Maxine Waters, Dolores Huerta support petition urging UN to investigate alleged 'ethnic cleansing' by federal immigration agents
More than three months since the federal government began deploying unprecedented, aggressive, and violent tactics to conduct immigration sweeps and arrests, a group of community members and leaders is now appealing to the United Nations.
"People have already been killed while this is going on," said labor and human rights activist Dolores Huerta.
"We stand for community leaders and for families who despite personal risk are coming forward to share painful accounts," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles.)
Among those sharing their personal accounts, Cary Lopez Alvarado, a US citizen who was pregnant and near her delivery date when she was taken into immigration custody.
"I had cuts and bruises and both my hands and my feet were purple," said Lopez Alvarado, adding "I had dilated two centimeters from everything that happened."
Juan said he was looking for work when agents raided a Home Depot parking lot. He says while his green card was expired, he stressed he had a supporting document in his backpack. "They just throw me and start hitting me," he said.
Human rights groups have stressed the raids are violating constitutional rights and relying on racial profiling. While a federal judge ordered the so-called roving patrols to stop as litigation proceeds, the US Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration, allowing them to continue. Now, the Carrillo Law Firm - joined by Rep. Waters and US citizens - has filed a petition to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
"They can appoint human rights violations experts to investigate. They can also send individuals into the countries to investigate to see whether there is abuses of human rights within that country," said attorney Michael Carrillo, adding that is what they are calling for.
The group is also calling on the public to show support by signing an online petition.
"I'm 95 years old. I lived through 'Operation Wetback' when they were deporting people at that time, but I never saw any kind of abuse like we're seeing today," said Huerta.
Meantime, Lopez Alvarado's husband, the family's financial provider was deported. She set up a GoFundMe account for support.
President Trump is expected to deliver an address to the UN General Assembly Tuesday. The UN recently denounced the US government, saying its decision to impose sanctions on the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, threatens the human rights system.
