January is a critical month for U.S. war resisters living in Canada. Canadians have made it clear through polls, vigils, letters, petitions, rallies, and many other means, that they want American soldiers who refuse to participate in the Iraq war to be allowed to stay.
The House of Commons passed a motion in June 2008 calling for the government to stop deportation proceedings against war resisters and their families, and to allow war resisters to apply for permanent resident status in Canada.
Yet the current government is continuing to try to deport resisters. In January, there are five resisters facing deportation:
- January 20 – Chris Teske
- January 22 – Cliff Cornell
- January 27 – Kimberly Rivera, her husband Mario and three children (pictured below)
- January 29 – Patrick Hart, his wife Jill and their son
- January 30 – Dean Walcott
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has made it clear that his government intends to go against the will of Parliament and the will of Canadians. He has stated that the refugee claims of war resisters are “bogus” and that he “has no sympathy for them.”
In response, people across the country are mobilizing as never before to stop the deportation of war resisters to the United States to face punishment for exercising their conscience.
Actions YOU can take to support war resisters
Please take a few minutes to show your support for the war resisters threatened with deportation.
1) Call or email Minister of Immigration and Citizenship Jason Kenney today and ask him to STOP deportation proceedings against U.S. Iraq war resisters and IMPLEMENT the motion adopted by Canada’s Parliament to allow U.S. Iraq war resisters to apply for permanent resident status.
Here are the numbers to call:
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney
Call 613-954-1064
MP Jason Kenney’s Parliamentary office:
613-992-2235
Or email him at: minister@cic.gc.ca or Kenney.j@parl.gc.ca
Please cc the opposition party critics if you email Jason Kenney:
- Liberal party immigration critic Borys Wrzesnewskyj: wrzesnewskyj.b@parl.gc.ca
- NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow: chow.o@parl.gc.ca
- Bloc Québécois immigration critic Thierry St-Cyr: st-cyr.t@parl.gc.ca
2) Email the Opposition Leaders and ask them to continue to speak out and work in support of war resisters.
The support of all three opposition parties has been critical in the campaign to let U.S. war resisters stay in Canada. Please email them and ask that they and their parties continue to be vocal and public on this issue at this critical juncture.
- Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff: Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca
- NDP Leader Jack Layton: Layton.J@parl.gc.ca
- Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe: Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca