SWOPblogger

karlos says: I received this today. We heard similar testimony everywhere we went in the gulf...
From: Tim Bell

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:37 AM

Legal assistance is urgently needed. It appears that more than 100 workers are incarcerated in Tensas Parish Detention Center, Louisiana.

On Monday I interviewed family members of detainee Jose Torres and 4 workers who escaped the ICE raid in New Orleans.

The 100 workers were arrested by ICE while doing demolition work in the Marriot, Hilton and Hyatt hotels in New Orleans on November 9, 2005.

The detainees fear for their safety as they have witnessed a rape. They are afraid to shower.

The Tensas facility has a history of abusive conditions.

The Tensas facility was featured in the 1998 Human Rights Watch report, UNITED STATES LOCKED AWAY: IMMIGRATION DETAINEES IN JAILS IN THE UNITED STATES. See reported abuses at:

http://www.hrw.org

A former Tensas corrections officer was recently sentenced for federal civil right violations relating to assaulting and causing physical bodily harm to a prisoner.

There are possible human trafficking and labor violations related to this case. The workers were brought to New Orleans by three day labor agencies from Chicago and another agency from Atlanta. They worked there from 9/10/05 to 11/9/05

The client company was First Restoration Services of Charlotte, N.C.

The workers were not allowed to leave the hotels under any conditions from 9/10 to 11/09 (need to research the curfew times in NO). Subsequently, they were allowed to leave the worksite during their off-times; however they slept and ate at the worksites. They were driven in day labor vans to do some shopping at Walmart after 10/02.

Payment of wages appears proper except for nonpayment of mandatory meetings which took place 3 times per week for 20 minutes time after work hours. Detainees' families are still waiting for last checks which should arrive in by mail next Wednesday.

Known detainees:

Jose Francisco Torres, Mexican. Birthdate: 5/19/79.

Jorge Hernandez Ochoa, Mexican, Birthdate: 07/19/07

Ramon Lopez Arriaga. Mexican

Some of the detainees are Hondurans from Waukegan, Illinois.

The families have contacted the Mexican Consulate in Chicago who has contacted the Consulate in Houston. Labor attorney Chris Williams from the Chicago Workers Legal Clinic has visited the families and workers. I have calls in to NILC, MIHRC, and Mississippi Immigrant Justice Alliance regarding this case and am waiting to hear back. Meanwhile the families are calling me every hour, very desperate to find out what has happened.

Please contact me ASAP.

Thanks,

Tim Bell

Tim Bell
Executive Director
Chicago Workers' Collaborative
2226 S. Whipple St.
Chicago, IL 60623
Tel: 773-230-0351
Fax: 773-542-5069

Send Mail to:
P.O. Box 08048
Chicago, IL 60608

# posted by karlos @ 2:03 PM