Vigil to Be Held Tonight for Arcata Woman Detained by Ice

true north immigrationPress release from the True North Organizing Network:

Grassroots leaders of the True North Organizing Network invite community members to attend a vigil for Claudia Portillo, an Arcata resident and mother of four who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) two weeks ago in San Francisco. Join Claudia’s family and community on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. on the Arcata Plaza to show her that she is not alone.

Claudia has spent the last two weeks in the Contra Costa West County Detention Center, which, according to the San Francisco Chronicle article Lost Coast Outpost referenced in its recent story is known for its harsh conditions. Her sister, Jenny Ventura, recently gave testimony of Claudia’s story at the Unity Action on Immigration at the Eureka First United Methodist Church on September 11, 2017, speaking to many undocumented families’ fears of deportation.

“My sister, a hard working woman with four beautiful daughters is now faced with those same feelings. In a couple of weeks she has an appointment with Immigration in San Francisco… and to be honest, we don’t know what’s going to happen there. We don’t know if she’s going to walk out of that building with us to be in the car on the drive back home. Right now the fear is that they’ll be sending her back to a country filled with crime. The very same country that my mother tried saving her from. This is all due to the fact that she lost her privilege of having a work permit because she missed a signature, one signature on a form. That’s how broken our system is when it comes to Immigration.”

Claudia Portillo

Claudia Portillo second from the right surrounded by friends and family. [Photo from her GoFundMe page]

That fear became reality two weeks ago when Claudia was detained by ICE and sent to the Contra Costa West County Detention Facility. Inmates in this detention center “are locked up for 23 hours before they can leave their cells, which hold one or two inmates.” True North Organizing Network leaders, staff, faith/spiritual leaders and clergy believe that when we stand up for the dignity and rights of a person or particular group of people, we stand up for the dignity and rights of all people. Join us on the Arcata Plaza this Tuesday evening from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. to show support with words, song, and prayer.If you can provide financial support to the family, GoFundMe campaign “Claudia’s Deportation Defense” will help raise funds for travel to the Bay Area and for Claudia’s legal fees. The goal is to raise $7,000 initially, and to potentially raise more if an immigration judge grants Claudia a bond hearing.

#No1StandsAlone

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Geez
Guest
Geez
6 years ago

What a ridiculous use of ICE! Im so sorry for her and her friends&family. US school of the americas trained ms13 members are stalking and beheading people in public parks in DC and a sweet mom is held in solitary? WTF

A lawyer friend of mine has clients in those facilities in so cal and says the conditions are horrible! & costly to the tax payer,many folks dont realize that even under past presidents those arrested to be deported often spent years in these money making facilities before actual deportation. Even children were held and given no medical care.

Mogtx
Guest
6 years ago

If she had all your papers she would be just fine .shoulda got the green card I’m sure there are a Lot more deserving people that are illegals that should take her place ,but you can’t come to America and just think you can live here with out becoming a American . Sorry it don’t work that way .

Eric Kirk
Guest
Eric Kirk
6 years ago
Reply to  Mogtx

She was seven when she came.

Me
Guest
Me
6 years ago

I agree that while this is a very unfortunate situation, if she had followed the laws of this country, she and her loved ones would not be going through this. She was caught breaking the law. I don’t know anyone involved in this, but she broke the law, and what happens will happen.

M T
Guest
M T
6 years ago
Reply to  Me

Sorry for your “Missing a Signature”? Seriously…? I think there must be more to it than we know. Good Luck to you and your family, but to be perfectly honest? Would we be treated the same in other countries? Allowed to enter and live our “Dream”? Yes, it is messed up, but rules are rules and they aren’t meant to be broken. And why is it when people are too busy to follow the rules suddenly it is a problem that needs Fixing? Yes, WTF Geez.. Hopefully this is a lesson learned and you will be back with your family in no time.
Our Family experienced a mistake from the government on forms for our Father who fought in WW2. Some government official was busy and checked off that our father was a Non-Combat Veteran. It took us 10 years to get things straightened out. Between several appearances in front of a Judge in Oakland traversing through tons of paperwork it took a paralegal from our church to find the error. In our case it was not an error that we made. Keep up the faith, although it may take time to get things in order in the long run it will work out.

CB
Guest
CB
6 years ago

She did the crime, now do the time, to bad so sad. NOT!!!

Eric Kirk
Guest
Eric Kirk
6 years ago
Reply to  CB

What was the crime?

Thebigdeal
Guest
Thebigdeal
6 years ago

Interesting how she says “our system is broke”. Perhaps ICE should take a look at her. There countless people waiting to come to our country legally. Not by sneaking in.

Esme
Guest
Esme
6 years ago
Reply to  Thebigdeal

She was seven years old. She was brought here and this is the country she grew up in. She did not ‘sneak’ in. It’s cruel and frankly racist to incarcerate and deport people brought here as children.

Antichrist
Guest
Antichrist
6 years ago
Reply to  Esme

There is no way it is racist. But when children that dont get what they want can use such words big scary words on people that dont agree with them. They assume that others are as gullible to believe them.

shak
Guest
shak
6 years ago

You do realize don’t you that the same congress/legislators that promises you the moon if you’re a “dreamer” is the same house of corruption who funds the detention centers? “Illegal immigrants do the work that nobody else wants to do” isn’t just a soundbyte, it’s a factual statement.
Let’s go back a few years shall we. https://img.alternet.org/immigration/obama-deports-record-number-immigrants-using-scary-private-geo-group-get-job-done
Understand this article, then call your house of corruption and demand they create clearer and less expensive processing. Demand they capture only those who hurt others, such as those who stole another person’s identity or who literally assaulted another person. If there is no victim, there is no crime. Stop allowing the slave runners to enslave you. Stop falling for their victim-hood propaganda. Take self responsibility and get your papers in order. True North isn’t helping you by rallying you against those who wish to make things right. Stop opposing those who truly want to see legislators honor their oaths to office instead of their own pocketbooks. Stop living in denial and blaming others for your own actions. Activate your liberty by manning the phones and bombarding your house of representatives, senators and other congress legislators.
READ that article out loud. True North is not your friend if they fail to research all the private detention centers, their contracts, and the solutions to ending the slave trade.

The same house of corruption is also funding the double jeopardy trials we are seeing every day. Innocent unless proven guilty is the constitution way. Guilty until we prove it even if we have to retry repeatedly until we get our desired guilty vote is NOT constitutional.

The same house of corruption is also funding the hush fund for the house of corruption’s sex scandals. They are using TAX payers money to silence their accusers.

Stop. Call. Fix.

Stand on principle, not hopes and dreams and little tiny white lies and big bad all out lies.

Helllbilly
Guest
Helllbilly
6 years ago

A vigil?! LMAO. Isn’t there a real issue that is worth supporting? Ridiculous. Live here illegally, break the law and pay the price. Good riddance

M T
Guest
M T
6 years ago
Reply to  Helllbilly

Yep, a Vigil and a Go Fund Me Page. I still do not understand all the hullabaloo…. How long has she been in this country and how long does it take to be a citizen? So many just say they want the dream but won’t do what it takes to be able to stay legally. As My Grammy would say… “Good Luck Buttercup”

Johnny Reb
Guest
Johnny Reb
6 years ago

Deport deport deport. Send her “anchor baby” kids with her. Good riddance. A few down, millions to go ….

Mogtx
Guest
6 years ago

Ice is going to show up at the vigil and start checking green cards . Hell they should roll threw Fortuna they will have to arrest a 1/4 of its population. Fortuna has a Lot of Mexican illegal s.

concerned tax payer
Guest
concerned tax payer
6 years ago

deport all illegal that are sucking off the working tax payers. I can’t believe you stupid people that support them!!

Esme
Guest
Esme
6 years ago

Fat cats are the parasites on the tax payer, and then they point the finger at immigrants who are working their butts off for crap wages doing the jobs that ‘citizens’ are too soft for these days. The 1 percent know that many Americans are so racist that they care more about attacking immigrants and black people than justice, the economy or healthcare or pretty much any other issue. That’s all our president does when he’s not enriching himself and his cronies, and I’m assuming the people who elected him are getting exactly what they wanted. I’m seeing a side of my nation that I didn’t know existed, but that I’m sure others were all too aware of.

Antichrist
Guest
Antichrist
6 years ago

What you fail to realise is that every border jumping, shiping container traveling, over staying visa to have anchor baby person, is stealing a spot from some other lawful person from coming into this country legally. I would much rather see this countries resources going to help those who respect it enough to at the very least follow the requirments to live here. See many around here see it as a race thing because they have been drinking the cool aid for so long that anytime someone says hey thats not right about a seemingly innocent situation such as this , they are labled a racist or a trump supporter or a facist. Yet many dont even know what the simple requirements are . Most just swallow away at whatever some agenda based org. Says on which ever news site or blog they perpher to get their info from as it generally supports their view on things. However as someone who has traveled the world and attempted to not only move but get permission to work in other 1 st world countries, i can tell you ours is pretty basic. Did you know that in order to get permission to work and live in canada you must prove you can read write speak and understand english, by paying for and taking a college test adminstered only in english ? No one there to interupt it into something you can understand you eithet make it or you dont. Oh and in canada dont even think about over staying your visa, they track you down so fast. But not only that just to visit canada you cant be convicted of any crimes that in canada would be a felony. That means anyone with a dui , sorry stay the hell out, been caught with drugs ? Sorry return to wereever you came from. Then, even it is isnt a felony or even a crime in canada but you have been convicted of a felony in your homeland , yeah umm stay the f out. So with all of the special programs we have here in america to attempt to help all those line cutters and theifs of others spots or chance, sorry i dont feel the least bit upset that this happened, after all she had 14 years here to take care of it after she turned 18 , 13 years to learn enough how to read and write along with at least highschool level understanding of goverment here. Sorry no excuse for it. Tell me , how much of a excuse would you accept for some extreamly wealthy person, that hadnt taken the time to pay their taxes in 14 years would you make ? After all both crimes are nothing but paperwork.

CB
Guest
CB
6 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

Antichrist you are so correct on this, Thanks for taking the time to try to inform some of the clowns reading this

Antichrist
Guest
Antichrist
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Well, even after reading that story ,nothing changes. Anything worth having comes hard , and if her family and life here was important to her , she would have made it a larger pirority. Infact the more i read about her the less i like her.