U.S. presses fight to deport Palestinians

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The Los Angeles deportation defendants: (top, left) Khader Hamide, Michel Shihadeh, Amjad Obeid; (bottom, left): Ayman Obeid, Aiad Barakat, Naim Sharif, Julie Mongai. Missing: Bashar Amer.

SOCIALIST ACTION JUNE 1987 11 The case of the Justice Department seeking the deportation of eight Palesti -nians was thrown out of court by one judge on May 8, while another judge condemned the action of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) as "bordering on outrageous."

The seven men and one woman were arrested Jan. 26. They were charged with being members of a Marxist wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization (P.L.O.). The INS invoked the McCarran Waliers Act, which makes holding socialist ideas grounds for deportation. The government charged that the defendants possessed and distributed Democratic Palestine and AlHadaf, two pro-Palestinian magazines.

The case has aroused concern and protests around the country. An ad-hoc group, the Committee for Justice, has gone to court to test the constitutionality of the McCarthyera McCarran Walters Act.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who is hearing the case, said the issue is whether resident aliens had the same rights to free speech and other civil liberties all Americans have. "I view this as the most important case I have ever had," he declared as he set May 15 for a court hearing.

Meanwhile the Justice Department was in the court of Immigration Judge Ingrid K. Hrycenko, hoping to get the Palestinians railroaded out of the country. The suit against McCarran-Walters, however, forced them to change their line of attack. They dropped charges of "communism" against six of the Palestinians and accused them only of technical violations, such as ...S. Africa (continued from page meeting of the rail union, killing three people. Police killed another three strikers in another incident the same day across town. At least 16,000 Black strikers were dismissed when they defied an ultimatum to return to work. They were replaced by white scabs.

The rail strike quickly became an issue on the country's college campuses. At Stellenbosch University—the alma mater of most of South Africa's cabinet ministers—white youths knocked a policeman down after he attempted to arrest a Black shop steward they had invited to address their meeting.

The recent wave of attacks by police and government-sponsored "vigilantes" has come in response to a powerful surge of trade-union militancy-combined with rent strikes in the Black townships and protest actions among students.

The months of January and February alone saw 750,000 strike days—a far higher working while on student status and overstaying their visas. These charges can lead to deportation.

Two Palestinians, Khader Hamide and Michel Shedadeh, have permanent resident rate than in 1986 and more than the total for any one of the years 1980-84. Most strikes have been over wage issues. Price rises last year were the highest in 60 years, and COSATU has made the fight for a "living wage" its major priority.

Different election strategies

Over 1 million workers stayed away from their jobs on May 6-7 to protest the white election and to express solidarity with the striking rail workers. Some 500,000 students-both Black and white boycotted their classes. The country's two major English-language universities closed their doors in support.

The mass-based United Democratic Front (UDF) joined COSATU in issuing the strike call. Black people were urged to rally around the slogan "Down with apartheid But the UDF appealed to white voters and politicians in less clear-cut terms. Instead of asking white people to boycott the minority-rule elections (as some anti-apartheid leaders did), the UDF asked them to "pressurize the National Party and its MP's into addressing the real problems of status and cannot be deported on such technicalities. The McCarran Walters Act is still being used against them, but the specific accusation has been raised to "attempting to overthrow the government this country."

The exiled leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) went a step further. On the day before the polling— breaking with their traditional character -ization of whites-only elections as a "farce"-they called for a "vote against apartheid." The ANC left little doubt in its statement that it wanted whites to support nternationa These last-minute maneuvers angered Judge Hrycenko, who demanded that Gilbert Reeves, the INS official who signed the original deportation order, appear for questioning. Government attorneys said he was not available. At this point Judge Hrycenko halted the proceedings. "I will no longer tolerate any of these tactics," she declared. "All eight proceedings are through...terminated."

The case has been thrown out of Judge Hrycenko's court, but the government is still determined to deport the Palestinians. Failing to produce Reeves was a ploy to take the case out of Judge Hrycenko's hands. "The cases are very much alive," government attorneys said as they moved to refile their charges.

The INS wants to try each of the six defendants separately so that the issue can appear to be solely immigration-law violations. But the eight Palestinians were arrested as a group, and they want to be tried as a group.

Opposition is mounting to INS deportation policies in general and the victimization of the eight Palestinians in particular. The Detroit Free News on March 27 editorialized against "Arab-bashing at the INS." The Los Angeles Times on March 31 called for throwing out "that embarrassingly misguided law," the McCarran Walters Act.

A hard fight is still ahead. Letters of protest should be sent to Alan Nelson, Commissioner of the INS, 425 "I" St. Washington, D.C. 20530. Contributions for the legal defense of the Palestinians can be sent to the Committee for Justice, 2440 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

structure and its adherence principles.

Another general strike is planned for June 16, the 11th anniversary of the Soweto uprising. But the government will attempt to head off organizing efforts. Repression is certain to increase.

The United Secretariat of the Fourth International has called for an emergency worldwide defense campaign for the South African independent trade unions—as well as for all the anti-apartheid organizations under attack.

Trade union delegations must visit the country to cut through the blockade of information. The unions that are fighting and suffering repression must be helped financially. South African trade-unionists who travel abroad need to get the maximum hearing and support.

Messages in solidarity with the campaign to release Moses Mayekiso can be sent to MAWU, 6th floor, Angus mansions, 268 Jeppe Street, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa.

Messages of support to COSATU can be sent to P.O. Box 1019, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.