Last week, anti-immigrant forces conducted a raid in a New Bedford, MA factory, rounding up over 361 mostly immigrant mothers who were working in a leather factory making boots for American soldiers abroad. The women were undocumented. They were also mothers, their round up leaving behind children who are crying and confused, devastated by their mothers' disappearance. And they were also workers, producing important goods for servicemembers in a war where the Bush administration isn't even footing the bill for armor.
The children without their mothers, the servicemembers without shoes, the immigrant women without pathways to documented citizenship in a country their working so hard to help --- these are the victims in this story. Anti-immigrant forces, who think that the United States can decimate economies from Mexico to Iraq but then close our doors to immigrants who have no where else to look for hope, are the enemies of freedom and opportunity and all that America stands for.
On March 17, there will be a rally in New Bedford, Massachusetts to support the immigrant mothers and families and call on Congress to investigate these raids and stop further anti-immigrant crackdowns. Please try to be there to show your support. More information on the rally, and up-to-date news, can be found at http://nomoreraids.blogspot.com
And if you can't attend in person, please make a donation to help the families devastated by these raids, facing conditions that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has called a "humanitarian crisis." These children and families, stuffed in a church basement, broken apart and fearing more raids, need your support. You can make a donation at http://www.miracoalition.org
Just as smart and fair comprehensive immigration reform legislation is finally making some headway in Congress, anti-immigrant forces are trying to intimidate those pushing for change. We must stand up for the true promise of our nation, the history of hope and opportunity that has shaped America since its birth.
America is for all of us.
Let's put our money and our feet where our hearts are.
Please checkout http://nomoreraids.blogspot.com and take action!!