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Cameroonian 40 Hunger Strikes against ICE Continue

by A Scribe Called Quess?

Since March 3, some 40 African migrants, most Cameroonian, have been holding hunger strikes in an ICE concentration camp in Pine Prairie, LA. They’re protesting their extended detainment and inhumane treatment by ICE. The migrants paused their hunger strike when ICE agents said they would look into their cases. When this promise turned out to be a lie, the strike resumed. While some agents used deception to manipulate, others were more direct telling the men “for the 18 years I have worked for Department of Homeland Security, I’ve been trained to deport as many of you as possible,” threatening to deport them by October 7.

The migrants qualify for asylum under international law and have been incarcerated far longer than the law is supposed to allow. Still, Oakdale Immigration Court’s racist Judge Scott Laragy recently issued Final Orders of Removal to most of the men, resting his opinion on bogus “credibility” tactics, telling them that even if they appeal, he would still deny them asylum. Laragy has denied more than 85 percent of asylum cases that came before his court between 2014-2019, well above the national average of 63 percent. Since a large number of immigration judges are former ICE attorneys, it’s no wonder they uphold ICE’s mandates that support the ruling class. ICE uses racism to divide and conquer our working-class siblings nationally and internationally.

African migrants are twice as likely to receive deportations as their Latinx counterparts and are charged higher bonds due to their lack of family ties. But that lack of ties is a result of 400 years of racist U.S. foreign policy that barred immigration from Africa since the slave trade and even more so after the Haitian Revolution. This anti-Blackness permeates the practices of capitalist politicians of all races, so much so that the Mexican government is more likely to hand over African migrants to ICE than other immigrants. Meanwhile, African American politicians like Cedric Richmond, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, have failed to take adequate action by denouncing the modern-day slavery in Pine Prairie and demanding the release of all detainees immediately.

On August 14, the New Orleans Workers Group held a militant action in solidarity with the migrants and overwhelmed ICE officials with the power of the people. Only sustained direct action by the people to expose GEO Group, the $2.5 billion private company that runs the Pine Prairie ICE camp, will achieve the ultimate shut down of the camp and liberation of our working-class siblings. To support continued effort, email noworkersgroup@gmail.com and cameroon.american.council@gmail.com . We must fight until victory! Free Them All NOW!

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Stop Nazi-like Forced Sterilizations in ICE Concentration Camps and U.S. Prisons!

End Family Separation! Close the Camps! Free Them All!

The New Orleans Workers Group calls on all people of conscience to demand an end to the medical experimentation and forced sterilization of women and folks in U.S. ICE concentration camps. We cannot stand by as Republicans and Democrats attempt to minimize or conceal the atrocities occurring in so-called “detention” centers, jails, and prisons across the country.

We celebrate the brave stance of Dawn Wooten, a courageous Black woman who stepped forward to expose the horrific acts committed by a private for-profit concentration camp that cages migrants in Georgia. Similar human rights abuses have been documented in many other U.S. states.

Migrants are used as scapegoats so workers with papers will not recognize that the capitalist class is the real enemy. Migrants are workers just like us and we need to demand their release, family reunification, and full labor and political rights.

If any group of workers can be paid less, tortured, or discriminated against because of race, national origin, or gender, all workers will be hurt. To keep wages low and conditions poor for all of us workers, those who exploit us rely on reserve pools of labor, such as the unemployed, incarcerated, and migrant.

Lack of rights and fear of imprisonment and starvation have allowed bosses to pay migrant workers less money and the bosses are thrilled by that. The same process goes on in the prison system, making the U.S. the most incarcerated country in the world, with Louisiana and Arkansas as its most incarcerated states.

The right wing enforces the extreme exploitation of migrant workers by dehumanizing and caging. On any given day, more than 40,000 men, women, and children are in cages. Every migrant person caged in an ICE camp brings profits to the private owners of companies like Lasalle Corrections, GEO Group, and CoreCivic. These companies are addicted to this blood money and want more migrants incarcerated. For every person in ICE custody, these concentration camp companies receive about $65/day from the federal budget, totaling about $1 billion of our tax dollars every year.

Louisiana ranks second in ICE camps with at least 12 in the state. Some of these, such as River Correctional Center are unlisted facilities serving to disappear migrants. These camps are run in secret to hide torturous solitary confinement, lack of protection from COVID-19, inadequate food and healthcare, and everyday denial of legal rights.

This summer, the U.S. deported 8,800 unaccompanied minor children. A policy of supervised care for deported children to prevent trafficking has just been stopped by the U.S. government. Amidst COVID-19, these ongoing deportations have been a murderous act of biological warfare, spreading COVID-19 to over 11 countries and deporting over 159,000 people since March.

Forced sterilization, medical experimentation, and separation of children from families is part of the history of the U.S. These heinous acts have been overwhelmingly perpetrated against women of color, the disabled, and the extremely poor. Forced sterilization or forced childbearing and rape was common under slavery. It has been practiced in all U.S. colonies, especially Puerto Rico, and was a tactic of the genocide against Indigenous people.

The U.S. legacy of genocidal racism and torture of women continues. Studies show that Black women in Louisiana are four times more likely to die giving birth than white women. Every day, women are shackled during childbirth and denied pre- and post-natal healthcare in ICE concentration camps and U.S. prisons.

WORKING CLASS WOMEN UNITE AGAINST OUR TERRIBLE CONDITIONS

The current economic depression has hit women, folks, and families harder and driven us deeper into poverty and insecurity. This will eventually bring an explosion from working class and oppressed women. Women are 50% of the workforce, are more likely to join a union, a protest, oppose racism and poverty and become revolutionaries. Our ability to shut down production terrifies the ruling class. Impoverishment, violence, rape, incarceration, and attacks on reproductive and workers’ rights are being enacted to control us.

By fighting back, we can end the torturous cruelty inflicted on migrant women in the name of capitalist profits, just as we can end the police terror that took the lives of Breonna Taylor, Namali Henry, and Sandra Bland. We are clear that it is only through struggle that we can win, not by relying on the on the Supreme Court or any politician in office. We can and we must close all concentration camps including U.S. prisons and jails. None of us are free until all of us are free! End the capitalist war on women! End our impoverishment! Working women of all backgrounds unite! Free Them All!

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Colonialism Unmasked After Lebanon Blast

by A Guest Writer

In the wake of the disastrous port explosion in Beirut, western media outlets have pushed that it was caused by corruption in the Lebanese government. But there is zero mention of the French or other imperialist countries’ massive role in that corruption, no mention of EU or U.S. sanctions that are crippling the Lebanese economy, and literally zero mention of the fact that France created the sectarian system of government of Lebanon in the first place.

Lebanon is a case study of imperialism with former colonized subjects being told they are too incompetent and in need of firm and direct Western disciplining. Every article comes in the tone of a former colonial master lecturing its bumbling natives. Macron, speaking in Lebanon was quoted saying that French aid would not go to “corrupt hands” and that he would be calling on all of Lebanon’s political leaders to establish a “new political pact.” Undoubtedly one where former colonial forces would profit. No mention of the protestors at the same event calling for the release of Lebanese political prisoner George Abdullah.

Macron’s lecturing about corruption is not only to distract from real problems, like enormous debts to western banks, but is hypocritical considering the French leader’s governing party being accused of massive instances of corruption. Even more hypocritical, is the French government’s deep ties with some of the most corrupt elements in the Lebanese government with many of these figures storing stolen Lebanese money in French banks. There is also zero mention of French, EU, and U.S. support for the political campaigns of many of these corrupt leaders.

Disgustingly, Macron declared that he would return to Lebanon to take what he called “my political responsibility.” The same French president who famously told Africans “to get over colonialism” is now being praised as if he were the savior of Lebanon. Later he went on to call for increased sanctions while hundreds of thousands have lost their homes, jobs and lack of food.

Finally, in almost all reporting on Lebanon, like many other formerly colonized countries, the big business media almost always leave out the brutal colonial history that shaped these countries. Lebanon’s sectarian governing system was quite literally imposed on them by the French. The 1958, U.S invasion of Lebanon that prevented the collapse of the sectarian Chamoun government is part of a long history of former colonial powers attempts to keep Lebanon a divided and fractured country dependent on its former colonizers. The fake cries from Western countries about the inept and corrupt Lebanese government in the wake of this latest tragedy should always be understood as just the latest in a string of attempts to impose their dominance over the country.

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Defend Venezuela Against U.S. Attacks

by Aminta Zea

The U.S. government continues its war against the workers of Venezuela with harsher sanctions designed to create hardship. Whoever wins in the presidential election, Trump or Biden, the US is expected to continue its policy of regime change to oust Venezuela’s democratically elected leader, Nicolas Maduro. In cahoots with a tiny clique of wealthy Venezuelans, the U.S. wants to steal Venezuela’s oil, and claim its national resources for U.S. corporations.

The PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela) is strategizing how to combat this wealthy clique of right wingers who hate Maduro and the PSUV for truly involving the workers in building their country to benefit the majority. This is no easy task as the United States continues to impose heavy sanctions and wage violent attacks that are aimed at strangling the country’s economy and threatening its socialist leaders.

U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo is the once owner of a military aerospace company that profited off the $1 trillion U.S. war budget that deprives the people here of critical help—especially during this period of crisis. Pompeo, speaking about his tenure as CIA Director admitted, “we lied, we cheated, we stole.” Recently, conferring with his fascistic Brazilian military counterparts, Pompeo pledged to send even more millions of tax-payer dollars to the wealthy Venezuelan traitor elites. Pompeo also called for more warships to ring the coast, threatening the Venezuelan people with death.

The United States will continue to meddle in the domestic politics of Venezuela during their elections. Because the right wing opposition is so unpopular they call for a boycott in the elections, thereby allowing the PSUV to win an overwhelming majority, afterward claiming that the election was a fraud. This was the excuse for the wealthy to allow the U.S. puppet Juan Guaido to declare himself president. His phony claim was recognized by Trump and Biden even though working class Venezuelans did not even know who he was. Failing these interventions, the U.S. could attempt a military coup. Thanks to the Venezuelan people, prior U.S. coup attempts have been unsuccessful.

The U.S. government was the hand behind the recent coup in Bolivia where another rich ruling class puppet declared herself leader. But the Bolivian masses led by the Movement for Socialism and rooted in indigenous leadership have fought back and are winning.

The persistent Monroe Doctrine policy of the U.S. that declares ownership of Latin America highlights how little respect the United States has for international democracy. Since the establishment of Chavismo in 2002, the living conditions for the working class in Venezuela have improved dramatically. The failed 2018 coup spearheaded by Trump and Venezuela’s capitalist class demonstrates that imperialists only care about seizing and hoarding profits for themselves. As workers in the south, we denounce the U.S. military and economic intervention on Venezuela and recognize the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own national destiny.

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Freedom Fighter Leila Khaled Speaks

In September, monopoly media corporations such as Zoom, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter censored the voice of Leila Khaled, an iconic symbol of resistance, a socialist, and a militant leader of the struggle to free Palestine and all the oppressed. The Arab studies department at San Francisco State University has been violently attacked, and their hosting of Leila Khalid was canceled by the school.

“I am proud if anyone sees me as a symbol of resistance; it gives me more strength for the struggle. To see a woman anywhere struggling for a just cause gives me hope and courage for my people. Women give their life for the struggle in Palestine and elsewhere”

—Leila Khaled

The U.S./Israeli/UAE/Saudi dictators use U.S. weapons to oppress and steal the homes and lives of Palestinians and destroy the people of Yemen. Yet in the face of jailings, assassinations, starvation, and death by COVID-19, the heroic resistance continues. We join with others across the country to break the silencing of Palestinian voices. Please listen to Leila Khaled speak here.

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We Have a Choice: Socialism or Extinction

Sept.25: Over 3,200 demonstrations against climate destruction took place worldwide, including in Bangladesh (above).

The capitalist system doesn’t just hamper our ability to recover from disaster; it is the principle cause. Capitalism thrives on toxic growth and expansion. So as to not be taken over by their rivals, corporations must forever seek out new sources of profit. The U.S. and other imperialist militaries are used for this purpose. On behalf of the owners of monopoly corporations, the military is dispatched to other countries to rob, dominate, and control resources such as oil and to establish new markets. In the process, the U.S. military emits more greenhouse gasses than most countries, making the Pentagon a top cause of global warming.

Anyone can observe the exponential increase of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere since the rise of industrial capitalism. Atmospheric carbon dioxide was at 285 ppm (parts per million) in 1850. Before now, in 800,000 years of earth’s history, atmospheric carbon dioxide had not surpassed 300 ppm. It is now greater than 410 ppm. This sharp increase is the reason for the rise in global temperatures and for the amplified environmental catastrophes across the world.

The acceleration of climate change will only increase the intensity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires. U.S. coasts have been slammed by Katrina, Rita, Ike, Gustav, Sandy, Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, and Laura over just the past two decades.

Production for profit (instead of planned production) has put the future of human life in jeopardy, as Louisianans know all too well. Oil companies such as Shell, BP, and ExxonMobil are allowed by the state and federal government to scour the landscape for profits, destroying habitats and displacing people from their homes. Sea level rise as well as canal digging by the oil companies have caused Louisiana to lose one football field of land every hour. The culprit oil companies who pay next to nothing in taxes get off scot free.

Take away the incentive to hoard obscene amounts of wealth, and workers can easily meet all the needs and desires of society by producing according to a plan. More than ever, humanity needs a plan to deal with the disasters that the capitalists have left us to deal with. It’s time the working class takes the driver’s seat; the future of the world depends on it.

OXFAM REPORT SHOWS THE 1% ARE KILLING US AND THE PLANET

A September report by Oxfam concludes that, over the past quarter century, the world’s richest 1% has produced double the carbon emissions of the bottom 50% (over 3 billion people). Biden himself has already promised this wealthy, donor class that, “No one’s standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change” if he’s elected. In other words, keep your mansions, luxury bunkers, and piles of cash while the world’s people flee water and flame.

The world can’t wait for the rich to grow a conscience. It’s time to rise up!

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HOUSING VICTORY IN PHILADELPHIA SHOWS DIRECT ACTION WORKS!

This September, homeless mothers and children organized with Philadelphia Housing Action, Black and Brown Workers Cooperative, two homeless protest encampments, and others through a large-scale direct-action takeover of vacant, city-owned homes. This action resulted in forcing the city government in Philadelphia to agree to demands for 50 vacant homes to be used for very-low-income housing. As the economic crisis deepens and the pandemic continues without adequate response from the capitalist state, the people must take action to acquire what we need to survive. This is only a start to the work that needs to be done, but it shows the power of the people when we are organized!

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Statement from Unions in Support of Work Stoppages for Black Lives

“Last week’s actions by professional athletes in the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and professional tennis are a call to action for all of the labor movement.

“They remind us that when we strike to withhold our labor, we have the power to bring an unjust status quo to a grinding halt. The status quo–of police killing Black people, of armed white nationalists killing demonstrators, of millions sick and increasingly desperate–is clearly unjust, and it cannot continue.

“As unions representing millions of workers across the country, we stand in solidarity with our comrades on the courts, on the fields, and in the streets. We echo the call to local and federal government to divest from the police, to redistribute the stolen wealth of the billionaire class, and to invest in what our people need to live in peace, dignity, and abundance: universal health care and housing, public jobs programs and cash assistance, and safe working conditions.

“Progressive labor leaders stood with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. We have a long history of supporting the Black Freedom Movement and we will not stop now. The labor movement and the Movement for Black Lives are each other’s keepers, and we are ready to work together to do what we must to win justice for our people. We support the demands for racial justice echoing throughout this nation, and the simultaneous call for a more just economy. We will use our strength and influence to make sure organized labor is on the right side of history in this moment.”

Signed by:

AFSCME Local 526

AFSCME LOCAL 2822 Hennepin County Clerical

AFSCME 3800 – U of MN Clerical Workers

Autonomous Design Union

Berkeley Federation of Teachers

Campaign Workers Guild

Chicago Teachers Union

Committee of Interns & Residents/SEIU

Cook County College Teachers Union – Local 1600

Detroit Federation of Teachers

Fight for $15

ILWU Local 142

International Coalition of Black Trade Unionists

Labor Notes

Madison Teachers Incorporated

Massachusetts Teachers Association

Milwaukee Area Labor Council

Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association

Minnesota Workers United

National Union of Healthcare Workers

New Haven Teachers Association CTA, NEA

Nonprofit Professional Employees Union

NPMHU Local 322

Oakland Education Association

Peralta Federation of Teachers, AFT 1603

Pittsburgh LCLAA

Racine Educators United (REA-REAA)

Restaurant Opportunities Center of Pennsylvania

Rutgers AAUP-AFT

Rutgers PTLFC-AAUP-AFT, Local 6324

Saint Paul Federation of Educators Local #28

San Mateo Community College Federation of Teachers

SEIU Healthcare IL/IN/MO/KS

SEIU Local 49

SEIU Local 73

SEIU Local 509

SEIU USWW

South Central Federation of Labor

Teamsters Local 251

UAW 2865

UFCW Local 7

Unemployed Workers United

UNITE HERE Local 274

UNITE HERE Local 2850

United Auto Workers Region 9A

United Educators of San Francisco

United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE)

United Teachers Los Angeles

United Teachers of Richmond

United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 36

Young Workers Committee of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council

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Louisiana Workers March Against Evictions

On September 8, the New Orleans Workers Group organized a rally and march demanding that the city reinstate a ban on evictions.

People marched down the streets chanting, “Don’t starve, fight! Housing is a human right!” and “No More Rent!”. Speakers at the rally emphasized the need for unity between the employed and unemployed to build a militant organization of the working class to combat not just evictions but all the murderous policies the ruling class has used to wage war on us workers, from forcing us to return to work and denying people unemployment benefits to cutting social programs and giving huge bailouts to businesses.

When asked what brought them out to the march, one worker said, “I’m here to support the workers of our community. It’s absolutely inhumane that the city is willing to put people out on the streets during a pandemic.” Another worker remarked, “This state prioritizes landlords’ rights over renters’ rights. Housing is a human right. New Orleans already had a huge eviction rate before the pandemic, so now I’m very frightened and concerned about what might happen. I’m also concerned about the evacuees from Lake Charles. How long will they be displaced? Hotels are open for tourists now. But what kind of care are residents from Lake Charles getting?”

30,000 families in New Orleans are at risk of eviction. The majority of these households are Black, brown, women and children. Already people have been pushed out on the streets. Housing is our human right, but it’s going to take an organized mass struggle for us to win it.

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Urgent News to Keep Workers in Our Homes

  • CDC moratorium on evictions may not stop them.
  • Know the facts. Beware of phony eviction notices, harassment, fees, and lying landlords.
  • Eviction Court reopens October 5th.
  • Courts will be demanding CDC declaration and proof.

The CDC declaration is a big problem. It makes us swear we will pay all back rent and fees on January 1st. It must be downloaded, filled out, copied, and served to your landlord. The court says we will need proof.

We are fighting against this unnecessary obstacle and want a clear-cut ban on evictions and foreclosures and a ban on back rent or federal relief to pay it. But you may need the form to stop an eviction. We have copies of the declaration, just give the Louisiana Movement for Workers Councils a call at (504)-671-7853.