Bay Area representatives for National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights joined a national teleconference today to urge an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations throughout the country.

The network believes when ICE makes multiple arrests, what the network call raids, it intimidates and segregates communities.

It believes both major presidential candidates should address immigration enforcement and come up with a less aggressive plan to inflict immigration laws.

“This is not the America we are trying to create. This is a divided America,” said Executive Director of the Oakland region for the network Catherine Tactaquin.

However, ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said in a prepared statement, “ICE takes its responsibility to enforce the nation’s immigration laws seriously and carries out this mandate in a fair, humane manner that meets the highest standards of law enforcement.”

Representatives from other groups against immigrant deportation and detention joined the news conference and said ICE intentionally operates with an intimidating demeanor to scare other communities.

The Rev. David Vasquez of Postville Relief Effort in Decorah, Iowa said ICE is “bringing a child in front of the class and whipping them, to scare the rest of the children.”

Haley stated, “ICE is first and foremost a federal law enforcement agency with the mandate of protecting national security and public safety. In the absence of the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, ICE will continue to fairly enforce current immigration laws without bias as to race, gender, religion or country of origin.”

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So essentially, “we understand the system is broken, but until it is fixed we will continue to police based on the broken system. . . oh yea and we’ll make sure to conduct our 5am raids in a humane fashion.”

Excellent Plan!

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