Posted on Tue, Jan. 18, 2011
By Michael Matza
Inquirer Staff Writer
Linking their demonstration to the human-rights theme of Martin Luther King's Birthday, about 200 members of pro-immigrant groups marched Monday from Center City to the regional offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to protest the pending deportation of four Cambodian men.
Outside the office at 1600 Callowhill St., they festooned a fence with placards - "Stop Tearing Families Apart" - and hundreds of yellow ribbons.
"Education, not deportation," they chanted.
Rallying the crowd through a bullhorn, Desi Burnette of Media Mobilizing Project, a co-organizer of the march, said the men facing deportation were "heroes" to her because they made serious mistakes and learned from them.
The four were born in Cambodia or Southeast Asian refugee camps after their families fled the Khmer Rouge and the Pol Pot regime. They and their parents were admitted legally to the United States as refugees about 25 years ago.
As youths and young adults, they committed aggravated assaults and other crimes. They were convicted, served time in prison, and now face expulsion. ICE agents arrested them last September.
Authorities say they are "criminal aliens" and by law must be removed. Their defenders say they are rehabilitated and deserve another chance to remain in America.
Demonstrator Steve Scaffone, pastor of Living Water Church in the city's Logan section, said his congregation of about 50 people is mostly Cambodian. He said he found it "ironic" that he learned about the four men on the same day that Eagles coach Andy Reid announced that convicted dog-fighter Michael Vick would be his starting quarterback - saying in effect "that our country is all about second chances."
After the four Cambodians were detained, their supporters formed the One Love Movement to Keep Families Together.
One Love cofounder Joe Hanzsum said he hoped that when ICE officials returned to work Tuesday they would see the ribbons and "take another look at these cases."
"Are they really a threat to society? If they are, I'm with you: Deport them," he said. "But if they are not, give them a second chance."
The protest included the Asian Student Association of Philadelphia; Central High School's Students Against Unjust Deportation; the United Taxi Workers Alliance; and other groups.
Citing King's famous 1963 "Letter From Birmingham Jail" - in which he wrote about the difference between just and unjust laws - the demonstrators released a Dec. 4 letter from York County Prison written by 30-year-old Chally Dang, one of the men facing deportation.
"I entered the United States as an infant, made my mistakes as a juvenile and was punished for those mistakes as a young adult," he wrote. "And as I now embrace life as a reformed, tax-paying civilian, the actions of my past still haunt me with what my fate might be. I can only implore mercy from a system in which I trust forgiveness and second chances still exist."
Contact staff writer Michael Matza at 215-854-2541 or mmatza@phillynews.com.
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Immigrant-rights advocates protest 'unjust' deportation on MLK Day
By JULIE SHAW
Philadelphia Daily News
shawj@phillynews.com 215-854-2592
CARRYING signs that blared "Stop Unjust Deportation," more than 200 immigrant-rights advocates took to the streets yesterday to rally against what they see as civil-rights injustices.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they marched to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, at 16th and Callowhill streets, raising their voices for Chally Dang, for Mout Iv, for Davy Phean, for Vanney Van.
The four Cambodian immigrants sit in York County Prison, detained by ICE. They had been welcomed into this country as refugees and became legal permanent residents.
But each had committed a crime, and although they served their prison times, under 1996 immigration laws they are deportable back to Cambodia without a hearing before an immigration judge on the merits of their cases.
Before the march, supporters gathered at the Arch Street United Methodist Church, on North Broad Street, where state Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Phila., told them: "Martin Luther King loved demonstrations. . . . It is clear members of the Cambodian community and others being deported for crimes committed in the past . . . should not be deported."
The Rev. Robin Hynicka, church pastor, said that community service on MLK Day "just doesn't cut it." Instead, what the immigrant-rights groups were doing - standing up for human rights, protesting - is what makes "life worth living for me," he said.
Dang was 15 when he committed an aggravated assault. He served five-plus years in prison.
He is now 28, married and a father of four kids, ages 3 months to 6 years. He was working for a vending company when he and his fellow Cambodians were detained in Sept. 21. He now awaits deportation to Cambodia - a country he has never set foot in. Dang was born in a Thailand refugee camp.
"The person he was when he was 15, he's not that person anymore," his wife, Ana Maria Cruz, 27, said as she stood outside the ICE office, which was closed yesterday for the federal holiday.
"He doesn't deserve a double punishment."
Outside the office at 1600 Callowhill St., they festooned a fence with placards - "Stop Tearing Families Apart" - and hundreds of yellow ribbons.
"Education, not deportation," they chanted.
Rallying the crowd through a bullhorn, Desi Burnette of Media Mobilizing Project, a co-organizer of the march, said the men facing deportation were "heroes" to her because they made serious mistakes and learned from them.
The four were born in Cambodia or Southeast Asian refugee camps after their families fled the Khmer Rouge and the Pol Pot regime. They and their parents were admitted legally to the United States as refugees about 25 years ago.
As youths and young adults, they committed aggravated assaults and other crimes. They were convicted, served time in prison, and now face expulsion. ICE agents arrested them last September.
Authorities say they are "criminal aliens" and by law must be removed. Their defenders say they are rehabilitated and deserve another chance to remain in America.
Demonstrator Steve Scaffone, pastor of Living Water Church in the city's Logan section, said his congregation of about 50 people is mostly Cambodian. He said he found it "ironic" that he learned about the four men on the same day that Eagles coach Andy Reid announced that convicted dog-fighter Michael Vick would be his starting quarterback - saying in effect "that our country is all about second chances."
After the four Cambodians were detained, their supporters formed the One Love Movement to Keep Families Together.
One Love cofounder Joe Hanzsum said he hoped that when ICE officials returned to work Tuesday they would see the ribbons and "take another look at these cases."
"Are they really a threat to society? If they are, I'm with you: Deport them," he said. "But if they are not, give them a second chance."
The protest included the Asian Student Association of Philadelphia; Central High School's Students Against Unjust Deportation; the United Taxi Workers Alliance; and other groups.
Citing King's famous 1963 "Letter From Birmingham Jail" - in which he wrote about the difference between just and unjust laws - the demonstrators released a Dec. 4 letter from York County Prison written by 30-year-old Chally Dang, one of the men facing deportation.
"I entered the United States as an infant, made my mistakes as a juvenile and was punished for those mistakes as a young adult," he wrote. "And as I now embrace life as a reformed, tax-paying civilian, the actions of my past still haunt me with what my fate might be. I can only implore mercy from a system in which I trust forgiveness and second chances still exist."
Contact staff writer Michael Matza at 215-854-2541 or mmatza@phillynews.com.
-------------------------------------------
Immigrant-rights advocates protest 'unjust' deportation on MLK Day
By JULIE SHAW
Philadelphia Daily News
shawj@phillynews.com 215-854-2592
CARRYING signs that blared "Stop Unjust Deportation," more than 200 immigrant-rights advocates took to the streets yesterday to rally against what they see as civil-rights injustices.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they marched to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, at 16th and Callowhill streets, raising their voices for Chally Dang, for Mout Iv, for Davy Phean, for Vanney Van.
The four Cambodian immigrants sit in York County Prison, detained by ICE. They had been welcomed into this country as refugees and became legal permanent residents.
But each had committed a crime, and although they served their prison times, under 1996 immigration laws they are deportable back to Cambodia without a hearing before an immigration judge on the merits of their cases.
Before the march, supporters gathered at the Arch Street United Methodist Church, on North Broad Street, where state Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Phila., told them: "Martin Luther King loved demonstrations. . . . It is clear members of the Cambodian community and others being deported for crimes committed in the past . . . should not be deported."
The Rev. Robin Hynicka, church pastor, said that community service on MLK Day "just doesn't cut it." Instead, what the immigrant-rights groups were doing - standing up for human rights, protesting - is what makes "life worth living for me," he said.
Dang was 15 when he committed an aggravated assault. He served five-plus years in prison.
He is now 28, married and a father of four kids, ages 3 months to 6 years. He was working for a vending company when he and his fellow Cambodians were detained in Sept. 21. He now awaits deportation to Cambodia - a country he has never set foot in. Dang was born in a Thailand refugee camp.
"The person he was when he was 15, he's not that person anymore," his wife, Ana Maria Cruz, 27, said as she stood outside the ICE office, which was closed yesterday for the federal holiday.
"He doesn't deserve a double punishment."
2 comments:
uncle ho chiminh Now youn have 47 000 troop, they will triples to over 1 millions troop may be more at the time we wag war. in order to wag war to win over amilion troop you and me have to creat three time out number of army it mean over three millions man with skill in military drill. In order to support 3 million troop we have to spend 15 millions dollar aday, 100,000 galant X 3=300,000$ of gas per day, terrain and set up scenario army selter, suply, 3 millions perday, weapon 20 for 3years 80 billion...?. do you have such resouces to wag war. if you don't we may win the smale batle now, but will lost at another date. so don't wast time. may be you can do radical military stratergy like in east timore,but it take a long tims, may be 20 years, but if we have such resources like I calculate above we may 100 percent won the batle for lese than 3 years. Mike
Mike, please shut up. Your engish skill is very bad. No one wants to read your hallucination writing style.
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