Leaders of key immigrant groups to react to introduction of TRUST Act “3.0”


Hours after bill presented in Sacramento, influential LA leaders will urge Gov. Brown to take swift action; 
Passage of bill will be catalyst for national immigration reform

What:  Press conference featuring leaders of major community organizations, hailing the reintroduction of the TRUST Act in Sacramento. 

When:  Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, 3:30 PM

Where:  Headquarters of Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, 634 S. Spring St., Los Angeles

Who: Confirmed Executive Directors include: Pablo Alvarado, National Day Laborer Organizing Network; Vincent Chin, Chinese for Affirmative Action; Thomas Saenz, MALDEF; Reshma Shamasunder, CA Immigrant Policy Center.

Public Forum on Se Communities, ICE Holds, and TRUST ACT

  As Los Angeles and California are set to lead national reform, lessons learned from Chicago and elsewhere   Saturday Event Featuring Cook County Commissioner Garcia, MALDEF President, and  Legal Experts Make Case for Local Policy   What: Loyola Law School Forum: Immigrant Communities, Policing, and Safety When: Saturday, December 1, 2012. 12:00pm – 3:00pm Where: Loyola Law School,…

Day Laborers Offer Help in Rebuilding Efforts After Storm

New York and East Coast Worker Centers & Street Corner Hiring Sites Re-Open to Provide Ready and Reliable Labor 
to Homeowners and Businesses Damaged by Sandy

11.05.2012 – New York City, NY

As New York and much of the East Coast turn to deal with the flooding and damage caused by the super storm, day laborer worker centers and street corner hiring sites have reopened their doors and workers have made themselves available for all repair efforts.

Day laborers served a critical role in the reconstruction of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and are committed to helping rebuild places damaged by the storm, especially the hard-hit New York region.

Homeowners and employers can find the help they need by contacting worker centers in their area listed below or at hireadaylaborer.org

Unprecedented Collaboration Between Georgia Law Enforcement and Federal Immigration Officials Prompts Lawsuit Demanding Transparency

    DHS and ICE violate Freedom of Information Act by failing to respond to six month old request.   Atlanta, GA –  October 24, 2012  Today the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) and the ACLU of Georgia filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The…

Immigrants and Citizens Sue L.A. County for Illegal Detentions

 

“Se Communities” Immigration Holds Lead to Illegally Prolonged Detentions of Tens of Thousands

 

(Los Angeles) – Six people have brought a landmark class-action lawsuit against Sheriff Baca and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) on grounds they are or were illegally detained in the jails and stations of Los Angeles County Jail for days, weeks, or months after they were entitled to be released because they are the subject of “immigration holds.”  Immigration holds, sometimes called “immigration detainers,” are notices issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requesting that an individual in local custody be held pending further action.  Unlike warrants, they are issued without any judicial determination of probable cause, and they are frequently issued in error. 

Day Laborers React to Chief Beck’s announcement on SCOMM reforms in wake of TRUST ACT Veto

 
 
(Los Angeles),  In reaction to Los Angeles Police Chief Beck’s announcement today, Pablo Alvarado, director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and principle sponsor of the TRUST Act,  issued the following statement:
 
“We look forward to working with the Police Chief, the Mayor, the City Council, and the Police Commission to craft a policy that protects Los Angeles from the disruptions caused by the dangerous  Se Communities program.   In 1979, then Police Chief Daryl Gates wisely implemented Special Order 40 to prevent police from being entangled in civil immigration enforcement.   That policy has been undermined by Se Communities, and it is time for Los Angeles to take appropriate action.  

Day Laborers Denounce Governor Brown’s Veto of TRUST Act, Pledge to Continue Fighting President’s Se Communities Mass Deportation Program

Los Angeles – September 29, 2012.In response to Governor Brown’s veto of the TRUST Act (AB 1081), Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement:   “By vetoing the TRUST Act Governor Brown has failed California’s immigrant communities, imperiling civil rights and leaving us all less safe. The President’s…

Rally to Call on Gov. Brown to Protect Civil Rights of Californians and Expand Protections for Long-Excluded Workers


Domestic Workers, Day Laborers, and Supporters Urge Gov. Brown to Sign Two Landmark Bills into Law


Los Angeles – Hundreds of Californians from throughout the state will hold a major rally in Los Angeles September 29, 2012, urging Governor Jerry Brown to sign two measures that would expand basic protections to long-struggling workers and protect Californians from family-shattering deportations. Each proposal would create a national model for powerful, progressive policy.

It is a matter of leadership, vision, and state pride, say supporters of the two bills.  The California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (AB 889 – Ammiano) would end the outdated exclusion of domestic workers from basic labor protections by extending rights such as overtime pay and meal and rest breaks to the caregivers, childcare providers, and housecleaners caring for California’s families and homes. The TRUST Act (AB 1081 – Ammiano) would bring relief to families who fear deportation as a result of the most trivial of arrests, and rebuild confidence in law enforcement. The bill prevents the costly detention of aspiring citizens in local jails for deportation purposes, only allowing immigration “holds” for those charged or convicted of a serious or violent felony. 

“WE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!”

                                                                               For Immediate Release, September 17, 2012

Contact: Nadia Marin-Molina | nadia@ndlon.org |  (516) 984-5755                                                                          Ligia Guallpa |ligia@workersjustice.org | (646) 479-4769                          

 
                “WE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!” 

                   Construction workers marking death of Winston Gillett with Vigil, Call for Action

   

Brooklyn, NY – On Monday, September 24, 2012 at 6PM, the Workers Justice Project (WJP) along with other worker centers will gather in front of 227 Carlton Ave. Fort Greene, Brooklyn to strongly condemn dreadful working conditions and labor exploitation in residential construction sites in and around New York City, where low-income men and women are employed. 

Winston Gillett, 62, was crushed to death after a roof collapsed at one of the townhouses. Gillett was working at the Carlton Mews Townhouse project, which was being built by Professional Grade Construction Corp. However, this year many other workers have also died while being crushed under the weight of thousands of pounds of building materials, being buried alive in a trench, or falling to their death from a scaffold with no harness.

In New York City residential construction, these types of incidents are so common that the contractors, building owners and developers, and the city do not pause for breath before ordering workers to climb back on the scaffolds. They all know that low and sometimes no wages, complete disregard for health and safety protections, and treating workers like they are disposable are part of a regular day’s work in residential construction. Meanwhile, residential construction spending increased to $2.9 billion in 2011 and is expected to climb to $4.8 billion in 2012, benefiting immensely from this exploitation.   

Camilo Hernandez, a member of Workers Justice Project (WJP), feels fortunate to have only cut off part of his on his left hand while working on a roof at a home rather than losing his life like Mr. Gillett. “I know how it feels not to have security on the job and being treated as disposable,” he says. “Our safety is a priority and a responsibility of everyone. We must all work together to take action and bring justice.”  

Join us on Monday, September 24, 2012, 6 p.m. to raise our voices against exploitation in residential construction and to ensure that the deaths of Winston Gillette, Santos Garcia, Adrien Zamora, and many other workers in the construction industry result in real protections for workers in the future.