ICE MEMO LEAKED: ICE USES SPIN AND DECEPTION IN RESPONSE TO RIGHTS GROUPS' FOIA AND EVENTS

Washington DC, Today a six page internal memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement was leaked to the press. The memo contains ICE's media strategy in response to rights groups' "Uncovering the Truth on ICE and Police Collaboration" campaign—a week long effort of rallies and press conferences in 14 cities to denounce the dangerous and disastrous police-ICE partnerships that led to the human rights crisis in Arizona. The week of advocacy was launched on Tuesday in conjunction with a FOIA lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Immigration Justice Clinic of Benjamin Cardozo School of Law to demand records relating to the Secure Communities program.

The memo included targeted op-eds in "major newspapers in the right cities where protests are planned."  On the day of the launch John Morton, director ICE placed op-eds in Atlanta, GA, Miami, FL, and Morristown, New Jersey—sites of the campaign.

The following is a statement of Sarahi Uribe, organizer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and national coordinator of the "Uncover The Truth" campaign: 
"It is deeply disturbing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement responds to our simple request for truth and accountability with an aggressive strategy for spin and deception. At a time when its clear that the federal government's irresponsibility gave rise to the crisis in Arizona, rights groups now feel under attack for demanding basic answers from our government."

For a copy of the memo and listings of local events visit: www.uncoverthetruth.org