Coalición de Derechos Humanos - Support the Panda Express Workers

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Support the Panda Express Workers

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Sunday, 19 July 2009
ACTION ALERT!!! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD! Araceli Torres-Ruiz of the Panda Express Workers will have her upcoming immigration hearing next month-- please help support her! HOW CAN YOU HELP? Help us pack the courtroom! Community presence is urgently requested in the case of Marlen Peralta-Moreno, one of the Panda Express workers. The court hearing is on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 8:30am with Judge O'Leary Immigration Court 160 N. Stone, Suite 300 Tucson, AZ 85701 (Near Stone and Alameda, across from Cafe Poca Cosa) Send a letter of support for Araceli to Judge O'Leary! Suggested talking points are listed below. Please address letters to Judge O'Leary, and fax them to Mo Goldman, Araceli's attorney, at 520.797.1407 ASAP. All letters received by Friday will be submitted along with her court paperwork- help us show strong support for Araceli! Talking points for letters of support: We need letters from people who are in support of her and can speak about her good moral character. The letter should focus on Araceli as a person-- this is not about making a political statement or comment about how terrible the immigration system is. Please keep it simple and only speak about what a wonderful person Araceli is. Some highlights that can be mentioned include: She has been in the U.S. since seven years old. She was born on December 30, 1982. Therefore, she has been living here for 20 years. She was brought here by her mother and had no choice in coming here. She went to Tucson High School and now has her high school diploma. Her mother is a lawful permanent resident. Her daughter is 4 years old. Araceli is currently registered at Pima Community College and will be taking courses soon. Araceli's entire immediate family lives legally in the U.S., including a legal permanent resident grandmother and brother, and a U.S. citizen sister Her father is deceased. She has no one in Mexico and she has never known her father or his family. ------------------------------------------ PLEASE Help Spread the Word! Monetary Support for Marlen of the Panda Express Workers Desperately Needed! Marlen Moreno-Peralta's application for cancellation of removal was denied, even though the judge conceded that she was a very credible and impressive young woman who would suffer having to relocate to Mexico. However, because of the high standards placed in the draconian 1996 laws, she was unable to show "extremely unusual and undue hardship" to her son if she was deported. She was, however, granted her application for voluntary return, which even though she is following an appeal, she must deposit $500.00 with the court to permit her to access the voluntary departure if she is denied at the conclusion of her proceedings. A $110 fee is also required for the filing of her appeal brief. She is in need of $610.00. We remind you that she continues to be out on a bond of $10,000. Even though Marlen is not taking a voluntary departure right now, she must deposit the $500 by July 28th in order for that to be available if at the end of the appeal if she is still denied. Donations can be made online on the Derechos Humanos website through Pay Pal- please indicate that the donation is for Marlen of the Panda Express Workers. Checks should be made payable to: Arizona Border Rights Foundation, with "Panda Express workers" in the memo field. Mail donations to: P.O. Box 1286 Tucson, AZ 85702 BACKGROUND On March 18, 2008, 11 workers of the Panda Express, a local restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, were arrested. Charged with “Aggravated Identity Theft,” the workers were denied bond by Prop 100, and most spent at least five months in jail,separated from their children and families. To date, eight of the eleven have been returned to their home countries, punished for the crime of working to support themselves and their families. Three workers remain in Tucson, awaiting immigration hearings. Watch the Video about the Panda Express Workers: How can YOU support the Panda Express workers? 1. Sign onto the letter of support for the Panda Express workers. A sample letter is found at the Derechos Humanos website at: www.derechoshumanosaz.net. 2. Donate to help offset legal costs! Make checks payable to: Arizona Border Rights Foundation, with “Panda Express workers” in the memo field. Mail donations to: P.O. Box 1286 Tucson, AZ 85702 3. Spread the word! Continue to visit the Derechos Humanos website to find out how you can help to spread the word about the Panda Express workers and other workers who are criminalized by anti-immigrant legislation. Send friends and allies to the Derechos Humanos website or call us at 520.770.1373 Related information: Panda Express workers letter to President-Elect Obama (Dec.2008) Support the Panda Express Workers flyer Arizona Daily Star Article: Identity-theft statute was being misapplied" Tucson Weekly article: "The Panda Express 11"
Last Updated ( Friday, 21 August 2009 )