The only thing that will separate our time from the 1940s internment of Japanese American citizens is an educated and vocal population.  Speak up.  We're on a slippery slope and things are going to likely get worse.

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Ban Al-Wardi was interviewed on FLASHPOINTS today, discussing the INS arrests of hundreds of Muslims in Southern California.  Attached is an MP3 file of that segment of the program.  Below is the portion of the website write-up from FLASHPOINTS.

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Leslie: a massive sweep, INS arrested hundreds of unsuspecting Muslims.. now w attorney, Ban Al-Wardi, with the LA chapter of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee.. hundreds of men and boys from Middle Eastern countries were arrested by federal immigration officials in Southern California this week when they complied with orders to appear at INS offices for a special registration program.. Ban saw 14 of her 20 clients arrested when she went with them to the registration.. Ban: these people are not being charged with any crime.. they all have expired visas.. but most of them already have green cards, work permits, travel permits.. being mixed with the general jail population.. hosed down.. forced to sleep on the floor, served pork.. Ban: LA was just the first.. we've been getting reports from all over the country.. Leslie: like the internment of the Japanese during WWII.. Ban: yes, that was declared unconstitutional.. a voluntary program.. if they were terrorists or criminals they would not have gone to the INS.. spreading all over the country.. Ban: although everyone understands the need to protect the nation against terrorist attacks, the government's recent action went too far.. I saw a lot of teenagers coming in getting arrested.. pulled one 16 year old sobbing from his mother's arms.. Ban: all of our fundamental civil rights have been violated by these actions.. I don't know how far this is going to go before people start speaking up.. this is a very dangerous precedent we are setting.. what's to stop Americans from being treated like this when they travel overseas?..

FLASHPOINTS WEBSITE:

http://www.flashpoints.net/

--

"First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing. Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I did little. Then when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up for me."  -- Pastor Martin Niemöller

x

Spare us the hyperbole, chicken little. There is no similarity between the internment of American citizens because of their ethnicity, and the detainment of Foreign nationals because they are here illegally or under false pretenses. Just becase the INS is suddenly doing the job it should have been doing for years - enforcing immigration laws and verifying the status of visa holders - is no reason to get yourself all wound up. And please, before it starts, no Father Niemoller quotes (they came for the jews...yada yada yada).

your name serves as sufficient rebuttal, however:

1) the majority of those detained will be shown as legal;

2) mass detentions of hundreds simply to interrogate and, given an inability to review and process in a legal manner should concern you if you have any interest in constitutional rights;

3) only the most ignorant or compromised fail to see the erosion of civil liberties in the US, an erosion that has little to do with our "protection"

Sorry X, I don't see where the enforcement of existing immigration laws is a violation of my rights or freedoms.

But then I also don't have the gift you have in knowing that most of the people arrested have no problem whatsovever with their visas. What do you base that guess on?

Let me put your magic hat on and give my prediction: most of the people nabbed will have had some issue with their visa either serious or minor but they will still have one.

Those with perfectly valid visa will turn out to have another error that needed to be corrected - such as not carrying the proper papers as required by law and by the terms they agreed to when they volunteerarily entered this country.

The totally valid visa people will be few.

But, we'll see. In anycase, I think you are nieve to believe only a few of the people arrested have any visa problems.

At best, this situation shows beurocratic incompetence afffecting the freedoms of individuals.
If you have ever dealt witht the INS, you know that they loose a lot of paperwork.
Reports that I have heard say that many people have filed all the right documents and have been verbally informed that they are legit- that all they are waiting for is paperwork.
In this all to common situation, they are informed by the INS that they should not leave the country (US) because they would not be back in- but that they have no reason to leave. All they are waiting for is paperwork that proves that they are legal residents.
It seems like this situation was partially a result of one part of the INS ignoring the mistakes caused by an other part of the INS.

My friend came here from Australia for a Masters degree and was told that as a part of their study they would be given a "year long practical training visa" after they graduated. The visa promised to them would allow them to work in the US for a year from the date they graduated. Stipulated in the process through an official change in ss# once the visa status changes from student to practical training is the fact that they can not start working until they recieve the new visa.

Well, here's what happens. My friend applies for the visa several months before graduation. On graduation, the visa has not come. 4 months pass with my friend still on a quasi/legal student visa-sitting at home and working on projects (they are an artist) not working. They are eating at their life savings. They have jobs lined up but can't work. They repeatedly go down to the INS office in orange county to see whats up. INS their says "your paperwork has been misplaced. "
Finaly, after 4 months later in beurocratic limbo, the visa arrives and the friend is able to work.

From what I have heard, many people detained were facing similar situations.

This could not have happened to your friend.
This doesn't happen.
This only happens to Moslems and people of color. Your friend must be mistaken. The government targets only these people and gives everyone else a free ride.
Dont' you know anything>

thanks for posting this very interesting interview....in holland there is NO MENTIONING AT ALL about this case, I rebroadcast it on anarchist station koekoeroe reedio 97.4 fm thank you.