OCA - East Bay Chapter

Press Release -  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05 March 2018 Contact: Michael Moon | OCA-East Bay President | ocaeastbay@gmail.com OCA Bay Area Chapters Condemn ICE raids in the Bay Area in Sanctuary Cities   OCA-Bay Area consists of the four chapters OCA-East Bay, OCA-San Francisco, OCA-San Mateo, and OCA-Silicon Valley which are part of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, one of the oldest national Asian Pacific American Civil rights organizations in the United States. OCA-Bay Area condemns federal Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the Bay Area, especially in designated sanctuary cities. We stand with Oakland’s Mayor Libby Schaaf's decision to inform the public of possible actions taken by ICE. Many do not realize that Asians, primarily Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Filipinos are being detained or deported back to their native country without recourse. Many DREAMers and families are affected by the actions taken by ICE. OCA strongly supports a clean DREAM Act and was disappointed that Congress passed the continuing resolution without it. California legislation AB 540 helps many DREAMers achiever higher education to become part of the fabric of our diverse communities. With the actions of ICE, many will not attend college or will be deported. The U.S. Constitution guarantees the right not to be imprisoned without probable cause and due process of law. Asian and Pacific Islanders are the second largest undocumented immigrant group in the United States. ICE routinely issues detainers to ask local officials to continue holding people in jail beyond the time when they should be released so that ICE can investigate whether they might be subject to deportation. Using local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws invites law enforcement officers to engage in unconstitutional racial and ethnic profiling and to treat people perceived to be “foreign” differently. OCA-East Bay and other Bay Area Chapters, stand by the Mayor. We support Mayor Libby Schaaf’s actions as an attempt to strengthen sanctuary cities like Oakland and immigrant communities throughout the state. ### Founded in 1973, OCA is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, political and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans. With a national headquarters in Washington DC and over 80 chapters and affiliates across the country, OCA embraces the hopes and aspirations of the nearly 12 million Americans of Chinese and Asian/Pacific Islander ancestry in the United States. The East Bay Chapter was founded in 1987, with our current regular program PickITup that engages Oakland Asian youth to beautify Oakland Chinatown.