Iowa LULAC warns immigrants of ICE raids, raises money to assist in legal battles

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March 7, 2017

DES MOINES, IA – The League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa is warning members of the immigrant community to be on the lookout for potential situations of racial profiling and even possible arrest after several undocumented immigrants have been arrested in the past week.

Almost a dozen Latinos have been pulled over in central Iowa, questioned and then arrested once found to be undocumented. These individuals are being held in the Marshall County Jail. Four other Latinos were arrested at Mills Manufacturing in Earlville, Iowa, on March 1. They are being held at the Linn County Correctional Center. 

“We’ve been told by either law enforcement officials or family members, all of whom want to remain anonymous to protect their families, that these individuals were not committing any crimes at the time they were pulled over,” says Joe Enriquez Henry of Des Moines, the National Vice President of the Midwest Region of LULAC. “We believe this is racial profiling in that it targets all Latinos to find those who are undocumented.

“What’s even scarier is that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not required to note the arrest or the detainee’s on county jail websites, so we have a difficult time finding these individuals once they have been arrested,” he continued. 

LULAC is working in coalition with other social justice groups, such as, American Friends Service Committee and the Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project to raise funds for legal fees and to post bond for detainees. 

A hotline has been established in Central Iowa to provide legal support to those facing deportation. That number is 515-996-0003.

Anyone who would like to donate or provide legal services can contact Enriquez Henry at 515-208-7312 or jhenry@lulac.org

Anyone would who like to donate to provide bail assistance for those detained in the eastern Iowa should go to www.communitybondproject.org. The Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project is in the process of becoming a charitable organization that can accept tax-deductible donations. Email info@communitybondproject.org for more information.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. 

For more information, contact Enriquez Henry at 515.208.7312, or visit www.lulaciowa.org  or email to info@communitybondproject.org.


 

  

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