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From YouTube: Commission on Human Relations Public Hearing #6 - Interior Enforcement & Employment Discrimination
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A
A
B
Afternoon
I
think
in
knowing
that
we're
short
on
time
today
we're
just
going
to
get
started
if
that's
ok
with
all
so
I
am
a
commissioner
Marion,
VIN
and
I
am
joined
here
by
a
commissioner
dear
heart.
Thank
you
very
much
for
being
here
today
and
I'm
going
to
welcome
our
guests
here
today
with
us.
We
are
first
off
presiding
over
the
session
on
interior
enforcement
and
employment
discrimination.
Intimidation.
Our
guest
today
is
mr.
Gammill
Paris.
Mr.
B
Paris
is
the
president
of
the
Pittsburgh
Labor
Council
for
Latin
American
advancement
and
he's
also
the
chair
of
the
Education
Committee
for
the
United
Steelworkers
civil
and
human
rights
committee.
We
are
also
joined
by
Vishnu
Tim
vecina,
miss
Tim
Cena
works
in
the
refugee
youth
employment
program
at
the
Jewish
Family
and
Children
Services.
We
also
have
with
us
today
trace
miss
Tracey,
McCants
Lewis,
miss
Mackenzie
Lewis
is
the
president
of
the
ACL
u--'s
Board
of
Directors
and
she's,
also
the
associate
clinical
professor
and
pro
bono
clinic
program
coordinator
at
the
Duquesne
University
School
of
Law.
B
Thank
you
very
much
for
being
here
today.
The
city
code
offers
protections
related
to
employment
for
all
individuals
based
on
their
age,
ancestry,
color,
disability,
handicap,
gender
identity,
expression,
national
origin,
place
of
birth,
race,
religion,
sex
and
sexual
orientation
perceived
or
otherwise.
These
protections
are
enforced
and
we
take
very
seriously
by
the
Commission.
B
We
are
here
today
to
learn
more
about
what
we
can
do
to
improve
the
working
conditions
for
all
Pittsburghers
and
in
context
of
today's
public
hearing.
We
want
to
highlight
discrimination
faced
by
persons
because
of
their
religion,
national
origin,
race,
and/or
color.
So
if
we
can
I
want
to
just
realize
that
each
speaker
will
be
a
lot
of
10
minutes
to
speak
and
Commissioner
Gerhart
will
help
us
keep
time
today.
Thank
you,
mr.
B
Paris,
can
we
start
with
you
today
on
the
question
if
you
could
share
with
us
what
has
been
happening
locally
since
the
new
administration
has
taken
office?
This
seems
a
very
timely
question,
especially
with
Supreme
Court's
directive,
about
the
travel
ban
about
immigration
enforcement
and
other
executive
orders.
C
All
right,
I
should
before
I
get
started.
I
should
correct
the
record.
I
am
the
president
of
the
Pittsburgh
chapter
of
the
labor
council
for
Latin
American
advancement.
My
position
with
the
steel
workers
is,
as
it
relates
to
civil
rights
as
I.
Am
the
chair
of
this
I'm
sorry
co-chair
of
the
civil
rights
committee
of
local.
C
C
About
that
so
again,
my
name
is
Guillermo.
Pettis
I
am
the
president
of
the
Pittsburgh
chapter
of
the
Labor
Council
for
Latin
American
advancement
Lackland
is
a
national
organization
with
local
chapters
throughout
the
United
States
affiliated
with
the
American
Federation
of
Labor
Congress
of
Industrial
Organizations
Lachlan
is
often
referred
to
as
the
Latino
House
of
labor.
It
was
stab
established
in
the
early
1970s
with
the
mission
of
advancing
the
social
and
economic
interests
of
Latino
working
people
and
to
bring
the
benefits
of
labor
union
ISM
to
Latino
workers.
C
Second,
I'll
touch
on
how
the
current
ramped
up
enforcement
by
the
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement,
Agency
or
ice
is
directly
impacting
the
rights
of
undocumented
workers,
again
both
here
and
around
the
country
and
lastly,
I
will
address
what
needs
to
be
done
both
by
this
commission
and
city
government,
to
extend
the
concept
of
sanctuary
beyond
churches,
schools,
courthouses
and
government
agencies
to
the
place
most
of
us
spend
the
majority
of
our
working
life,
the
workplace,
I'm.
Sorry,
waking
lives
the
workplace.
C
So
why
does
organized
labor
support
undocumented
families,
since
laccoliths
founding
in
the
early
seventies
Latinos
have
become
one
of
the
fastest-growing
ethnic
communities
in
the
United
States,
we
accounted
for
more
than
half
the
u.s.
population,
growth
between
2000
and
2014,
according
to
the
Bureau
of
Labor
Statistics,
our
participation
rate
in
the
u.s.
workforce
in
2016
led
all
other
groups,
surpassing
whites,
Asians
and
African
Americans
to
state
it
bluntly.
C
The
future
prosperity
of
the
United
States
is
closely
tied
to
the
economic
and
social
well-being
of
Latino
workers,
and
when
we
talk
about
Latino
workers
were
including
the
roughly
8
million
plus
undocumented
workers
who
come
from
Latin
America.
They
make
up
more
than
two-thirds
of
all
the
undocumented
people
living
in
the
United,
States
and
15%
of
the
Hispanic
population
of
the
United
States.
Four
or
five
million
of
these
folks
live
in.
C
Since
2000,
the
National
afl-cio
has
recognized
the
contributions
and
increasing
importance
of
Latino
working
families
to
our
country's
economic
future
by
strongly
supporting
comprehensive
immigration
reform.
That
includes
a
path
to
citizenship,
for
the
11
million
undocumented
people
living
in
the
United
States,
and
that
position
has
not
changed
since
the
election
of
the
present
administration,
to
quote
afl-cio
president
rich
trunkman.
In
a
statement
he
issued
earlier
this
year
following
a
series
of
anti-immigrant
executive
orders
issued
by
the
Trump
administration.
C
This
is
what
President
Trump
had
said:
building
a
wall
on
our
border,
scapegoating
immigrants
and
refugees
and
shutting
out
people
of
Muslim
faith
will
do
nothing
to
uplift
working
people
in
our
country.
To
the
contrary,
these
orders,
so
fear
of
raids
among
workers,
promote
racial
profiling
and
erode
constitutional
protections.
As
such,
they
are
a
clear
attack
on
our
members
and
elevated
fear
is
a
direct
obstacle
to
workers
rights
to
organize
and
bargain
collectively.
C
So
how
does
the
current
ramped
up
enforcement
impact
worker
rights?
Undocumented
workers,
have
rights
under
the
federal
wage
and
hour
laws,
as
well
as
under
occupational
safety
and
health
laws.
Yet
we
know
the
rates
of
wage
theft
and
workplace
injuries
among
Latino
workers
are
significantly
higher
than
any
other
group
by
one
estimate.
78
percent
of
Latino
workers
and
minimum
minimum
wage
industries
report
not
receiving
required
overtime
with
an
even
higher
incidence
among
immigrants
in
2015,
the
workplace,
fatality
rate
was
nearly
20%
higher
for
Latino
workers
than
for
all
other
workers.
C
Unscrupulous
employers
prey
on
the
undocumented,
with
the
thought
that
these
workers
are
much
less
likely
to
demand
unpaid
wages
or
challenge
unsafe
working
conditions
for
fear
that
the
employer
may
report
them
to
ice
significantly.
Increasing
this
fear
appears
to
be
the
Trump
administration's
principal
policy
goal
when
it
comes
to
immigration.
C
Arrests
by
ice
have
increased
by
nearly
40
percent
between
January
22nd
and
April
29th
when
compared
with
the
same
time
period
last
year,
the
undocumented
now
fear
attending
parent-teacher
meetings
at
their
kids
school
or
going
to
small
claims
court
for
fears
that
ice
may
show
up
to
arrest
them.
The
number
of
Latinos
reporting
sexual
assault
has
dropped
25%
in
Los,
Angeles
and
40%
in
Houston.
The
consensus
among
advocates
for
victims
of
sexual
assault
is
that
these
decreases
are
the
direct
result
of
the
increased
fear.
C
Should
we
be
surprised,
then,
when
groups
like
mine,
who
try
to
assist
immigrants
with
unpaid
wages
and
workplace
injuries
are
witnessing
major
decreases
in
the
number
of
immigrant
workers
contacting
us
four
assistants
ramped
up
enforcement
is
creating
a
level
of
fear
I've,
not
seen
in
the
17
years
that
I've
been
advocating
for
undocumented
workers.
Now,
more
than
ever,
we
need
to
create
safe
spaces
for
these
workers
and
their
families.
Now
more
than
ever,
we
must
find
ways
to
extend
the
idea
of
sanctuary
beyond
churches
and
schools
and
courtrooms
and
extend
sanctuary
to
our
workplaces.
C
Have
lobbied
the
state
legislature
to
introduce
legislation
that
would
require
employer's
to
ask
for
a
warrant
before
granting
ice
access
to
a
workplace
and
prohibits
employers
from
sharing
confidential
information
about
employees
with
federal
immigration
agents
without
a
court
order.
Could
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
adopt
such
a
requirement
for
all
employers
operating
in
the
city?
Given
our
status
as
a
Home,
Rule,
Charter
municipality,
it
appears
pretty
certain
that
such
a
regulation
would
be
struck
down
by
the
courts.
C
Next
acidity
could
explore
its
business
licensing
authority
to
require
licensees
to
certify
that
they
are
in
compliance
with
all
OSHA
standards
have
no
outstanding
judgments
against
them
for
unpaid
wages,
no
labor
law
violations
and
that
they
follow
a
policy
of
not
granting
access
to
the
workplace,
to
federal
immigration
agents
without
a
warrant
and
not
sharing
confidential
employee
information
with
federal
immigration
agents
unless
presented
with
a
quart
quarter.
So
to
summarize,
the
current
work
environment
for
Latino
workers
here
in
Pittsburgh
and
across
the
country
is
the
worst.
It's
been
in
generations.
C
Emboldened
unscrupulous
employers
to
violate
worker
rights,
the
afl-cio
recognizing
the
tremendous
contributions
of
Latino
workers
documented
an
undocumented
that
these
workers
have
made
to
the
economic
prosperity
of
the
United
States
and
the
increasing
importance
of
Latino
workers
to
the
country's
economic
future.
Based
on
on
on
this
understanding
of
why
the
Latino
workforce
is
so
important
to
our
future,
the
National
Labor
Federation
has
condemned
this
administration's
policy
of
sowing
fear
through
stepped-up
enforcement.
C
Its
burglar
Club
calls
on
this
commission
and
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
to
join
us
in
the
fight
to
counter
the
fear
promulgated
by
this
policy
by
declaring
Pittsburgh
a
sanctuary
city
and
by
pursuing
policies
that
promote
sanctuary
workplaces,
workplaces
where
workers
rights
are
respected,
regardless
the
workers,
national
origin,
origin
or
immigration
status.
Making
smart
use
of
the
city's
business
licensing
authority
by
denying
or
suspending
business
licenses
to
employers
who
violate
worker
rights
would
be
an
example
of
such
a
policy.
Thank
you.
Thank.
B
D
Adoption
everyone
I
work
with
refugee
Youth,
Employment
Program,
a
true
Jewish,
family
and
chi'lan
service.
Is
it
true,
Jewish,
family
and
chi'lan
service,
so
youth
refugee
youth
have
been
coming
to
Allegheny
County
and
it's
a
growing
segment
of
Allegheny
County's
population.
Today
this
youth
have
lived
their
life
homeless
or
you
know
the
fleeing
persecution
in
their
home
country
and
then
living
in
the
refugee
camp.
D
These
youth
have
come
with
a
lot
of
dreams,
but
sometimes
are
if
they
are
not
tracked,
they
lose
the
part.
So,
in
addition
to
language
barrier,
they
also
have
cultural
challenges
or
cultural
barriers
here
coming
to
the
new
land
and
making
that
adjustment
is
a
use
thing
for
them
and
for
their
family,
so
living
everyday
life
here
in
the
US
and
comparing
their
life
in
refugee
camp,
there's
a
use
difference
and
to
make
that
adjustment
between
refugee
life
and
the
life
in
America,
our
youth,
have
so
much
challenges
without
having
any
intervention
from
agencies.
D
D
D
Some
of
the
challenges
are,
you
know.
I
already
mentioned
language.
Culture
are
the
main
ones:
transportation,
access
to
transportation
and
understanding
job
market.
Also,
some
youth
face
discrimination
at
work
and
knowingly
or
not
not
knowingly.
They
face
discrimination
because
of
the
language
and
sometimes
even
because,
although
they
speak
English
because
of
the
accent
there
is
discrimination
and
at
times
we
have
also
found
that
there
is
lack
of
understanding
from
employer
on
their
visa
status.
So
those
challenges
are
faced
by
refugee
youth,
lack
of
support,
guidance
and.
D
D
We
do
programs
in
two
schools,
and
we
have
seen
success
in
in
them
that
with
something
some
some
external
health,
besides
school
health,
they
could
do
they.
They
could
do
very
well.
You
are
going
to
college
now
and
whoever
has
entered
workforce.
We
have
seen
better
retention,
better
understanding
between
employer
and
employee.
So
these
are
the
challenges.
I.
B
E
I
have
a
right
to
not
be
detained
without
a
warrant,
so
to
know
those
things
and
an
education
is
also
important.
So,
following
up
on
what
mr.
Messina
just
said,
I'd
like
to
announce
there
was
a
case
of
the
ACLU
of
Pennsylvania
took
on
in
Lancaster
County
ISIL
versus
the
school
district
of
Lancaster,
and
just
today
the
case
was
settled.
The
judge
signed
a
consent
decree
the
basis
of
this
case.
E
So,
with
this
consent
decree
all
immigrants,
whether
older
or
students
of
an
age
going
into
the
grades,
they
are
will
be
entitled
to
enroll
in
a
ESL
program
at
that
school,
so
again,
giving
these
immigrants
the
same
rights
and
privileges
that
we
have
that
they
are
entitled
to
when
they
are
here
on
our
land.
We
have
to
know
as
citizens
that
they
are
entitled
to
that,
and
they
must
know
that
they
have.
Those
rights,
so
we
know
that
immigrants
are
non-citizens.
However,
they
do
have
some
certain
statuses.
E
They
can
become
permanent
residents
through
having
a
green
card,
meaning
that
they've
been
sponsored
by
a
family
or
an
employer.
But
then
there
are
also
non
immigrants
that
have
certain
status
if
they
come
with
a
visa,
so
they
may
be
in
the
u.s.
temporarily
for
work,
study,
tourism
or
business,
and
then
there
are
those
that
are
undocumented
that
enter
the
United
States
without
a
visa
or
without
lawful
permission.
E
But
as
mr.
Peres
talked
about
what
we're
seeing
right
now
is
heightened
use
of
detainers
heightened
use
of
enforcement
from
ice,
that
is
creating
an
environment
of
oppression.
I
think
if
we
look
at
what
the
the
current
administration
is
doing
and
the
statements
and
messages
that
they're
sending
out
I
think
one
such
message
was
that
municipal
ladies
had
to
basically
violate
the
rights
and
constitutional
rights
of
individuals
to
enforce
a
detainer
or
lose
federal
funding.
That
is
illegal.
It's
plainly
illegal.
E
Under
our
system
of
government,
there
is
a
case
here
in
the
Third
Circuit,
in
which
Pennsylvania
sits
a
2014
lawsuit
again
that
was
brought
by
the
ACLU,
and
it
ruled
that
ice
detainers
are
not
binding.
On
my
own
municipalities,
a
municipality
that
honors
a
detainer
to
hold
a
person
mistakenly,
they
can
be
sued
successfully
for
false
arrest
again.
So
an
immigrant
needs
to
know
that
these
are
rights
that
did
they
have
with
ice
detainers.
E
If
an
individual
is
arrested
on
a
local
criminal
charge,
ice
can
take
custody
of
that
individual
once
they
are
released,
but
I
have
a
form
here
that
I
got
off
of
the
government's
website
with
regard
to
non-immigrant
status.
So
if
an
individual
has
a
status
as
a
non-immigrant,
this
is
a
page
in
a
quarter
of
the
different
statuses
that
an
individual
must
know
that
they
can
possibly
fit
into
so
again.
Knowledge
and
understanding
of
the
rules
and
the
laws
is
paramount
to
being
able
to
protect
your
your
rights.
E
So,
with
regard
to
ice
and
force
in
our
immigration
enforcement,
their
detainer
policy,
when
law
enforcement
agencies
fail
to
honor
an
immigration
detainer
and
release
a
serious
criminal
offender,
eisah
saying
it
undermines
their
their
ability
to
protect
public
safety
and
carry
out
its
mission.
So
in
April
2nd
of
2017
there
is
a
new
retainer
detainer
policy
that
the
Department
of
Homeland
Security
has
released.
That
again
gives
information
telling
when
an
individual
may
be
detained
under
ice
detainer,
but
again
knowing
what
your
rights
are.
E
There
is
a
notice
to
the
detainee
one
of
the
most
important
things
in
this
particular.
This
new
detainer
agreement
is
that
Department
of
Homeland
Security
has
requested
that
a
law
enforcement
agency-
let's
say
Pittsburgh,
is
holding
someone.
They
have
to
maintain
custody
of
that
individual
for
no
longer
than
48
hours
if
they
do
and
that
individual
is
released
based
upon
their
criminal
charges.
E
But
if
the,
if
the
Department
of
Homeland
Security
does
not
take
custody
of
that
person
within
48
hours,
the
detainee
has
a
right
to
contact
the
tougher
police
and
say
I
must
be
released.
I
think
many
individuals
don't
know
that
I'm
hoping
the
city
of
Pittsburgh
police
follows
this
policy
and
I'm
sure
that
they
will.
But
this
policy
is
in
writing
and
it
has
been
a
violation
in
the
past
where
individuals
were
held
well
beyond
the
48
hours
in
which
they
were
supposed
to
be
in
custody.
So
again,
it's
in
writing.
E
E
Even
if
someone
is
abuser
of
drugs
or
addiction
dependent,
which
I
really
have
a
problem
with
when
we
look
at
what's
happening
in
the
United
States
right
now
with
individuals
in
the
opioid
crisis,
we're
looking
at
it,
it's
a
public
health
matter,
I
think
for
immigrants
that
they
should
be
treated
the
same
way.
It
should
be
a
public
health
matter
if
they
are
here
lawfully
also,
marriage
fraud
and
those
are
just
some
of
the
things
that
can
be
looked
at
as
grounds
for
removal
once
it
lasts.
E
Last
few
things
I
want
to
say
again,
immigrants
as
non-citizens,
but
again
they
still
have
rights
under
the
law.
So
one
of
the
things
that
individuals
should
know
is
what
they
can
do
or
what
they
cannot
do
when
stopped
by
a
nice
agent
or
a
police
officer,
so
their
rights
on
the
street.
If
an
immigrant
is
stopped
by
a
police
officer
Street,
if
that
officer
says
that
you
are
free
to
go,
you
can
go,
but
if
they
are
told
that
they
cannot
go,
they
should
remain
silent.
E
Don't
say
anything
because
again
anything
that
you
say
can
be
used
against
you
in
a
court
of
law
or
with
ice
in
Pennsylvania.
There
is
no
duty
to
give
a
police
officer
information
such
as
your
name
address,
or
immigration
status.
However,
if
you
choose
not
to
show
ID
and
provide
your
name,
you
could
be
detained
longer,
while
they
attempt
to
identify
you.
E
E
These
are
some
of
the
rights
that
individuals
need
to
know
as
an
immigrant,
so
I
do
have
some
materials
there
outside
on
the
table
to
again
give
immigrants
just
some
information
on
what
rights
they
have
when
stopped
by
police
or
stopped
by
immigration
agents
and
how
those
rights
can
be
enforced.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
B
Mccann's
Luis
mispers
can
I
just
address
a
follow-up
question
and
as
the
Commissioner
as
on
the
Commission
on
human
right
relations.
Here,
what
can
we
do
to
address
the
needs
of
our
immigrant
and
refugee
population
that
have
experience
in
employment
discrimination?
What
can
we
do
to
encourage
them
to
come
and
speak
with
us
I
hear
you
say
that
a
sanctuary
city
is
is
a
hope.
Is
there
something
we
can
do
the
meantime
I.
C
Think
that
it's
very
important
that
that,
as
a
city,
we
address
directly
the
threat,
that's
presented
to
the
undocumented
population
within
our
city,
by
the
approach
that
ice
has
taken,
which
is
a
very
aggressive
approach,
showing
up
places
with
the
hope
of
finding
people
there
actively,
as
I
said,
showing
this
fear.
C
The
level
of
fear
is
just
tremendous,
so
I
wish
I
had
an
easy
answer
for
you
other
than
the
things
that
I
had
suggested.
I
think
this
Commission
has
to
take
seriously
that
there's
a
major
element
of
racial
profiling
that
goes
into
how
ice
decides
who
they're
going
to
go
after
you
know,
I
probably
shouldn't
say
this
because
my
boss
is
Canadian,
but
there
are
a
hundred
thousand
undocumented
Canadians
in
this
country.
I
haven't
met
a
single
one.
C
That's
ever
had
an
issue
with
ice
to
me
is
very
clear
how
ice
is
operating
and
who
are
they're,
praying
on
and,
as
I
said
before,
as
the
trade
unionist
I
believe
completely.
The
intention
here
is
not
to
deport
11
million
people.
The
intention
here
is
to
create
fear
so
that
these
people
can
be
more
easily
exploited.
That's
really
to
me,
that's
really
what
this
is
about,
so
I
think
the
Commission
has
to
take
this
head-on.
C
They
are
often
identified
by
their
outward
appearance
and
as
a
result
of
that,
they
are
racially
profiled
their
rights
on
the
job,
in
addition
to
their
civil
rights,
they're,
their
workplace
rights,
their
rights
to
minimum
wage,
the
rights
to
overtime,
the
rights
to
having
a
safe
and
healthy
workplace.
These
are
violated
on
a
as
I
said
before
it's
Adonai,
you
know
it's
F,
ademma
k--
proportions
for
Latino
workers
and
remember
Latinos.
C
Well,
you
know
the
majority
of
Latinos
in
the
United
States
are
not
undocumented,
but
fifteen
percent
of
us
are,
and,
if
you
add,
the
families
that
have
undocumented
members
well,
obviously
we're
hugely
impacted
by
this,
so
I
think
I
think
the
Commission
needs
to
get
serious
about.
Looking
out,
you
know,
how
do
we
create
a
sense
of
security
for
undocumented
families
in
this
in
this
city?
C
This
is
really
dire
and
I
really
hope,
because
I'm
convinced
that
the
future
of
this
city
is
dependent
on
immigration,
I
think
that's
I,
absolutely
believe
that
this
will
make.
This
is
a
great
city,
but
it's
not
a
diverse
city.
It's
not
diverse
enough.
It
hurts
us
in
so
many
different
ways
and
it
hurts
us
economically
and
workers
are
hurt
by
that
as
well.
So
we
applaud
the
mayor
for
wanting
us
to
be
a
more
diverse.
City
I
applaud
his
leadership
and
trying
to
create
a
welcoming
city,
but
it's
not
nearly
enough.
C
It's
not
nearly
enough
and
I
again.
I
want
to
express
my
genuine
appreciation
to
this
commission
for
taking
the
interest
and
inviting
us
here
and
I
very
much
look
forward
to
working
with
you
and
trying
to
solve
it.
It's
a
difficult
problem
you
raise,
but
I
think
if
we
work
hard
enough,
we'll
find
a
way
well.
B
Thank
you
very
much
to
our
three
guest
speakers
today.
You
have
left
us
with
some
significant
insights,
passionate
insights
and
I
do
want
to
emphasize
that
the
Commission
in
taking
our
complaints.
We
do
not
ask
the
status
of
the
employee
that
is
filing
and
we
also
provide
free
of
charge
language
services
when
requested,
so
so,
hopefully
that
that's
something
that
all
can
share
out
there.