Shining the light on anti-immigrant program targeting teenagers

I am inspired by some of President Obama’s speeches, but appalled at his Operation Border Guardian which directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to take children (18 years old) and throw them in jails, sometimes private jails (even worse). In implementation, ICE is grabbing these teenagers on their way to school, off school buses, and out of stairwells at school – cases of these known in Wake and Durham counties. Our state conference included a workshop on what it took a Durham school community to save (or at least give a chance to) teenager Wildin Acosta (also one on racism). Read about the community effort at “In Defense Of Wildin Acosta,“9/26/16, northcarolinanow.org.

Durham Community Rally to free Wildin Acosta. Photo Credit: ABC

 

 

 

 

 

We cover more about what is being done to these teens at “One saved, one lost of the NC 6 plus more,“9/26/16, northcarolinanow.org. The most heinous case I know came out of Durham County (probably because the Durham Community is fighting this). Here are some of the Durhamites fighting this!

Teachers and students representing the community that is working to save their students from the clutches of a cruel immigration system. Photo Credit: Robin Magee

Ingrid Portillo was sent back to El Salvador where she’d seen her father executed. So many immigrant children stopped going to school, and who can blame them! Operation Border Guardian is the program targeting teenagers. National NOW had a workshop on terrible treatment of moms and their children at family detention centers at our national NOW conference last summer, a different program. But in all cases, the way we are allowing these children and families to be treated in the detention centers is shocking and horrible.

Workshop on how a community organized to save one student from the clutches of the immigration system at NC NOW State Conference. Photo Credit: Robin Magee

More on the operation – “U.S. plans raids to deport families who surged across border“, 12/23/15, Washington Post.

 

Here is the story of another teen from Charlotte arrested on his way to school – “ICE Agents Are Arresting Teens On Their Way To School“, 4/14/16, ThinkProgress.org.