Latinos To Protest Obama's Deportation Policy

By Lisa Kellman

Latino activists around the nation will hold rallies tomorrow in various cities to protest the Obama administration’s deportation policy.

The groups involved are Presente.org, the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, La Fuente (NYC), Dolores Street Community Services (SF), CRECEN in Houston, Centro Presente in Boston, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Derechos in Tucson,  Youth Empowered in the Struggle (Millwakee, WI) and the Brazilian Community Center, Brazilian Community Center and other communities.

The planned rallies are being timed to coincide with a new PBS Frontline documentary entitled, “Lost in Detention.” The special documents abuses of detained immigrants includng rape, denial of due process, separation of children from families, and consumption of unsanitary foods.

“The issues of immigrant and Latino imprisonment that are exposed in ‘Lost in Detention’ will surely be a major concern in the upcoming elections,” said Roberto Lovato of Presente.org in a statement.

The administration’s controversial Secure Communities (SCOMM) program has already resulted in more than a million immgrants being deported out of the U.S.

“Latino families throughout the United States are deeply concerned with such reports because they expose the extremism that lies at the heart of President Obama’s SCOMM program, detention policies and other immigration policies” said Lovato.

The ten cities where Latinos will voice their grievances include San Francisco, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Houston, Miami, Milwaukee and Tucson.