January 26, 2004
NY Patrolmen Support McAllister
http://www.mcallistercampaign.com/supporters.htm
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association Of the City of New York, Incorporated
Office of the President
January 15, 2004
I am the President of the New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, representing the Police Officers of the City of New York. I am writing to you to direct your attention to the plight of Malachy and Bernadette McAllister and their family.
The McAllister's are political refugees from Northern Ireland who have been resident in the United States for a number of years, having fled for their lives from the homeland when pro-British loyalists attempted to assassinate them due to their political beliefs. After living and working and raising their family in this country since that time, they now find themselves in danger of being denied political asylum and of being deported to Belfast, where they fear for their lives.
Malachy, like so many others of his generation, served time in a British prison after becoming involved in conflict with the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), a sectarian paramilitary organization in the guise of a civilian police force. He shares this history with many other Irishmen of his generation and previous ones, large numbers of whom fled here over the years to start a new life and became part of the fabric of American society. I, myself, am the grandson of one of those men.
Mr. McAllister and his family are strong supporters of the current Irish peace process brokered by our government, a process with the potential of bringing political stability and a legitimate civilian policing service to Northern Ireland.
I have personally known Mr. and Mrs. McAllister since 2001 and can personally attest to the fact that they and their family are living as peaceful, hardworking and law-abiding residents of this country. I can state, without hesitation, that they pose absolutely no threat to the security of our nation. As a New York City police officer, and as the principal representative of my brother and sister officers who have suffered so grievously at the hands of actual international terrorists, I would not support the McAllisters' cause if this were not so.
I therefore add my voice to that of many other American citizens and elected representatives in urging the Bureau of Homeland Security and the office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to grant political asylum in this country to Malachy and Bernadette McAllister and their family.
Very truly yours,
Patrick J. Lynch
President, New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association
40 Fulton Street
New York, NY 10038-1850
212-233-5531
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Recipients:
John Ashcroft
Office of the United States Attorney General
Washington DC 80530
Tom Ridge
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20258
Office of William Jefferson Clinton
55 West 125 Street
New York, New York 10027
212-348-8882 212-348-9245 (fax)
Representative Peter King (NY)
436 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202 - 225 - 7896
Pete.King@mail.house.gov
Senator Edward Kennedy (MA)
315 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202/224-4543
senator@kennedy.senate.gov
Senator Patrick Leahy
433 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Representative Martin Meehan (MA)
U.S. House of Representatives
2229 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3411
Fax: (202) 226-0771
martin.meehan@mail.house.gov
Richard E. Neal (MA)
2133 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-5601
Representative Jim Walsh (NY)
2369 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3701
Fax: (202) 225-4042
rep.james.walsh@mail.house.gov
Senator John Kerry (MA)
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov
Rep. Eliot Engel (NY)
2264 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2464
engeline@hr.house.gov
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