No Human Being is Illegal

Just came back from a weekend in Houston at the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights conference. The NNIRR folks put out the Bridges Curriculum, which I think is pretty dope for popular education type stuff. I went to the conference to see what other folks are doing around the country, get some more pop ed ideas for my own work (especially the ESL class I've got going on with local moms) and learn more about defense against deportations. There seemed to be a balance between the more de base grassroots organizations, "para todos, todo" and the national "let's get everyone on board with citizenship and reform"a.k.a the "something is better than nothing" orgs. I was particularly impressed by a coaliton of LA orgs (including the South Asian Network and Garment Workers Center) who gave a really interesting analysis that included looking at immigration issues through a lens of International Human Rights vs. Civil Rights- civil rights being particular to gaining citizenship to a nation-state versus the recognition of human rights being all encompassing and respected transnationally. There was also a lot of conversation about raids and relationships to prisons and criminals. Interestingly, the LA coaltion also proposed that to use slogans like "We are not criminals" and "We are not terrorists" during the immigration marches was akin to saying "We are not Black" and "We are not muslim" which was an element I hadn't considered. They drew lots of connections between militirism, the prison industrial complex and deportation and called for abolition versus reform of these institutions.

I also went to a really intense workshop about deportations and detentions given by Families for Freedom which laid out the process and folks' rights very clearly. We heard from various community groups around the country about their responses pre-during- and post raids. It was intense. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully understand what it must be like to go through such a mess. ICE is so f*cking sneaky in its planning and executing of these raids. One woman from Raices, a rural latino org in the midwest, gave a particularly messed up account of raids in which the local police worked with ICE to surround an entire town for FOUR DAYS! There was talk about county clerks passing out lists of latino community members to ICE, raiding plants during shift changes to get both sets of people, ICE boarding public transportation in San Diego, and the severe trauma community members have after raids. The raids and deportations are completely outrageous. I can't possibly state it strongly enough. Do people out there really know what's going on? That folks without documents are getting put in jail and deported- separated from their families with no legal recourse- on a regular basis? It's such a violation of basic human rights- this shit has GOT to end.

I think it's hard for people who haven't felt violated in some way at some point to understand. A friend of mine was deported last week, turned around at the airport, and at first I felt bad for him but at the same time thought "it's not so bad, he's back with his family, he has a way to survive fairly well in his home country" but then, after I heard more of his story, I realized how deeply traumatic it was. He was detained and questioned with noone knowing where he was, no lawyer or other kind of representation, treated like a criminal and now his movment is restricted- he can't come back to the U.S. (where his work and fiancee is) for a number of years. Imagine having such lack of control or power of your own self, your own movement. It's hard for many of us to accurately conceptualize. The fear and power that the U.S. has created surrounding immigration is out of hand.

On another note, I went to some more great Theatre of the Oppressed workshops, including a super interactive one put on by day laborers from New Orleans, and got to have dinner with some folks from MAIZ (Moviemento Adherente Internacional Zapatista). They are living in the middle of Houston and trying to be self sustaining- they have an AMAZING farm, right in the city! Papaya trees even for chrissakes! We had a tremendous salad with a zillion different greens (I am a brand new sorrel fan), talked, danced and generally shared the love through fiesta. Good food, dancing and smiling with people is an excellent way to support movements... no doubt.