Immigration advocates advise against holiday travel on bus and rail due to constant raids

SAN BERNARDINO, California - This holiday season, Border Patrol raids have increased to an almost daily intensity at Greyhound bus stations and other local transportation hubs, targeting Latino travelers with racial profiling. Immigrant rights advocates are launching a campaign to advise the immigrant community of the dangers of using those modes of transportation as long as they continue to allow Border Patrol agents to conduct operations on their property.

Greyhound stations in both San Bernardino and Claremont are being targeted, as well as Plaza las Glorias in Colton, Correcaminos, Metrolink stations, and other smaller transportation companies. Border Patrol agents have conducted frequent operations at the San Bernardino Greyhound station since a year ago, and witnesses to the raids charge that they often engage in racial profiling, targeting passengers who are Latino in appearance. The majority of those arrested are simply passing through the station from out of state, visiting family members or friends, and at the San Bernardino Greyhound station, a pregnant woman was among the victims.

"Private business have the right to ask Border Patrol agents not to conduct operations on their property," said Emilio Amaya, executive director of the San Bernardino Community Services Center, which has provided legal assistance to victims of the raids. "Unfortunately, in these transportation companies do not take measures to protect their passengers, who are being faced with racial profiling and deportation on the way to visit family for the holidays, they will lose the trust and business of one of their most faithful customer bases, the Latino community."

Since many victims of these Border Patrol raids are visitors from Nevada, Arizona, and other states, the campaign is also reaching out to both statewide and nationwide organizations to warn communities in other parts of the country through flyers and other information to the public. Communities will continue as long as the Border Patrol conducts operations at local Greyhound stations or other local transportation centers.

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The Rapid Response Network provides direct, immediate assistance to the Inland Empire immigrant community 24 hours a day, particularly for victims of immigration enforcement actions, victims of human rights abuses, and for those in detention, while working to put an end to raids, separations of families and other unjust immigration enforcement tactics.

Please feel free to download and distribute the flyer below (attached as a PDF) and distribute in your community. HERMANO MIGRANTE SE HAN INCREMENTADO LA PRESENCIA DE LA PATRULLA FRONTERIZA EN LAS ESTACIONES DE TRANSPORTE PUBLICO DEL INLAND EMPIRE, TALES COMO ESTACIONES DE AUTOBUS, TREN, AEREOPUERTOS, ETC, PRINCIPALMENTE DE LA LINEA DEL GRAYHOUND, POR LO TANTO SI VAS A VIAJAR , ES IMPORTANTE QUE RECUERDES LO SIGUIENTE: 1.- ASEGURATE DE PORTAR EN TODOS MOMENTOS TUS DOCUMENTOS MIGRATORIOS. 2.- EVITA PORTAR DOCUMENTOS FALSOS 3.- EVITA PORTAR EQUIPAJE QUE PUDIERA LEVANTAR SOSPECHAS 4.- PORTAR SIEMPRE INFORMACION DE ALGUN FAMILIAR, AMIGO, ORGANIZACIÓN, ECT QUE TE PUDIERA AYUDAR EN CASO DE UNA EMERGENCIA. 5.- PORTAR INFORMACION DEL CONSULADO DE TU LUGAR DE ORIGEN, QUIENES TE PODRIAN ASISTIR EN CASO DE UNA DETENCION O PROBLEMA LEGAL. RECUERDA QUE, SI ERES DETENIDO POR LA OFICINA DE INMIGRACION, CUENTAS CON LOS SIGUIENTES DERECHOS: Derecho a Permanecer Callado. Derecho de hablar con un abogado, con su Consulado u Organización comunitaria. Derecho a no firmar absolutamente nada. Derecho a libertad bajo fianza y a una audiencia ante un Juez de Inmigracion. No se sienta intimidado! Quedarse en silencio solo le puede beneficiar porque cualquier cosa que diga se puede usar en su contra. RECUERDE QUE: Si le piden su nombre – dar solo su nombre y apellido, pero ninguna otra información. Nunca diga de qué país es originario. No mienta. Nunca lleve documentos falsos. No lleve documentación de otro país. Se podría usar esta información en un proceso de deportación. TE RECOMENDAMOS EVITAR VIAJAR DEL TODO Y EVITAR UTILIZAR LA LINEA DE AUTOBUSES GRAHOUND DEBIDO A SU COOPERACION CON LA PATRULLA FRONTERIZA Y EL USO DE PERFIL RACIAL. LINEA GRATUITA DE INFORMACION Immigration Rapid Response Network (866) 946-9594 (951) 345-4043