“Sheriff Mahoney has to step down if he keeps harassing families”
Immigrant Workers Union
Alex Gillis 920/912-4958
What: Immigrants and Labor Rights Rally
When: International Workers Day. Thursday, May First @ 11:30am
Where: From the Brittingham Park to Dane County Building
Who: All workers and Students are welcome.
Why: To better protect and improve living and working conditions of millions of workers families.
To demand Sheriff Mahoney to respect city and county policies or step down of his job.
The Immigrant Workers Union (IWU) joined the May Day Committee in Madison in September 2007 to join forces with other labor organizations. IWU states that politicians are playing a cruel game on millions of families in USA trying to create divisions where it should be unity.
Most of the 11 millions of undocumented immigrant families are workers families, most victims of the most of the abuse exploitation due their status. “Many of our stories are the same than any other low income worker family in this country, living pay check to pay check, frustrated for the lack of future for us and our kids and suffering the cut of social services…” says Hector Ordoñez from Immigrant Worker s Union.
Despite multiples studies are showing the critical role of new workers in this country, and the projected lack of labor force by 2025-2050 in USA, the US congress and senate still don’t fix an overdue broken immigration system. Well at contrary, there is an ongoing war against undocumented workers around the country; using the justice system to inject fear and chaos into the daily routine of millions.
Like in Dane County, Sheriff Mahoney seems to have time and resources to make justice in his own terms. Following the most narrow and community insensitive approach, Sheriff Dave Mahoney is harassing immigrant workers both inside and outside jail. Yesterday, April 27th, IWU received a call from the wife of C.D. who being in county jail for 3 days now is in the process to be removed by ICE.
He and his wife have been working in Madison for 10 years and have 3 kids, all US born. Husband and father, D.C., has some traffic related tickets and the judge sentenced him with 3 days of jail. However and thanks to the Dave Mahoney, he was reported to ICE and now waiting for removal. “I do not know what to do; I have to survive with one salary less at home. I can not leave the country now. My kids are missing him already, now I have to explain to them why they will not see him for years,”
IWU ask to the general public for support to put an end to Sheriff Mahoney harassment.
If the law, judges and system is not enough for Mahoney, he shall run for a legislator to change the law instead use the enforcement agency to move agenda in his anti immigrant aspirations. Dave Mahoney, in a private meeting confesses that in his opinion “if ICE removes the bad apples that would build a better community for all and less work for him”. Is really the case here? Who draw the line between good and bad apples? Should be the judges who draw the line according with the law?
If a head of a family of 4, honest worker, is said to go to jail for 3 days, should he fear to be deported? How does it help to build a better community? Dave Mahoney believes that bad apples should be removed on his own watch, who can trust in a justice system that is hijacked by the enforcer?
IWU demands Dane County to act immediately and stop the abuse. It is time that local government does the right thing and protects innocents from those who attempts to make sense out of harassing workers immigrant families.
The rally will start at Brittingham Park and arrive to Dane County Building where music groups and a series of speakers will closure the rally at 210 Martin Luther King.
Student Organizations in UW will organize a speak-out rally at Library Mall @10:30am this Thursday to later join the main rally at the park.
