Deportation by the numbers ...

The National Association of Day Laborers, NDLON, released the following statement and graphic:

In response to new data released by TRAC analyzing the 1,000,000 ICE hold requests made to local jails in the President's first term, Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement:

"This is further proof of the troubling contradiction between the President's words and his actions on immigration. The evidence is in. The Obama Administration's policy of using police as immigration 'force multipliers' through programs like Secure Communities has violated civil rights, imperiled public safety, and compounded injustice. Moreover, the Obama Administration has failed to be transparent about what amounts to a radical change in implementation of US immigration policy.

Join with people working in RI and MA to end the deportations and insist on real, just, humane comprehensive immigration reform.  (FYI, so far, there are no such proposals on the table, only plans that will make the nightmare worse.)

Standing with unpaid workers

Botany Bay Construction (Worcester MA) wage theft demonstration. Metrowest Worker Center (Casa) and Carpenters Local 107 come together to support 5 construction workers who together are owed $25,200 in back wages for work they did. The men did such quality work that Botany Bay (the project general contractor) offered to hire them after the subcontractor, Fastway Builder, took off without paying the workers for work already done. General contractors are responsible for the work in its entirety, both the finished product and for having hired a scam subcontractor with a history of nonpayment. It is time for the contractor to do the right thing and pay the workers. The money is a drop in the bucket for the project but essential to these workers and their families.

Allies stand with the workers in front of the construction site.

Worcester Councilwoman Sarai Rivera addresses the group. 

Scott Shaffer-Duffy of the Worcester Catholic Worker house, addresses the group, reminding us (and Botany Bay Construction) that the Bible is very clear - workers should be paid for work done.