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A Texas Super Weekend

Hola y’all…

If you are an ambassador for human liberty and dignity, you’ll appreciate the following update…and hopefully you’ll want to share in it.

Willacy County is spending and additional $40,000,000 to add 1000 beds to the already existing 2000 beds of the largest immigrant internment camp in the world.

Williamson County has no intent whatsoever to free the children from the Hutto prison camp in Taylor, Texas. They are only concerned about making money off of the imprisonment of the children with impunity and with no legal liability.

Willacy County and Williamson County are becoming the scourge of America in the eyes of the international community. With these facilities comes human rights violation. These prisons are models and manifestations of the elitist supremacy…with callous greed as the driving force that permeates our country and exploits the worlds’ inhabitants. Georgetown in particular, the Williamson County seat, has produced the worst of indignities to the human family by being complicit in the imprisonment of innocent children for obscene profits.

The Hutto child prison in Taylor and the Raymondville tent internment camps are the most visible yet sinister violation of international human rights on American soil…and they both happen to be here in Texas . Hutto has children and their mothers imprisoned at the tune of about $10,000 per child/per mother/per month. Raymondville is the most flagrant of adult immigrant internment camps in the world, let alone on American soil.

Therefore, Raymondville Walk II and Hutto Walk III have been rescheduled for a Texas Super Weekend the last weekend of October. Here are the dates: (Maps and details will be in a follow up notice).

Raymondville Walk II. October 26-27. Friday and Saturday. From the Harlingen Travel Center to Raymondville, the seat of the corruption ridden Willacy County Commissioners Court.

Hutto Walk III. October 28-30. Sunday through Tuesday. From the Hutto childrens prison camp in Taylor, Texas to the seat of the Williamson County Commissioners Court in Georgetown, Texas.

Raymondville Walk II and Hutto Walk III will comprise a Texas Super Weekend of prison protest of the two most repugnant “for profit” immigration internment camps here in Texas . This will be the second event backed by a statewide coalition of Texan and American alliances of organizations and coalitions seeking liberty and justice for children, mothers, asylum seekers, refugees and desperate immigrants. (The first such statewide event Hutto Vigil X, sponsored by Amnesty International, on June 23 of this year.)

The Raymondville Walk II will begin in Harlingen , Texas on Friday, October 26, right after a 9:00am press conference. Raymond Walk II will join a Raymondville Vigil on Saturday noon, October 27, in front of the 10-tent immigrant internment camp where some 2000 immigrants from some 50 countries are denied their “inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” in the politically corrupted MTC private “for-profit” facility.

The Hutto Walk III will begin in Taylor , Texas on Sunday, October 28, right after a noon press conference. Hutto Walk III will continue on Monday and arrive Tuesday at the Williamson County Commissioners Court at 9:30am. At that meeting, we the people who value the tenets of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will present the Williamson County Commissioners with our demands and ultimatums to free the children of the world who are imprisoned for greedy profit by the elitist supremacists of our country.

To those from Houston , the Valley, Austin and San Antonio , Williamson County and the Metroplex…”Start your engines!!!” Plan your travel arrangements. Make your posters and banners. Plan your speeches. Develop your public and legal strategies. May we continue to expose and to shame those who would callously and corruptly violate the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Liberty ‘s invitation to the “huddled masses yearning to breath free”!

Please feel free to share this with you media contacts and all others who value and are willing to defend the most basic of human rights.

In solidarity,
Jay

Freedom Ambassadors
(830)768-0768

“Connecting the dots . . . Making a difference”

Dear Friends:

During this Thanksgiving Day let us embrace each other with a spirit of love for our families, friends, and fellow man. In the message below Ramsey reminds us of the of the true world around us, and the harsh reality faced by humanity today.

Irma Muniz

**************************************

From my imprisonment I share this spirit to all of humanity on this Thanksgiving Day of 2007. Christ’s faith was on the future of all humanity when he shared the following words of spiritual wisdom:

“For I was hungry and you gave me food;
I was thirsty and you gave me drink;
I was a stranger and you welcomed me;
I was naked and you clothed me;
I was ill and you cared for me;
I was imprisoned and you visited me.”

“When did we give you all this,” His disciples asked Him. Jesus replied, “Amen I say to you. Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine you did for me.”

The world is full of hunger and thirst today. At war because we are strangers. Homeless and lacking health care for those without. Many unjustly imprisoned without the love of humanity or freedom.

Ramiro R. Muniz

***********************

www.freeramsey.com

Dear Editor:

While I am totally appreciative of your attention to the plight of the families with children imprisoned behind the walls of that prison for profit named after the co-founder of CCA and a sty in the eye of Texas TD Hutto, I as an organizer would ask for some support from you as I am the principal organizer of Free the Children Coalition.

The protests that have taken place in Taylor have been a product of my efforts along with others that you mention in your report from our last Freedom March in Taylor. While I am remiss in even bringing this up, but I must be candid without the recognition from the media for the efforts of bringing about these protest Marches it makes it harder to get participation from the community.

Perhaps I should be appreciative in that the matter did receive media attention at all. I will continue to organize the protest Marches in Taylor along with the speakers stage, for it was I that instituted the stage with sound amplification.

Again the media recognition is helpful when organizing for such events especially in recruiting volunteers for these much needed actions against these injustices that are so prevalent in these days.

Antonio Diaz
Co-Founder:
Cesar E. Chavez March for Justice San Antonio Tx.
Organizer :
Free the Children Coalition

The Sunday Sun
Georgetown, Texas
October 21, 2007
[Pages 1A, 5A]

By KELLY GOOCH

Critics of the T. Don Hutto detainee center in Taylor plan to take steps to get it closed down, and to them that means walking from Taylor to Williamson County, straight to the Commissioner’s Court chambers during a regular Tuesday meeting, October 30.

Jay J. Johnson-Castro with Del Rio-based Freedom Ambassadors, a human rights network, and coordinator of the walk against what they call a prison for children, said this week that he will be walking in protest of the facility beginning October 28.

After a noon news conference that day at T. Don Hutto, 1001 Welch St., Mr. Johnson said those who choose to walk with him will walk from the front entrance of the detainee center and go together about 19 miles to Commissioners Court, 301 S.E. Inner Loop in Georgetown, arriving in time for court at 9:30 a.m. on October 30.

Other people joining him for at least part of the walk will include representatives from the Dallas Peace Center; Cesar Chavez March for Justice in San Antonio; and chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens – in Taylor, Austin and San Antonio, Mr. Johnson said. People may not be able to walk the, entire time because of work and school obligations during the week, and participants could be taken back to their car at any time during the walk, Mr. Johnson said.

“We’re going after the Williamson County Commissioners Court. And we believe we have a case,” said Mr. Johnson. Those who do walk will have help if they need it: Walkers will continually have water and a first-aid kit available via a support-vehicle, he said.

Even if weather gets bad, Mr. Johnson said a car could provide shelter. He said that on Sunday and Monday nights, participants could end up staying in someone’s house or in a hotel. “We’re not going to camp out along the highway or something,” Mr. Johnson said. “Everyone will want to get showered or rested.”

County Judge Dan Gattis said there is no permit from the county that is required for participants, to walk in protest. As far as any public assembly that might happen outside of the county building, he said they can be there as long as property isn’t destroyed or people kept from entering or leaving the building.

“As long as they respect other peoples’ rights and privileges, we certainly won’t be hassling them,” Judge Gattis said. “They certainly have the right to gather together and protest.” He said if any officer(s) from the Sheriff’s Department were to be at such a scene, it would be for the safety of those that were there.

People who have spoken to the court regarding T. Don Hutto have been “good honorable people with good intentions,” Judge Gattis said.

Dr. Asma Salam, member of the Dallas Peace Center board of directors and a D/FW area resident, said she plans on being in Taylor at noon October 28 and walking part of the time.

“I am looking forward to walking as much as I can,” she said, adding that she will be bringing five or six picket signs with her.

Ms. Salam said one such sign will say “stop the inhumane treatment of children and women in ICE/immigration detention centers inside our country.” She has been in contact with different faith and ethnic community groups in Dallas, telling them about the walk, she said.

“I still don’t know how many will join me,” Ms. Salam said. “But I’m hoping for good support.”
She said she has her own reasons for wanting to participate. “I believe that we have to raise this awareness,” Ms. Salam said. “We have to save the rights of women and children.”

Mr. Johnson said the walk has different facets to it.

“It brings we the people together to a point of activity,” he said regarding people opposed to keeping families in the T. Don Hutto Center in Taylor, where illegal immigrant families are kept while waiting to be deported.

He said the walk is also to make people aware of their opinions on T. Don Hutto.

“We consider media one of the powers of ‘our country,” Mr. Johnson added. They definitely want to voice their opinions in Commissioners Court, he said. “We’re going after the Williamson County Commissioners Court,” he said. And we believe we have a case.” Mr. Johnson said he believes the county’s involvement with the facility had to do with money rather than human rights.
“We hope they think beyond liability,” he said.

Once whoever is walking arrives at Commissioners Court on October 30, Mr. Johnson said he is not sure how many people could join the protest or what exactly will happen.

One thing he knew for sure: “We anticipate going to court and making public comment,” he said. “We want the facility shut down.”

This will be the third time there has been a walk in protest of T. Don Hutto, Mr. Johnson said. He said two previous walks involved walking from Austin to T. Don Hutto where they have never needed a permit.

Law enforcement officials in Taylor and Georgetown and the Williamson County Sheriff’s office would be notified, Mr. Johnson said.

“What we are not doing is orchestrating a march that is going to block highways and streets,” he said.

Captain David Clawson with the Taylor Police Department said the participants would not need a permit from the city of Taylor to walk in protest unless they were blocking streets. An officer could drive by just to make sure nothing got out of hand, he said.

“It’s always been extremely civil,” he said of past protests of T. Don Hutto. “We don’t want to do anything to step on their rights to that.”

According to a document on the city of Georgetown Web site, www georgetown.org, the walkers who arrive in Georgetown would consider the following regarding whether they need a permit: An “event” is a temporary event or gathering using private and/or public property. When determining whether a permit is required, consideration will be given to whether the following criteria exist: Closing a public street, Blocking or restricting public property, Blocking or restricting access to the private property of others, Use of pyrotechnics or special effects, Use of open flame, explosions or other potentially dangerous displays or actions, Sale of merchandise, food or beverages on public property, or on private property where otherwise prohibited by ordinance.

“There is a non-refundable fee of $100 for an Event Application and the Application must be returned completed, as per the ordinance, no later than 30 days prior to the proposed event or a $100 late fee will be charged in addition to the application fee,” according to the Web site.

On October 2, the Commissioners Court asked the county attorney’s office to draft notification to ICE and Corrections Corporation of America, who operates the detention facility, ending both contracts as of October 2, 2008.

However, on October 9, the court tabled the idea of ending both contracts.