Roxroy Salmon
Encyclopedia
Roxroy Salmon is a Jamaican American
immigration
and human rights
activist
living in Brooklyn
, New York
. His critiques of United States
immigration policy
and resistance to deportation proceedings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
have been widely publicized in newspaper articles and a forthcoming documentary film
.
in 1977. In his first two years in the country he was charged with minor drug offences, given a conditional discharge and charged with disorderly conduct. In 1989, Salmon pleaded guilty to drug possession and the sale of narcotics. Salmon has four U.S.-born children and one U.S.-born grandchild. In 2001, Salmon’s mother (a U.S. citizen
) petitioned for his citizenship, but in 2007 Salmon received a notice to appear in immigration court due to his past convictions. Immigration laws
passed in 1996 made crimes, including drug offenses, an automatic reason for deportation for immigrants and curtailed the immigration judges’ discretion to take other factors, such as family ties, into account. Salmon has been a frequent critic of this legislation, and advocates passage of the Child Citizen Protection Act (H.R. 182) to restore judges' discretion in cases involving U.S. citizen children.
Salmon has applied for discretionary relief called deferred action, in which ICE deprioritizes the enforcement of immigration laws effectively allowing them to stay in this country indefinitely until ICE enforces the deportation order. Since Thanksgiving
, 2008, Salmon’s supporters have been collecting petitions and letters of support from college students, community members, school children, religious leaders and elected officials. More than 800 people have signed petitions pledging their support of Mr. Salmon’s family, and dozens of letters have been sent to ICE Field Director Chris Shanahan, including a letter from Congressman
Edolphus Towns. Organisations including Families for Freedom and the New Sanctuary Movement
are working to keep Salmon with his family in the US, along with other families in similar situations.
Roxroy is featured in Busted Borders, a video immigration blog on BustedHalo.com, August 12, 2009.
by Zach Fox entitled Roxroy, which premiered Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at the New School Graduate Film Festival
.
Jamaican American
Jamaican Americans are Americans of Jamaican heritage or Jamaican-born people who live in the United States of America. American citizenship is not a prerequisite of being a Jamaican American as permanent residents are also given this title....
immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
living in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His critiques of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
immigration policy
Immigration policy
An immigration policy is any policy of a state that deals with the transit of persons across its borders into the country, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. Immigration policies can range from allowing no migration at all to allowing most types of migration,...
and resistance to deportation proceedings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
have been widely publicized in newspaper articles and a forthcoming documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
.
Immigration Case
Salmon arrived undocumented in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1977. In his first two years in the country he was charged with minor drug offences, given a conditional discharge and charged with disorderly conduct. In 1989, Salmon pleaded guilty to drug possession and the sale of narcotics. Salmon has four U.S.-born children and one U.S.-born grandchild. In 2001, Salmon’s mother (a U.S. citizen
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
) petitioned for his citizenship, but in 2007 Salmon received a notice to appear in immigration court due to his past convictions. Immigration laws
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Division C of vastly changed the immigration laws of the United States.This act states that if an immigrant has been unlawfully present in the United States for 180 days but less than 365 days...
passed in 1996 made crimes, including drug offenses, an automatic reason for deportation for immigrants and curtailed the immigration judges’ discretion to take other factors, such as family ties, into account. Salmon has been a frequent critic of this legislation, and advocates passage of the Child Citizen Protection Act (H.R. 182) to restore judges' discretion in cases involving U.S. citizen children.
Salmon has applied for discretionary relief called deferred action, in which ICE deprioritizes the enforcement of immigration laws effectively allowing them to stay in this country indefinitely until ICE enforces the deportation order. Since Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, 2008, Salmon’s supporters have been collecting petitions and letters of support from college students, community members, school children, religious leaders and elected officials. More than 800 people have signed petitions pledging their support of Mr. Salmon’s family, and dozens of letters have been sent to ICE Field Director Chris Shanahan, including a letter from Congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
Edolphus Towns. Organisations including Families for Freedom and the New Sanctuary Movement
Sanctuary movement
The Sanctuary Movement was a religious and political campaign that began in the early 1980s to provide safe-haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict...
are working to keep Salmon with his family in the US, along with other families in similar situations.
Roxroy is featured in Busted Borders, a video immigration blog on BustedHalo.com, August 12, 2009.
Documentary
Salmon is the subject of a documentary filmDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Zach Fox entitled Roxroy, which premiered Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at the New School Graduate Film Festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
.
External links
- Roxroy Salmon's Defense Committee
- Deporting Fathers in the Name of Homeland Security New America Media op-ed by Joseph Nevins