A Call to Action - New Bedford

**DISTRIBUTE FAR & WIDE !!

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SUPPORT NEW BEDFORD - A  CITY OF IMMIGRANTS

PROVIDENCE will have CARPOOLS leaving from Faunce Arch  (Brown University) and DARE (340 Lockwood St, Providence, RI) at 1:30pm.
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Call to Action!

Rally to Support Detainees, Deportees, and their Families

Saturday, March 17 @ 2:30 PM

53 North Sixth Street (Corner of Sixth and Elm)
New Bedford, MA

On Tuesday, more than 500 armed homeland security officers descended upon Michael Blanco Inc in New Bedford, MA. Over 350 employees, mostly mothers with young children, were swept up in the raid, shackled together in groups of three by their wrists and ankles and marched to buses bound for Fort Devens, 100 miles away.

Community activists in New Bedford have scrambled to locate the children and their parents. One baby who was breast-feeding had to be hospitalized for dehydration because her mother remained in detention, authorities said. One mother was located in Texas after her 7-year-old child called a state hot line set up to help reunite the families.

This is not a new story, but the story keeps getting more horrific. In recent months raids have hit nearly every state in the country. According to ICE's own numbers over 500 people are deported from this country everyday ! Each one of these deportations has a very human element that is about families and children. It's time that we pressure the President to "Stop the Raids" and lead on passing a Fair and Humane Immigration Reform Bill. Everyday we wait hundreds of more families are torn apart, children abandoned, and communities disrupted.

In New Bedford, families will be holding a huge rally at the federal building here calling for the release of all detainees, a congressional hearing on the raids, and immediate passage of humane and fair immigration reform.
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OTHER WAYS TO HELP
1)      Monetary Donations Are Needed:

MIRA is collecting money in a separate account to be distributed to community organizations responding in the affected areas. All donations through this account will be distributed to the affected New Bedford families.

To Donate On-Line: [ https://www. communityroom. net/donate. asp?id=331]   Choose "MIRA" as the recipient, then specify that the funds are for "New Bedford Immigrant Families / Ninos Fund." Or send a check to the MIRA Coalition, 105 Chauncy St , Boston , MA 02111 . Please specify in the memo line that the funds are for "New Bedford Immigrant Families / Ninos Fund." Donations are tax-deductible and all donations marked "New Bedford Immigrant Families / Ninos Fund" will be distributed to the affected families through the appropriate local community and service organizations.


2)      Attend Tuesday's Press Conference


PRESS CONFERENCE, MARCH 13th at 5pm, at the immigration Office (200 Dyer Stre. Providence)

Enough! No More Raids - solidarity with our companeras in New Bedford.  Providence shows our solidarity as we declare our city A Raid-Free Zone.

Together, we reject the terror.

Sponsored by: Nuevo Amanecer of St. Teresa, English for Action, Olneyville Neighborhood Association, Comite de Inmigrantes en Accion, International Social Organization, Uniendo Fronteras, Catholic Diocese of Providence, New Life Ministry and other organizations.

BROWN: meet at 4:30pm at Faunce on Tuesday.


3)      Call Your Congressmen: Ask them to speak directly with Secretary Chertoff to request that he "Release the Moms." Demand a moratorium on deportations until reform has passed.

Senator Jack Reed  (202) 224-4642
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (202) 224-2921
Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy (202) 225-4911
Congressman Jim Langevin (202) 225-2735

4)      Volunteer
If you are or know a lawyer who is willing to take pro-bono cases, or are a mental health professional, preferably a bilingual Spanish speaker, please call MIRA with your name and contact information at 617-350-5480 x212.



SEE: http://www.miracoalition.org/