Hundreds Rally For Status For All in Toronto

Toronto, April 3, 2006 – On Saturday April 1st, members of Portuguese and Latin American communities rallied with supporters, concerned community members, and a strong showing of labour support that included CAW and several CUPE locals. Following closely on the heels of a deportation campaign against Portuguese families, community reports indicate a new US-style enforcement approach has led to immigration checks across the city.

Gathering across from Dufferin Mall, a crowd estimated at 400 heard from a number of speakers. Speakers included a large contingent from CAW, including Steve Watson, Maria Pinto (President CAW local 673), John Teixeira (CAW National) and Raj Dhaliwal, Director of Human Rights for CAW National. These labour supporters provided a strong model of the power of labour support for undocumented workers. City Councilor Cesar Palacio spoke about the importance of communities supporting each other while Paulo Santos, a Portuguese high school student whose family is slated for deportation, rallied passing motorists with supporters from his school. Francisco Ricco of the Canadian Council for Refugees and Javier Davila, representative of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 12 Human Rights Committee, spoke about the importance of solidarity and a recognition of the humanity of non-status immigrants.

Farrah Miranda of Toronto’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Campaign spoke about the potentially dangerous situation that might emerge if non-status immigrants are too afraid to access schools, health care, or emergency services. Amina Sherazee of Downtown Legal Services and Macdonald Scott of Carranza Barristers and Solicitors concluded the rally with a demand that the federal immigration ministry provide community monitors with access to detention facilities in order to substantiate their denial of any increase in rates of deportation or the adoption of a US-style enforcement approach to immigration. The ministry’s denial of a new approach to immigration flies in the face of continued community-based reports of immigration sweeps and expedited deportations.

To cheers and chants of "Status for All: No One is Illegal" and "Let them stay", the march traveled from Dufferin Grove Park to the entrance of the mall, and then up to Bloor Street continuing east to Christie Pits park. The march was met with tremendous community support, as people gathered outside of restaurants and stores to cheer, and passing motorists honked their horns in support.

Supporters plan to continue their opposition to the Conservative Party’s move toward US-style immigration enforcement through a number of upcoming actions. On April 8th supporters will gather at the south end of Dufferin Grove Park at noon, and then travel by bus to the Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre. On April 22nd, a rally has been called by the Hispanic Congress. These events will lead-up to the National Day of Action for Status for All on May 27th.

The rally was endorsed by the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation, District 12, Human Rights Committee, Justice for Migrant Workers, University of Toronto Part Time Students Association, No One is Illegal Toronto, the Toronto Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Campaign and a number of other organizations and agencies.

For more information email nooneisillegal@riseup.net

visit www.toronto.nooneisillegal.org