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I am forwarding the following message from Claudia Green, from MIRA (Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition). I hope that you will support a fellow adult educator in Massachusetts.<BR>
<BR>
Kenny Tamarkin
<BR>
Executive Director
<BR>
MCAE
<BR>
KTamarkin@mcae.net
<BR>
978-979-1906 <BR>
<BR>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><BR>
----- Original Message ----- <BR>
From: 'Claudia Green' <cgreen@miracoalition.org><BR>
<litvolma@aol.com><ktamarkin@mcae.net><steve.reuys@umb.edu> ESOL teacher facing deportation<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</steve.reuys@umb.edu></ktamarkin@mcae.net></litvolma@aol.com></cgreen@miracoalition.org></span>Hello<BR>
Could you pls. forward this urgent message from Cat Howell at St. Marks to<BR>
your networks? Thank you,<BR>
Claudia<BR>
--------------------------------- <BR>
Dear Friends,<BR>
<BR>
I just wanted to let you know that one of the ESOL<BR>
teachers for the St. Mark Community Education Program,<BR>
Schimiliguen Janvier, was detained on Wednesday,<BR>
August 22, 2007 by US immigration. He had gone in for<BR>
a routine interview for his green card. We are<BR>
coordinating a letter writing campaign to support<BR>
Schimiliguen, and will be sending the letters to<BR>
Senator Kennedy’s office. <BR>
<BR>
Here is some information about Schimiliguen’s case,<BR>
followed by an outline of a letter of support. I<BR>
would appreciate any e-mail letters of support, using<BR>
the outline or in your own words. <BR>
<BR>
Schimiliguen is originally from Haiti, and has a wife<BR>
and daughter that are US citizens. He is here<BR>
legally, with a work permit and a social security<BR>
number. He applied for asylum when he was living in<BR>
Florida. Apparently, USCIS (US immigration) sent him<BR>
a letter in Florida telling him to come to<BR>
court. Meanwhile, he had moved to Boston and reported<BR>
his change of address to the USCIS. He never received<BR>
the letter about the court date. He knew the asylum<BR>
application was not going through, so his wife applied<BR>
to get him a green card. He was at the green card<BR>
interview last Wednesday, which he assumed was just a<BR>
formality, and he was detained as he had missed the<BR>
previous court date. Rachel, his wife, finally<BR>
talked to him late on Thursday, and he's doing okay.<BR>
<BR>
Rachel is in touch with an immigration attorney<BR>
recommended by the Irish Immigration Center, who<BR>
should be able to file a petition to reopen his case<BR>
based on his wife and daughter living here. This will<BR>
hopefully will keep him from being deported. As of<BR>
now, he is still in detention and awaiting<BR>
deportation.<BR>
<BR>
Rachel visited the office of Senator Kennedy to ask<BR>
for any help he could give. His staff recommended<BR>
that she come back with paperwork, including letters<BR>
of support from people in the<BR>
community. <BR>
<BR>
We would appreciate any letters of support. Please<BR>
include your name and address in the letter, and<BR>
e-mail it to <a href="javascript:top.opencompose('stmarksesol@yahoo.com','','','')">stmarksesol@yahoo.com</a>. Feel free to cut<BR>
and paste the following letter, or write your own. <BR>
And feel free to ask others to also contribute<BR>
letters.<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for your help. Please keep Schimiliguen and his<BR>
family in your thoughts.<BR>
<BR>
Cat Howell<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Senator Edward Kennedy<BR>
2400 JFK Building<BR>
Boston, MA 0220<BR>
<BR>
August 27, 2007<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Dear Senator Kennedy:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I would like to support Jean Schimiliguen Janvier of<BR>
Randolph, MA in his goal of attaining a green card and<BR>
ultimately, United States citizenship. Please assist<BR>
him and his family as he petitions to reopen his case<BR>
with immigration to stay in the United States and<BR>
fight deportation to Haiti. <BR>
<BR>
Since moving to Boston in 2006, Schimiliguen Janvier<BR>
has worked hard to make a better life for himself and<BR>
his family, including his daughter Schimitrea, who was<BR>
born here in Massachusetts. He has taken several<BR>
jobs and opened a Christian products store in his<BR>
efforts to improve his life. He is also an active<BR>
member of his community, participating in church and<BR>
other activities to build connections within the<BR>
Haitian and wider communities.<BR>
<BR>
In addition, he has been a teacher at the St. Mark<BR>
Community Education Program in Dorchester, MA since<BR>
Spring 2006. He teaches English to adult immigrants<BR>
who are themselves seeking to improve their lives in<BR>
the US. He very much cares about his students and<BR>
firmly believes that it is important to help<BR>
immigrants who are trying to make a better life for<BR>
themselves in the United States. As an immigrant<BR>
himself, he provides an excellent roll model for<BR>
others to are struggling to learn English and make<BR>
better lives for themselves. <BR>
<BR>
Please support Schimiliguen and his family in their<BR>
fight against deportation. He is a wonderful human<BR>
being and contributing member of U.S. society. Thank<BR>
you.<BR>
<BR>
Sincerely,<BR>
<BR>
Name<BR>
Address<BR>
<BR>
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