Immigration News Briefs
Vol. 11, No. 9 - April 27, 2008
1. Detainees Transferred After Riot
3. Palestinian Professor Transferred to ICE Custody
4. Georgia: Restaurant Labor Agents Indicted
*1. DETAINEES TRANSFERRED AFTER RIOT
On Apr. 22, a riot broke out at the Mira Loma immigration detention
center in Lancaster, California, which holds nearly 1,000 immigrants.
The riot allegedly involved the South Siders and Paisa gangs,
according to a detainee who spoke with the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department fired tear
gas grenades at the detainees; additional deputies came to the
detention center from nearby Lancaster and Palmdale stations to assist
the guards with separating detainees. The riot was diffused "within
minutes," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles
County Sheriff's Department. At least 10 immigrants were taken to a
local hospital and treated for minor injuries, said Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson Virginia Kice. Two detainees
suffered serious, though not life-threatening, head injuries during
the riot and were taken to a local hospital, Whitmore said, and about
20 other detainees suffered minor injuries. No deputies were injured,
said Whitmore.
Detainees who spoke to the Daily Journal as the riot unfolded said the
fight broke out after a deputy allegedly opened a gate allowing gang
members into an area that housed rival gang members. Sheriff's
Department and ICE personnel spent much of the night interviewing
detainee witnesses, and some who instigated the riot may be prosecuted
on criminal charges, authorities said. Kice said a federal team was
dispatched to conduct an in-depth investigation into the riot. "We
believe the original altercation was gang-related," Kice said.
On Apr. 23, ICE began moving dozens of detainees from the Mira Loma
facility to undisclosed facilities. Whitmore said on Apr. 23 that 50
detainees involved in the riot had been identified as gang members and
had been bused to other federal facilities. Whitmore would not say
what gangs those detainees were affiliated with or which gangs were
involved in the riot. Officials said the men would be transferred to
detention centers in the western US. "We are moving people based on
interviews conducted by ICE officials and sheriff's deputies," said
Kice. "We are taking a zero-tolerance policy. We want to send a strong
message that this kind of action is not appropriate." More than half
of the immigrants transferred were Salvadorans moved to a downtown Los
Angeles staging area. Reports circulated that some detainees were
being deported. "If someone has a final order of removal and we have
travel documents, then we are in the process of removing them," said
Kice. [Los Angeles Daily Journal 4/24/08; Los Angeles Times 4/24/08]
Attorneys representing some of the detainees said they had little
information about the pending transfers. "My client was taken to
downtown Los Angeles for processing," said Nikhil Shah, a Los Angeles
immigration lawyer who represents a Salvadoran man. "If my client is
moved he would not be able to see his family," Shah said. "He would be
penalized for something he didn't participate in, endorse or start."
In December, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a
$10 million plan to expand the Mira Loma facility just days after a
detainee was killed while operating a jackhammer [see INB 12/30/07].
The US Department of Homeland Security agreed to pay the county $51
million to house 1,400 immigrants. Mira Loma does not house detainees
with serious medical issues or convictions for violent crimes. [LA
Daily Journal 4/24/08]
*3. PALESTINIAN PROFESSOR TRANSFERRED TO ICE CUSTODY
On Apr. 11, Palestinian professor Sami Al-Arian was transferred into
ICE custody after completing a sentence on civil contempt citations
for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury [see INB 3/29/08].
On Apr. 15, ICE agents transported Al-Arian from the Northern Neck
Regional jail in Warsaw, Virginia to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail
in Portsmouth, Virginia. Just hours after he arrived at Hampton Roads,
jail officials placed Al-Arian on suicide watch in a segregation unit
and confiscated all of his belongings, allegedly because of his
refusal to eat. Al-Arian had been on hunger strike since Mar. 3,
protesting the government's refusal to release him. Jail officials
told Al-Arian he would only be allowed one telephone call every 15
days, and would not be allowed any attorney calls. Some of these
conditions were relaxed after thousands of supporters called the
Hampton Roads jail to complain about Al-Arian's treatment. However,
the jail is still keeping Al-Arian in segregation and has not provided
him with adequate medical care. [Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and
Peace Press Releases 4/16/08, 4/23/08] Meanwhile, according to news
reports, the Justice Department is apparently considering charging
Al-Arian with criminal contempt. [St. Petersburg Times 4/23/08]
On Apr. 21, Al-Arian collapsed and lost consciousness for a few
minutes. On Apr. 23, the 52nd day of his hunger strike, Al-Arian began
to take a liquid nutritional supplement at the urging of his family,
who would like him to regain his strength to be able to travel in the
event that he is deported soon and allowed to finally rejoin them, as
the government has promised. Concerned people are urged to call ICE
Acting Field Office Director Vincent Archibeque in Fairfax, Virginia,
at 703-285-6200 to demand that Al-Arian be treated with dignity and
respect, and that the government honor its promise to deport him
immediately. [Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace Press Release
4/23/08]
*4. GEORGIA: RESTAURANT LABOR AGENTS INDICTED
On Apr. 15 a grand jury in the US District Court for the Northern
District of Georgia handed down five indictments charging 15 people
with providing unauthorized immigrants from Mexico or Central America
to work in Chinese restaurants across the East Coast. The charges
involve six employment agencies based in Chamblee, Georgia: Sing Rong
Employment Agency; Ji Chang Sen Employment Agency; Grand China
Employment Agency; Dong Sheng Employment Agency; Number One Employment
Agency; and Da Zhong Employment Agency. The 15 people who were charged
include employment agency owners, drivers who transported the workers
to restaurants in other states, operators of "safe houses" in Chamblee
where immigrants waited for jobs and smugglers who brought workers up
from Florida. The agencies charged a commission of hundreds of dollars
to place each worker, which was deducted from wages. According to the
indictment, the agencies placed workers in restaurants in Tennessee,
Kentucky, New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina,
Florida and Ohio. Restaurant owners and warehouse owners would
approach the agencies to hire the immigrant workers, "thereby cutting
costs and maximizing profits," the indictments said. The restaurant
owners would pay the workers in cash and not withhold state or federal
taxes. They gave them food and housing, but paid $3 or $5 per hour in
some cases. [Atlanta Journal Constitution 4/16/08]
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