To: ICE Outreach, Buffalo ICE outreach, *, **, and ***

Free Rausel! Immigrant Rights Activist Detained by ICE!

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Rausel Arista, A# 206-437-360, a father, and immigrant rights organizer, was detained by border patrol at the Buffalo/Niagara airport in Buffalo NY the morning of July 21, 2014, while on his way home to see his family. Rausel was detained by a TSA official and questioned by border patrol and ultimately arrested for flying while undocumented.

As a member of the community, I would like to express my support to stop his deportation and ask that he be immediately released from detention. Rausel is an active civil rights and community leader, and he is a well-known immigrant rights activist. He has lived in the US continuously for over 15 years, has no criminal record and poses no threat to public safety. He is also the father of two US citizen children ages 7 and 9.

Mr. Arista has been an active civil rights advocate since 2006, and is an immigrant rights organizer in cities all across North Carolina. He has participated in nationally recognized campaigns with the American Friends Service Committee, the Keeping Families Together campaign and Reform Immigration for America. Since he has been in the US, Mr. Arista has also been continuously employed, active in the Catholic Church and volunteered in his community.

I support Mr. Arista and strongly believe he is an asset to his community, his family and to our country. Please release him from detention and stop his deportation.

Why is this important?

Rausel Arista is an active community leader involved in the immigrant rights movement in North Carolina, and a dedicated father who was detained returning home from vacation in NY.

Rausel was detained by border patrol at the Buffalo/Niagara airport in Buffalo NY the morning of July 21, 2014 by a TSA official, questioned by border patrol and ultimately arrested for flying while undocumented.

Rausel has been active in the community for many years. He has worked countless hours helping others in deportation proceedings, has marched countless miles in support of humane immigration policy change, and is a loving father of two young children.

Rausel is a low priority case, and is not a threat to national security.

For his family, for his community - Rausel should be released and his deportation stopped.