The report below was first published by ANSWER Boston. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a member of ANSWER, and PSL Boston and ANSWER Boston helped build the rally against the Secure Communities program.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the Massachusetts State House on
Saturday, Feb. 12, to protest the anti-immigrant “Secure Communities”
program. Gov. Patrick announced in December his intention to sign on to
the federal program that mandates local law enforcement to cross check
the fingerprints of those arrested against the Homeland Security’s
database in search of immigration status.
“The United States for – Jennifer Zaldana, ANSWER Boston |
Students, workers and immigrant rights advocates held signs calling
“S-Comm” a ” and people of color. While proponents of the program use
words like “public safety” and “security”, in reality the so-called
“Secure Communities” program is an assault on the civil liberties of all
people and a yet another weapon in the government’s arsenal for the
persecution of immigrant workers.
Through this program, thousands have been detained and deported,
ripped from their families and friends, for committing no crime at all.
In Suffolk County, 68 percent of those detained and deported have been
unlawfully arrested, arrested for minor offenses like traffic violations
or ultimately have their charges dropped. This is the sixth highest
percentage in the country.
Saturday’s action at the State House was initiated by the Boston May
Day Committee, of which the ANSWER Coalition is an active member, with
dozens of endorsing organizations and individuals. The rally was chaired
by Sergio Reyes of the Boston May Day Committee and speakers included:
Bishop Felipe Teixeira with the Immigration Pastoral Center in Brockton,
Mass.; Mary Mendonça, National Lawyers Guild; Alexandra Pinero Shields,
Jobs with Justice; and Isabel Lopez, MassCOSH, who was accompanied at
the mic by a group of immigrant workers.
Dorotea Manuela of the Boston May Day Committee drew the connection
between anti-immigrant programs like “Secure Communities” with racial
profiling and police brutality that have historically been used to
oppress Black communities. This connection was echoed by many other
speakers.
Addressing the root cause of immigration, Jennifer Zaldana of the
ANSWER Coalition said, “The United States for decades has been waging
war on our homelands, forcing millions to emigrate to the U.S. in search
of better lives … yet [we] are treated as criminals!”
At the rally, protesters signed a “While you were out” message that
will be delivered to Governor Patrick in the coming days. Organizers
pledged for future actions against “Secure Communities” and an end to
the criminalization of immigrant workers. ANSWER Boston stands with all
workers in this struggle for equality and against racism.
