Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Immigrant Rights

By Masao Suzuki

San José, CA – On Nov. 19, President Obama stated in an interview at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council that he was willing to go along with the piecemeal approach to immigration reform advocated by Republicans in the House of Representatives. Obama said that he wanted all the parts put forward by the Senate bill, which include legalization, more militarization of the border, expansion of temporary worker programs, expansion of workplace enforcement and shifting legal immigration from family reunification to employment and education-based visas to meet the needs of business.

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By Gage Lacharite

Student Government Senate meeting at USF

Tampa, FL – The Student Government Senate at the University of South Florida (USF) passed a resolution supporting in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant students from Florida, Nov. 12. Out-of-state tuition is three times more than in-state tuition. Currently, undocumented immigrant students who graduate from Florida high schools have to pay the higher, out-of-state tuition.

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By staff

Chrisley Carpio of UF SDS addressing students in front of Tigert Hall

Gainesville, FL – On Oct. 17, student activists at the University of Florida (UF) officially launched their tuition equity campaign by having a demonstration at Tigert Hall, the University of Florida’s administration building. Around 40 students gathered in front of Tigert Hall to demand in-state tuition for undocumented students who have graduated from Florida high schools. The delegation made speeches calling for the university to implement DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals process) at UF and live up to its claim of being a flagship university and open the door to undocumented students.

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By Fight Back! Editors

Obama: Issue a deferred action for all undocumented now!

In the first four years of the Obama administration, there were as many deportations of undocumented immigrants as in the eight years of Bush. Deportations under Obama are now on track to hit 2 million by the end of this year.

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By staff

Poster for speaking event with Carlos Montes

Milwaukee, WI – The immigrant rights group Youth Empowered in the Struggle at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is finishing preparations on campus to host veteran Chicano activist Carlos Montes, who will be speaking here on Oct. 11.

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By Brad Sigal

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Minneapolis, MN – With chants of “Si se puede!” (yes we can!) and “Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha!” (Obama, listen, we’re in the struggle!), 3000 people marched through Minneapolis for immigrant rights on Oct. 5, a national day of action for immigrant dignity and respect. This was the largest march for immigrant rights in Minneapolis in several years. The protest began at Basilica of St. Mary Church then marched through downtown Minneapolis to Hennepin County Government Plaza (also known as People’s Plaza).

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By Legalization For All (L4A)

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Legalization For All (L4A) network

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By B.J. Murphy

Rural Moral Monday protest in Yadkinville, NC

Yadkinville, NC – About 60 people came together here, Sept. 23, to participate in the 19th installment of Moral Mondays – the offshoot Rural Moral Monday – speaking out against the Republican-controlled General Assembly and their anti-peoples policies.

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By staff

Crowd in front of Rubio's office demands Immigrant rights.

Tampa, FL – 25 people gathered outside of Florida Senator Marco Rubio's office on Sept. 7 to demand legalization for all and equality for undocumented immigrants. The protest included Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society, Occupy Tampa, the Farm-worker Association of Florida and Raíces en Tampa. Held at Rubio's Tampa office located on the University of South Florida's campus, activists marched and united in chants like, “Rubio! Escucha! Estamos en la lucha!”

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By Tom Burke

Grand Rapids protest for immigrant rights.

Grand Rapids, MI – More than 200 immigrants and their supporters marched for immigrant rights on Aug. 24. Mexican, Central American and Caribbean groups and families united in Lincoln Park on the Northwest side of Grand Rapids at noon. Leaders from religious, union and community groups spoke and then led a march through the neighborhood to protest outside the Republican Party headquarters. After chanting and singing, the protesters marched the mile back to the park for a cookout and party.

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By B.J. Murphy

Uriel Alberto

Charlotte, NC – On July 17, the day of Uriel Alberto’s scheduled meeting with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and likely deportation, Alberto received a phone call and was told his order of ‘Stay of Removal’ had been approved.

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By B.J. Murphy

Uriel Alberto is on hunger strike to fight his pending deportation.

Charlotte, NC – On July 4, father and head of household Uriel Alberto sat in front of Immigration and Customs Enforcement office here to partake in a hunger strike against his scheduled deportation on July 17. The hunger strike was temporarily suspended for him to join his family and friends in Winston-Salem who demonstrated against his deportation, but will return to Charlotte on July 8 to continue his hunger strike.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following June 28 statement from Legalization For All (L4A) on immigration reform.

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By staff

Los Angeles, CA – As the U.S. Senate has begun debating the immigration reform bill, on June 20 the Legalization for All Network is organizing a national call-in day to demand that senators make the immigration reform bill better. There are many parts of the bill that increase militarization of the border. Meanwhile, the legalization aspect of the bill would leave too many immigrants out and needs to be expanded.

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By Jared Hamil

Tallahassee, FL – On June 4, Florida Governor Rick Scott vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented youth covered by DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) to have driver's licenses. House Bill 235 or the Dream Act Driver License Act would have made it so that young undocumented DACA recipients could apply for a Florida state driver’s license. The bill was passed unanimously by the Florida Senate and won in the House by a 115 to 2 vote. At the last minute, after it had already passed, Scott used his veto powers to shut down the bill.

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By Jared Hamil

Marisol Marquez of Dream Defenders speaks on legalization for all.

Tampa, FL – Protesters gathered in front of Senator Marco Rubio’s Tampa office May 31 to criticize the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill currently being debated in the U.S. Senate and to demand, “Legalization for all!”

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By Dave Schneider

Bertha Hernandez, with daughter on her lap, reunited with her family after being

PHOENIX, AZ – At midnight on May 31, Emilio Hernandez heard a knock on the front door. With the rest of his family sound asleep, he walked to the door and opened it. He couldn’t believe what he saw. There standing in the doorway was his wife, Bertha Hernandez.

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By staff

Milwaukee immigrant rights activists protesting outside Senator Ron Johnson’s of

Milwaukee, WI – On May 30, activists from Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) and Voces de la Frontera organized a rally of 200-plus outside the Federal Court House in downtown Milwaukee. Inside, Senator Ron Johnson met with delegates from Milwaukee’s Mexican and Latino community to discuss his position on immigration reform.

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By staff

Protesters at Senator Feinstein’s L.A. office, including Chicano leader Carlos M

Los Angeles, CA – On May 29, members and supporters of the Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC) held a picket and protest in front of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Los Angeles office. SCIC opposes major elements of the current U.S. Senate immigration proposal. They presented the following demands to Sen. Feinstein:

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By staff

Bertha Hernandez's children lead protest to "Bring Mom home, free Bertha now."

Phoenix, AZ – Thunderous voices of more than 120 people echoed through Phoenix on May 29 as protesters marched to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, demanding the release of Bertha Hernandez and an end to deportations of undocumented immigrants. Students, counselors and teachers from Carl Hayden High School joined immigrant rights activists in the streets to protest the detention of Hernandez and other immigrants.

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