Denver RIFA Rally successful beyond dreams! Thousands showed up in solidarity to say, “Si se puede!”

We expected 1,500 at the

Denver Reform Immigration For

 America Rally ( RIFA )

A conservative figure is 10,000, 

maybe 16,000!

How do we know? 

We had at least

3,000 in the Las Vegas Rally

a month ago…

This crowd was at least

5 TIMES as

big…

 

Colorado says NO to Arizona H B 1070!

 

Colorado Says YES! to

comprehensive immigration reform! ( cir )

 

We opened with a prayer…

 

Does she look tired?  Julieta with Padres y

Jovenes Unidos helped Denver Public School

students organize a walk-out in protest of

Arizona HB 1070 yesterday…

She is willing to pay any price,

a tireless worker for civil rights …

We R lucky to have her!

Lalo, Padres y Jovenes Unidos,

also a tireless activist,

holds the future of the nation

in his arms …

his daughter!

We hold hands today

we demonstrate

we cry

4

justice for all!

Check out my You Tube videos

immigrants2bfree for video coverage

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The event was beautifully organized …

The power of the people showed us

what we can do in Colorado!

 

Signing up voters for the election!

We hope it went well for the rest of the nation!

Thanks Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition

( CIRC )

Thanks Reform Immigration For America

( RIFA )

La Reforma Migratoria Pro America!

Thanks Julie Gutierrez Colorado

RIFA State Coordinator!

Dios te bendiga a todos!

If you are from “mainstream” America

we need you to call your neighbor and tell her why

comprehensive immigration reform is
right for the country…

Section 101 speaks about border security

It provides for a billion dollars a year for four years to beef up our nations sea ports

it call for bullet proof vests for

all border patrol agents

it calls for a comprehensive review of

how we  can best allocate border resources

It provides for a six year path to citizenship after a

back ground check and payment of a fine…

The fines alone could be over 3 billion dollars

plus we will have more tax payers!

The six year path is likely to turn into a

10 year path with back logs … it is NOT amnesty!

It helps every driver get a driver’s license
so every driver can get insurance;
so every driver can be easily identified during a roadside stop for police safety!

It provides for a way to staff the future needs of the

retiring baby boomers with work visas

and other plans!

It was a great day in Colorado …

Si  vives  en  el condado de  Maricopa 

Dejate lo mas pronto que puedes …

El tiburon Sheriff “Josecito” Arpaio esta buscando

Digo “Josecito” porque
el es una persona chico usando la oficina
de Sheriff para estar un muchacho grande!

Technorati Tags: rifa,cir,may day,may 1 immigration,reform immigration for america,la reforma migratoria pro inmigrante,denver immigration,hb 1070,arizona H.B. 1070,arizona passes,immigration protesters,reform immigration,comprehensive immigration,la raza,latinos

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ICE nabs community leader Edgar Niebla, Free in 2 days

ICE lets community leader go free after fast action by CIRC, protests from the community and friends

6:00 a.m. comes early to men who have to work.  They put in a hard day the day before.  Then, there is caring for the family which in the home of Edgar Niebla includes his mother and little sister.  There are the chores to do, family dinner, then it is time to hit the sack and do it all over again one more time.


On the morning of April 27th, at 6:00 a.m., Edgar Niebla, in immigrant, had one more thing on his plate.  His mother called to him.  Edgar's little sister of answered the door thinking it might have been a friend.  It wasn’t, unless you call guys gussied up in bullet proof vests with the word ICE stamped all over their chests your friends.

  Edgar Niebla Former ICE detainee

They were there to take Edgar.  Why they had targeted this hard worker who supports his family is unknown. 

Edgar’s mother was taking it hard.  She was crying, very upset.  Edgar had all he could do to manage the hulks standing at his door and comfort his mother, too.  Edgar would not be showing up for work today.


“Don’t worry.  I will be all right” he told her.


Fortunately, Edgar, who is on great terms with local law enforcement, was not cuffed in front of his mother and little sister.  In fact, he was kindly treated by the ICE officer and the local cop who Edgar knew quite well.  All the officer said to Edgar was "I'm sorry, Edgar."   

Edgar Niebla was placed into custody.  He was transported to the Denver immigrant detention facility.  They told him he was going home.  All he had left in Colorado and the United States was two days.  After that, he would have an order prohibiting his re-entry into the country. 


That is when the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition went into full swing.  Their efforts, along with community support, and protests from friends won Edgar a reprieve.  I watched the emails of support rushing through Facebook.  My heart was sinking with every new message.  I left the computer at 4:00 or so, lots of things to do before the Padres y Jovenes meeting that night.

I finally got my chores done and headed to the Padres y Jovenes meeting.  When I got my wheels parked Julian Rush, director of CIRC, came across the street and gave me the biggest bear hug you can imagine.  Julien is like that.  He loves people.  But this bear hug had a lot more in it, some pure joy, a sense hard work was paying off.  A sense maybe there is justice in the world for hard work.


“We did it, man!” he said, his eyes as bright as dollars.  I was not sure what it is "we" had done, but if it was a screw up I hoped it was not because of me!

Our future

On the lawn across the street were TV cameras and photographers.  Univision, along with other TV stations were there.

“Get a poster and get in with ‘em, Tim”  Julian encouraged me.  Cool!

  "We" must have done some good things" I thought to myself.

Then I heard the news.  After fast and effective intervention by the Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition, and with community support and some foot stomping by friends, Edgar had won temporary release from ICE after only two days in detention.  Two days to go free sure beats getting sent home in the same two days!  Someone, not me, did a lot of hard work.  My part was to be there, to be a tiny grain of sand in a huge movement.  It is an honor, a gift and I really enjoyed my friends letting me be part of it!

 Youth speaks about student walk out to

protest Arizona H.B. 1070

At the press conference excited community activist talked about how community lobbying and help from the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition won Edgar temporary freedom! 


After hearing words of encouragement I began to reflect about a conversation I had with two immigrant friends.  They could not see how they could change anything or why they should get involved with Padres y Jovenes or go to marches or belong to any other immigrants rights group.  I had to respect their opinion.  They were not going to put in their grain of sand for a cause that would affect their friends in a profound way.  Fine.  Do nothing.  You are powerless.  I am not.

When I got to the Padres office and saw Julien and all of the people at CIRC and my friends and...Edgar, I knew how important a grain of sand can be.  It was a great story to take back to my very surprised friends the next day.  Yes, you can make a difference.  We all can make a difference.  But the way we do it is in unity.  We fight for rights.  We fight for community.  We protect our memebers.  We stand up to a bully, to unjust laws.  And once in awhile...we win.  How sweet it is!

Tomorrow is May 1 and a chance for every one of us to be a grain of sand.  We are looking for numbers.  We are looking for communtiy.  Every person counts.  Stand up and be heard.  Come join us for a wonderful event.  There is one in nearly every large city in the United States.  In Denver it is Sunken Gardens near speer and Federal.  Why not find the one near you?   RIFA, Reform Immigration For America has helped us organize for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR ASAP).

Not one of us has the power to pass comprehensive immigration reform.  Together, we have immense power.  But that takes everyone of us to put our little granule of sand into the plan.  Together, nothing stops us.  Get involved in your community.  When things go south you have the community to help you out!  That is American democracy at work!

Technorati Tags: edgar niebla,ice raids,ice,deportation,circ,arizona,arizona passes,denver public schools,school walk out,public schools boycott

Colorado prepares refugee camp - Arizona immigrants flee - Obama calls for reform in 2010 - CIR, RIFA Arpaio

In an emergency meeting Friday night, a group of Colorado



immigrant’s rights activist decided to provide shelter to families fleeing Arizona in terror.  Governor Jan Brewer signed into effect a law that makes being an illegal immigrant a crime and requires local and state police officers to detain workers whenever they suspect they lack documents.  Those ascertained as being undocumented will be made available to immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) for deportation.

Meanwhile, Sheriff  “Little Joe” Arpaio, a bully with a badge, has sworn to use the law to his advantage.

 Free at last, free at last, ohh lordy, free at last!

Sheriff “Little Joe” Arpaio can pick on

Latinos to his hearts content!

"Now if we show they're illegal, we can actually arrest them and put them in our jails," Arpaio said. 

“Little Joe’s” statement is ridiculous since he brags about detaining over 80,000 undocumented workers during his rein of terror as sheriff.  If there had been such grand impediments to arrest and detention he would not have been able to ruin so many lives.


One can reasonably imagine the reaction of the undocumented community.  Arizona has always been right-wing and anti-immigrant in their sentiment.  Like Colorado, they begrudge medical treatment to needy workers unless it is “a life threatening emergency”. 

However, the new Arizona law is so vicious it will strike terror in the hearts of grand mothers as they drive to the store.  Entire families are destined to be harassed, ripped apart, and displaced.  Employers will lose significant sums of money when their workers do not show up.  Middle class fathers may want to re-think sending their kids to college since mundane jobs like washing dishes will pay significantly more than they did before.  You can bet some of the Republican voting base that supported the law will be the first to bitch as restaurant food prices go up to cover increased labor costs.

    The biggest losers in the Arizona hate based law are citizen Latinos who are confused for immigrants.  Now is a great time to own clothing stores that carry yuppie style clothing.  No one is going to want to look remotely like they came from the poor villages of Mexico.  Woe be it to the Latino tourist, still full of the vibrations of little Mexico, if he forgets to change back into his gringo attire after crossing back into the U.S.  If he makes a mistake like that he is likely to find himself face down on the pavement as a cop slaps on the silver bracelets until the citizen’s true identity can be ascertained.

None of this will change the Coyote business which transports 80,000 plus immigrants across the Arizona border every year.  Very few of the humans who are treated like smuggled cargo remain in Arizona.  Most of them are transported to other states as fast as possible.  Hence, the Arizona hate law changes nothing.  Law enforcement has always profiled for human smugglers.


Meanwhile, immigrant groups are preparing for the flight from the witch hunt which is surely to begin.  Sheriff “Little Joe” Arpaio is not the only cop who loves harassing immigrants in order to grab headlines.  There are plenty of copycats.  Frankly, common sense says, if you are Latino and have not made arrangements to leave Arizona, now is a great time to call your travel agent. 

Arizona is going to be just as unpleasant a place for Latinos today as the deep South was for African Americans in the 1950’s. It won’t take much pretext to stop anyone of Hispanic descent, and the concept of probable cause, a reasonable suspicion a crime has been committed, might as well be abolished for Latinos.  All an officer needs to do to make his unreasonable search and seizure case stick is claim the cat he stopped looked like an illegal immigrant.  Most police officers can tell just by looking these days, although we have yet to hear a definition of the illegal immigrant look.

Surprisingly, Arizona has done the pro-immigrant legislation movement a huge favor.  National interests are focusing on the immigration debate after the issue has been wholly ignored by the press.  President Obama pledged support of immigration reform this year just a few minutes ago.  Such attention will likely lead to comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) in part through the efforts of RIFA organizing, which will make hate based laws like the one in Arizona obsolete.

Technorati Tags: arpaio,civil rights,hispanics fear,protesters rally,foes promise,h.b. 1070,hb 1070,tim paynter,jan brewer,cir,cir asap,circ,refugees,racial profiling

Anti immigration law in Arizona best thing since apple pie, Arriba Rifa, how to protest injustice, pass cir asap

 Peaceful protests against

H.B. 1070

Tell Jan Brewer and her

hate law

NOT IN THIS COUNTRY!

How do we civilly disobey?

How to bring attention

to immigration reform?

The problem is not Latino support.

 The problem is English

speaker’s support!

This hate law brings attention

to the reform movement. 

Finally we are in the English press.

  Now, let’s tell our story!

Most Americans are fair people, if

they know the truth!

How to civilly disobey, civil

disobedience tips,

protesters go to jail!

Stay calm, my brothers!

Esta mas obscuro antes de

la madrugada!

PEACE, LOVE YOUR

BROTHER EVEN IF HE IS

MISTAKEN!

PLEASE NO

VIOLENCE,

THIS IS NOT THE

SOLUTION! 

How to go to jail and

survive!

God bless you.  And God bless Tiny Tim!

Go with God’s speed.  Go with peach.  Tell your story.  Tell the nation why H.B. 1070 is wrong!  Tell Governor Brewer hate laws don’t work in Arizona and they don’t work in the United States!  Help pas CIR ASAP, La Reforma Pro Inmigrante va ganar, arriba RIFA, Reform Immigration  For America!

Tim Paynter, attorney, Denver, CO.

Technorati Tags: civil disobedience,governor jan brewer,h.b. 1070,hb 1070,rifa,cir asap,immigration reform,9 protesters arrested,Arizona immigration bill protesters,9 protesters in arizona