Groups To Organize at Capital Building on Human Rights Day, 12/10 (release from Stop the Raids!)

Hartford, Conn. - On Monday, December 10, International Human Rights Day, at 4:30 p.m., groups from Hartford will gather at South Green Park (corner of Main and Park Streets) and march to the ICE offices at 450 Main Street to hold a rally calling for the release of the Parkville detainees and an end to ICE raids in Hartford. 

Thousands of Hartford residents live in fear of being taken from their homes.  These residents are living and working in Hartford without the documents needed to legally reside in the United States.  In November alone, twenty one Brazilian residents in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Hartford has a history of welcoming immigrants from around the world as a much-needed source of labor, first during its earlier manufacturing years and more recently as employees in several service industries and in construction.  There has been an obvious economic impact on Park Street related to the recent Parkville raids, as Brazilian businesses have seen a dramatic decrease in business and many Brazilian residents have left the city altogether, fearful that they might fall victim to additional ICE raids.  Not only have ICE raids increased fear among Brazilian residents, but among other immigrant communities in Hartford as well.   

Groups that co-sponsoring the event include Stop the Raids: Trinity College, the CT Federation of Educational & Professional Employees, American Friends Service Committee, CT Center for a New Economy, Hartford Areas Rally Together (HART), Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice, Hartford Organizing for Power and Equality (HOPE), Unidad Latina en Acción of New Haven, CT People of Faith, the Muhammed Islamic Center of Greater Hartford, Latinos Against the War, Campaign to Stop the ICE Raids in Danbury, Free People’s Movement, Queers Without Borders, Voluntown Peace Trust, CT Transadvocacy Coalition, Capital Community College SDS, ANSWER CT, National Lawyer’s Guild- CT Chapter, CT Jobs with Justice as well as students and faculty from UConn, St. Joseph’s College, Trinity and CCSU.