Author: mopress

90 immigrants detained in Massachusetts raid been flown to Port Isabel

By Rio Grande Guardian Staff

PORT ISABEL, Texas – Of the 361 immigrants rounded up in a high-profile raid in Massachusetts on Tuesday, 90 have been flown to a detention center in Port Isabel, the Department of Homeland Security has confirmed.
“We flew 90 immigrants to the Port Isabel Service Processing Center on Wednesday, and flew another 116 to a detention center [near El Paso],” Richard Rocha, a public affairs officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the Guardian.

“We are sending Massachusetts social workers to the facilities to make sure everything goes okay.”

Of the remainder, Rocha said 59 were released immediately on humanitarian grounds and will have to report back to the authorities at a later time. He said the remainder have been taken to different facilities in Massachusetts.

The raid at the factory of Michael Bianco, Inc., hin New Bedford, has caused a storm of protest in Massachusetts with Gov. Deval Patrick calling the separation of children from parents a “humanitarian crisis.”

Most of the 361 workers were young or middle-aged Latino women. Many are believed to be from Guatemala and El Salvador….

Clicking through internet references that connect Rolling Plains prision to immigration detention, we ran across the painful story of Mahmoud Alafyouny. Fort Worth Weekly called his experience an “American Purgatory.” After more than two years in prison, Alafyouny was eventually deported. The story of Alafyouny’s plight drew sympathetic treatment from federal security screeners at TSA, because that’s where his wife Rae worked. Mahmoud and Rae were married in 2000, a full decade after Mahmoud’s college years in Jordan where he allegedly raised money for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). That was enough to tag him terrorist and get him deported under the Patriot Act, despite major media attention. As a result, Alafyouny’s case goes down in history as one of the clear cases of post-9/11 discrimination.–gm

The following clips from the Wyoming Department of Corrections provide perspective on the housing of prisoners at the Haskell, Texas Rolling Plains Prison. As of May 2006, Wyoming housed “162 male inmates and 57 female inmates” at Rolling Plains. Of three prisoners identified for escape or death, one was convicted of aggravated robbery, one of second degree murder, and one was serving life for first degree murder. Friends of the immigrant issue will be interested to see where the timeline begins–with the transfer of Wyoming prisoners out of T. Don Hutto Prison at Taylor, Texas to a private prison in Colorado.–gm
“Approximately 2,100 adult inmates are in the custody of WDOC, though due to a current shortage of housing space, nearly 800 of those inmates are
housed in non-department facilities. These include adult community corrections centers, out-of-state facilities, county jails, as well as a 100-bed
secure treatment facility in Casper. Nearly 5,500 offenders are being supervised in the communities on probation or parole.”
–“STATE OF WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY,” (July 1, 2005).

“Due to lack of room in Wyoming prisons, the WDOC currently houses some inmates out-of-state. Wyoming has 162 male inmates and 57 female inmates at Rolling Plains Regional Jail & Detention Center in Haskell, Texas; 301 male inmates at the Bill Clayton Correctional Facility in Littlefield, Texas; and 16 male inmates in West Texas Detention Center in Sierra Blanca, Texas.”
–“Disturbance Brought Under Control at Bill Clayton Detention Center, Texas,” WDOC Press Release (May 31, 2006).

“According to a spokesperson from the Rolling Plains Regional Jail & Detention Center in Haskell, Texas, Wyoming Inmate Joe Wilkinson gave himself up after about two hours following his escape. Mr. Wilkinson, 41, is serving 6 to 9 years for aggravated robbery, sentenced in Sweetwater County on September 20, 2002.

“Wyoming inmate Robert Dix, 25, serving a 45 year to life sentence for second-degree murder in Natrona County, was arrested at 7:20 pm April 16, by officers of the Stamford Police Department, according to Rolling Plains officials.”
–“Two Wyoming Inmates Arrested Following Escape from Texas Facility,” WDOC Press Release (April 17, 2006).

“Dale Geesaman, a Wyoming inmate at the Rolling Plains Regional Jail & Detention Center in Haskell, Texas, died on Thursday, April 13, 2006. He was serving his Wyoming sentence there due to lack of beds in Wyoming prisons. Mr. Geesaman was pronounced dead at Haskell Memorial Hospital. The cause of the unexpected death will be determined; however, no foul play was involved.

“Mr. Geesaman was convicted of first degree murder. Sentenced February 18, 1982 by Judge Terrence O’Brien in Campbell County, he was originally sentenced to a life sentence. In April 1994, Governor Mike Sullivan commuted the sentence to 90 to 95 years. Mr. Geesaman was born in Missouri on April 10, 1964.”
–“Wyoming Inmate Geesaman Dies in Texas,” WDOC Press Release (April 14, 2006).

“The first group of male inmates was transferred out-of-state in 1997. At that time they were moved to Texas because a closer facility was not available. Upon construction of the Crowley County facility, Wyoming contracted with the county a year ago in November 1998 and was able to move inmates from Texas to Colorado. The original Wyoming count in Colorado was 100.”
–“More Male Inmates Moved Out-of State Due to Overcrowding,” WDOC Press Release (Nov. 23, 1999).

“According to officials at the Wyoming Department of Corrections, the 97 Wyoming inmates housed at T. Don Hutto Correctional Facility in Taylor, Texas were transferred to the privately owned and operated Crowley County Correctional Facility35 miles east of Pueblo, Colorado on Saturday, October 31. The transfer was well within the time frame previously announced by Governor Geringer and Director Judith Uphoff on September 30, 1998. The inmates will be housed at Crowley pursuant to a contract between the DOC and Crowley County, Colorado.”
–“Wyoming Inmates Moved from Texas to Colorado Per Schedule,” WDOC Press Release (Nov. 2, 1998).

The Abilene Reporter-News updates the Hazahza case on the day when Homeland Security attorneys are scheduled to present their reasons for holding the family at the Rolling Plains prison in Haskell.

A short documentary by Sean Cunningham about one of the Hutto vigils will air on PBS Austin affiliate KLRU March 9 at 8pm.
The Texas Observer is also keeping up with Hutto and the ACLU challenge to imprionment of children.

The Stamford Star has posted a report by correspondent Jim Collins on the “Huddled Masses Yearning to Breathe Free Walk” that passed through town last Friday.

The Culkin women at Red Peonies Blog find it difficult to think of John Neck as a sidekick. Oh, and they won’t be the last readers to howl at the way credits get skewed in our writeups. But they are better sports than some. Must be something in their upbringing. Check out the Red Peonies Blog.