[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [ALACOUN:9113] 120 FBI agents arrest student at Univ of Idaho

[Alfred Kagan]

>From: "Bernadine Abbott Hoduski" <ber at initco.net>
>To: ALA Council List <alacoun at ala1.ala.org>
>Subject: [ALACOUN:9113] 120 FBI agents arrest student at Univ of Idaho
>Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 13:31:11 -0700
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>Hi Council,
>Perhaps the Councilor from Idaho might want to check out this story and let
>us know more about what is going on at the University.
>   The proposed bill "Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003" out of the
>Justice Department would make this type of action even more common.  We do
>as an Association need to  monitor the proposed bill.  The Washington Office
>is tracking it.  It is not a bill as yet, even though it is written in the
>form of a bill because no one from Congress has introduced it. But it is
>better to try and stop it before it gets introduced.  It is not too early to
>contact your member of Congress and ask them questions about what this
>proposal means and express your concerns about it.
>If any bills are introduced based on the proposal, we need to be ready to
>respond to those bills.  I believe that the resolution we passed on the
>PATRIOT Act and related measures puts us on record as opposing parts of this
>proposal.  COL will be looking at the proposal for other concerns.
>Bernadine Abbott Hoduski, Chair of the Committee on Legislation
>
>Date: Monday, March 10, 2003 9:16 AM
>
>
>>120 Armed FBI Agents Arrest
>>Saudi Student At U Idaho
>>SEVIS
>>3-8-03
>>
>>The following letter was forwarded to SEVIS, and is chilling testimony to
>>the campaign of fear and intimidation on university campuses. Information
>>shared by universities through the SEVIS tracking system enable the INS,
>FBI
>>and CIA to carry out such crimes. Send copies of this letter to your
>>International Student Services, and your administration! Put it in your
>>campus newspaper! This raid conveniently happened in a small town where it
>>is difficult to build a strong movement in support of immigrants and
>>international students. We'll keep you posted.
>>-----------------------------------------------------------
>>>From Prof. Elizabeth Brandt University of Idaho 3-8-3
>>
>>     Well, yesterday was an exciting day in my small town. The FBI flew in
>>120 agents, fully-armed in riot gear, on two C-17 military aircraft (I
>think
>>-- they were BIG planes) to Moscow Idaho (population 17,000 +/-) to arrest
>>one Saudi graduate student for visa fraud. The raid went down in University
>>of Idaho student housing at 4:30 a.m. in the morning, terrorizing not only
>>the suspect's family (he lived in student housing with his wife and three
>>elementary school age children) but also the families of neighboring
>>students who were awakened by the shouting and lights and were required to
>>remain in their homes until after 8:30 a.m.
>>     At least 20 other students who had the misfortune to either know the
>>suspect or to have some minor immigration irregularities were also
>subjected
>>to substantial, surprise interrogations (4+ hours) although none were
>>detained or arrested yesterday. Now, however, a witch hunt for additional
>>unamed suspects who supposedly helped the guy who was arrested is on.
>>     The INS and FBI are working together using gestapo tactics to question
>>the students -- threatening their immigration status (and hence their
>>education) if they don't answer questions which are really aimed at the
>>criminal investigation. They have also threatened their partners and
>spouses
>>with perjury charges if they don't talk.
>>     I spent yesterday working with our immigration clinic director and
>local
>>criminal defense attorneys to organize legal representation for the
>students
>>who are being swept into the hunt for co-conspiritors. We have reached out
>>to our entire area (40 -mile radius) to find enough attorneys. Now I'm
>  >working on getting resources and support to them. The Saudi government is
>>providing financial support.
>>     Reading about this stuff is one thing. Having it in your backyard is
>>another. The international students at the University of Idaho are
>>terrorized and scared.
>>     Liz Brandt
>>     Elizabeth Barker Brandt
>>     Professor University of Idaho College of Law
>>http://lists.linefeed.org/pipermail/stop-sevis/2003-March/000080.html
>>
>>


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu