BlueMassGroup reports Kerry calls for ICE investigation (New Bedford)

[TayTay]

into the recent raid on undocumented workers at a manufacturing plant in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Senator Kerry calls for federal investigation into New Bedford raid (+)
by: David
Sat Mar 10, 2007 at 20:27:20 PM EST


Just heard this on the radio. Good. This whole thing has been handled unbelievably badly, and ICE needs to be called on the proverbial carpet to explain why -- the Herald has a story today about how it's even worse than had previously been reported.

Kudos to the Governor and to the state's congressional delegation, all of whom have stood firmly on the side of the kids who were caught in the middle of this wretched business.
David :: Senator Kerry calls for federal investigation into New Bedford raid

BlueMassGroup liked this so much that they restored the word "Senator" to Kerry's name. (Seriously, click on the tag "kerry" and you will see a lot of posts without reference to Senator Kerry.) Hmmmmmm.

Thank you Senator. That callous raid was a disgrace. I am so glad that this horrible event will be looked into and that events like it will not occur in the future.

http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6598

[whometense]

1. I heard this story on WBUR

early this morning. Not a surprise, but good for him. Even the Globe took time out from its Patrick Error Watch to snark about how odd it was that Mittens' illegal lawn guys escaped the crackdown.

[ProSense]

2. Kerry, Kennedy To Meet Sunday In New Bedford

Kerry, Kennedy To Meet Sunday In New Bedford

Lawmakers Seek To Limit Fallout From Immigration Raid

POSTED: 9:36 am EDT March 11, 2007
UPDATED: 11:06 am EDT March 11, 2007

BOSTON -- Members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation plan to meet Sunday afternoon with families affected by last week's federal immigration raid at a factory.

The round-up was of 361 workers at Michael Bianco Inc., a factory in New Bedford.

Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, U.S. Reps. Barney Frank and Bill Delahunt and Mayor Scott Lang are all scheduled to attend the meeting at a New Bedford church.

more...

[Mass]

3. Bay State congressmen decry Defense contracts to Bianco

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03-07/03-11-07/05local.htm

Bay State congressmen decry Defense contracts to Bianco
By ROB MARGETTA, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD — U.S. Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. John Kerry are blasting the Department of Defense for providing Michael Bianco Inc. with millions of dollars for military contract work at a time when other agencies were investigating the company for hiring illegal aliens.
"The military was utterly deficient," Rep. Frank said. "I had thought that the military was supposed to be more careful."
...
The military has hundreds of pages of regulations regarding the hiring of contractors, but Rep. Frank and Sen. Kerry, both Democrats, said the Department of Defense did not exercise diligence when it came to working with Michael Bianco.
"It only adds insult to injury to know that the Bush administration has been feeding this company a steady diet of lucrative defense contracts," Sen. Kerry said. "It calls into question not just how these contracts were awarded, but an appallingly apparent lack of communication between federal agencies.

[Mass]

4. And the Globe has a full article on this as well

...
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/03/11/dss_teams_arrive_in_texas_to_interview_detained_immigrants/?page=2

Kerry called for an investigation in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff.

"We must demand full accountability as to why hundreds of children were stranded and separated from their parents," he said. "No child should have to dial a 1-800 number to find out that their mother has been put on a plane to Texas."

Kerry, who plans to visit the families at St. James Church this afternoon, also questioned how a target of an ICE criminal investigation could be the recipient of government contracts. Michael Bianco Inc. was under contract to manufacture backpacks for the military.
...

[sandnsea]

5. See how good your guys are Tay

I am so pleased they have just stepped right out in front of this, you guys didn't need to beat them over the head or anything. That's integrity and leadership. I do not know when the rest of the country will wake up and claim what they deserve.

[TayTay]

6. This raid was an outrage and a disgrace

It was a horribly planned raid and the idea of separating mothers from their children is morally repugnant. I would expect Sens. Kennedy & Kerry to go there and talk to the affected, that is where the need for them is. (Ahm, and that is who they are anyway. How could you not take action in the face of something so horrible?)

This is also a delicate political matter. Both Mass Senators are on record, of course, as being in favor of the legal laws that keep undocumented workers from coming into the country. (That is illegal behavior after all.) Both Senators are also compassionate human beings who understand that any law is best when it first considers the human situation, then considers the 'crime.'

Ahm, I think the Congressional delegation from Mass is acting appropriately and as I would expect them to in this situation. A bad thing happened in their state. They seek to correct it. That is their job.

[ProSense]

7. Kerry's statement and letter to Chertoff

here.