SFU Students Explain Jose Figueroa's Case in Informative and moving Mini-Documentary

SFU Students Explain Jose Figueroa's Case in Informative and moving Mini-Documentary

at 11:06 PM

A group of SFU students put together this informative and moving documentary about Jose's case. The film is about 20 minutes long, and features interviews with Jose, and his son,  and Prof. Max Cameron from UBC.  This documentary puts a human face on the impacts of the terrorism legislation that is now so broad that innocent persons are impacted. It also explains the history of the El Salvadorian civil conflict that saw about 70,000 people killed. As well it sheds light on and how the FMLN came to be mistakenly equated with 'terrorism' by ill-informed CBSA officers employing Canada's loose definition of the phenomena under the Anti-Terrorism Legislation. 

I strongly recommend that you watch it.   

Here is the link:

http://pages.cmns.sfu.ca/mdd/files/2010/12/JoseCompression1.mov

Also please email if you are able to volunteer to help with the effort to stop Jose and his family's deportation. We can do this! You can contact me at sashabwood@yahoo.com 

Gearing up for the 'We are Jose' Campaign January 2nd to January 16th

University of B.C. students are filming a series of videos called “We Are Jose,” which will be placed on YouTube  early in 2011. They are in support of Jose Figueroa, who is facing deportation to El Salvador.

Click here for info about the We Are Jose Campaign. Read below to learn more about Jose's situation.

Help Stop the Deportation of Jose Figueroa and his Family

[Note some of the links on this page are no longer working, if you have any questions please contact us at wearejose@gmail.com, and please visit the new fb page Click on this link to visit the new official WE ARE JOSE FACE BOOK PAGE. Please click 'like' on the community fb page when you visit.
Langley BC, married father of three ordered deported,after calling Canada home for 13 years, 

José Figueroa is a Salvadorean married father of three Canadian born children who has lived in Langley, BC for over 13 years but who is now facing a deportation order due to his affiliation 20 years ago with the Farabundo Martí Front for National Liberation (FMLN) in El Salvador.

At that time, while a university student, José was working with his student union to speak out against the human rights abuses of a violent repressive government that was using death squads to kill any opposition.  When José came to Canada, he told Canadian authorities about his association with the FMLN, a coalition of opposition forces fighting against the murderous Salvadorean military government. The Canadian government knew for 13 years that José had been associated with the FMLN, and it never expressed any concerns - until now. So many years later, Canadian authorities are claiming that the FMLN is a terrorist organization and that José must leave because his association with the organization 20 years ago makes him a security threat.

The FMLN, currently the governing political party in El Salvador, is not a terrorist organization and never has been.  It is wrong for the Canadian government to deport José for speaking out for democracy and human rights in El Salvador. José is not a security threat. On the contrary, he is a model citizen who has been a member of the Langley Lutheran church for 13 years. If he is deported this will be devastating for him and his family. What's more, his son has autism and if he is uprooted to El Salvador will not have any of the vital special needs supports available to him now.  

The Canadian government's decision to deport José has serious implications not only for José and his family but for all current and former refugee in Canada who were ever involved in movements in their home countries to speak out for democracy and against oppressive and violent regimes.
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If  your are interested in helping Jose and his family or would like to be get email updates, in BC you can contact sashabwood@yahoo.com, or in Toronto, Rene at:  info@barrio-nuevo.org or you can send e-mail to Jose directly at jfigueroa@shaw.ca.

Figueroa Case: What you can do -   
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE FIGUEROA FAMILY: 

1) Send an email or letter to the Ministers of Public Safety and Immigration[click here for sample letter]:  Voice your concern and request this mistake be fixed quickly, to the two key Cabinet Ministers who can intervene in José's case. See email addresses provided below. 

2) El Salvadoreans, FMLN members and supporters, write to the Canadian government but also to the El Salvadorean government requesting that for help to resolve this mistake and mistaken categorization of the FMLN.

• Write to the Salvadorean Ministry of External Relations ( info@rree.gob.sv This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) asking for diplomatic intervention in José’s case by clarifying with Canadian authorities that the FMLN is not and never has been a terrorist organization and that subsequently they should not qualify as inadmissible Salvadoreans linked to the current governing political party in El Salvador. 

•  Likewise, we can write to the FMLN leadership in El Salvador ( comision.politica@fmln.org.sv This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) asking for similar intervention in coordination with the Salvadorean Ministry of External Relations    Click here for more info and sample letters in spanish and english   

3) Contact your MP [click here to find your MP]  Send them a note or give him a call asking them to please intervene and help clarify with the Candian government that Jose should not be deported based on his past assocation with the FMLN group, and asking them to please request that the Minister of Public Safety excempts Jose and his family from deportation.

4) Request a copy of the petition [click here to email a request for the petition]:  This petition is being presented before Parliament.  Please sign the petition and/or help gather signatures for it.

5) Donate:  The legal costs for challenging the deportation are high.

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The Figeroa Family Legal Fund:
Cheques payable to:

Jose Figueroa
c/o Walnut Grove Lutheran Church,
20530 88 Avenue,
Langley, BC
V1M 2Y6

__________________________
Email addresses: Send letters to the Minister of Public Safety, Minister Toews, Copies (Cc) to email addresses below [so that he can't say he didn't receive them.]

Ministers: Toews.V@parl.gc.ca ; Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca

Copies (Cc) to: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca ; Kent.P@parl.gc.ca ; Holland.M@parl.gc.ca ; Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca ; Rae.B@parl.gc.ca ; Davies.D@parl.gc.ca ; Chow.O@parl.gc.ca ; Dewar.P@parl.gc.ca ; mourama@parl.gc.ca ; stcyrt@parl.gc.ca ; Deschamps.J@parl.gc.ca

Please also include your own MP, whose contact information you can find here.

Please also send a copy of your letter to Mr. Figueroa’s church who is supporting his legal campaign ( wglc@telus.net ) and to a volunteer member of a group helping to stop Jose's deportation, sashabwood@yahoo.com

_______________

For more information about Jose's case click on links below: 

CTV -Oct 12 Community rallies in support for Jose Figueroa

Director, Martin Sheen, add voices against deportation

Jose and his family in last fight to stay in Canada (click here to read Langley time story)
Langley Times story (September 28th)
CBC The National-Jose Figueroa in final fight to stay in Canada 
CTV News Story

Vancouver Sun story

Langley Times Story

Global TV story

Langley Times
Lalo's Blog re Jose  

Walnut Grove Luthern Church support for Jose
Click here to access more information about Jose's immigration case
http://josefigueroaimmigrationordeal.blogspot.com/
A Whole-Lotta-Law-Not-Lotta-Justice

The murder of Oscar Romero and the political context of El Salvador at the time of the war 

______________________________________

Thanks for all your support for Jose and his family!

URGENT: Help stop the unjust deportation of Jose Figueroa and his family (including three young Canadian born children)

URGENT Help Stop the Deportation of Jose Figueroa and his family. 

BC refugee claimant to be deported, after calling Canada home for 13 years, for his affiliation with the FMLN! 

José Figueroa is a Salvadorean married father of three Canadian born children who has lived in Langley, BC for over 13 years but who is now facing a deportation order due to his affiliation 20 years ago with the Farabundo Martí Front for National Liberation (FMLN) in El Salvador.

At that time, while a university student, José was working with his student union to speak out against the human rights abuses of a violent repressive government that was using death squads to kill any opposition.  When José came to Canada, he told Canadian authorities about his association with the FMLN, a coalition of opposition forces fighting against the murderous Salvadorean military government. The Canadian government knew for 13 years that José had been associated with the FMLN, and it never expressed any concerns - until now. So many years later, Canadian authorities are claiming that the FMLN is a terrorist organization and that José must leave because his association with the organization 20 years ago makes him a security threat.

The FMLN, currently the governing political party in El Salvador, is not a terrorist organization and never has been.  It is wrong for the Canadian government to deport José for speaking out for democracy and human rights in El Salvador. José is not a security threat. On the contrary, he is a model citizen who has been a member of the Langley Lutheran church for 13 years. If he is deported this will be devastating for him and his family. What's more, his son has autism and if he is uprooted to El Salvador will not have any of the vital special needs supports available to him now.  

The Canadian government's decision to deport José has serious implications not only for José and his family but for all current and former refugee in Canada who were ever involved in movements in their home countries to speak out for democracy and against oppressive and violent regimes. 

CTV News Story

Vancouver Sun story

Langley Times Story

Global TV story

Langley Times

Walnut Grove Luthern Church support for Jose
Click here to access more information about Jose's immigration case

The murder of Oscar Romero and the political context of El Salvador at the time of the war 

------------------------------
August, 2010

 Figueroa Case: What you can do    

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT THE FIGUEROA FAMILY:

Donate:  The legal costs of challenging José's deportation order are high, likely around $15,000, a sum the Figueroa family simply does not have at its disposal.  The family's situation is urgent, and any contribution is welcome.Download the petition:  This petition is being presented before Parliament.  Please sign the petition and/or help gather signatures for it.
Send an email to the Ministers of Public Safety and Immigration:  Voice your concern to two key Cabinet Ministers who can intervene in José's case.

Contact Langley MP Mark Warawa: Send him a note or give him a call asking him to do what he can to allow José and his family to remain in Canada. 

Sign the online declaration:  This is a declaration in solidarity with the FMLN and Salvadoreans everywhere.

The Figeroa Family Legal Fund:
Cheques payable to:

Jose Figueroa
c/o Walnut Grove Lutheran Church,
20530 88 Avenue,
Langley, BC
V1M 2Y6

MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PETITION:

If you are able to help gather signatures for the petition please contact:

a) Sasha Wood in the lower mainland, BC (we are also willing to drive the petition out to people and/or pick up copies of completed petitions)

OR

b) Barrio Nuevo in Ontario

  

Once you have gathered at least three valid signatures, please drop off or mail the original copies of the petition [not photocopies] to:

Walnut Grove Lutheran church,
20530  88th Avenue

Langley, BC
V1M 2Y6


Please submit as many petitions by as soon as possible.


For any questions regarding the petition or other ways you can help please contact

Sasha Wood, write Jose directly or contact Walnut Grove Lutheran Church.

________________________________________

Email addresses:

Ministers: Toews.V@parl.gc.ca ; Kenney.J@parl.gc.ca

Copies (Cc) to: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca ; Kent.P@parl.gc.ca ; Holland.M@parl.gc.ca ; Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca ; Rae.B@parl.gc.ca ; Davies.D@parl.gc.ca ; Chow.O@parl.gc.ca ; Dewar.P@parl.gc.ca ; mourama@parl.gc.ca ; stcyrt@parl.gc.ca ; Deschamps.J@parl.gc.ca Please also include your own MP, whose contact information you can find here.

Please also send a copy of your letter to Mr. Figueroa’s church  ( wglc@telus.net ) and to Barrio Nuevo (barrionuevo.canada@gmail.com ).

Note: Parts of this blog are gratefully reprinted from a Toronto area groups website, Barrio Neuvo, that is also working to help challenge the Immigration and Refugee Board's [IRB] decision to deport Jose. http://www.barrio-neuvo.org/