9/12/08: “CHOICE” TO NOT CONDUCT IKE IMMIGRATION RAIDS IS NOT ENOUGH ASSURANCE

Contact: Ben Smilowitz: 314-761-7631

Ben@DisasterAccountability.org

For Immediate Release:

“CHOICE” TO NOT CONDUCT IKE IMMIGRATION RAIDS IS NOT ENOUGH ASSURANCE

WATCHDOG CALLS FOR CHERTOFF TO LIFT ALL EVACUATION BARRIERS NOW

BE CLEAR AND SUSPEND ALL IMMIGRATION ROADBLOCKS AND ENFORCEMENT WITHIN IKE EVACUATION AREA FOR DURATION OF EVACUATION AND RETURN

The Disaster Accountability Project is calling on Secretary Chertoff and the Department of Homeland Security to suspend all roadblocks and other immigration enforcement activities within and around the Hurricane Ike evacuation area to facilitate evacuations pre-Hurricane Ike and return home post-Hurricane Ike— or many individuals will not leave their homes for fear of deportation and be put in unnecessary danger.

Updated 9/12: Officials say immigration laws are not being suspended, but ‘choice’ is made not to conduct raids
http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=119078&article=4231792

See recent AP article: Hurricane Ike gets stronger on a path to Texas
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6UrKz5o7SLKv74ElY7REhtekB5AD93419OG0

“Refusing to suspend enforcement activity is like asking families to suspend their disbelief. This is not a game of cat and mouse– this is a matter of life and death,” said Ben Smilowitz, Executive Director of the Disaster Accountability Project.

“There should be no barriers to evacuation, neither real nor implied, and special care needs to be taken in non-English communities to encourage evacuation,” said Smilowitz. “Be clear and suspend all immigration roadblocks and enforcement within the Ike evacuation area for duration of evacuation and return.”

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The nonpartisan Disaster Accountability Project provides accountability and oversight to the nation’s disaster prevention, response, relief, and recovery systems through monitoring and policy research.

A toll-free hotline (866-9-TIP-DAP) is available as a public service for disaster survivors, workers and volunteers to report critical gaps in disaster prevention, response, relief, and recovery services or planning. The group is recruiting a national network of Disaster Accountability Monitors and Bloggers to help report, verify, and publicize gaps in disaster services or planning.

The Disaster Accountability Project’s website is https://disasteraccountability.org

Disaster Accountability Project is a 2008 Echoing Green Fellowship Organization.

For more information: http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/ben-smilowitz

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