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09/17/2003 Entry: "Information on Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride"

The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride will begin on Saturday, September 20th and conclude on October 4th. Twenty buses (two each from ten different locations taking different routes) will be traveling across the country, stopping along the way in the cities noted below, and come together for a small rally and lobby day on October 2 in Washington, D.C. A national call-in day to Congress and the White House also is scheduled for October 2 to reinforce to Senators, Representatives, and the Administration the Freedom Ride messages. Freedom Riders will next stop in Liberty State Park in New Jersey on October 3, and conclude with an October 4 rally in Flushing Meadows, New York.

The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride
Timetable, Events, and Requests for Assistancgre

OVERVIEW: The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride will begin on Saturday, September 20th and conclude on October 4th. Twenty buses (two each from ten different locations taking different routes) will be traveling across the country, stopping along the way in the cities noted below, and come together for a small rally and lobby day on October 2 in Washington, D.C. A national call-in day to Congress and the White House also is scheduled for October 2 to reinforce to Senators, Representatives, and the Administration the Freedom Ride messages. Freedom Riders will next stop in Liberty State Park in New Jersey on October 3, and conclude with an October 4 rally in Flushing Meadows, New York.

While AILA endorses the goals of the Freedom Ride, AILA members should consider the risks inherent in undocumented clients participating in the ride, especially in a climate of zero tolerance and harsh enforcement. We do not endorse confrontation with immigration authorities, nor civil disobedience in the event of immigration arrests. These tactics run the risk of making more immigrants vulnerable to arrest, prosecution and possible deportation.

FREEDOM RIDE BUSES STOPPING IN ABOUT 95 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Please see the list below to find out where the buses are stopping and join the rallies that will take place during these stops. Importantly, Freedom Ride organizers have asked for AILA Members’ assistance with the following:

Join the Legal Support Team (“LST”): AILA Members have been asked to be “on- call” at the cities listed below in case of any enforcement activities. Please provide by email ASAP to Victor Narro (vnarro@sweatshopwatch.org) the dates of your availability between September 20th and October 4th: and the phone numbers you can be reached at during the times of your availability to serve as an “on-call” contact attorney. AILA Members can get more information about the exact times for the routes by going to the Freedom Ride website - www.iwfr.org . Please also inform Judy Golub (Jgolub@aila.org) if you have volunteered to join the LST.
List of Immigration Check Points: We are compiling a list of known immigration check points that exist across the US. Please email this information to Marielena Hincapie at hincapie@nilc.org .
ACTIVITIES: Legal support team members and list of immigration check points needed.

OCTOBER 2 -- NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY: The goal of the National Call in Day is to reinforce the Freedom Ride’s four priorities: A road to citizenship for all immigrant workers in this country; the right of immigrant workers to reunite with their families; protecting the rights of workers in the workplace, and civil liberties and due process protections for immigrants. (Material that details these priorities can be found shortly on the Freedom Ride website.)

On October 2, please call the White House toll free at 1-800-321-8268. Call Congress on October 2 toll free at 1-888-355-3588.

ACTIVITY: Call in on October 2 using the numbers noted above.

OCTOBER 2 LOBBY DAY: The Freedom Riders will be on the Hill on October 2, meeting with their Senators and Representatives. Please let Judy Golub (Jgolub@aila.org) know if you or any of your clients will be attending Lobby Day. SEIU is making appointments for bus riders. Please contact the bus captains for more information. (Activities are scheduled for October 1 to help acclimate the riders and organize for Lobby Day.)

ACTIVITY: JOIN LOBBY DAY IF YOU CAN BE IN DC ON OCTOBER 2.

RALLIES ON OCTOBER 3 and 4: The Freedom Riders will be welcomed by the Governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey at Liberty State Park. Riders will then converge on Flushing Meadow for the final rally.

ACTIVITY: AILA MEMBERS MAY WANT TO JOIN THE FLUSHING MEADOW RALLY AS PARTICIPANTS AND TO SERVE AS LEGAL OBSERVERS. PLEASE CONTACT DEBORAH NOTKIN (Dnotkin@barstmukamal.com) FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Bus #
Origin City Route (subject to modification)
1. Seattle and Portland Yakima/Wallula/Pasco/Wallawalla Washington and
Weston, Oregon; Boise, Nampa & Rupert ID; Salt Lake City, UT; Denver, CO; Omaha, NB; Des Moines, IA; Quad Cities/Davenport IA; Cincinnati, OH; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.

2. San Francisco Sacramento, CA; Reno, NV; Wendover, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; Denver, CO; Wichita, KS; Kansas City; KS/MO; St. Louis, MO; Louisville, KY; Shelbyville, KY; Pittsburgh, PA; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.

3. Los Angeles Palm Springs, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Tucson, AZ; Las Cruces, NM; El Paso, TX; San Antonio, TX; Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; Morristown, TN; Richmond, VA; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.
4. Las Vegas Flagstaff, AZ; Albuquerque, NM; Oklahoma City, OK; Tulsa, OK; Little Rock, AR; Knoxville, TN; Marion NC; Morganton, NC; Greensboro, NC; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.
5. Houston Baton Rouge, LA; New Orleans, LA; Jackson, MS; Selma, AL; Montgomery AL; Birmingham, AL; Anniston, AL; Altanta, GA; Charlotte, SC; Durham, NC; Richmond, VA, Washington; DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.
6. Minneapolis Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; Indianapolis, IN; Columbus, OH; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.
7. Chicago Dearborn, MI; Detroit, MI; Toledo, OH; Cleveland, OH; Buffalo, NY; Rochester, NY; Syracuse, NY; Albany, NY; Newburgh, NY; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.
8. Miami Immokalee, FL; Orlando, FL; Jacksonville FL; Savannah, GA; Charleston, SC; Orangeburg, SC; Columbia, SC; Fayetteville, NC; Wilson, NC; Norfolk, VA; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.
9. Boston New Haven, CT; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; Liberty State Park, New Jersey; Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, New York.

Posted on AILA InfoNet at Doc. No. 03091640 (Sep. 16, 2003)

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