{"id":11703,"date":"2018-10-12T11:19:47","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T11:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:#clients.elainemichele.com\/SPC2022\/?p=11703"},"modified":"2022-11-11T21:58:30","modified_gmt":"2022-11-12T02:58:30","slug":"tragic_and_preventable_the_death_of_selena_1703","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/clients.elainemichele.com\/SPC2022\/articles\/tragic_and_preventable_the_death_of_selena_1703\/","title":{"rendered":"Tragic and Preventable: The Death of Selena"},"content":{"rendered":"

We grieve alongside Estela for the loss of her 18-year-old daughter, Selena Hidalgo Calderon. Selena was killed in late May, 2018. Selena’s one-year-old son Owen is still missing. elena came to the United States<\/st1:country-region> seeking asylum and worked on New York<\/st1:placename> State<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place> farms. The suspect in custody for Selena’s murder was her boyfriend, who Selena lived with. Selena’s death and Owen’s status as missing are tragic and painful for all of us who work with farmworkers, immigrant families, and who know Selena’s family personally.<\/p>\n

While we grieve and try our best to support Selena’s family, we also continue the work of making local conditions better for immigrant communities in general and farmworker women in particular. What happened to Selena is preventable with improved and consistent policies.<\/p>\n

Farmworkers Deserve Equal Access to Safety.<\/b><\/p>\n

Sadly, in this country, 55 percent of murdered women are killed by their boyfriend or husband. Selena survived domestic violence before her murder. Carly spoke with a farmworker woman from Wayne<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> county who is also a survivor of domestic violence:<\/p>\n

I think what happened with Selena is a result of what we are living right now with immigration. It’s so hard because she isn’t the only one who is in a situation like this. Often someone who is in a violent relationship won’t act, maybe it’s because of our kids, but in this case, it’s more because of the laws. We come from countries where we’ve been victims of violence and we seek refuge here in the US<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> hoping it will be better for us here. But when we arrive, we don’t know our rights, we don’t know if we will be protected. The laws don’t allow us the freedom to leave, to be open about what we are going through, because we know that what will happen if we call for help is that we’ll just be sent back to our country.<\/i><\/p>\n

Those of us who have experienced domestic violence are feeling what happened to Selena so deeply. I hope that we can finally get laws that help and protect women, that women have the strength to speak up. No woman should ever have to go through this. I’ve heard on the news about her case when they tell us: if you’ve gone through this, you can call the authorities and that the police are there to help the community. But in so many situations your call doesn’t just go to the local police, it ends up in the hands of federal authorities and so, who is going to take that risk to reach out if they don’t have legal immigration status? If I don’t have status, I’m so scared they will deport me to my country where I went through the same situation. So, this was such a blow to so many us; this has been so painful.<\/p>\n

Instead of being offered help in situations of domestic violence, many local farmworker women have been threatened with deportation. Carly spoke with another farmworker woman who has spent roughly 12 years working in New York<\/st1:placename> State<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>. She said that of the women who called local law enforcement to report domestic abuse, she knows of at least eight who ended up in the hands of Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This practices silences survivors of domestic abuse.<\/p>\n

In this moment of anti-immigrant federal policies and baseless, racist attacks coming from the highest offices, local law enforcement around the country are trying to gain the trust of immigrant communities. This trust must be earned through the delinking of federal immigration enforcement from local policing.<\/p>\n

In this regard we are thankful that the Wayne County Sheriff ‘s department has a policy to serve the immigrant community regardless of immigration status. Local community organizing has pushed for local law enforcement, like state troopers, to stop oing the work of federal immigration agents.<\/p>\n

ICE & Border Patrol Make Our Communities Unsafe.<\/b><\/p>\n

It is unconscionable that local ICE field director Thomas Feely has attempted to use Selena’s death to justify their immoral and terroristic policies. Feely said that her death “illustrates the real dangers to our communities” and that ICE “is determined to seek out and locate illegal aliens in New York<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>.” But facts matter. Every study that looks at the link between immigration and crime shows that immigrants commit less crime than US-born citizens, and places with more immigrants are safer than places with less immigrants. Immigrants make communities safer.<\/p>\n

ICE and Border Patrol agents, on the other hand, have a documented history of abusing, sexually assaulting, and raping women and children in their detention facilities.<\/p>\n

As the “me too” movement has so clearly demonstrated within the past year, men who commit egregious acts of violence against women are found throughout many different spheres of society-including the Syracuse Police Department, the NY State Attorney’s office, and the White House. The problem is not undocumented workers; the problem is patriarchy and a legal system that consistently protects people with gender, race, and class privilege.<\/p>\n

Equal Access to a Driver’s License<\/p>\n

One tangible way for farmworker women to access basic services and leave dangerous situations is the ability to obtain a driver’s license.<\/p>\n

In 12 states, people can receive a driver’s license regardless of immigration status. Unfortunately, New York<\/st1:placename> State<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place> is not one of these states, limiting the ability of undocumented workers to access necessities for themselves and their families. The Workers’ Center is collaborating with organizations across the state to make driver’s licenses available to all as part of the Green Light Campaign. Currently, NY A10273, which has 28 co-sponsors in the New York Assembly, would allow the state to issue standard licenses to qualified state residents regardless of immigration status.<\/p>\n

“Too often, our immigrant communities find themselves in precarious working conditions and\/or violent environments,” said Fabiola Ortiz, an organizer with the New York Immigration Coalition. “Having a driver’s license would increase the chances of reporting the crimes that immigrant women are victims of. Driver’s licenses are not a privilege, but a necessity, and sometimes can make the difference between life and death,” said Ortiz.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Green Light campaign, like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com\/GreenLightNY.<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources<\/p>\n

\u2022 “Detained, Then Violated: 1,224 Complaints Reveal a Staggering Pattern of Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention. Half of Those Accused Worked for ICE,” The Intercept. https:\/\/goo.gl\/ Fo6SFy.<\/p>\n

\u2022 “ACLU Obtains Documents Showing Widespread Abuse of Child Immigrants in U.S.<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> Custody,” ACLU. https:\/\/goo.gl\/ yR8nQ4.<\/p>\n

\u2022 “The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant,” New York Times. https:\/\/ goo.gl\/wL2AF7.<\/p>\n

\u2022 “Special Report: The Criminalization of Immigrants in the United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>,” American Immigration Council. https:\/\/goo.gl\/ SXPogi.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While we grieve and try our best to support Selena\u2019s family, we also continue the work of making local conditions better  for immigrant communities in general and farmworker women in particular. What happened to Selena is preventable with improved and consistent policies.We grieve alongside Estela for the loss of her 18-year-old<\/div>\n
daughter, Selena Hidalgo Calderon. Selena was killed in late<\/div>\n
May, 2018. Selena\u2019s one-year-old son Owen is still missing.<\/div>\n
Selena came to the United States seeking asylum and worked<\/div>\n
on New York State farms. The suspect in custody for Selena\u2019s<\/div>\n
murder was her boyfriend, who Selena lived with. Selena\u2019s death<\/div>\n
and Owen\u2019s status as missing are tragic and painful for all of us<\/div>\n
who work with farmworkers, immigrant families, and who know<\/div>\n
Selena\u2019s family personally.<\/div>\n
While we grieve and try our best to support Selena\u2019s family,<\/div>\n
we also continue the work of making local conditions better<\/div>\n
for immigrant communities in general and farmworker women<\/div>\n
in particular. What happened to Selena is preventable with<\/div>\n
improved and consistent policies.<\/div>\n
Farmworkers Deserve Equal Access to Safety<\/div>\n
Sadly, in this country,<\/div>\n
55 percent of murdered<\/div>\n
women are killed by their<\/div>\n
boyfriend or husband.<\/div>\n
Selena survived domestic<\/div>\n
violence before her murder.<\/div>\n
Carly spoke with a<\/div>\n
farmworker woman from<\/div>\n
Wayne county who is also<\/div>\n
a survivor of domestic<\/div>\n
violence:<\/div>\n
I think what happened<\/div>\n
with Selena is a result of<\/div>\n
what we are living right<\/div>\n
now with immigration.<\/div>\n
It\u2019s so hard because she<\/div>\n
isn\u2019t the only one who is<\/div>\n
in a situation like this.<\/div>\n
Often someone who is in a<\/div>\n
violent relationship won\u2019t<\/div>\n
act, maybe it\u2019s because of<\/div>\n
our kids, but in this case, it\u2019s more because of the laws. We come<\/div>\n
from countries where we\u2019ve been victims of violence and we seek<\/div>\n
refuge here in the US hoping it will be better for us here. But<\/div>\n
when we arrive, we don\u2019t know our rights, we don\u2019t know if we<\/div>\n
will be protected. The laws don\u2019t allow us the freedom to leave,<\/div>\n
to be open about what we are going through, because we know<\/div>\n
that what will happen if we call for help is that we\u2019ll just be sent<\/div>\n
back to our country.<\/div>\n
Those of us who have experienced domestic violence are feeling<\/div>\n
what happened to Selena so deeply. I hope that we can finally get<\/div>\n
laws that help and protect women, that women have the strength<\/div>\n
to speak up. No woman should ever have to go through this. I\u2019ve<\/div>\n
heard on the news about her case when they tell us: if you\u2019ve gone<\/div>\n
through this, you can call the authorities and that the police are<\/div>\n
there to help the community. But in so many situations your call<\/div>\n
doesn\u2019t just go to the local police, it ends up in the hands of federal<\/div>\n
authorities and so, who is going to take that risk to reach out if<\/div>\n
they don\u2019t have legal immigration status? If I don\u2019t have status,<\/div>\n
I\u2019m so scared they will deport me to my country where I went<\/div>\n
through the same situation. So, this was such a blow to so many<\/div>\n
us; this has been so painful.<\/div>\n
Instead of being offered help in situations of domestic<\/div>\n
violence, many local farmworker women have been threatened<\/div>\n
with deportation. Carly spoke with another farmworker woman<\/div>\n
who has spent roughly 12 years working in New York State.<\/div>\n
She said that of the women who called local law enforcement<\/div>\n
to report domestic abuse, she knows of at least eight who ended<\/div>\n
up in the hands of Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs<\/div>\n
Enforcement (ICE). This practices silences survivors of domestic<\/div>\n
abuse.<\/div>\n
In this moment of anti-immigrant federal policies and<\/div>\n
baseless, racist attacks coming from the highest offices, local<\/div>\n
law enforcement around the country are trying to gain the trust<\/div>\n
of immigrant communities. This trust must be earned through<\/div>\n
the delinking of federal immigration enforcement from local<\/div>\n
policing.<\/div>\n
In this regard we are thankful that the Wayne County Sheriff \u2019s<\/div>\n
department has a policy to serve the immigrant community<\/div>\n
regardless of immigration status. Local community organizing<\/div>\n
has pushed for local law enforcement, like state troopers, to stop<\/div>\n
doing the work of federal immigration agents.<\/div>\n
ICE & Border Patrol Make Our Communities Unsafe<\/div>\n
It is unconscionable that local ICE field director Thomas Feely<\/div>\n
has attempted to use Selena\u2019s death to justify their immoral and<\/div>\n
terroristic policies. Feely said that her death \u201cillustrates the real<\/div>\n
dangers to our communities\u201d and that ICE \u201cis determined to<\/div>\n
seek out and locate illegal aliens in New York.\u201d<\/div>\n
But facts matter. Every study that looks at the link between<\/div>\n
immigration and crime shows that immigrants commit less<\/div>\n
crime than US-born citizens, and places with more immigrants<\/div>\n
are safer than places with less immigrants. Immigrants make<\/div>\n
communities safer.<\/div>\n
ICE and Border Patrol agents, on the other hand, have a<\/div>\n
documented history of abusing, sexually assaulting, and raping<\/div>\n