THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (03/05/06)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

FOR THE RECORD: UNA president's letter on the case of the Karnaoukh family

Following is the text of a letter sent on February 27 by UNA President Stefan Kaczaraj to Gov. Jon Corzine of New Jersey, with copies sent to the state's two U.S. senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.

Dear Gov. Corzine:

On Monday, February 6, readers of The Star-Ledger were stunned by an article by popular columnist Bob Braun, who wrote about the appalling method by which a hard-working and quiet family from Little Falls, N.J., was forced out of their home at gunpoint, in handcuffs and pajamas, early on the morning of January 6 - Orthodox Christmas.

The Karnaoukh family, Vassili and Maria, with their sons Ihor and Sviatoslav, were not told what was going on (Maria thought the house was on fire and that the dark-clothed men were firemen), were told to get outside immediately, were not allowed to put on street clothes, were not given answers to any questions, and then were handcuffed at shortly before 5 a.m. and driven to the deportation center in Newark. Our federal immigration services claim that the Karnaoukh family was here illegally. They were not allowed to contact any friends or family, and Maria's mother, who speaks no English, was left alone in the house, terrified.

Gov. Corzine: Where do we live? What country is this? Since when does the United States use NKVD-Stassi-SS-KGB-style tactics against sleeping suburbanites, even if we believe them to not have proper documentation? Do we as a country believe it is appropriate to treat people suspected of not having proper documentation as dangerous criminals - the equivalent of ax murderers and drug lords? What is going on here?

The treatment the Karnaoukh family received is shameful, unacceptable, appalling. Unacceptable anywhere in the United States, a nation of immigrants, documented and undocumented, and definitely not in New Jersey, home to hundreds of thousands of recent immigrants.

The Karnaoukh family, originally from Ukraine, had been living in the United States for 15 years with legal work papers and were, they believed, in the middle of an appellate process regarding their immigration status. A hearing on February 10 showed that the lawyer whom they trusted and paid, instead took their money and did nothing. As a result, the Karnaoukh family was deported on February 10, put on a plane at JFK International Airport, witnesses say, wearing the same pajamas in which they were originally handcuffed and taken away from their home.

Though we understand that immigration law is part of federal jurisdiction, we are deeply disturbed that in our state of New Jersey such horrific methods are being used - rounding up people in the middle of the night. For all immigrants from Eastern Europe - whether Ukraine, or Poland or Romania or Russia - the symbolism of the methods used against the Karnaoukh family is truly terrifying. Since the times of the Russian Cheka of the early 20th century, for Eastern Europeans the night-time raid is the penultimate example of a totalitarian government using its power against vulnerable and defenseless people.

Why are we, Americans, doing this? We are not this kind of nation. We must remain a bastion of hope and justice. We cannot repeat often enough how absolutely appalled we are by what happened to our neighbors in New Jersey.

We would be equally disturbed if we found out that in New Jersey local and state law enforcement officials were being used to carry out federal immigration policy in this draconian manner. Protecting people, on the one hand, and dragging them out of their homes, defenseless, before the light of day, on the other, are contradictory mandates.

The status of our federal immigration policy is cause for dread. Laws are arbitrarily enforced, therefore gross injustices occur. Unscrupulous lawyers continue to practice since their clients get deported and there is no one with standing to sue them or force them to be disbarred. Ever more frequently, inexperienced local and state enforcement officials are being used to enforce federal immigration policy. Hard-working professional people such as the Karnaoukhs, whose sons were paying their way through local colleges, and who meet the test for self-sufficiency by any standard, should have been offered a chance at their hearing to file an appeal. Instead, they are sent back, while ringleaders in the black market of forced labor can be found in every major city in this country.

Aside from expressing our outrage, we specifically ask that someone from your office, the executive of our state, be assigned to find out exactly who was used to raid the Karnaoukh home in New Jersey.

Also, as the publisher of two of the oldest Ukrainian community newspapers in the United States, the Ukrainian-language Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly, published in English, with a combined readership of 10,000 in New Jersey, we ask for your comments on the following.

Regarding the tactics used against the Karnaoukh family: how frequently does this happen in New Jersey? What is the policy in New Jersey for using state and local law enforcement officials in deportation raids? What, if any, control does the state of New Jersey have over draconian methods used by federal marshals, or other federal enforcement officials, against those suspected of being in the U.S. illegally?

The story of how the Karnaoukh family was deported will appear, sooner or later, in the media in Ukraine. Their story will fuel the fires of those who for decades have been stoking anti-American sentiments. It will cause deep pain for those who still view our country as a beacon.

Our actions must not be this unconscionable, this foolish.

I look forward to a reply from one of you. I can be reached directly at: 973-292-9800, x 3016.

Sincerely,
Stefan Kaczaraj, president
Ukrainian National Association

Greetings from the OOL

Below is the text of a greeting sent by the Organization for the Defense of Lemko Western Ukraine (OOL) to the Ukrainian National Association.

To the Executive Committee and fellow UNA members:

On the 112th anniversary of the Ukrainian National Association, we the executive board of Organization for the Defense of Lemko Western Ukraine Inc. send our greetings to you, the Executive Committee, and your members on this memorable anniversary.

Many of our first Lemko immigrants in America were active in helping establish the first central Ukrainian organization, now fondly known as the UNA. We the national Board of OOL extend our greetings and encourage all members of OOL to join the UNA - a venerable organization that in its early years had a strong Lemko presence.

Today we prosper and enjoy our freedoms and privileges in this great country, but we must remember those hearty Ukrainian immigrants who had no one to turn to for advice, help or financial assistance: they were the visionaries and understood the need to organize.

Let us all unite in a "Mnohaya Lita" for our UNA.

Zenko Halkowycz, president
Ana Woytowycich, secretary

Greetings from the ODFFU

Below is the text of a greeting sent to the Ukrainian National Association by the Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine.

The Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine Inc. sends greetings and congratulations on the 112th anniversary of the Ukrainian National Association. Our members have always been and continue to be supportive of the UNA, by buying insurance policies, subscribing to the newspapers The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda, and visiting and enjoying the wonderful resort Soyuzivka. We support the growth and activities of the oldest Ukrainian fraternal insurance company in the United States of America.

The UNA has been an integral part of the Ukrainian community throughout the years. From the early days when Ukrainians were known as "Rusyny," the UNA was involved in helping to protect Ukrainian families by offering them reasonable insurance policies. The UNA also helped to educate and financially support the Ukrainian communities in the United States. The UNA was one of the driving forces in helping Ukrainians recognize and realize their national identity. Events like the proclamation of a Ukrainian Day in 1917, and the project to put up a statue of Taras Shevchenko in Washington, D.C., were initiated by and supported by the UNA.

The UNA has a long history of publishing many Ukrainian- and English-language books, and the Ukrainian American community is especially grateful for the publication of the English and Ukrainian versions of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine in two volumes. The UNA continues to play a leading role in the education of Ukrainian children in their heritage with courses offered at Soyuzivka during summer camps, sports events, and other community cultural and art events.

The Ukrainian National Association was, is and will continue to be a leading Ukrainian American organization that unites the Ukrainian American community, and expresses the cultural ideals of the Ukrainian people.

Throughout 112 years of the UNA's existence the Ukrainian American community has been gifted with this organization.

The Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine wishes the Ukrainian National Association continued growth and success!

With great respect,

Michael Koziupa, president
Osip Roshka, general secretary

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