On Friday morning, members of Migrante Ontario were awakened to the arrest of one of their relatives in Simcoe County. They called a lawyer, word passed through the grape vine and phones started ringing in the pockets of No One Is Illegal-Toronto's Immigration and Legal Committee members. The evening before an organizer from Justicia for Migrant Workers, also a long time student leader, had a meeting with someone from NOII-Toronto. Though the Justicia organizer had heard startling news about arrests that day in Leamington and Windsor, neither of them knew about the Simcoe raid.
On Friday morning, members of Migrante Ontario were awakened to the arrest of one of their relatives in Simcoe County. They called a lawyer, word passed through the grape vine and phones started ringing in the pockets of No One Is Illegal-Toronto's Immigration and Legal Committee members. The evening before an organizer from Justicia for Migrant Workers, also a long time student leader, had a meeting with someone from NOII-Toronto. Though the Justicia organizer had heard startling news about arrests that day in Leamington and Windsor, neither of them knew about the Simcoe raid.
By Friday afternoon, word spread, links were made and people from the three organizations started calling everyone they knew. The largest US style raid in recent Canadian history had happened. Reports arrived that homes had also been raided. Where a worker wasn't found, all their belongings were confiscated. The first news story reported the South Simcoe Police Chief saying "There are many things that go on that would keep people up at night". The CBSA missive read "The Government of Canada continues to take these issues very seriously and remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of our communities." Many of us suddenly found ourselves outside the Government of Canada's communities. Or of at least its enforcement arm.
A day later 150 people held an emergency action at the Immigration Detention Center, a report of which can be found here: rabble.ca/news.
I am writing to bring you up to date on these events because they have not really been covered in the media. I am sure you take offense to the fact that a piece of paper can turn a father, a husband, a musician, a lawyer, a farmer or a worker in to a 'criminal'? I am sure you are upset about how a a piece of paper can determine that our communities very presence would, to quote the Police Chief, keep everyone else 'up at night'? I am sure you will agree that people who grow food, pack vegetables, catch chickens, live, play and shop in Ontario are newcomers and immigrants in every sense of the word.
Many of the temporary workers who were arrested had other work permits, other residency permits. In essence, they held some immigration documents. Thus, the CBSA missive does not read the details of the arrest. All this shady, unknown, little agency says is that anyone it defines in violation of its policies 'may be deemed inadmissible to Canada and may be deported from Canada.' It does these deportations by coercing the detained to sign waivers that will allow their removal instead of allowing them to appeal as is due process. Thus 40, a little under half of those brutally arrested in the raids are being quietly and illegally deported.
There is a community meeting planned in the coming week, details of which will be released shortly, that I'm hoping you and other colleagues can attend. It is essential that people working in our communities without full immigration documentation know that this is taking place and have access to the Know Your Rights document on the No One Is Illegal - Toronto website.
Feel free to share this information broadly.
Hussan, hussan@gmail.com
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