (NAHP) urges the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the administration of President Obama to:

Cease conducting worksite and residential raids,

Concentrate DHS enforcement activity to protect the American people, by focusing on persons who have committed serious crimes, the trafficking of money, arms, and drugs on both sides of the Mexican-United States border, and persons who would do us harm, and not conduct actions that separate families,

End the Fugitive Operations program which no longer is accomplishing its initial goal of apprehending criminals,

Conduct all its enforcement actions in a manner in which agents only apprehend the target of the investigations and cease to make “collateral arrests”,

Eliminate arrest quotas for agents, which have resulted in violations of people's legal rights,

Credit agents only for the number of apprehensions of the targets of the action, and not crediting them with the numbers of collateral arrests, AND,

Support efforts to truly reduce the number of undocumented immigrations by enacting comprehensive immigration reform.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end worksite and residential raids,

Background on the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP. NAHP was founded in 1982 to promote Spanish language publications, the most effective medium to reach the fast growing Hispanic community. Membership is open to Spanish language and Hispanic owned newspapers and magazines.

Geographically, NAHP members span the country, with a concentration in areas of large Hispanic populations. NAHP members produce over 15 billion pages of information annually. OUR MISSION: We further the excellence, recognition and usage of Hispanic publications by providing access to professional development opportunities to better serve and empower our Hispanic communities.

CCA No. 1 in Immigration Detention Contracts

SOURCE:

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT 2008

The nation's largest private prison company has partnered with the federal government to detain close to 1 million undocumented people in the past 5 years until they are deported. In the process, Corrections Corporation of America has made record profits. Critics suggest the CCA cuts corners on its detention contracts in order to increase its revenue at expense of humane conditions. Thanks to political connections and lobby spending, it dominates the industry of immigrant detention. CCA now has close to 10,000 new beds under development in anticipation of continued demand.

RELATED: OPERATION ENDGAME

DETENTION

Private detention centers – most of which are operated by CCA – are key to the federal government’s goal of “ensuring the departure from the United States of all removable aliens,” which are estimated to total about 12 million.

Houston, TX - In a business park aptly named Export Plaza, Corrections Corporation of America runs a complex of concrete buildings surrounded by razor wire. It’s here where immigrants, like Sergia Santibanez, are locked up until they agree to leave the country.

“When you first get there, they tell you you’re nobody,” said Santibanez, who spent 16 months there. She still breaks into tears whenever she recalls the experience.

In 2005, the mother of three U.S.-born children was giving several people a ride outside of Austin, where she had been living as legal resident since the 1980s. She got into an accident, and when the police came, she was arrested and eventually convicted for transporting undocumented immigrants, an aggravated felony that revoked her legal status. She served four months in a federal prison before ending up at CCA’s Houston Processing Center while the court decided whether she should be deported. Read More...

Renee Feltz on Democracy Now! talking about Business of Detention.

PROFITS

The math is simple. More demand for immigrant detention beds, plus more government funding, equals more business for Corrections Corporation of America. Every year since 2003, the company has made record profits.

CCA generated its highest revenue ever in 2006 when ICE doubled its detention beds from 19,500 to 27,500.

The company won contracts to provide about half of these new beds.

“We’ve never seen the wind at our back like it is today,” CCA’s President and Chief Executive Officer, John D. Ferguson said after discussing $1.3 billion in revenue during a May 2006 conference call with investors.

The infusion of detention center contracts marked a high point for the company after it had struggled for several years to expand. In 1999, independent auditors expressed doubt that CCA could even stay in business after the company suffered a net loss of $72 million mainly due to an abundance of empty beds.

That year, CCA spun off its real estate operations, Prison Realty Trust, from its correctional management services in a failed move that required a bailout from well-connected private equity firm, The Blackstone Group. The firm brought in Lehman Brothers and Bank of America to lend $350 million in exchange for four seats on the company’s board and 25 percent of company stock.

Blackstone’s Senior Managing Director, Thomas Saylak, convinced the Wall Street partners that the infusion of capital would allow CCA to “maximize growth prospects. Over time, we believe this new direction will be recognized and rewarded by investors.” Read More...

CONTRACTS

In San Diego, the ACLU lawsuit prompted ICE to move some of the detainees to other detention centers. It also prompted CCA to propose constructing a new facility nearby that would hold four times more detainees. Thus, rather than being penalized for overcrowding, the company may even end up winning a new contract.

San Diego, CA - In 2006, the CCA-run San Diego Correctional Facility was so crowded that three immigrant detainees lived in cells designed for two. So where did the third person sleep?

“They would put what they called a boat, a plastic unit, on the floor in the only floor space available in the room – beneath the toilet,” explained Tom Jawetz, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Prison Project.

The detainees soon became restless from living in cells where they could barely move around. When new detainees were brought in, they nearly broke out into a riot and had to be subdued with teargas. By the time Jawetz filed suit to stop the overcrowding, CCA was housing overflow population in the facility’s day rooms.

Over the years, ACLU has sued CCA for overcrowding and substandard medical treatment. ACLU lawyers say that CCA squeezes profit from immigrant detention contracts by scrimping on the already minimal services it is required to provide. Unlike prison contracts, immigrant detention contracts only provide for housing, food and medical services, not rehabilitation and education services.

CCA makes the most money from facilities that are full or beyond capacity. In San Diego, the ACLU lawsuit prompted Immigration and Customs Enforcement to move some of the detainees to other detention centers. It also prompted CCA to propose constructing a new facility nearby that would hold four times more detainees.

Thus, rather than being penalized for overcrowding, the company may even end up winning a new contract. “We have an existing relationship with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal customers and we want to be able to maintain that relationship,” CCA spokesman, Steve Owen, told the San Diego Union Tribune.

CCA also got away with providing only substandard medical care. At the San Diego facility, conditions were so bad that the Department of Immigration Health Services was forced to take over.

“The DHS concluded CCA’s provision of medical care was deficient and that CCA was attempting to increase its profits by decreasing the medical services to detainees,” said Jawetz. Read More...

CONNECTIONS

CCA plays the game of politics like a pro. After all forty percent of its revenue comes from federal contracts. The company backs key politicians who support an immigration crackdown, and has intensified its lobbying in order to influence those still on the fence.

Washington, D.C. - CCA plays the game of politics like a pro. After all forty percent of its revenue comes from federal contracts.

The company backs key politicians who support an immigration crackdown, and has intensified its lobbying in order to influence those still on the fence. For good measure, it hires former prison and immigration officials to coordinate its federal relations.

When Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on comprehensive immigration reform, CCA backed lawmakers who found common ground on the issue of funding detention. 2007 was the first year CCA’s Political Action Committee, otherwise staunchly Republican, donated $15,000 to the Democratic Congressional and Senatorial Committees, according the Federal Election Commission. However, the company gave twice this amount to the GOP.

The rest of CCA’s political giving went directly to lawmakers who determine detention funding through their positions on the appropriations committee in the House and Senate. In 2008, the committees approved a $2.3 billion budget for ICE detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants, including funds for an additional 4,870 new beds.

More than half the senators backed by CCA’s PAC are on the appropriations committee, and four of them are on the subcommittee on Homeland Security. The company was most generous with the minority ranking member, donating $5,000 each to Thad Cochran (R-MS), and the Senate Minority leader, Mitch McConnell.

In 2006, it gave $1,000 to committee member, Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), who nonetheless remains critical of mass detention based.

“In Orange County, we’ve had electronic monitoring devices and more supervision when we’ve let people out of detention centers, its been a most cost effective way to deal with a certain portion of the population, especially women with children, the elderly, and the ill,” said Sanchez. “I think there are ways we could use appropriate alternatives to keep the costs down and still monitor where people are.”

One CCA-backed appropriations committee member deserves special mention. Former Tennessee governor, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) received $31,200 from 2003-2008 from the Nashville-based company and its employees, spouses and their subsidiaries, according to Federal Election Commission documents. Alexander’s history of supporting CCA includes endorsing its failed bid in 1985 to take over the Tennessee prison system. Read More...

Janet Napolitano at DHS Equals Russell Pearce with Skunk Hair and Shoulder Pads

SOURCE:

By Stephen Lemons in Feathered Bastard

Friday, Jan. 16 2009 @ 10:34AM


What's the difference between neo-Nazi hugger, and forwarder of white supremacist e-mail, state Senator Russell Pearce and Gov. Janet Napolitano on immigration? Well, to judge by this CNN excerpt from Nappy's DHS confirmation hearings yesterday, I'd say, not much. A lot's being made in the national press concerning Napolitano's "shift" in focus, promising to bust employers of illegal aliens for a change. But that doesn't mean she won't be parading illegal immigrants through ICE gauntlets in shackles, as was done in the now infamous Postville, Iowa raid in 2008.

Indeed, when the Napster states that there should be enforcement on "the demand side as well as the supply side," and that what draws Mexican immigrants across the Southern border is "the prospect of a job," she is echoing the constant refrain of state Sen. Pearce, the most notorious of Arizona's nativist politicians. Take this excerpt from a PBS Newshour segment broadcast in June, for which Pearce is interviewed about the new employer sanctions law, which was his baby:

JEFFREY KAYE: One in 10 Arizona workers is believed to be an illegal immigrant, double the national share, so Pearce decided to aim for the magnet: jobs.

RUSSELL PEARCE: Just like Disneyland or any other theme park learned a long time ago, if you want the crowd to go home, you've got to shut down the rides, turn off the lights.

JEFFREY KAYE: Last year, Pearce wrote a controversial law that penalizes employers who hire illegal immigrants.

RUSSELL PEARCE: We passed a good bill, in fact, considered the toughest bill in the nation.

Napolitano signed Pearce's bill into law. And in her U.S. Senate confirmation, she is hardly apologetic about not vetoing this legislation, which has been so harmful to the state's economy.

"I signed the nation's strongest employer sanctions bill when I was governor," she told the Senators, neglecting the fact that she still is governor, "in part because of my belief that you have to get at the employer side as well as the employee side."

So there you go. No concern for the human rights of those coming here for work. No worry over the families torn apart as thugs like Sheriff Joe Arpaio raid candlemaking factories and water parks to arrest people guilty of no more than trying to provide for their familes.

Some Dems have deluded themselves into thinking that Nappy's new role as head of DHS will mean that undocumented migrants will somehow be cut some slack. Don't bet on it, if it's up to the Napster alone. Because on immigration, she stands shoulder pad to shoulder with racist knuckledragger Russell Pearce.

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