Transportation not Deportation Community Meeting
Wednesday April 1st from 6:30-8:30
YWCA 733 Beatty St, Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territories
FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/633732666772777/
As you have likely heard by now, Transit Police announced they will terminate their Memorandum of Understanding with Canada Border Services Agency.
The Volcano interviews Omar Chu
Public Transit not a Border Checkpoint: Interview with Omar Chu of the Transportation Not Deportation Campaign
On this week’s episode of Talking Radical Radio, I speak with Daniel Tseghay and Daniel Wexel about the Transportation not Deportation campaign. It aims, in the wake of a particularly tragic case, to make public transit in the Vancouver area a place of safety and sanctuary for people regardless of their immigration status. And recently, they won a significant victory on the road to that goal.
Community, Legal, Human Rights Groups Speak At Transit Police Board Meeting On Transit Police and CBSA Collaboration
Press Conference on Friday Feb 27th at 8:30 am, Anvil Center in New Westminster
Thursday February 26th, 2015 – On Friday February 27th at 8:30 am in front of the Anvil Centre, the Transportation not Deportation campaign will host a press conference to address the recent announcement by Transit Police to the Transportation not Deportation campaign about ending their Memorandum of Understanding with Canada Border Services Agency.
The press conference will include representatives from Transportation not Deportation, Mexicans Living in Vancouver, BC Civil Liberties Association, Council of Canadians, Critical Criminology Working Group at Kwantlen University, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, and individual concerned transit users.
“While we are pleased that grassroots community mobilizing has resulted in an end to the memorandum between Transit Police and CBSA, we want to ensure that Transit Police will not collaborate in any form with CBSA,” says Omar Chu of Transportation not Deportation. “Migrant communities will continue to remain in fear of accessing public transit unless we are assured that personal information gathered by Transit Police is not being shared at all with CBSA.”
Vancouver Transit Police end agreement with CBSA
By H.G. Hamilton | February 23, 2015 in Rabble
On Friday February 20, Vancouver Transit Police announced that it will cease its agreement with the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) and end its enforcement of federal immigration law.
The termination of the agreement is a huge victory for the Transportation not Deportation campaign.
“Transit Police informed representatives of the Transportation not Deportation campaign that they will terminate their Memorandum of Understanding with CBSA, that officers must receive permission from a Watch Commander to initiate contact with CBSA, and that they will not detain people without warrants for items that are simply contravention of immigration law,” confirms Omar Chu of Transportation not Deportation in an email to rabble.
This triumph comes at a time when Vancouver’s TransLink is a focal point of media attention due to the upcoming Transit Referendum.
“This victory by the Transportation not Deportation campaign was due, in large part, to being able to strategically target TransLink and Transit Police at a time, with the upcoming Transit referendum as well as a series of financial scandals, when they are particularly susceptible to backlash and are vulnerable to concerted organizing against their practices of privatization and militarization,” says Harsha Walia of Transportation not Deportation in an email to rabble.
