Month: July 2011

LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS

RESOLUTION

Introduced by:

Rosa Rosales, Past LULAC National President and President, LULAC Council #4811 and
Irma Mufriz. LULAC Council #4811

Resolution in support of the humanitarian release of Ramsey Muniz

WHEREAS, Ramiro “Ramsey” Muniz, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, received a Juris Doctor Degree from Baylor School of Law; and

WHEREAS, Ramsey Muniz, a leader during the Civil Rights Movement, fought for justice and equality for Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latinos; and

WHEREAS, Ramsey Muniz was a Texas gubernatorial candidate in 1972 and 1974 for La Raza Unida Party, an independent political party; and

WHEREAS, Ramsey Muniz gave Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latinos a voice in the political arena and his contributions are recognized and noted as part of Texas history; and

WHEREAS, key information was withheld in the Ramsey Mufriz trial and he was denied his constitutional rights granted by the sth Amendment – Due Process of the Law, and the 14th Amendment – Equal Protection Under the Law; and

WHEREAS, Ramsey Mufriz is serving a sentence of life without parole, which constitutes cruel and unusual punishment; and

WHEREAS, Ramsey Mufriz, who is 68 years of age, and others who are wrongly incarcerated endure great suffering as well as their families; and

WHEREAS, LULAC is the oldest and largest Latino organization that supports civil rights for all citizens including those who are unjustly incarcerated; and

THEREFORE BE lT RESOLVED, that the League of United Latin American Citizens supports all efforts to free Ramsey Mufriz and requests the support of President Barack Obama in granting him an immediate Commutation of Sentence.

Executed this 1″ day of July, 2011, at the 82no LULAC National Convention, in Cincinnati. Ohio.
Rosa Rosales
President. LULAC Council #481 1

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Dear Friends:

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was founded in 1929. It is the oldest and most respected Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States which defends civil and human rights.

The National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz, represented at the 82nd LULAC National Convention, spoke with LULAC members throughout the country and gained support for the humanitarian release of Ramsey Muñiz, who is remembered as a leader during the civil rights movement.

National LULAC supports all efforts to free Ramsey Muñiz, as stated in the resolution passed at the national convention. ( the attached). We request his immediate freedom, and seek assistance from congress, organizations, and Washington D.C.

We thank LULAC for supporting the humanitarian release of Ramsey Muñiz, and we extend our deepest gratitude to Rosa Rosales, past president of National LULAC, for her assistance in this effort. We also thank Margaret Moran, National LULAC President, and all LULAC officers and members for their continued support in obtaining the freedom of Ramsey Muñiz.

For more information, contact the National Committee to Free Ramsey Muñiz at imuniz1310@earthlink.net or (409) 363-1878.

–Irma Muniz

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Dear Friends:

The National Committee to Free Ramsey Muniz seeks the assistance of others, especially the youth and young adults, in the case of Ramsey Muniz. The young are most proficient with technology, and we ask for their involvement by forwarding messages (such as the three paragraphs below) through Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of electronic communications.

Ramsey is a graduate of Baylor School of Law. At the age of 30 he ran for governor of Texas. His activism during the civil rights movement made a positive impact in that improved the quality of life for Mexican Americans, Hispanics, and Latinos throughout the Southwest who now hold prominent positions as a result of his efforts. The contributions that he made are profound.

Today Ramsey Muniz is incarcerated for life without parole for a crime he did not commit. Errors were made during his arrest and in trial. We will continue to publish information about this case until an investigation can be made about his conviction in order to obtain his freedom!

For additional information go to http://www.freeramsey.com. Contact the National Committee to Free Ramsey Muniz (imuniz1310@earthlink.net)if you are able to take an active role in forwarding our information to others.

Thank you for your assistance!

–Irma Muniz

The following presentation was made by Dave Kalloor at the Austin, TX action in support of World Refugee Day, June 20, 2011–gm

In my hands, I have a poem written by one of my closest friends, who was detained and deported by ICE nearly five years ago.

july twenty first two thousand and six

I spell these words out for a reason
not to dramatize the meanin’
but to show you what I’m feelin’
am I dreamin’
or does my life really have me reelin’?

Is my religion such a cause for concern?
or is it my race that makes you spurn?
why do you hate me?
weren’t you supposedly built on unity?

I know I’m not an aboriginal,
but does that mean you should treat me like a criminal?

They took me away as I looked in my mom’s crying eyes
not giving me an opportunity to say my goodbyes
They tell me my appeal has been refused
but my ego cannot be bruised.

As they take me away to my new place,
They cuff my hands putting me through more disgrace
But remember my face
Because this smile you’ll never erase.

As I arrive in my cell,
I remind myself this isn’t a place for me to dwell
I don’t belong in this man made hell.

I know this game is just a business
For ICE I’m just another purchase

I go to my bunk as I realize the reality
And try to sleep before I lose my sanity

As the murky shadows start to clear
I realize I have nothing to fear

Rest assured that I won’t stop
This is my way out

I’m not doing this for some widespread acclaim
Because in the end we’re all the same.

Written by A079 005 390

These letters and numbers identify someone who has been caught up in the cruel and unjust machine of ICE. But it did not, and will never have the power to bring down the heart and spirit of one of my brother and closest friends.

Remarks of Geoffrey Valdes at the Austin, TX action in support of World Refugee Day, June 20, 2011.–gm

Good evening. My name is Geoffrey Valdes and I’m a member of Texans United for Families.

Mi nombre es Geoffrey Valdes y soy miembro de Texanos Unidos para las Familias.

Late last year we became aware of plans carried out almost in secret to build a new immigrant detention center in Karnes County, southeast of San Antonio.

El año pasado descubrimos planes llevado casi en secreto para construir un nuevo centro de detenciones de inmigrantes en el Condado de Karnes, al sureste de San Antonio.

This new detention center is scheduled to be opened in early 2012 and would hold 600 immigrant men, primarily those termed “low risk” by ICE. The Karnes Detention Center is being constructed by The Geo Group, a private prison company formerly known as Wackenhut. It is also being touted by ICE as a new “civil” detention center, with supposed better conditions that the other detention camps run by ICE and their private sector henchmen. Once the Karnes detention center is built, ICE has plans for five more similar centers to be built across the county.

Tiene planeado abrir este nuevo centro de detenciones al principio de 2012 tiene capacidad para 600 hombres inmigrantes, la mayoría llamado “bajo riesgo” por ICE. La corporación GEO, una compañía privada de prisiones, son quienes tienen el contrato. ICE propone este centro como un Nuevo centro civil de detenciones, con condiciones supuestamente mejor que los otros centro de detenciones. Una vez construida el centro de Karnes, ICE tiene planes para construir cinco más centros parecidos a través del país.

We oppose the Karnes detention center because in a nation of immigrants, immigrant detention is a human rights violation and a crime.

Oponemos al centro de detenciones de Karnes porque en un país de inmigrantes, la detención de inmigrantes es una violación de derechos humanos y un crimen.

We oppose the Karnes detention center because we want an end to all immigrant detention.

Oponemos al centro de detenciones de Karnes porque queremos el alto de todas las detenciones.

We oppose this “civil” immigrant detention center because there is nothing civil about immigrant detention. Let’s call it what it is, a prison.

Oponemos a este centro dizque “civil” porque no hay nada “civil” de la detención de inmigrantes. Tenemos que decir lo que es, una vil cárcel.

We oppose the Karnes detention center because The Geo Group has a proven track record of killing people in its custody. People like Jesus Manuel Galindo who died in the Reeves Detention Center, run by Geo, after Geo put him in isolation instead of providing him with medical care.

Oponemos al centro de detenciones de Karnes porque The Geo Group tiene una historia probada de matar a personas bajo su control. Personas como Jesus Manuel Galindo quien muri&oacute en el centro de detenciones de Reeves, operado por Geo, después de que Geo le metió en una celda de aislamiento en vez de darle cuidado médico que necesitaba.

We oppose the Karnes detention center because private companies like Geo and CCA and their Wall Street investors like Wells Fargo make millions off of the imprisonment and isolation of our immigrant sisters and brothers.

Oponemos al centro de detenciones de Karnes porque compañias privadas como GEO y CCA y sus inversionistas de Wall Street como Wells Fargo ganan millones del encarcelamiento y aislamiento de nuestras hermanas y hermanos inmigrantes.

We oppose the Karnes detention center because it is in a remote rural area, isolating people from family, friends, lawyers and social services. Detention centers are built in remote regions for a reason, to hide the shameful and criminal immigrant gulag system from the broader public.

Oponemos al centro de detenciones de Karnes porque está en un lugar rural y remoto, lejos de familia, amigos, abogados y servicios sociales. Se construyen centros de detenciones en regiones remotas por una sola razón, para esconder el sistema vergonzoso y criminal del encarcelamiento de inmigrantes.

We oppose the Karnes detention center because we demand an end to all detentions and deportation now.

Oponemos al centro de detenciones de Karnes porque queremos el alto de todas las detenciones y deportaciones ahora.

Are we going to stop the Karnes facility?

¿Vamos a para el centro de Karnes?

Are we going shut down Hutto?

¿Vamos a cerrar a Hutto?

Are we going to end all immigrant detention?

¿Vamos a poner un fin total a las detenciones de inmigrantes?

Remarks of Bob Libal at the Austin, TX action in support of World Refugee Day, June 20, 2011–gm

We are here in front of the Travis County Jail today to show the impact that a program called Secure Communities has had on our community.

Secure Communities is a program that fingerprints every person booked into the Travis County Jail and subjects non-citizens to detention and deportation if their fingerprints trigger a federal immigration match. Since this program was introduced in 2008, nearly 1,900 Travis County residents have been deported.

More than 27,000 people around the state have been deported since 2008 because of this program. And although ICE claims that Secure Communities is meant to target people with violent convictions, the vast majority of those snared in this program have no or minor charges.

Far from making our community more secure, this program has separated hundreds of families, created a climate of fear in our community, and led to the deportations of thousands of our neighbors. It is precisely these concerns that have led communities across the county to reject Secure Communities. In the last month, the states of New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts have all pulled out of this program.

We in Travis County and around Texas know that Secure Communities makes our community less safe. We know that Secure Communities breeds fear into the community, driving our immigrant brothers and sisters further into the shadows. Secure Communities also provides a steady business for the private prison company that ever more detainees to fill their detention beds.

And, so, we are here today to say No to Secure Communities! We are here to tell our elected officials all the way from Sheriff Greg Hamilton to President Barack Obama that Secure Communities has got to go!