We Are Proudly Making Global Enemies

Email from Dr. Asma Salam

Dear Mr. Moses,

I am sorry for not giving you the follow up for last 2 weeks. I was not feeling well and this protest with the worst weather season of Texas plus my meetings to raise the awareness and to make everything possible to help these families in immigration detention centers have kept me too busy and very preoccupied.

Following are my few thoughts with prayers and update of the vigil,
I wish and Pray that Hazahza’s are released on May 2nd, and may God shut down all these centers and put an end to this evil inhumane selfish moneymaking monster that is destroying our national values and integrity. I do not understand how could we be proud as Americans by putting innocent children and women in abusive conditions and making money out of their pain and misery. I wish more people understand the depth of this issue. “ICE” is literally the tip of the iceberg, that majority of public have no idea of its depth. If these centers are not shut down we will soon become a nation of shame on the global picture. These immigration detention centers will destroy our foreign relations and our respect in the eyes of the world as we are proudly making global enemies through detaining innocent children and women from all over the world and abusing human rights in our own state of Texas and in our own homeland America.

Nothing much happened except that I was invited by Mr. Gene Lantz on the “Workers Beat” program of Radio KNON on April 11 to talk about immigration detention center issues. He also invited me to attend the Board of directors meeting of Jobs for Justice to spread the word around, following is the link for this meeting.

http://www.labordallas.org/jwjmtg041107.htm.

You might already have this info

http://www.labordallas.org/salam.htm.

One lady stopped her car and asked me about ICE and she was shocked to hear that these immigration detention centers exists in Texas. Now I am getting prayers(God bless you for doing this),and lots of other supporting gestures for protesting against inhumane treatment of children and families by immigration customs enforcement agency, from lawyers,and general public who cross the road or pass by protest site.

Mrs Alanzo took me to her brother in law Steve Salazar(city County official) mother’s rosary and I had a dinner meeting with Mr. and Mrs Alanzo about the immigration detention center issues. I did not get much help other than my faithful friends who have been showing up from the beginning of the protest. These few friends are my biggest support.

Please feel free to edit it, rearrange my message, or just post my thoughts. Please let me know if you have any question or concern.

Thank you so much for your help in supporting this protest and increasing the awareness about this important issue.

Best regards
asma

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Following is the summary of radio interview written by Mr. Lantz.

Families are Abused in Detention Centers

By Gene Lantz

Dr. Asma Salam amazed the April Jobs with Justice meeting with her description of the treatment of detainees in the centers run by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

Dr. Salam said that almost anybody is likely to be thrown in a center, if there is the slightest question about their citizenship status: “If their case is in doubt, they will be put in those detention centers.” Unfortunately, the centers have been privatized and are being run for profit: “It’s not about trying to solve a problem it’s about money.” One of the corporations involved in ICE centers is the infamous Halliburton, she said.

Immigrant families are thrown into some facilities with actual criminals. They lack medical care, proper hygiene, and decent nutrition. She summarized,
“There is nothing humane about those detention centers.”

Dr. Salam has a vigil at the Dallas federal building, 1100 Commerce, every week day from 9 AM to 4 PM. A few people are slowly beginning to find out about the issue and are joining her. She thanked Women in Black,Liz Branch, Laray Polk, Trish Majors, Minster Dianna Baker, Patricia Juarez , Rev Ronald White, Mrs Sylvana Alonzo, Reverend Peter Johnson, as spending time on the vigil and Mr. Roberto Alanzo and Rafael Anchia both Texas state representatives for their great support in this important issue of our nation.

Ralph Isnberg has backed this cause for the past three years, since his own wife suffered 52 days of detention. He says there has been no improvement in ICE treatment during those three years. He appeared with Dr. Salam on the “Workers Beat” program of Radio KNON on April 11. They zeroed in on the West Texas detention center at Haskell.

One of their most shocking revelations was that the root of the suffering at Haskell is not a search for justice nor a search for a solution to immigration problems. The root is corporate greed. ICE privatizes its detention centers, according to Salam and Isenberg. “They are making money out of the ICE Centers,” Isenberg said, “A lot of money.” He recounted the very personal way in which he became involved: his wife was taken by ICE and spent 52 days in “hell hole” conditions! Since then, he has devoted his time and resources to freeing detainees, one at a time.

Dr. Salam said, “I am surprised very few Americans know this issue. No one seems to know what ICE and immigration detention centers are. I look forward to increasing the awareness about this serious issue of our nation that has been going unchecked for few years and has the tendency to destroy our values and integrity.” Of course, the government’s excuse for mistreatment at detainee centers, as everywhere, is the terrorist events of September 11, But Salam says, “They cannot differentiate between a threat to this country and innocent people. They don’t want to differentiate because it is all about money!”

For more information, Dr. Salam tells audiences to go to http://www.texascivilrightsreview.org

Asma Salam MD
Arlington, TX

asmasalam -at- sbcglobal.net