For Immediate Release
January 8, 2016
Contact:
Dong Yoon Kim, dkim@nakasec.org, 703-256-2208
Edgar Aranda, edgar@justice4all.org, 703-772-1555
NAKASEC and VACOLAO Call on Community to Demand An End to ICE Raids
AAPI and Latino Community Stand Jointly in the Call to End to Deportations Targeting Central American Families
#StopTheRaids #KnowYourPower
To View Photos Click Here
WASHINGTON DC— On January 8th, National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) and Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO) join the national call to action with refugee and immigrant rights organizations, families, and community members across the country condemning raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting Central American children and families who came seeking protection from life-threatening violence in their home countries.
NAKASEC and its affiliates, Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC) and Korean Resource Center (KRC), also partnered with South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) to encourage Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) partners to step up and show support for these Central American families by signing an AAPI Solidarity Sign On Letter condemning the unjust raids. Visit the following link to sign on to the letter: LINK
NAKASEC Executive Director Dae Joong Yoon, KRCC Executive Director Inhe Choi, and KRC Interim Executive Director Jenny Seon released the following statement denouncing the ICE raids:
“We are appalled that while over 5 million immigrant students and parents fight for the implementation of the DAPA and expanded DACA programs, the Obama administration decides to move forward on widely condemned raids targeting another group of vulnerable children and families. Many communities are victims of war and poverty, so protecting refugees and asylum seekers is a key priority for all of us including the Korean American community and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Looking at our shared history, we are all refugees and immigrants. These Central American children and parents are a part of our family. America is and we are better than this.”
Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations Chair Edgar Arande released the following statement denouncing the ICE raids.
“These ICE raids are devastating to our communities. It is creating a lot of fear in our communities, impacting larger relationships in the community. Students are afraid to go to school. Parents are afraid to leave their homes. These raids need to stop now. We urge President Obama to stop the raids. We will be hosting Know Your Rights trainings and for all community members, please contact us if anyone you know is in the process of being deported.”
● For information on the upcoming Know Your Rights training, please contact VACOLAO at 703-772-1555 or edgar@justice4all.org [for Spanish] or NAKASEC at 703-256-2208 or dkim@nakasec.org [for Korean]
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The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) was founded in 1994 by local community centers to project a progressive voice and promote the full participation of Korean Americans on major social justice issues. NAKASEC maintains offices in Annandale, Virginia and Los Angeles, California. NAKASEC has affiliates in Chicago (Korean American Resource & Cultural Center) and Los Angeles and Orange County (Korean Resource Center).
