Update on the Dreamers detained in Nogales

NATIONAL—This is an update from the National Immigrant Youth Alliance on the status of the Dreamers who were detained yesterday at the Nogales Port of Entry:

The Dreamers were taken to Florence Detention Center late last night. They were moved to Eloy Detention Center this morning due to a lack of bed space. They are in high spirits and are making plans to organize inside the detention center. A ninth Dreamer was taken with the group to Eloy; biographical information on the ninth is forthcoming.

We are urging our supporters to call their representatives and ask them to support the Dreamers trying to come home. We have also launched a petition asking the Obama Administration to allow them to home home: http://action.dreamactivist.org/bringthemhome

The ICE Principal Legal Advisor Peter Vincent can be reached for comment at 202.732.5000.

Domestic violence survivors, women leaders rally against deportation program as SF Supes take up new legislation

Background:  For more than three years, the discredited S-Comm deportation program has roiled San Francisco, separating families and creating a chilling effect for witnesses and survivors of crimes who want to work with local law enforcement but fear deportation.

What: Domestic violence survivors, advocates, and their supporters will hold a “Women Against S-Comm” rally and press conference to call for an end to a controversial deportation program which has destroyed trust between local law enforcement and survivors of domestic violence.  

Following the event, anti-domestic violence advocates will deliver public comment before the Board of Supervisors as Supervisor John Avalos introduces a new ordinance to repair S-Comm’s continuing, negative impact on public safety San Francisco. The measure, co-sponsored by eight supervisors, will strengthen community confidence in law enforcement, preserve local resources, and uphold the fundamental principle of due process. The text of the legislation will be unveiled at noon on Tuesday.

A recent University of Illinois at Chicago scientific survey of Latinos in four major cities highlights the growing damage caused by entangling local police and sheriffs with broken federal deportation policies. The study found that 70% of undocumented Latino immigrants are less likely to contact law enforcement authorities if they were victims of a crime– as are over a quarter of US-Born Latinos.

Maria Carolina Morales, Programs Co-Director at Community United Against Violence, stated, “We cannot have immigration enforcement procedures be tied to policing practices that already have high rates of error, especially when responding to domestic violence in the LGBT community."

Juanita Flores, Executive Director of Mujeres Unidas y Activas added: “This program creates a separate punishment for immigrant women surviving domestic violence when they call the police and we cannot stand for that.”

Who:  Supervisor Malia Cohen, one of the women co-sponsors of the new legislation is hosting the event with the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium. Affected domestic violence survivors, anti-domestic violence advocates, city supervisors, and community members will come together to introduce the new Due Process Ordinance, including:

• Sup. Jane Kim
• An immigrant women survivor of domestic violence
• Beverly Upton, Executive Director, SF Domestic Violence Consortium 
• Maria Carolina Morales, programs co-director, Community United Against Violence
• Mamacoatl, a local 'artivist', will open the event with a song and prayer

Date: Tuesday, July 23rd

Time: 12:00pm

Location: Steps of City Hall, on Polk St., San Francisco (between Grove St. and McAllister St./Civic Center Bart) 

Organized by: The San Francisco Immigrant Rights Defense Committee, Domestic Violence Consortium, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, El/La para TransLatinas, San Francisco Women Against Rape and Community United Against Violence

Join us in giving the community support as we stand up for and move forward local immigration reform to protect our immigrant community, especially women and survivors of violence.  

KIQI Radio: Pangea Encourages Community to Seek Consultations with Nonprofit Organizations and Attorneys in order to Avoid Notario Fraud

Pangea immigration attorney, Niloufar Khonsari, was featured on KIQI AM 1010, San Francisco’s Multicultural Radio Station on Thursday, June 11, at 10am.  With Marcos Gutierrez, executive producer and host of radio program “Hecho en California,” Khonsari informed Spanish-speaking immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area about consequences of notario fraud in the context of comprehensive immigration reform. 

Highlighting the importance of receiving consultations from attorneys and nonprofit organizations, Khonsari encouraged immigrants to seek second opinions and provided specific information about the pending immigration reform bill. The interview began with Khonsari distinguishing the term “Notario” as defined in the United States with its meaning in Latin America. Khonsari and Gutierrez concluded with a call-in Q&A session for tuned-in listeners for whom Khonsari explained various legal matters and reiterated that the immigration reform bill is not yet final. 

For more information on Marcos Gutierrez and “Hecho en California” of KIQI, please see: http://www.hechoencalifornia1010.com/.  

PANGEA Joins Immigration Coalition for Pelosi Press Conference, Presenting Recommendations on Asylees and Refugees

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi will hold a press conference on comprehensive immigration reform today at 3:00 p.m. following a roundtable discussion with a coalition of labor, faith, and advocacy groups.  Leader Pelosi will highlight the need for comprehensive immigration reform and give an update on its progress in Washington. 

WHO:  Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi; Putri Siti, Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education (ASPIRE); Olga Miranda, President, SEIU Local 87; Father Richard Smith, San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP)

WHAT:    Press Conference on Immigration Reform

WHEN:    Friday, June 21, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.    

WHERE:  San Francisco Federal Building, 90 7th Street, B-110, Basement Level, San Francisco

PRE-SET: For b-roll of the roundtable, press must be set at 2:30 p.m.

NOTE:      Please allow ample time to proceed though Federal Building security. 

Press must RSVP to evangeline.george@mail.house.gov

Pangea helps Brazilian mother reunite with baby and husband

For Immediate Release

Contacts: Niloufar Khonsari 925.785.8735, nilou@pangealegal.com

               Rev. Deborah Lee 415.297.8222, rev.deb.lee@gmail.com

Groups celebrate release of Reylla, call for ICE to release thousands of others still detained 

Background: The case underscores a cosmic disparity between the Obama administration’s immigration rhetoric and the reality of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s cruel deportation policies, which target contributing community members who aspire to be citizens, but who have past deportation orders due to the nation’s lack of a common-sense immigration process. Moreover, as ICE admitted today, their separation of a breast-feeding mother from her sickly infant violated the agency’s own regulations.

“Only when ICE is publicly confronted with these cases do they choose to follow their stated regulations and priorities. Hundreds of families are torn apart every day in violation of Obama administration policies. These are people who, but for being deported today, could be on the road to citizenship tomorrow." – Niloufar Khonsari, Reylla’s immigration attorney

ICE detained Reylla last week. She has been held at West County Jail in Richmond, CA. Since her imprisonment, she has had no contact with her baby, Enzo Gabriel, who has lost one pound because he has not been nursed and is not eating since his mother has been jailed by immigration authorities. Reylla is a peaceful community member and aspiring pastor who poses no risk to public safety whatsoever.

About Reylla: Reylla fled her home country, Brazil, in order to seek protection in the United States on account of politically and religiously motivated violence targeted against her. A devout Christian, she joined the Message of the Peace Church in South San Francisco, where she began her seminary schooling. She is on the path to becoming a Pastor and is also a hard-working domestic worker. She has paid taxes since her arrival. Reylla has no criminal record and volunteers her time and resources to help those in need in her community. As an active member of her church and a future pastor, she is a role model to many.

Reylla has been torn from her family solely for civil immigration issues. She did not appear for an immigration court hearing in 2005 due to fear of being forced to return to a place where she would face persecution. A lack of access to basic information in Portuguese exacerbated the situation. Six years later, in 2011, shortly after her marriage celebration to her husband, ICE officers raided Reylla’s home, and for the first time, informed her of the order of removal. Since that time she has complied with any ICE request to appear. She has an immigration case pending in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and is in the process of reopening her asylum claim.

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Please Help Pangea Bring Reylla Home to Her 9-Month Old Baby

Media advisory for: 5:30 p.m., Wed. May 22, 2013

Contact:

Niloufar Khonsari 925.785.8735

Rev. Deborah Lee 415.297.8222

Community groups urge ICE to free nursing mom cruelly separated from baby

As nine-month infant loses weight , groups stage vigil

Mom is a seminary school student and 8-year local resident

What: Community vigil calling for immigration officials to release Reylla Denis Ferraz Da Silva, a nursing mother of a nine-month old US citizen baby. Reylla has lived in the US for the past 8 years and is on the path to becoming a pastor; but is currently detained and at risk of deportation.

When: 5:30 PM, Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Where: 630 Sansome St, San Francisco

Who: Reylla’s husband, friends, members of her church (Message of Peace), and her immigration attorney, Niloufar Khonsari (founder of Pangea Legal Services), along with the SF and East Bay Interfaith Coalitions for Immigrant Rights (CLUE-CA).

Background: The case underscores a cosmic disparity between the Obama administration’s immigration rhetoric and the reality of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s cruel deportation policies, which target contributing community members who aspire to be citizens, but who have past deportation orders due to the nation’s lack of a common-sense immigration process. Moreover, ICE’s separation of a breast-feeding mother from her sickly infant appears to violate the agency’s own regulations.

ICE detained Reylla last week. She is being held at West County Jail in Richmond, CA. Since her imprisonment, she has had no contact with her baby, Enzo Gabriel, who has lost one pound because he has not been nursed and is not eating since his mother has been jailed by immigration authorities. Reylla is a peaceful community member who poses no risk to public safety whatsoever.

About Reylla: Reylla fled her home country, Brazil, in order to seek protection in the United States on account of politically and religiously motivated violence targeted against her. A devout Christian, she joined the Message of the Peace Church in South San Francisco, where she began her seminary schooling. She is on the path to becoming a Pastor and is also a hard-working domestic worker. She has paid taxes since her arrival. Reylla has no criminal record and volunteers her time and resources to help those in need in her community. As an active member of her church and a future pastor, she is a role model to many.

Reylla has been torn from her family solely for civil immigration issues. She did not appear for an immigration court hearing in 2005 due to fear of being forced to return to a place where she would face persecution. A lack of access to basic information in Portuguese exacerbated the situation. Six years later, in 2011, shortly after her marriage celebration to her husband, ICE officers raided Reylla’s home, and for the first time, informed her of the order of removal. Since that time she has complied with any ICE request to appear. She has an immigration case pending in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and is preparing to file her asylum claim.

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Immigrant Day 2013

On Monday, May 20th, Pangea Legal Services joined over 500 immigrants and advocates from across California for a day of advocacy, education and unity at Capitol Hill in Sacramento.  Immigrant Day 2013 brought a unified voice to Sacramento in support of federal immigration reform and positive state policies that advance immigrant integration and prosperity for all Californians.

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Pangea members, Causa Justa, other organizations and community members meet with Assemblymember Ammiano, the author of the TRUST Act and Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, to thank him and to collaborate on lobby strategy on Immigrant Day 2013.

May 1st: Immigrants Rise: Join Us on May Day as we March in San Francisco

Pangea community members and advocates will march in solidarity and alongside with workers, youth, families, and communities of all backgrounds for Equal Justice.  

​The May Day march begins in the Mission at 3pm on May 1, 2013, and leads all the way to City Hall; events continue at 5pm at Civic Center/City Hall.    

Please meet us at our office: Pangea Legal Services, 300 Montgomery Street, Ste 660 at 2:30pm to head to 24th and Mission St with us.  

Everyone is welcome to participate.  Please contact us at welcome@pangealegal.org or (925) 785-8735 if you would like to join our contingent.  We look forward to seeing you!   

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Pangea Legal Services Joins National Day of Action for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in San Francisco

The San Francisco Bay Coalition for Immigrant Justice, of which Pangea is a member, organized a day of action to coincide with the National Day of Action for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in Washington, D.C.  About 1000 people united in front of Senator Dianne Feinstein's San Francisco office at One Post Street to march to Civic Center for a rally on Wednesday, April 10, 2013.  Thank you to all groups and individuals who joined - awesome turnout!   

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Documented and undocumented immigrants in San Francisco rally to stand up for their basic human rights. ​

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​Adoubou Traore, Director of the African Advocacy Network and Niloufar Khonsari, Executive Director of Pangea Legal Services - Presente!

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​"Reunite Families"

"The IRS Agrees my Taxes are Not Illegal"

Pangea Participates in San Francisco Community Town Hall for Local Immigration Reform

End the Deportations! Citizenship for all!

Thursday, March 21st ||  St. John the Evangelist - 1661 15th St. @ Julian

Pangea Legal Services joined community-based organizations, interfaith groups, legal advocates, worker centers, labor and immigrant and community members from SF to discuss what is being proposed at the national level, the impacts our current broken immigration system is having on our communities, and what we can do locally and statewide to address the criminalization and deportation of our immigrant communities.

Among the myriad of issues discussed were:​

• The CIR proposals coming out of DC and the negative impacts these could have on workers, families, students.    

• Testimony from community members including: DREAMers, union workers, low-wage workers, survivors of S-comm and those already torn apart by deportation proceedings. 

• How to get involved and mobilize locally to help end ICE & police collaboration in San Francisco, ensure due process for all immigrants an​d demand inclusive and just immigration reform - making California a leader in fighting deportations of our communities. 

Pangea Wins 3 Asylum Cases in 5 Days!

At the end of February 2013, two Haitian and one Guatemalan friends of Pangea with complex immigration cases in removal proceedings received protection and relief from removal in Immigration Court.  Pangea attorneys and interns, together with our partners at the African Advocacy Network, celebrate these asylum wins, after many months of work and preparation.  We are thrilled to begin bringing the immediate families of our friends to join us here in the United States.