Help Mom of French Jogger Arrested
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NEWS OF ZERO-TOLERANCE ARREST REPORTED WORLDWIDE:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44588643
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/23/us/canada-jogger-detained-us-border/index.html
The story of the teenage jogger arrested on the beach after accidentally straying slightly into US territory was reported worldwide but what the stories do NOT mention is the emotional and financial pressure that this Trump-inspired "zero tolerance" detention put on her mother, a single parent, and very good friend of mine.
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT "FOR-PROFIT" PRISONS. The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma is run by GEO Group, a company that runs the prison to make money. For Christiane to phone her daughter or vice versa, they both had to buy & re-charge expensive phone cards with exorbitant per-minute charges. Christiane paid hundred of dollars for these cards. It's hard to imagine: in the USA, it's legal to hold children hostage & charge their parents to talk to them! PS: Even the state of Washington is suing GEO.: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/geo-group-wants-lawsuits-tossed-over-paying-higher-wages-to-immigrants-held-at-northwest-detention-center/
BACKSTORY: Single mother Christiane Ferne had already been pushed to the edge financially (before this even happened) by the extra costs of recently immigrating to Canada, the very high cost of living in Metro Vancouver & educating her 2 daughters. (Health & other expenses that Canadians get free are not available until she gets Landed Immigrant status.) After daughter Cedella was incarcerated in Tacoma WA, 200 km away, Christiane had to pay for travel there and then motels, meals & living expenses, all the while losing income from her job. In addition, there were visits to lawyers and other consultants. Plus a massive amount of worry, of course.
THE INCIDENT: The news video reports the basic story. The I.C.E. agents said that people have inadvertently crossed the poorly-marked beach border for years and, when clearly accidental & inadvertent, the border guards just told the people to go back. But they said that now, with Trump, they had to arrest her! Zero Tolerance for criminals is one thing, but this looks more like "Zero Common Sense" since Cedella was only a few feet inside the border and had already turned around to go back!
UPDATE: A few days ago, Christiane just lost her job without notice! Since she entered Canada on a work visa, she's NOT permitted to just take any other job without going through the lengthy approval process. But her emergency funds were exhausted by Cedella's arrest. Meanwhile, she has $2,000 in monthly expenses and August rent fast approaching. She's in trouble!
Please show that you do NOT agree with Trump's "zero-common-sense" border approach & the damage it does to families. If you can make a small donation of a few dollars, she and her children can keep their Canadian dream alive. At the very least, please SHARE this story so more people learn of GEO Corp & it's for-profit abuses!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44588643
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/23/us/canada-jogger-detained-us-border/index.html
The story of the teenage jogger arrested on the beach after accidentally straying slightly into US territory was reported worldwide but what the stories do NOT mention is the emotional and financial pressure that this Trump-inspired "zero tolerance" detention put on her mother, a single parent, and very good friend of mine.
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT "FOR-PROFIT" PRISONS. The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma is run by GEO Group, a company that runs the prison to make money. For Christiane to phone her daughter or vice versa, they both had to buy & re-charge expensive phone cards with exorbitant per-minute charges. Christiane paid hundred of dollars for these cards. It's hard to imagine: in the USA, it's legal to hold children hostage & charge their parents to talk to them! PS: Even the state of Washington is suing GEO.: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/geo-group-wants-lawsuits-tossed-over-paying-higher-wages-to-immigrants-held-at-northwest-detention-center/
BACKSTORY: Single mother Christiane Ferne had already been pushed to the edge financially (before this even happened) by the extra costs of recently immigrating to Canada, the very high cost of living in Metro Vancouver & educating her 2 daughters. (Health & other expenses that Canadians get free are not available until she gets Landed Immigrant status.) After daughter Cedella was incarcerated in Tacoma WA, 200 km away, Christiane had to pay for travel there and then motels, meals & living expenses, all the while losing income from her job. In addition, there were visits to lawyers and other consultants. Plus a massive amount of worry, of course.
THE INCIDENT: The news video reports the basic story. The I.C.E. agents said that people have inadvertently crossed the poorly-marked beach border for years and, when clearly accidental & inadvertent, the border guards just told the people to go back. But they said that now, with Trump, they had to arrest her! Zero Tolerance for criminals is one thing, but this looks more like "Zero Common Sense" since Cedella was only a few feet inside the border and had already turned around to go back!
UPDATE: A few days ago, Christiane just lost her job without notice! Since she entered Canada on a work visa, she's NOT permitted to just take any other job without going through the lengthy approval process. But her emergency funds were exhausted by Cedella's arrest. Meanwhile, she has $2,000 in monthly expenses and August rent fast approaching. She's in trouble!
Please show that you do NOT agree with Trump's "zero-common-sense" border approach & the damage it does to families. If you can make a small donation of a few dollars, she and her children can keep their Canadian dream alive. At the very least, please SHARE this story so more people learn of GEO Corp & it's for-profit abuses!
Organizer
M Markus Harrison
Organizer
White Rock, BC