Obama's Immigration Policy May Look to Bellingham
The immigrant rights group OneAmerica kicked off a campaign for immigration reform at a City Hall press conference today, setting the stage for a package of initiatives expected by the Obama administration. One speaker at the event was Leandro Barranco-Morales, a worker detained in the raid at Yamato Engine Specialists in Bellingham last February--the first such raid after President Obama took office. 
After Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she didn't know about the raid, and ordered a review, all of the detained workers were released pending an investigation of Yamato. But deportation proceedings had already started against seven workers, including Barranco-Morales, and they are still scheduled to be removed from the country once the Yamato investigation is complete. Their lawyer, Lesley Irizarry-Hougan, wrote a letter this week to Esther Olavarria, Homeland Security's deputy assistant secretary for policy, asking her to reopen their cases.
At the press conference, Barranco-Morales, wearing a white-T-shirt and jeans, talked about how workers were surrounded during the raid "as if we were terrorists."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is proceeding with its investigation of Yamato. In April, ICE carried out a search warrant at the 75,000-square-foot engine manufacturing plant. Yamato could well be a test case of Obama's immigration policy. His administration has said it is more interested in prosecuting employers that flout immigration laws than workers. Will the president use Yamato to make the point?
4 comment(s)
Bartolome M Cajas says:
Punish both employer and illegal immigrant caught in the raid. Both have violated immigration laws.
Posted On: Monday, Jun. 1 2009 @ 5:27PM
ivona says:
Last week, the Obama administration said it would try to make it easier for borrowers to apply for SBA loans, and for lenders to make the loans, which are guaranteed in part by the government.
Officials want to encourage recession-easing job growth by getting more SBA loans into the hands of small-business owners. The reasons are highlighted in the www.bizcloud.net blog about current small business stimulus package passed by congress and signed into law by president Obama.
Posted On: Tuesday, Jun. 2 2009 @ 5:23AM
Walter says:
Bartolome M Cajas, they will all be prosecuted before it is all over. Look at all the facts of the case. Ignore the false ramblings of advocacy groups who twist and turn the truth into something other than the truth. In the end, Yamato will be prosecuted. They would not have conducted a criminal search warrant otherwise. If you read the info regarding the aliens, they are only being allowed to stay long enough to prosecute the business and it's owners. In the end, illegal aliens will go and hopefully business and owners will pay a price as well.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 3:53PM
Walter says:
Bartolome M Cajas, they will all be prosecuted before it is all over. Look at all the facts of the case. Ignore the false ramblings of advocacy groups who twist and turn the truth into something other than the truth. In the end, Yamato will be prosecuted. They would not have conducted a criminal search warrant otherwise. If you read the info regarding the aliens, they are only being allowed to stay long enough to prosecute the business and it's owners. In the end, illegal aliens will go and hopefully business and owners will pay a price as well.
Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 3 2009 @ 3:54PM