NEWS RELEASE

April 25, 2006

STOP ANTI-IMMIGRANT RAIDS AND ARRESTS,

DEFEND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS!

Los Angeles – The Coalition in Defense of Immigrant Rights (CDIR) vehemently condemns the latest series of raids of the Bush administration authorities against undocumented immigrants all over the nation most particularly in the East Coast that arrested more than 1,800 immigrants.

Particularly, the CDIR is concerned with the raids conducted against the Filipinos during unholy hours in Chicago, Illinois and the nearby areas of that state. In those areas of the Midwest, many of the undocumented Filipinos work as caregivers or some other health care occupation.

It is not just enough that Filipinos and other Asians have the longest waiting period that stretch from 18 to 23 years to reunify with their families but now, like the majority Latino workers who are rising up to fight for their rights against racist anti-immigrant bashing, they are being subjected to Gestapo-like nighttime raids, arrests and summary deportations.

There are more than 800,000 undocumented Filipinos all over the United States. This is apart from the more than 1.5 million Filipino legal migrants or green card holders who are waiting for their citizenship or newly migrated to the United States.

We, in the CDIR, call on all immigrant rights advocates, all immigrants and everyone who love freedom to go all-out for the May 1 Great American Boycott – A Day Without Immigrants. Let us March together as Filipino Americans on May 1. Meet at the People’s CORE as assembly area for the May 1 March-Rally from 1:30 PM or at 7th & Wilshire before 4:00 PM.

Let us all act to stop racism and build a new movement for and in defense of civil rights and human rights that are being trampled upon in the belly of this capitalist beast.

Defend Immigrant Rights! Tama na! Panahon na!

FIGHT IMMIGRANT BASHING! STOP SCAPEGOATING THE IMMIGRANTS! FULL RIGHTS FOR IMMIGRANTS, NOW! #

For more information, call CDIR Jack Vergara or Al P.Garcia at (213) 241-0906.