[IPSM] STOP the deportation of community activist Wendy Maxwell! (Please make calls and send faxes; Montreal delegation to visit CIC on Monday at 10am)

Sat Mar 12 22:25:18 PST 2005

-- Solidarity Across Borders denounces the arrest of Wendy Maxwell

-- Montreal-area coalition demands immediate release and residency for
Toronto-area refugee and activist

[NOTE: Members of Solidarity Across Borders will be delivering a letter to
officials at Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) in Montreal this
coming Monday, March 14. We will be gathering across from 1010 St-Antoine
West (near metro Bonaventure) at 10am sharp before going inside to deliver
our letter and to ask to speak to senior CIC officials.]

For immediate release
March 11, 2005, Montreal

Solidarity Across Borders, a Montreal-area coalition of self-organized
refugee groups and their allies, unequivocally denounces the recent arrest
and detention of Toronto community activist Wendy Maxwell at an
International Women's Day event at Ryerson University. At a Solidarity
Across Borders organizing assembly this past Friday, we learned the
shocking details of Wendy's arrest and detention, and we unreservedly send
our collective message of solidarity and support to Wendy, and her friends
and supporters.

We support the demand that Wendy Maxwell be granted a Temporary Resident's
Permit so that she can remain in Canada legally until her application to
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for status on humanitarian and
compassionate grounds, and that she be released from detention
immediately. Moreover, we denounce the collaboration between Toronto
Police and to carry out Immigration's racist and violent work at an
international event directly aimed at fighting against oppression and
violence against women.

Members of Solidarity Across Borders will deliver a letter to the offices
of Immigration Canada in Montreal this Monday, the same date that Wendy is
scheduled to be deported from Canada. We are also strongly encouraging
faxes and phone calls to Immigration Minister Joe Volpe, and removal
officer Martin Kosichek. These two officials can stop Wendy Maxwell's
deportation NOW, and they need to hear from us (don't hesitate to call,
even on the weekend):

Immigration Minister (Joe Volpe):
Toronto: (416) 781-5583 (phone)
           (416) 781-5586 (fax)
Ottawa:  (613) 992-6361 (phone)
           (613) 992-9791 (fax)

Removal Officer (Martin Kosichek):
                 (905) 405-3630 (phone)
                 (905) 405-3529 (fax)

*** Concerned persons in the Montreal-area are also encouraged to join the
delegation visit to CIC to deliver a letter denouncing Wendy's arrest, and
demanding her release and landing. We will be meeting at 1010 St-Antoine West
(near metro Bonaventure).

More info about Wendy Maxwell's case, including a sample letter, is attached
below.

Wendy's arrest and detention recalled injustices to people close to the
Solidarity Across Borders network. This past November 2004, Palestinian refugee
Ahmed Nafaa was deported after his arrest by guards on Montreal's metro.
Mohamed Cherfi, an active member of the Action Committee of Non-Status
Algerians, was also deported to the United States after his sanctuary in a
Quebec City church was violated last March 2004. Mohamed remains in detention
in the USA. The members of Solidarity Across Borders are close to dozens and
dozens of others who live the anxiety and injustice of being "non-status" or
"illegal".

Solidarity Across Borders brings together self-organized refugee groups and
their allies. Solidarity Across Borders members include: The Support Committee
for Basque Political Prisoners, the No One is Illegal Campaign in Montreal, The
Justice Coalition for Adil Charkaoui, the Immigrant Worker Centre, the Catholic
Congolese Community of Montreal, Action for Colombia, the Human Rights Action
Committee, the Non-Status Algerian Action Committee, the Coalition Against the
Deportation of Palestinian Refugees, the South Asian Women's Community Centre,
Voices of Ancestors and more.

Our four main demands are: 1) The regularization of all non-status people
residing in Canada; 2) The abolition of security certificates; 3) An end to
deportations; 4) An end to the detention of migrants.

Our thoughts are with Wendy Maxwell and her supporters as they continue to
mobilize to prevent her deportation. And, our actions in the coming months will
be focused on preventing any more unjust detentions and deportations, and for
the immediate regularization of all so-called "illegal" and "non-status"
persons living in our communities.

In struggle and in solidarity,

The members of Solidarity Across Borders (over 30 members in attendance at our
assembly of March 11, 2005 in Montreal)
-----

BACKGROUND TO THE CASE OF WENDY MAXWELL
[From http://www.supportwendy.com]

On Saturday March 5th at the International Women's Day rally at Jorgenson Hall
at Ryerson University, a woman was arrested by 51 Division officers while
selling cookies to raise money for CKLN Community Radio. Her crime: living in
Canada without Immigration status. Wendy Maxwell, also known as Nzinga, is now
in jail at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton. She could be deported at any
time.

Nzinga is a talented and strong Black Woman who is an active member of our
community. Many who have met her either as a colleague, friend, or through her
community work admire her tenacity and humility. These are the type of people
our community needs. Born in Costa Rica, she is a woman of Jamaican descent who
has had to contend with police repression, the violence of organized crime, and
now the racism of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. After six productive
years in Canada and continuous community involvement, she faces imminent
deportation to a dangerous and uncertain future even though she has an
application for landed status filed with Immigration Canada that has yet to be
adjudicated.

Nzinga faces serious risk if forced back to Costa Rica. She was once picked up
by the Costa Rican police, well known for racially profiling Black people, and
sexually assaulted by them. She also faces risk as a bisexual woman from the
police, whose homophobia is well documented.

One Costa Rican research group states that "lesbian women are exhaustively
searched in round-ups at clubs frequented by gays and lesbians and are also
subject to aggression, physical abuse and robbery by the police who, in most
cases, claim they were looking for drugs". Added to this, she faces serious
risk from a dangerous Costa Rican gang which she has had dealings with in the
past. Given the homophobic and racist nature of the police, it is to be
expected that she will not be able to obtain protection from them against this
gang. Nzinga is still coping with serious Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(documented by Psychologists at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and other
clinics) due to the abuse she experienced in Costa Rica. Sending her back will
re-inflame her psychological problems and stop her healing process.

Despite this, Immigration Canada determined that she would not be at risk if
deported and ordered her to fly back to Costa Rica on December 1, 2003. She was
forced to go "underground" and filed a humanitarian and compassionate leave
application for status soon after that (in February of 2004) on the basis of
risk and establishment.

Nzinga has worked tirelessly in the community as a volunteer at CKLN 88.1 FM
Community Radio. She has also worked with the Latin American Coalition to end
Violence Against Women (now called MUJER), the Barbara Schlifer Commemorative
Clinic, the Ralph Thornton Community Centre as a network administrator's
assistant, the Global African Congress, and as an outreach worker with the
Black Coalition for Aids Prevention (BlackCAP). Her work is also being
published in "A New Look at Heterosexism and Homophobia" being put out in
collaboration with the McGill University for the Canadian Aids Society. She has
been employed through out her 6 years in Canada.

JOIN THE STRUGGLE TO SUPPORT WENDY MAXWELL YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED!

-----

SAMPLE LETTER

[**please note that it is preferable to have original personalized letters from
different organizations, however, given the timeline feel free to use or draw
from this sample letter**]

SEND LETTERS TO:
In Toronto: (416)781-5586 (fax)
In Ottawa: (613)992-9791 (fax)
Email: Minister at cic.gc.ca

Minister Volpe,

Our organization is writing you out of grave concern regarding the case of
Wendy Maxwell. We have been informed that Ms. Maxwell was arrested on an
Immigration violation while selling cookies as a community fundraiser at an
International Women's Day rally at Ryerson University in Toronto on Saturday
March 5th. She is now being held at the Vanier Centre for Women and we
understand that she could be deported to her native Costa Rica at any time,
despite having an outstanding Humanitarian and Compassionate Application for
permanent resident's status.

As Minister of Citizenship and Immigration we strongly urge to use your legal
authority to grant Ms. Maxwell a Temporary Resident's Permit so that she may
remain in Canada legally until her Humanitarian and Compassionate application
is adjudicated.

Ms. Maxwell is a highly respected community activist who has worked with
countless social organizations during her 7 years in Canada. With Street Light
Support Services she gave workshops to help women in their transition out of
the sex trade industry. She collaborated with the Latin American Coalition to
end Violence Against Women (LACEV now known as MUJER) to develop a similar
project. She volunteered her free time at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative
Clinic at the Ralph Thornton Community Centre, and with the Black Coalition for
Aids Prevention (BlackCAP). She is a programmer and co-host of a community
radio show as a part of a collective of Latin-American women called Sembradoras
on CKLN 88.1. She also co-wrote a book in collaboration with McGill University
for the Canadian Aids Society (CAS).

We also understand that Ms. Maxwell fears greatly for her safety if returned to
Costa Rica. As a Black, bisexual woman she fears the Costa Rican police whose
racial profiling and homophobia are well documented. She was sexually assaulted
by the police while living in Costa Rica. Added to this, she fears violence
from a Costa Rican gang which she has had dealings with in the past, and,
understandably, she fears the police will not adequately protect her. Ms.
Maxwell is still coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (documented by
Psychologists at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and other clinics) due to the
abuse she experienced in Costa Rica. We are deeply concerned about the impact
of forcing her to return to there.

We are deeply concerned with the collaboration between Immigration Canada and
the Toronto Police evident in her arrest. We find it unacceptable for the
Immigration Ministry to use municipal police to target non-status people, whom
we do not feel are dangers to our community simply because they are amongst the
tens of thousands of Immigrants who have not been granted legal status in
Canada. It is particularly troubling that Ms. Maxwell was targeted at an
International Women's Day event. On a day geared towards ending violence and
discrimination against women internationally, it is a cruel irony that a woman
so deeply committed to the struggle for human rights was targeted by your
Ministry for detention and deportation to a country where she fears gender,
racial, and sexuality-based persecution.

We sincerely hope that as Minister you will act with conscience in Ms.
Maxwell's case and grant her a Temporary Resident's Permit to remain in Canada
while her claim is adjudicated. We also strongly encourage you to commit to
dealing equitably and honourably with the broader issue of the tens of
thousands of non-status people living in Canada.

Sincerely,

-----

For more information:
http://www.supportwendy.com

Solidarity Across Borders:
noii-montreal at resist.ca
514-859-9023