Stop the Raids

La versión en castellano sigue / A versão em português segue

On May 7th, 2010 immigration enforcement raided Dufferin Grove Mall in Toronto’s west end in a first in a series of attacks. No One Is Illegal - Toronto has reasons to believe that these raids will continue and extend in to the St. Clair Area.

Over two dozen persons found to be without “adequate documentation” have been arrested. Currently, these people are being detained at the immigration detention holding centre without access to full legal support.

Immigration Enforcement is stopping people on the streets, at work, and while shopping based on their skin color and accent. This is systematic racial profiling that creates fear in our communities. It is part of the social-cleansing of Toronto in the lead up to the G20 Summits. It is the same racist policy that is being opposed vehemently in Arizona in the United States.

No One Is Illegal-Toronto has received confirmed reports that further raids are being planned specifically in the St. Clair Area THIS WEEK. Latin@ restaurants will be targeted, and ID checks based on racial profiling may take place. We believe that raids on Bloor West will also continue.

This fundamentally unjust harassment must be opposed.

Pledge to end racist scapegoating of migrant workers during economic recession

On Saturday June 6, 2009, nearly a hundred people assembled to hear from people directly affected by the recent Immigration raids that have terrorized migrant communities.

Immigration raids conducted in April saw over 100 migrant workers arrested and were followed by another raid in May where nearly 2 dozen workers were arrested.

"We are not illegal" related Flor, a migrant farm worker who witnessed the raids this May. "All we ask for is to make a living".

Another migrant worker who was arrested in the April raids explained her situation: She was forced to quit the job she had a work permit for because of horrendous conditions involving a criminal investigation against her employer. She was arrested in an Immigration raids while working and was jailed for a month.

No One Is Illegal-Toronto sends greetings of solidarity to delegates at the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) 2009 convention, 23-25 April 2009.

At the convention, OPSEU passed a historic resolution to join community groups in condemning immigration raids, demanding a full and inclusive regularization program (and lobbying NUPGE to take a similar stance), committing to lobbying the province to provide services to undocumented people, demanding that the government enact legislation that regulates recruitment agencies, work with community groups to develop educational materials, workshops and presentations for OPSEU membership and others, and make a financial contribution to No One Is Illegal-Toronto, Migrante Ontario and Justicia for Migrant Workers.

ACT! CALL! WRITE!

This Sunday, 41 workers will be handcuffed, dragged to an airport and placed on a plane to Thailand. Many of them will never have the chance to return to Canada. They were arrested with dozens of others on their way to work or while packing food at Cericola Farms, in southwestern Ontario last week. CBSA then lied to them and tricked them into waiving their legal rights. This is a targeted attack by the Tory government against migrants. Minister Van Loan can stop these deportations; Minister Kenney can grant them status.

YOU can insist that they do so.

1. Take public action against your MP, Immigration or Enforcement Office. (See list of cities below)

by Faria Kamal, Chris Ramsaroop and Syed Hussan | April 8, 2009
rabble.ca

Nearly 200 outraged community and labour activists rattled the fences of Rexdale Immigration Detention Centre on April 5, demanding the release of over 100 undocumented workers arrested during unprecedented immigration raids across southwestern Ontario.

Chanting ‘No One Is Illegal! Stop deporting people,’ ‘We didn’t cross the borders, the borders crossed us’ and ’Justice for migrant workers,’ teachers, lawyers and organizers from OSSTF D12, Parkdale Legal Community Services, Mujeres Al Frente, the Sikh Activist Network, the Good Jobs Coalition, CUPE, UFCW, CAW, OPSEU and many others joined family members and friends on Sunday morning. Organized by No One is Illegal-Toronto, Migrante Ontario and Justicia for Migrant Workers, the spirited action was in response to three separate but coordinated attacks against undocumented communities.