Rep. Lofgen: Bush Administration Carries Out Politically-Motivated Immigration Raid
Rep. Lofgen: Bush Administration Carries Out Politically-Motivated Immigration Raid
Twenty-four year old Tam Tran is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants and has consistently spoken out on U.S. immigration reform. On May 17, she appeared before the House Immigration Subcommittee to speak in support of the DREAM Act, which would have granted legal status to children of immigrants who complete at least two years of college.
More recently, a USA Today article on Oct. 8 featured Tran in an article on “children caught in the immigration crossfire”:
Without the DREAM Act, Tam Tran, 24, is a person without a country. The daughter of Vietnamese boat people, Tran was born in Germany, where her parents ended up after the German Navy plucked them out of the sea. The family moved to the USA when Tran was 6. … For now, Tran is permitted to stay — only because the United States has no repatriation treaty with Vietnam. Tran, who has never been to Vietnam, says that “I consider myself a Southern Californian.“
Just three days after the article appeared, federal officers entered her home in the middle of the night and forcibly arrested her family. Tran’s family was detained on a “years-old deportation order,” even though they have been in regular communication with immigration officials for almost 20 years since arriving in the United States.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), chair of the immigration subcommitee, equated the family’s arrest to “witness intimidation” and accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials of targeting the Tran family because Tam “testified before Lofgren’s panel earlier this spring.” Earlier this week, USA Today spoke with Lofgren about the Tran family’s arrest:
“Would she and her family have been arrested if she hadn’t spoken out?” Lofgren said of Tran, who was not at home for the raid but has been asked to report to Immigration and Customs officials next week. “I don’t think so.“
Since Bush crony Julie Myers took over ICE, the agency has increasingly become known for its willingness to retaliate against immigrants who publicly discuss their situation in the United States. Arrests have been made after individuals spoke out on everything from immigration reform, to workplace rights, to the right to fair wages, to the right to report crimes without fear of retaliation.
UPDATE: More on the DREAM Act from Migra Matters.
UPDATE II: Kyle at Citizen Orange has more on Tran’s case.
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35 Responses to “Rep. Lofgen: Bush Administration Carries Out Politically-Motivated Immigration Raid”
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Nice. Real nice.
I guess you people have been told: KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTHS SHUT.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:04 pmYou could be next.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:05 pmThe continued thugization of our government.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:18 pmReally some story. But the Dream Act is some dream.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:22 pmIt will take 10-20 years and gallons of solvent to clean the stain left behind by the Bush administration. Anyone still supporting this administration certainly does want a monarchy here in the US. It is sickening to think just how much damage they have caused and still they don’t seem to care. I truly believe they want another 9/11 event to solidify Bush’s grip on our blessed country. And to think they call themselves patriotic Americans is really the final indignity to our Constitution.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:22 pmICE =
Intimidation
Coercion
Extortion
Coming soon to your house in the middle of the fu(king night by
BushitCo Criminal Cabal
October 18th, 2007 at 6:32 pmEverything about this govt revolves around loyalty, cronyism & retribution. Nowhere is honor or fairplay part of the game. It’s just sad.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:37 pmI think the saddest aspect of this, is if true, it shows how petty, and vindictive Bush and Cheney are.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:38 pmTam Tran received a bachelor’s degree with honors in American literature and culture in December from UCLA.
When are the republicans going to stop shltting on people who are doing the right thing?
Has everyone gotten the message now? If you speak up in support of programs that Bush, et al, oppose, you will be slimed and your family will be arrested in the dead of night. And yes, I will Godwin myself - they will come and arrest your family in the night just like the Nazis did.
He was on our side, for crying out loud.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:38 pmThe bushco version of the DREAM Act: DREAM ON FOOL!
October 18th, 2007 at 6:42 pmCandyce: You’ve seem first-hand how the Republic-scum eats their own with their Gore envy. The Buschco Cabal has made fools out of every citizen of this country.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:47 pmHe was on our side, for crying out loud.
Comment by Candyce
You know it doesn’t matter to Bush. If he can use an issue to make his 24% base drool, he will surely do it. Everybody is expendable to Bush. As soon as your usefullness is done - you are gone. Speak up and tell the truth - and you are gone. Get in front of Cheney - and he’ll shoot you in the face. That’s the trouble with monarchs: They are right, and you are wrong. I really miss America, has anyone seen her lately?
October 18th, 2007 at 6:53 pmThis is just so sad, Veritas. They wait til they deploy some guy to Iraq, then they start processing to have his wife deported. Now this. There is no heart in this country anymore.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:53 pmin 2004, extensive efforts were apparently launched within both FEC and DOJ to go after Edwards’s campaign funding resources, with a particularly ferocious focus on trial lawyers.
http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?showtopic=120652
Gonzales personally authorized a small army of nearly 100 federal agents to raid a law office and simultaneously raid the homes of its employees and their families. Indeed, one agent commented about how he had been flown in from Iraq to help find out why American citizens had made contributions to the John Edwards campaign
October 18th, 2007 at 6:54 pmI really miss America, has anyone seen her lately?
Comment by StratRat — October 18, 2007 @ 6:53 pm
StratRat, we will never see her again. I’m convinced of that. We keep waiting for 2009 as if things will change. They won’t.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:55 pmAlso see:
http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/10/hbc-90001405
Chicago Court Orders Discovery of DOJ Political Prosecutions!!
It’s impeachment time.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:56 pmAre we in the era of KGBush????
October 18th, 2007 at 6:57 pmLooks like.
This shows us what sick bastards look like.
Sadly, the reminders are all around us witness the swifboating of the 12-year old boy and even younger girl on the Schip program.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:00 pmHe was on our side, for crying out loud.
Comment by Candyce
So was a certain CIA agent that was outed and smeared.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:05 pmOnce again the Republicans show what kind of mean-spirited bastards they are.
Good thing Republicans don’t claim to be Christians.
/sarcasm off
October 18th, 2007 at 7:05 pmOur incredibly shrinking government - getting smaller every day by way of vindictive pettiness….whatever happened to that idea
Did the anti-immigrant ant-Americans sand blast that off the the Statue of Liberty? Or are they selling the monument for scrap metal to buy more bullets for Iraq?
October 18th, 2007 at 7:17 pmI have never sworn or yelled at my radio or TV as much as I have in the last six years. It’s gotten so difficult to be civil when your “leaders” are so incredibly uncivilized.
October 18th, 2007 at 7:56 pmThere are no words for how disgusting this is.
Why anyone would support these people is beyond me.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:22 pmI think the saddest aspect of this, is if true, it shows how petty, and vindictive Bush and Cheney are.
Comment by Krazny
That’s pretty much what it boils down to, petty and vindictive.
I really fear what is going to happen in this country when Bush is taken away from the 24%. I really think that they are not particularly sane and may extract their revenge on us.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:26 pmI am not surprised about this event. Bush only wants Mexican migrants to come into the US to be worker slaves.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:40 pmHmmm. Combine DREAM and SCHIP and what to you get? Socialized health care for illegals? Way to go you 11%ers.
Comment by TCDon — October 18, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
You’re so dishonest. Quit lying all the time.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:27 pmThere have been several attacks on women lately–Bhutto, Tran, and the unexplained injury to Randi Rhodes. All the rapes in Congo and many other places. It is time for women to stand up and resist these attacks. We need to give to agencies that can protect us from violence. We need to say this is wrong. I am so pissed off that all of these things can happen in 2007.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:37 pmHmmm. Combine DREAM and SCHIP and what to you get? Socialized health care for illegals? Way to go you 11%ers.
Comment by TCDon — October 18, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
Ah, more lunacy from the wingnut that doesn’t realize the 11% smear was dreamed by people that didn’t realize how STUPID it would make those willing to spread it!
October 18th, 2007 at 11:27 pmHmmm. Combine DREAM and SCHIP and what to you get? Socialized health care for illegals? Way to go you 11%ers.
Comment by TCDon — October 18, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
We’re the 70%ers, tCDon’t. You’re the loser. And y8ou’ll lose this one eventually as well. Onkly a handful of Americans are as greedy and soulless as you. Most are human, unlike you. Bush can continue his childish vetoes of programs 805 of the American people want; it will make the GOP entirely irrelevant for decades.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:01 amHmmm. Combine DREAM and SCHIP and what to you get? Socialized health care for illegals? Way to go you 11%ers.
Comment by TCDon — October 18, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
We’re the 70%ers, tCDon’t. You’re the loser. And y8ou’ll lose this one eventually as well. Onkly a handful of Americans are as greedy and soulless as you. Most are human, unlike you. Bush can continue his childish vetoes of programs 80% of the American people want; it will make the GOP entirely irrelevant for decades.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:01 amThis is the kind of stuff you expect to read about pro-Democracy students who speak out in Communist China. It is precisely what our guys are fighting to prevent from ocurring here in the US. But, with them fighting a war way over in Iraq, I suppose there is no militia here to protect us from our own government pulling off terror raids in the middle of the night.
October 19th, 2007 at 1:25 amIn this instance, it sounds unjustified…
In many other instances, the word ILLEGAL must precede “immigrant.”
Because that’s exactly what it is.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:17 amIllegal aliens must self deport before they are deported. They must demand and make changes within their own nations. America belongs to Americans, and illegal aliens are taking from us and now they are demanding more and more with these amnesty proposals such as the Dream Act and other legislation.
Please return home, live good lives, be good examples of success within your nations. We have had enough with illegal aliens and their use of their children, including “anchor babies.” We do not want to support those who did not knock, ask for permission to enter, give their reason for desiring to come, submit to screening and then wait patiently. Gate crashers are not welcome and therefore they must self deport or be deported. It is your choice illegal aliens.
October 20th, 2007 at 11:03 pmI love how anti-migrant advocates have hijacked this post. I swear some of these people are getting paid to just sit around and spew anti-migrant hate on the web. If not, migrants certainly don’t have the privilege to sit around on their computer all day and bombard the internet with this anti-migrant advocacy.
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:52 amThe Democrats are working feverishly to allow the illegal immigrants to vote for them, while the Republicans have figured out how to get cheap labor by having illegals work for them.
The end result of both the D and R efforts is the screwing of the US middle class.
November 6th, 2007 at 9:46 pm