STATUS FOR ALL!
A march for immigrant justice,
and against poverty, racism & racial profiling


SUNDAY, MAY 4th, 12:30pm
Starting Point: Corner of Victoria & Van Horne
in COTE-DES-NEIGES
(metro Plamondon, Van Horne exit)


This is a child-friendly demonstration.
Food and drinks will be available.
There will be vehicles on-hand for those with reduced mobility.


As part of a National Day of Action for immigrant rights, Solidarity Across Borders is again taking to the streets, with our allies, to demand justice and dignity for all migrants. In opposition to deportations and detentions, we demand STATUS FOR ALL! There is no such thing as an "illegal" human being, only illegitimate laws and governments.

Daily, we resist deportations and detentions, we fight for justice in the workplace, we demand safe and secure housing, and we oppose racism and racial profiling. In contrast to the xenophobia promoted by the false "reasonable accommodation" debate in Quebec, we take to the streets to celebrate our collective struggles for justice and dignity in all its diversity and strength.

This year, we march through the streets of Cote-des-Neiges, a predominantly poor, working class and immigrant neighbourhood. Our march will mark the culmination of "Mayworks!", a festival of working class and immigrant culture, organized by the Immigrant Workers Center (IWC). Our march is also part of the Mayday tradition, as we celebrate the struggles of working people locally and throughout the world.

Join us -- with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbours -- on Sunday, May 4, and add your voice and presence to the growing numbers of people in Montreal and beyond who are demanding "STATUS FOR ALL!"


READ BELOW for more info about how you can help support the march.

The poster for the May 4 Status for All march is linked at: http://solidarityacrossborders.blogspot.com/2008/04/affiches.html

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Federal immigration agents raid Ark. poultry plant

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press Writer
April 16, 2008

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Federal agents raided a north Arkansas poultry plant Wednesday morning over suspected immigration violations, authorities said.

Temple Black, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Associated Press that the arrests came as part of an ongoing criminal investigation that involved a Pilgrim's Pride poultry plant in Batesville. Black declined to say how many people were arrested or describe the nature of the investigation.

"We anticipate agents and officers will be on the premises for several hours," Black said. "More information about the investigation and those arrested will be available this afternoon."

Independence County Sheriff Keith Bowers said the raid occurred at 6 a.m. Wednesday. Bowers said ICE agents did not tell him what their purpose was in raiding the plant, but said they had a warrant list with about 60 names on it.

Bowers said he and five other deputies only provided security at the plant's gates during the operation and left just after 8 a.m.

Federal agents "came in in cooperation with Pilgrim's Pride," Bowers said.

Ray Atkinson, a spokesman for Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride, did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday morning. The company has other plants in Arkansas in Clinton, De Queen and El Dorado.

Wednesday's raid is the first for ICE on an Arkansas poultry plant since a July 27, 2005, raid on a Petit Jean Inc. poultry plant in Arkadelphia. That day, agents arrested 119 suspected illegal immigrants.

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Immigration agents execute arrest warrants, raids possible at plants

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
By DIANNE SOLIS / The Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/041708dnmetice.6c9184cf.html

Federal immigration agents confirmed Wednesday that a multi-agency law enforcement action is ongoing in Texas to execute criminal arrest warrants.

“It is an ongoing investigation in close coordination with local, state and federal law enforcement,” said Carl Rusnok, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman.

There are indications that the action could involve multiple chicken plants in Texas.

In northern Arkansas Wednesday morning, federal agents raided a Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant over suspected immigration violations.

Temple Black, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, declined to say how many people were arrested or describe the nature of the investigation in Batesville, Ark.

“We anticipate agents and officers will be on the premises for several hours,” Mr. Black said. “More information about the investigation and those arrested will be available this afternoon.”

Independence County Sheriff Keith Bowers said the raid occurred at 6 a.m. Bowers said ICE agents did not tell him what their purpose was in raiding the plant, but said they had a warrant list with about 60 names on it.

Mr. Bowers said he and five other deputies only provided security at the plant’s gates during the operation and left just after 8 a.m.

Federal agents “came in in cooperation with Pilgrim’s Pride,” Mr. Bowers said.

Ray Atkinson, a spokesman for Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride, did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday.

Federal immigration agents also raided a Houston doughnut plant and arrested almost 30 workers as suspected illegal immigrants. Agents and Harris County sheriff's deputies arrived about 5 a.m. Wednesday at the Shipley Do-Nuts dough factory.

Robert Rutt is the agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs enforcement office in Houston. He told the Houston Chronicle that the number of people arrested ran "in the high 20s," and that some lived at the plant.

The four-block plant prepares dough for use at Shipley's Houston-area doughnut shops. It includes a dormitory for workers.

It was unclear if this raid was related to the larger action.

In Texas, the action includes surveying by health service workers of ICE to interview those who are sole care-givers and to “identify humanitarian concerns,” Mr. Rusnok said. He declined to elaborate further.

Such measures are taken during immigration raids and the agency within U.S. Homeland Security has come under increasing attack for the manner in which it has separated families during the escalating chain of raids around the United States.

Federal immigration raids have been on the rise for the last two years.