DeStefano to testify about ICE raid effects

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/24211

Aaron Bray
Staff Reporter
Published Friday, April 4, 2008


Mayor John DeStefano Jr. will testify before a national immigration misconduct commission in Boston on Monday to speak on his experiences from last summer’s immigration raids in Fair Haven, which provoked an outcry from Latino leaders and supportive community members.

The hearings will examine the personal, community and economic repercussions of immigration raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, as well as what the union suggests are infringements of its workers’ rights. But officials from ICE — who have refused to make an appearance in Boston — said the hearings are illegitimate and the arguments against the agency are misleading, if not outright falsehoods.

DeStefano’s role stems from last year’s June 6 raids by the Department of Homeland Security, when ICE agents arrested 32 undocumented immigrants during a series of raids in the predominantly Hispanic Fair Haven neighborhood. Just two days prior to the raids, New Haven aldermen had approved the Elm City Resident Card program, which made the city the first in the nation to offer identification regardless of immigration status. City Hall officials said they believed there might be some connection between the two based on internal e-mails released by the ICE — a claim the Department of Homeland Security flatly denies.


Grant Smith/Staff Photographer
Mayor John DeStefano Jr., pictured here on election day last year, will speak on last summer’s immigration raids in Boston on Monday.


City Hall spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said the mayor will discuss the impact of the raids in Fair Haven based on his discussion with community members directly affected by them.

“He’ll pull some quotes that are important to him,” Mayorga said. “He is going to be talking about the effect of the ICE raids on families and communities.”

Three panels throughout the day will include a range of business leaders and professionals, along with individuals who were present during various raids around the country, said Scott Frotman, spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers.

FULL story at link.