Press Briefing to Highlight Cruel Deportation Laws; Community Members Will Share Personal Stories

Congress is trying to expand the government's powers to detain, deport and criminalize immigrant families without a fair process. These powers are already too broad and have devastated countless immigrant families. This community hearing will feature speakers highlighting their personal stories of harsh detention conditions, the impact on U.S. citizen children whose parents are unfairly detained or deported, and harsh consequences of our broken immigration system.

WHAT: A briefing for the press, highlighting the harsh detention and enforcement consequences of our immigration system, to take place in anticipation of a massive, East Coast mobilization of immigrant communities on September 7th. Speakers will be coordinated by members of the Detention Watch Network from around the country, including Families for Freedom, CAIR Coalition, and Hate Free Zone.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 6th, 2006, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

WHERE: The United Methodist Church
100 Maryland Ave, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

WHO: Immigrant family and community members whose lives have been devastated by America's unfair immigration system, including former detainees, members of separated families, and others.

WHY: As Congress prepares to pass ever-harsher measures that tear apart families, blindly pour money into more jails, and fail to fix America's broken immigration system, the voices of the immigrant families unfairly deprived of their civil liberties and human rights by that system must be heard.

ABOUT: The event is co-hosted by the Detention Watch Network and the Liberty & Justice for All campaign. DWN is a national coalition which works to reform the U.S. immigration detention system and deportation policies so that all who come to our shores receive fair and humane treatment. The Liberty & Justice for All campaign is a national movement to protect the civil liberties and human rights of everyone in America by organizing a wide base of support and educating the public.