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Immigrant Rights |
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Stop Texas from erasing Cesar Chavez and Hispanics from
school books [1-9-10]
This call for action comes from the United
Farm Workers
We urgently need your help to stop the Texas
state Board of Education from erasing Cesar Chavez and
all Hispanic historical figures from public school text books.
Since Texas is such a major textbook purchaser, such a move
could have a nationwide impact.
This Wednesday, Jan. 13, the state
board will take a preliminary vote
to adopt new standards for social studies texts.
These new standards would eliminate all Hispanics since
the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th Century.
Cesar
Chavez, arguably the most important Hispanic civil rights leader
of the 20th Century, is among the historical figures to be
eliminated. One of Lowe’s so called "experts" said that Chavez
"lacks the stature…and contributions" and should not be
"held up to our children as someone worthy of emulation."
Also eliminated are a number of key Texas history makers such as
Irma Rangel, the first Hispanic woman elected to the state
Legislature.
Board members and their appointees have
complained about an "over representation of minorities"
in the current social studies standards.
This is ironic as Hispanics will soon comprise
the majority of all Texas public school students.
Please take a few moments right now to
send board Chair Lowe an e-mail.
Tell the TX State Board of Education not to allow a handful of
ideological extremists to revise history by eliminating people
of color.
Please click here to act now. |
|
Presbyterian congregation provides sanctuary for undocumented
immigrant – and their story is now becoming a film
[11-19-09]
A
friend of Witherspoon, Tony de la Rosa, has suggested that we
share here a notice about a new film in the works, which
promises a helpful look at the plight of undocumented
immigrants, and the positive role the church can play for them.
Mason Funk, one of the film-makers and an elder at Immanuel
Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, has provided this note.
SANCTUARY’S DAUGHTER is a documentary
short film, which tells the story of two women – an undocumented
immigrant from Guatemala, and Anabella, her American-born
teenaged daughter. Threatened with separation by U.S.
immigration policy, Yolanda and Anabella made a radical decision
to seek both physical and spiritual protection inside the walls
of their Los Angeles church, Immanuel Presbyterian. Two years
later, the two women are still living inside the massive stone
building. Both they, and their entire Immanuel congregation, are
on a quietly amazing journey to discover the meaning of justice,
in the face of laws that threaten to tear families apart.
SANCTUARY’S DAUGHTER is being produced by two
Immanuel elders (also professional filmmakers), Mason Funk and
Leanna Creel. The vast majority of the film has already been
shot. The filmmakers are seeking approximately $40,000 to
complete the film, which has non-profit status. They would be
very grateful to hear from individuals interested in the
project, and/or with connections to possible funding sources. To
learn more about SANCTUARY’S DAUGHTER and to contact the
filmmakers, visit
www.sanctuarysdaughter.com. Thank you.
Mason Funk
Executive Producer
Channel Road Films
814 North Seward Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone:
Work – 323.468.8080
Fax – 323.468.8866
Cell – 310.710.9084
WWW.CHANNELROADFILMS.COM
For more information, we encourage you to contact
the film-makers at
info@channelroadfilms.com
Click here
for a more detailed telling of the story of
Anabella Trujillo and her Guatemalan mother
Yolanda – one page in PDF format. |
Tres Rios Presbytery celebrates Calvin’s advocacy for
immigrants
This note comes from the Rev. Jose Luis Casal,
General Missioner of Tres Rios Presbytery
[10-20-09]
Tres Rios Presbytery 86th Stated Meeting of
the Presbyterian Church (USA) was celebrated with an opening
Worship Service and Communion dedicated to Immigration as part
of our celebrations on the 500 Anniversary of John Calvin.
John Calvin’s support to refugees and his
commitment to transform Geneva into a welcoming city for
persecuted Christians in West Europe on 16th Century were the
motivations to celebrate this service in Trinity Presbyterian
Church in El Paso, Texas, a border city where more than 80% of
the population is Hispanic. The worship conducted by Rev. Patty
Lane, pastor of Trinity church had the participation of
reverends Rebecca Whitaker, John Nelsen, Jose Luis Casal who
shared with the participants his latest composition, the song
“Holy Immigrant.” The Rev. Tim Davenport-Herbst challenged the
audience in his sermon to speak about the controversial issues
because the Lord always finds ways to lead us to a middle ground
in which we learn to respect others and live with our
disagreements and differences. |
| Pressure continues against Latino workers – now
being expanded under Obama Community
organizations across America condemn the expansion of 287 (g)
[7-21-09]
The Rev. Trina Zelle, formerly a co-moderator of
the Witherspoon Society and now working in Phoenix with Interfaith
Worker Justice of Arizona, recommends this
“excellent and comprehensive article” in La Frontera Times,
for an understanding of what is going on through government action
against migrant workers, both in Arizona and around the country.
Along with this, she suggests looking at the
New Yorker’s recent article on Sheriff Joe Arpaio of
Maricopa County, Arizona (“our out of control sheriff,” in her
words). [Click here for our earlier
report about his astonishing activities.] |
| Deporting fathers
in the name of homeland security?? We received
this note (slightly edited here) on June 21 from Dr. Grania Marcus
of New York City. We believe it offers material for reflection – and
stimulus for action – about the U.S. government’s continuing
anti-immigrant policies, and their often anti-family consequences.
All for security??
I am a member of First Presbyterian Church in
the City of New York and Co-chair of FPC's New Sanctuary
Committee. I also served for 3 years as a Volunteer-in-Mission
and staff member at Frontera de Cristo Presbyterian Border
Ministry.
I would like you to post the following
article, published by New American Media:
"Deporting Fathers in the Name of Homeland Security."
The article was written by Joseph Nevins, a
Professor at Vassar College and author of the book Dying to
Live: A Story of U.S. Immigration in an Age of Global Apartheid
(City Lights Books).
Our congregation has been a member of the New
York New Sanctuary Coalition since December 2007, which is part
of the national New Sanctuary Movement. There are two other New
York City Presbyterian churches that have also joined, and
others are considering joining. The New Sanctuary family with
whom we are partnering is that of Roxroy Salmon, who is a father
and grandfather facing deportation after living in the US for 32
years. [Mr. Salmon is the main subject of the Nevins article.]
Our congregation and other New Sanctuary congregations are
supporting him in his fight to stay in the US with his wife, 4
children and grandchild, all of whom are US citizens.
This article is very timely, since Mr.
Salmon's hearing in his immigration case is July 7, 2009, and
the Obama administration is currently working on immigration
legislation.
In Christ,
Dr. Grania Marcus
Co-Chair, New Sanctuary Committee
First Presbyterian Church NYC
|
Sheriff Arpaio object of Justice
Department probe
[3-14-09]
MSNBC reports,
based on a report from the East Valley Tribune, that the U.S.
Department of Justice is investigating the Maricopa County (Arizona)
Sheriff's Department over allegations of discriminatory practices
and unconstitutional searches and seizures.
In a letter dated
Tuesday to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the department's Civil Rights
Division said investigators will focus on alleged patterns of
discriminatory police practices and on allegations of discrimination
based on a person's national origin.
As
we reported on Feb. 10, Arpaio has gained national notoriety for
several controversial practices, including ongoing efforts to arrest
and humiliate undocumented immigrants in the Phoenix area. |
Immigrant busts faulted
[3-5-09]
We
recently reported on the abusive and humiliating treatment of
undocumented immigrants by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of Arizona's Maricopa
County. The Wall Street Journal (yes, really) reports on
anti-immigrant campaign as an outgrowth of an Immigration and
Customs Enforcement program that trains local police to arrest
illegal immigrants suspected of committing serious crimes. According
to the Journal, this so-called 287g program, which has been
seen as a symbol of the Bush administration's crackdown on illegal
immigration, “has expanded without appropriate oversight, leading to
the arrest of thousands for minor infractions, according to a study
scheduled to be released Wednesday.”
The
full story is posted on
Truthout.org >>
Or read it directly on the
Wall Street Journal website >> |

Interfaith Worker Justice urges
an end to continuing raids on immigrant workers
[3-2-09]
Their message:
Yesterday, the Senate
confirmed Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor. We commend President
Obama's choice of Ms. Solis, a Congresswoman from Los Angeles who is
the daughter of immigrant workers and is a longtime fighter for the
rights of workers. Well done, Mr. President!
Yesterday there was
also the first workplace immigration raid under the Obama
administration at a factory in Bellingham, Washington, that rebuilds
Japanese car engines and transmissions. Immigration authorities
arrested and chained 28 workers, including three mothers.
Workplace raids hurt
our communities, businesses, and all workers. With the economic
crisis, this is a terrible time for raids.
Call the White House
today: 202-456-1414
Or e-mail the White
House here
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Or fax a letter to
202-456-2461
Tell President Obama
• Thanks for
the wonderful appointment of Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor
• Thanks for
your leadership in facing the economic crisis, passing the stimulus
and working to create jobs in our communities.
• Stop all
workplace raids and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Please e-mail me at
tsmukler@iwj.org
to let us know that you called or wrote a letter.
In Peace and Justice,
Ted Smukler
Public Policy Director
Interfaith Worker Justice
www.iwj.org |
| Calls for immigration reform continue in
Postville, Iowa At public vigil in
Presbyterian church, community asks lawmakers to 'have courage to do
something' [2-23-09]
Roughly 100 people gathered at various locations
Thursday night in Postville, a small town still reeling in the
aftermath of an unprecedented May 2008 immigration raid, to pray for
reform. Many of those gathered at Community Presbyterian Church,
shown above, were detainees in the raid and were released back into
the community with ankle tracking devices. At least 24 individuals
in Postville with such devices continue to exist by charity while
they await their day in court.
Read the report in the Iowa Independent >>
Thanks to PresbyWeb for alerting
us to this report.
NOTE: You might recall that concern
for this case was raised on the floor of the 2008 General Assembly,
by a commissioner from Iowa.
More >> |
Detained
immigrants paraded through Phoenix in shackles by Sheriff Arpaio
[2-10-09]The National
Council of Le Raza (NCLR) begins its report:
[On Wednesday, Feb. 4,] at 1:00 p.m. Sheriff
Joe Arpaio paraded hundreds of detained immigrants in shackles
through the streets of Phoenix, Arizona to a "tent city" where
they will be held indefinitely. In true Arpaio form, his office
sent a press release to the media inviting them to this event,
proving that he's more interested in drawing attention to
himself than actually doing his job. In reference to the
electric fencing around the tent city, Arpaio said, "This is a
population of criminals more adept perhaps at escape. But this
is a fence they won't want to scale because they risk receiving
quite a shock-literally."
The rest of the article >>
Another
report from La Frontera Times >>
A comment from the
Rev. Trina Zelle, also in La Frontera Times, calling this
pornography – “the ritual humiliation of vulnerable human beings
carried out under bright media lights by public officials whose
salaries we pay.” Zelle now works in Phoenix with Interfaith Worker
Justice of Arizona, and is a former co-moderator of the Witherspoon
Society. She was present to witness the “parade,” with two other
clergy. She reports that “we were threatened with arrest if we did
not leave.”
Her
article >>
La
Raza suggests actions to resist the Sheriff’s abuse of power:
1. Request that the
Department of Justice investigate Arpaio's abuses.
2.
Forward the article to all of your family and friends, post it
on Facebook, and circulate it as far and wide as you can. Send a
clear message to Arpaio and his thugs that we will not stand for
these kinds of abuses in our nation. |
| Presbyterians and others address the new
Administration with an Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration
Reform [1-21-09]
Julia Thorne, who is Manager for Immigration Issues
in the Office of the General Assembly, also participates in an
Interfaith Immigration Group in Washington, which met with President
Obama’s transition team in December. The group has prepared a
document expressing their call for “humane immigration reform,” to
be presented to the new Administration.
They are encouraging pastors and other people of
faith who share these concerns to sign on to the statement. If you
are interested in signing on please send Julia your name and the
church where you are a pastor. If you are working in a validated
ministry, or are honorably retired, feel free to sign on as well.
Elders can also sign if they can also state that they are Moderator
of Session, Chair of Peacemaking Committee, or some such thing to
show religious leadership.
You can send your name and the name of your
congregation to Julia Thorne, at
julia.thorne@pcusa.org.
She will be happy to add your name to the list. If you have
questions, Julia invites you contact her.
The group already has
around 500 signatures, and is hoping to add many more by the middle
of February.
Click here for the full text of the
Platform (in html)
Click here for
the Platform, along with the list of groups and individual signers
(in PDF) |
|
Interfaith Platform on Humane
Immigration Reform
[1-21-09]As
our diverse faith traditions teach us to welcome our brothers and
sisters with love and compassion— regardless of their place of
birth—we call on the new Administration and 111th Congress to enact
humane and equitable immigration reform in 2009.
We call for immigration reform
because each day in our congregations, service programs, health-care
facilities, and schools we witness the human consequences of a
broken and outdated system. We see the exploitation of undocumented
workers and the plight of separated families, as well as the
escalation of community fear due to indiscriminate raids and local
police acting as federal immigration agents. Humane immigration
reform would help put an end to this suffering, which offends the
dignity of all human beings.
The Hebrew Bible tells us: "The
strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among
you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in
the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 19:33-34). In the New Testament, Jesus
tells us to welcome the stranger, for "what you do to the least of
my brethren, you do unto me" (Matthew 25:40). The Qur'an tells us
that we should "do good to…those in need, neighbors who are near,
neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the
wayfarer that you meet" (4:36). The Hindu Taitiriya Upanishad tells
us: "The guest is a representative of God" (1.11.2).
Therefore, we call on the new
Administration and 111th Congress to commit to:
Uphold family unity as a priority of all immigration policies
Recognizing the importance of
families to the creation of healthy individuals and strong
communities, we call on the new Administration and Congress to 1)
expeditiously reunite immigrant families separated due to lengthy
visa backlogs; 2) revise family preference categories and
per-country caps to prioritize family unity; and 3) remove bars to
reentry and adjustment of status for individuals seeking to reunite
with their family members. Attempts to devalue the family, such as
denying birthright citizenship to the children of immigrants or
placing family-based and employment-based visa applicants in
competition with each other on a point-based or other system, must
be rejected in order to maintain and promote family unity.
Create a process for undocumented immigrants to earn their legal
status and eventual citizenship
We urge the Administration and
Congress to enact immigration reform that allows undocumented
immigrants and their families to earn lawful permanent residency
upon the satisfaction of reasonable criteria, with a pathway to
citizenship. The workability of such a program should not be
hindered by overly punitive criteria, such as mandating that
immigrants leave the country or pay exorbitant fees, or by making
the process conditional upon the implementation of enforcement
measures. Communities and congregations around the country are
prepared to provide legal services to those eligible, as people of
faith are committed to an effective and humane system that keeps
families together and values the dignity of our friends and
neighbors.
Protect workers
and provide efficient channels of entry for new migrant workers
We call for an expansion of legal
avenues for workers who seek to migrate to the United States to work
in a safe, legal, and orderly manner. Their rights must be fully
protected, including the ability to bring their families with them,
travel as needed, change their place of employment, and apply for
lawful permanent residency and eventually citizenship. As currently
structured, electronic employment verification programs have proven
detrimental to both employers and employees due to increased
discrimination and unfair hiring and firing practices. All workers
benefit, however, from the enforcement of health, safety, wage, and
hour laws, as well as the right to peacefully organize.
Facilitate immigrant integration
Many immigrants desire to
naturalize but lack the necessary tools. The U.S. immigration system
should empower them to this end by providing financial support to
state and local governments and community organizations that offer
language and civics education, outreach, and naturalization
application assistance. Citizenship should be made more affordable
by reducing naturalization fees and making fee waivers more easily
accessible. Moreover, the processing of application backlogs and
security checks should be streamlined to reduce waiting times.
Counterproductive laws prohibiting immigrants from accessing social
services and mandating that local police act as immigration
officials should be revoked. These barriers to integration decrease
community safety and discourage immigrants from pursuing education
and community involvement. Faith based organizations and
congregations around the country will continue to assist in
integration efforts by providing social services and helping
immigrants learn English, find jobs, and thrive in the United
States.
Restore due process protections and reform detention policies
Immigration policies should respect
human rights and ensure due process for all persons. We have
witnessed how indiscriminate immigration raids have caused trauma
and hardship for thousands of individuals. Such raids separate
families, destroy communities, and threaten the basic rights of
immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. The suffering caused by the
increase and severity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids
in homes and workplaces underscores the problems with current U.S.
immigration policies and the urgent need for reform. Many faith
organizations administer services to those impacted by raids, as
well as to immigrants in detention facilities. Witnessing the toll
of incarceration on detainees, their families and our communities,
we urge the new Administration and Congress to reduce the use of
detention for immigrants and improve detention conditions by
enacting clear, enforceable reforms that include rigorous medical
treatment standards and increased access to pastoral care, legal
counsel and legal orientation programs. Furthermore, the government
should expedite the release of individuals who pose no risk to the
community and expand the use of community-based alternatives to
detention, which are more humane and cost effective.
Align the enforcement of immigration laws with humanitarian values
For the past twenty years, the
federal government has dramatically increased fence construction,
border patrol presence, and the deportation of immigrants, which
have proven ineffective at decreasing undocumented immigration.
During this time, we have witnessed the desecration of sacred sites
and the violation of environmental and religious freedom laws, as
well as the unnecessary suffering of community members whose loved
ones have suffered or died seeking entry into the United States.
Currently, vast resources are being used for fence construction and
the mass arrests, detention, and deportation of immigrants who
contribute to the U.S. economy and culture. To truly decrease
undocumented immigration, the United States should improve access to
the legal immigration system by increasing the number of ports of
entry, expanding visa availability, and eliminating application
backlogs to increase processing efficiency. Border policies must be
consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all
individuals with respect, while allowing the United States to
implement its immigration laws and identify and prevent the entry of
persons who commit dangerous crimes. All immigration laws must
respect the dignity of all persons, prioritize the cohesiveness of
families and communities, recognize the economic contributions of
immigrants, and uphold our moral obligations to provide refuge and
welcome the stranger.
Immigration: A matter of human rights
As people of faith, we call
attention to the moral dimensions of public policy and recommend
reforms that uphold the God-given dignity and rights of every
person, each of whom are made in the image of God. We are dedicated
to immigration reform because we value family unity, justice,
equity, compassion, love, and the humane treatment of all persons.
It is our collective prayer that the new Administration and 111th
Congress enact just immigration reform based on these tenets. |
Study guide on immigration is recommended
[1-16-09]The Rev.
Eriberto (Eddie) Soto, Associate for Latin American Ministries in
Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery, has recommended Strangers in the
Land, a study guide from the editors of Sojourners
magazine.
A six-week guide on immigration, the church, and
the bible, it is based on Old Testament scholar M. Daniel Carroll
R.’s transformative 2008 book Christians at the Border. This
six-week devotional and study guide provides the reader a daily
excerpt from Christians at the Border, a scripture on the
same theme, a provocative question, and a prayer. Every seventh day
is arranged for use with a small group, including a story-based
group organizing model, worship suggestion, stimulating discussion
questions, and action suggestions. Price is $9.95.
For more information, and to order >> |
| Uprooted: The Impact of Free Market on Migrants
A special report from the
Oakland Institute
[10-9-08]
"The borders between our countries should be
common grounds to unite us, not lines that divide us."
Since NAFTA’s passage in 1993, the U.S. Congress
has debated and passed several new trade agreements – with Peru,
Jordan, Chile, and the Central American Free Trade Agreement. At the
same time it has debated immigration policy as though those trade
agreements bore no relationship to the waves of displaced people
migrating to the U.S., looking for work.
Meanwhile, a rising tide of anti-immigrant
hysteria has increasingly demonized those migrants, leading to
measures that deny them jobs, rights, or any pretense of equality
with people living in the communities around them. To resolve any of
these dilemmas, from adopting rational and humane immigration
policies to reducing the fear and hostility towards migrants, the
starting point has to be an examination of the way U.S. policies
have both produced migration and criminalized migrants.
Read Uprooted: The Impact of Free Market on Migrants,
by David Bacon, Senior Fellow at the Oakland Institute. This 23-page
report is presented in PDF format. |
| Immigration raid in Postville, Iowa, shows
serious violations of workers' rights.
[8-4-08]
The
New York Times condemns the action as " 'The Jungle,'
again." The editorial concludes:
By treating illegal low-wage workers as a de
facto criminal class, the government is trying to inflate the
menace they pose to a level that justifies its rabid efforts to
capture and punish them. That is a fraudulent exercise, and a
national disgrace.
The
American
Immigration Lawyers Association elaborates on the violations of
judicial process, calling the whole action "a travesty of justice."
The Synod of Lakes and Prairies
reports on
actions by Presbyterians to help the many
families affected by the raid.
|
States usurping immigration policy – poorly
[4-7-08]Ruben Navarrette
Jr. Reports in the Fort Myers [FL] News-Press :
SAN DIEGO – April 3, 2008 – More and more states
are doing the job that Congress failed to do by trying to formulate
immigration policy – either by scaring off immigrants or bringing in
more of them.
According to The Associated Press, about 350
immigration-related bills were introduced in state legislatures in
the first two months of this year. Legislators in states across the
country are doing everything they can to make illegal immigrants
feel unwelcome – by denying them driver's licenses, college
admission, medical care, etc.
The irony is that, in many of these states, it is
illegal immigrants who helped fuel growth, construction, development
and economic prosperity. Show me a state where people feel overrun
by illegal immigrants, and I'll show you one where individuals,
businesses and municipalities have, in recent years, lined their
pockets thanks to illegal labor.
Talk about ungrateful.
More >> |
|
The fight against "illegal immigrants"
The Road to Dystopia
[3-17-08]
In an editorial
on March 13, the New York Times blasted the current
crusade against “illegal immigration” as a threat not just to
immigrants legal or otherwise, but to the US society as a whole.
It begins:
The search
for a silver bullet to slay illegal immigration continues.
Hard-liners are turning the country upside down looking for
it.
They are
looking in Washington, where Senate Republicans last week
offered more than a dozen bills to further enshrine mass
deportation as the national immigration strategy. It is a
grab bag of enforcement measures that will be useful for
tough-talking campaign commercials, but will not actually
solve anything.
Republicans
and some Democrats in the House are trying to force a vote
on a bad bill called the SAVE Act, which among other things
would force all workers, including citizens, to prove they
have a right to earn a living — a bad idea compounded by the
notoriously bad state of federal government records.
The full editorial >> |
On-line resources on Christian
hospitality and national borders
[11-28-07]Over a year
ago Jonathan Nelson provided us with a very helpful list of
on-line resources (and some printed ones, too) dealing with many
aspects of immigration issues. He has just updated the
links to the on-line material, and you may want to check it out. |
You can join in opposing an anti-immigrant hotline in Arizona
[7-28-07]This note comes to us from the
Rev. Trina Zelle, who works with
Interfaith Worker Justice of Arizona
– and also serves as Co-Moderator of the Witherspoon Society
Hi Doug -- I thought I'd send you a copy of
the
letter we've been circulating here in protest of a
hotline set up by the County Sheriff so people can turn in
others that they suspect of being undocumented immigrants.
So far we have 40 plus signatures including the United
Methodist Bishop and many clergy. AP has already picked up a
story on it as has the local paper. We are continuing to
gather signatures and will present it to him in person early
next week. If you want to publish it on our website that's
fine. If people want to add their names to it, they can
contact me:
Rev. Trina Zelle
Interfaith Worker Justice of Arizona
2510 Rural Road
Tempe, AZ 85284
tzelle@iwj.org
|
|
Looking at
immigration from the perspective of faith
"Immigration, Identity, and God's
Providence"
[6-20-07]
Witherspoon member
Dr. David True offers a very helpful
theological look at the current debate (or as he calls it,
"shouting match") on immigration. He notes that "[t]his is a
strange debate; one in which the word ‘amnesty’ has become a
form of slander. Fear and loathing seem the order of the day."
One problem is that three
different languages are being used here: "the moral languages of
law and order, cultural cohesiveness, and liberation and
compassion." Further, "One of the striking things about this
debate is the nearly complete absence of talk about God. The
dominant languages have been content to focus instead on human
identity. ... The lack of God-talk reflects our failure as
people of faith to reason together about what our fundamental
convictions have to say about our situation with respect to
immigrants. More specifically, belief in God's providence ought
to cause us to at least question appeals to fear and anxiety."
This failure is because we have
reduced God’s providence "to an individualized spirituality in
which God functions as a personal fetish. ... [W]e Americans are
big fans of a personal Jesus, but we seem to lack any sense of
God's fundamental goodness, benevolence, or love expressed in a
providential care for the natural world, including the peoples
of the earth. This loss of faith or confidence makes it
difficult to resist the language of fear, which helps explain
why so many citizens of the world's sole remaining super-power
talk, organize, and vote as if we were literally under siege
from our neighbors to the south. The recovery of a fuller notion
of God's providence would aid in forming a more accurate
interpretation of our circumstances and responsibilities."
This essay is being published
shortly in the journal
Political
Theology
But right now,
with Dr. True's kind permission, you can read
it here >>
David
True is Assistant Professor of Religion at Wilson
College, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He also serves as
one of the editors of the international journal Political
Theology. His interests include twentieth-century
figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Reinhold Niebuhr,
and Walter Rauschenbusch. Currently he is working on several
projects including an essay on immigration and another
comparing Michael Walzer and Reinhold Niebuhr. He is also
doing research for a book on the political theology of
twentieth century progressive Protestants. He earned a PhD
at Union-PSCE in theology and ethics and is an ordained
minister in the PC (USA).
|
|
Immigration reform? Here are some helpful
sources for information on the legislative issues
[6-18-07]
This comes from a note posted on
the e-list of
Presbyterians for Just Immigration, slightly edited
As we enter a critical juncture in the
immigration reform debate, here are some useful websites for
tracking and learning about the legislation.
Congressional websites:
The Library
of Congress' THOMAS website is the portal to all of the
official Federal/Congressional websites with links to all
Members of Congress, Congressional committees, documents
(including bills, reports, and public laws), bill status, etc.:
If you want to read what Senators have actually said about the
Senate immigration reform bill (S. 1348) and its amendments,
search on the Congressional Record website.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is an
arm of the Library of Congress, which conducts/provides
excellent non-partisan legislative/policy research for the
Congress, including immigration. Congressional staff rely
heavily on CRS reports to learn about issues and relevant
subject matter, especially more technical matters. CRS does not
post their reports online, but a number of organizations have
begun posting many of them. Here are links to some of them:
As examples,
here's a link to a recent CRS report relating to the
permanent admissions of lawful permanent residents, and one
dealing with immigration of foreign workers:
Here's a link
the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' webpage with
U.S. immigration laws, regulations, and policies.
Non-governmental organizations:
The Coalition
for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) is a coalition
of pro-immigration organizations. They have been hosting
informative weekly conference calls on immigration reform that
anyone can call into on a toll-free number. Go to their website
to sign up for email alerts, including notices on these
conference calls.
The National Immigration Forum is another pro-immigration
coalition, which maintains an informative immigration reform
webpage.
Other helpful groups:
National
Immigration Law Center (NILC).
American
Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Note that NILC and AILA staff are among the
most knowledgeable and that their materials are technically
accurate. To access some of the information on AILA's website,
you have to register as a user, but registration is free.
Anti-immigration groups:
The Federation
for Immigration Reform (FAIR) is the leading
anti-immigration advocacy organization: They track
immigration legislation very closely, and their website has
current information on bill status.
The Center for
Immigration Studies (CIS) is the leading
anti-immigration research center. They have an excellent free
e-mail
information list-serve, where you can get daily or weekly
updates on the latest immigration news and publications from
around the country. |
|
On immigration –
What 'These People' Contribute Remains
America's Saving Grace
[6-13-07]
Pierre Tristam, writing in the
Daytona Beach News-Journal, calls the current raging
against undocumented immigrants just what it seems to be:
bigotry. That’s what led to the defeat of the immigration bill
in the US Senate. "The defeat is attributable to one thing:
Americans don't want more Mexicans and other brown-skinned
people here. ‘These people came in the wrong way, so they don't
belong here, period,’ was how one Monique Thibodeaux ... summed
it up in the Sunday paper."
But, he argues, "these people"
are largely responsible for the United States’ population growth
over recent decades, and therefore its economic growth as well.
He continues:
At no point in this country's history have immigrants,
involuntary or "illegal" included, hurt the country nearly
as much as those exploiting them. Undocumented immigrants
aren't hurting the country now — not as we're constantly
reminded of record stock gains, record corporate profits,
low inflation, low unemployment and low interest rates. That
rosy economic profile hides serious fissures, to be sure.
But inequality is top-driven, never bottom-driven, and
certainly not immigrant-driven.
The full article >>
Thanks to
Witherspooner Scott Marrese-Wheeler, of Marshfield, Wisconsin
|
Who Gets to Define America?
[4-3-07]The Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan
Rah, Assistant Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park
Theological Seminary, and a member of the Sojourners/Call to Renewal Board,
has written a thoughtful response to the widely noted comments by former
House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as he equated bilingual education with learning
"the language of living in a ghetto."
Noting that Gingrich is not alone in holding this attitude
of "jingoism," he adds that the real issue today is "Who gets to define what
America looks like in the 21st century? Should every effort be made to
maintain a white majority that reflects the current Western European culture
and ethos of American society?"
He closes:
As an evangelical Christian, I look towards scripture
for my guidance. In my study of scripture, I have yet to find a single
passage which supports the right to bear arms. ... I have, however, found
numerous references (50+ and still counting) calling believers to care for
the alien among them. Why is it then that I am more likely to find members
of the NRA in a typical American evangelical church than I will find those
who advocate for an immigration policy that shows compassion for the
immigrant among us? How much of our view on immigration is driven by a
political and social agenda rather than a biblical one?
His full essay >> |
|
Two conferences on immigration coming in April
[4-3-07]
New York and Princeton will be the venues
Princeton, NJ, April 14, on Toward a Theology of Immigration:
Embracing the Stranger.
On behalf of the Association of Latino and Hispanic American
Students (ALHAS) and the Hispanic Leadership Program at Princeton
Theological Seminary, we would like to invite you and your congregation to
our event on immigration titled, Toward a Theology of Immigration:
Embracing the Stranger. The event will take place on Saturday, April
14, 2007 and will begin at 10:00am. Our keynote speakers will be Dr. Maria
Patricia Fernandez Kelly from Princeton University and The Rev. Dr. Samuel
Cruz, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York. Please join
us as together we explore how the church can approach this issue that
affects many people from different parts of the world.
For registration information please contact the Center for Continuing
Education at Princeton Theological Seminary at (609) 497-7990, or register
online at: www.ptsem.edu/ce. Once on
the website, you can look for Courses and Events, or you can go straight
to
http://www.ptsem.edu/CE/Course-ImmigrationConference.php. You can
register and find information about that event at this link. Space is
limited, so please register soon. Please feel free to copy and distribute
as necessary.
We hope to see you on April 14th. May God continue blessing you!!!
Sincerely,
Jose Gonzalez-Colon
Fernando Rodriguez-Quinones
ALHAS co-moderators
New York, April 21, on Immigration, Justice and Christian
Hospitality
On April 21st the Presbytery of New York City is hosting a conference
titled Immigration, Justice and Christian Hospitality. The conference will
be held at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan: 7 West 55th
Street. A flyer is attached (we will have versions available in Spanish
and Korean in a few days).
Please note that the plenary presentations are being offered with
simultaneous translation into Spanish and Korean.
We invite all of our Presbyterian sisters and brothers to join us. We
have organized this conference with the hope that it will prove useful to
churches and Presbyteries in the greater metro NYC region - including on
both sides of the Hudson River! The goal of the conference is to educate,
equip and inspire both clergy and "people in the pews" so that they can
ACT relative to immigration: through providing links to resources, through
activism, and through other forms of solidarity.
We are delighted that Julia Thorne is joining us as the featured
speaker of the conference!
For more information, contact:
Annie Rawlings, M.Div.
Interim Associate Executive Presbyter for Social Witness
Presbytery of New York City
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 240
New York, NY 10115
212/870-2221, ext. 4249
socialwitness@presbynyc.org
|
|
“Locking up family
values” [2-23-07]
This
is the title of a study published today by Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee
Services and the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, about
detention of immigrant families including three-year old children in
prison-like conditions.
A press release describes the
report as follows:
Groundbreaking report finds
significant problems with U.S. treatment of immigrant families in detention
Washington, DC, Feb. 22, 2007:
Refugee advocates found prison-like conditions at the Department of Homeland
Security’s (DHS) facilities that house immigrant families, including asylum
seekers, who are in immigration proceedings. The Women’s Commission for
Refugee Women and Children and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
describe their findings in a report released today, Locking Up Family
Values: The Detention of Immigrant Families, which also lays out steps
that DHS can take immediately to ensure that families in U.S. detention are
treated humanely.
This is a 72-page PDF document, so you may need a little time
to download it if you don’t have a fast connection.
Click here to get
it >>
Thanks to
Jonathan R. Nelson, on the
Presbyterians for Just Immigration e-list. |
|
Immigration is new rallying point for KKK
[2-23-07] Bloomington, Indiana, has
seen a local Ku Klux Klan group using anxieties about immigration and the
economy to recruit new members. This is apparently happening elsewhere
around the country, as well.
The full report >>
|
|
"Christian
Hospitality and National Borders"
New York attorney Jonathan Robert Nelson has
prepared a very thorough listing of study materials on immigration issues as
seen through the lens of Christian hospitality -- and he provides links to
all of them as well. He plans to update the listing soon in light of
the recent elections. [11-9-06]
|
|
Mi Casa es Tu Casa A Biblical perspective
on the current immigration situation
[10-30-06]
"Immigration has been one of the most contentious issues
in United States politics during this past year. It cuts across the typical
liberal/conservative divide." So begins an essay by
Dr. Lindy Scott, Associate Professor of Spanish at evangelical Wheaton
College, Wheaton, Illinois. He gives evidence of this himself, tracing the
Biblical roots of a Christian perspective on immigration.
He begins with the basic affirmation that "God is the
absolute owner of the earth," and then that "every human being has an
intrinsic dignity." He traces the immigrant history of Israel through
Abraham, the Exodus, Ruth and Esther, the prophetic tradition, and finally
Jesus as "the immigrant par excellence."
He then looks at the contradictions in American policy – a
nation of immigrants oppressing and displacing the "natives" for
generations; a nation of capitalists demanding the free flow of capital and
products, but not of labor.
The essay >> |
|
First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, signs interfaith statement in
support of comprehensive immigration reform
[7-12-06] The Session of the First Presbyterian
Church of Palo Alto voted in June 2006 to endorse a statement in support of
comprehensive immigration reform. We encourage members of our congregation
and community to read that statement and act upon it through prayer,
communication with elected leaders, and direct involvement in the struggle
for immigrant rights.
Thanks to Gail Thompson, of First Presbyterian Church of
Palo Alto, CA, for this news.
Click here to view the complete
statement.
INTERFAITH STATEMENT
IN SUPPORT OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
Washington, DC, October 17, 2005
October 14, 2005
We, the undersigned faith-based leaders and organizations,
join together to call upon President Bush and our elected officials in
Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation that
establishes a safe and humane immigration system consistent with our values.
Our diverse faith traditions teach us to welcome our brothers and sisters
with love and compassion.
The Hebrew Bible tells us: "The strangers who sojourn with
you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as
yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Leviticus 19:33-34)."
In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to welcome the stranger (cf. Matthew
25:35), for "what you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me
(Matthew 25:40)." The Qur'an tells us that we should "serve God…and do good
to…orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are
strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer that you meet, [and
those who have nothing] (4:36)."
We call for immigration reform because each day in our
congregations, service programs, health-care facilities, and schools we
witness the human consequences of an outmoded system. We see and hear the
suffering of immigrant families who have lost loved ones to death in the
desert or immigrants themselves who have experienced exploitation in the
workplace or abuse at the hands of unscrupulous smugglers and others. In our
view, changes to the U.S. legal immigration system would help put an end to
this suffering, which offends the dignity of all human beings.
We call upon our elected officials to enact legislation
that includes the following:
• An opportunity for hard-working immigrants who are
already contributing to this country to come out of the shadows, regularize
their status upon satisfaction of reasonable criteria and, over time, pursue
an option to become lawful permanent residents and eventually United States
citizens;
• Reforms in our family-based immigration system to
significantly reduce waiting times for separated families who currently wait
many years to be reunited;
• The creation of legal avenues for workers and their
families who wish to migrate to the U.S. to enter our country and work in a
safe, legal, and orderly manner with their rights fully protected; and
• Border protection policies that are consistent with
humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect,
while allowing the authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying
and preventing entry of terrorists and dangerous criminals, as well as
pursuing the legitimate task of implementing American immigration policy.
While we support the right of the government to enforce
the law and protect the national security interests of the United States, we
recognize that our existing complex and unworkable immigration system has
made it nearly impossible for many immigrants – who seek to support their
families or reunite with loved ones – to achieve legal status. Reforming the
immigration system to address this reality would allow the U.S. government
to focus its enforcement efforts on real threats that face all Americans –
citizens and immigrants alike.
We urge our elected officials to conduct the immigration
reform debate in a civil and respectful manner, mindful not to blame
immigrants for our social and economic ills or for the atrocities committed
by the few who have carried out acts of terrorism. A polarized process that
is lacking in civility would hinder deliberative discourse and not serve the
best interests of our nation.
As faith-based leaders and organizations, we call
attention to the moral dimensions of public policy and pursue policies that
uphold the human dignity of each person, all of whom are made in the image
of God. We engage the immigration issue with the goal of fashioning an
immigration system that facilitates legal status and family unity in the
interest of serving the God-given dignity and rights of every individual. It
is our collective prayer that the legislative process will produce a just
immigration system of which our nation of immigrants can be proud.
For a complete list of signers (national and local organizations, and
individuals)
click here.
|
|
As immigration bill
heads to committee, NALACC points out serious flaws
News release from the National
Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities
[6-5-06]
Los Angeles, May 30, 2006 – The
National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC)
expressed disappointment at the complicated Senate "compromise" immigration
bill passed in the Senate last week. The Senate’s immigration reform bill is
inhumane and unrealistic, and will foolishly fasten into law strategies that
have failed repeatedly to fix the nation’s broken immigration system,
leaders say.
In the coming days, senators will enter in further
negotiations with members of the House of Representatives, which passed the
harsh anti-immigrant HR 4437 in December. Several House members, including
Rep. Sensenbrenner, sponsor of HR 4437, have vowed to fight the legalization
measures in the Senate version and make sure the final outcome incorporates
all the so-called "border security measures of the House version. "We are
extremely dismayed by the immigration legislation that has come out of the
debates in both the House and the Senate," says Angela Sanbrano, Executive
Director of CARECEN in Los Angeles, and the President of the NALACC.
"The compromise put forth by the Senate divides the
immigrant community into arbitrary categories, and will separate millions of
families," states Mirtha Colon, a New York-based NALACC member. One third of
all immigrant families have a mixed legal status; while some members are
legal permanent residents or citizens, others are undocumented. Although the
bill passed by the Senate promises to allow several million people to
eventually apply for permanent residency, a large percentage of the
potential beneficiaries would not be eligible to apply due to technical
restrictions in the bill. Several of the amendments to the Bill, including
those that bar immigrants from being eligible for legalization if they have
an order of deportation or three minor convictions on their record,
potentially exclude a staggering number of hard working, tax paying
immigrants from attaining any permanent legal status. If the House of
Representatives were to further weaken the legalization program during the
reconciliation committee, the lofty claims of comprehensive immigration
reform could end in yet more empty promises from lawmakers.
In addition to lacking compassion, the Senate Bill also
suffers from a dangerous lack of practicality. Under the plan, nearly five
million immigrants who have been here for less than five years would be
required to leave voluntarily or would be deported. "It is unrealistic to
think that people will voluntarily leave their families and jobs. Instead,
it will only push them further into the shadows. Their deportation would
have serious consequences on the economies in the United States as well as
in their countries of origin," adds Sanbrano.
NALACC strongly disapproves of the immigration legislation
that has come out of the Senate and the House and calls on lawmakers to
think twice before enacting irresponsibly and hastily constructed bills for
political expediency.
NALACC is
a network of over 80 Latin American and Caribbean immigrant-led
organizations working to raise the quality of life in their communities,
both in the United States and in their countries of origin.
|
|
Senate passes immigration bill [5-26-06]
The Senate yesterday passed landmark but contentious
immigration legislation that would tighten security on United States borders
while allowing guest workers to enter the country and give millions of
illegal immigrants a path toward gaining US citizenship. The vote sets the
stage for a summer clash with House conservatives, who passed a starkly
different immigration measure in December.
The Washington
Post reports >>
Some are saying that in the end, no immigration bill
would be better than what’s likely to emerge from House-Senate conference
David Bacon writes that when the US Senate yesterday
passed its version of "comprehensive immigration reform," Senators from both
sides of the aisle claimed that despite the enormous controversy it has
generated, passing a bill with flaws was better than passing no bill at all.
Outside the beltway and its coterie of lobbyists, however, a groundswell of
community groups now argue that Congress would do better to pass no bill
than a bill that reconciles the proposal just passed by the Senate and that
passed last December in the House of Representatives.
Bacon is a California photojournalist who documents labor,
migration and globalization. His book The Children of NAFTA: Labor Wars
on the US/Mexico Border was published last year by University of
California Press.
Bacon's article >> |
|
Cultural diversity: punishment for sin or gift of God?
[5-26-06] Theologian Dr. Choan-Seng (C.S.) Song
argues from the story of the Tower of Babel that diversity is a divine gift.
He concludes his brief essay:
Cultural pluralism is a challenge to the arrogance of
any one human community. But more than that, our diversity is a God-given
means by which human communities correct and enrich one another. God
created cultural diversity, for our good.
For
the full article >> |
From the Presbyterian
Washington Office:
We Are America NATIONAL LOBBY DAY May 17
[5-11-06]
Dear Immigrant Rights Advocates:
Please continue to make your voice heard and help pass
comprehensive immigration reform by participating in the We Are America
Nationwide Lobby Day. Come to Washington, DC to meet with your Senators and
Representatives or engage them in your home state through visits, calls,
letter deliveries, etc.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 17th, 2006
WHERE: Washington, DC or your home state
WHY: To make your voice heard in the debate around
immigration reform
This is the first nationally coordinated event of the "We
Are America Alliance." With the Senate expected to take up immigration
reform again next week, it is more important than ever for our elected
officials to hear from us. A We Are America Rally will be held in
Washington, DC late afternoon also on the 17th.
If you are interested in coming to DC or your organization
plans to engage members of Congress in your home state, please fill out the
registration form so that we can amplify this national effort as well as
prepare for those of you who will come to DC.
Email the registration form to Kate Shaughnessy at
kate@cirnow.org. The schedule for the
DC Lobby Day follows:
DC SCHEDULE
9-9:45am Continental Breakfast and Packet Distribution at United
Methodist Building; 110 Maryland Avenue NE
10am-3pm Lobby Visits with Senate and House [all groups should schedule
their own visits. Talking points for lobby visits will be sent via a
separate email]
Please feel free to pass this announcement along to immigrant advocates who
may wish to participate in this Lobby Day.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
We Are America NATIONAL LOBBY DAY
May 17, 2006
Registration Form
DC LOBBY DAY: There is no fee to participate in DC, but registration
is required so that we can provide support. If you are attending as
part of a group, each group member must register separately.
OUTSIDE OF DC: If you are conducting visits or other types of member
engagement (letter deliveries, petition drives, etc.), please fill out
this form as well so that the effort can be amplified.
Name:
_____________________________________________________________________
Organization:
_______________________________________________________________
Group leader/contact person (if
applicable):________________________________________
Address:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Phone: __________________________________
Fax: ___________________________
Email: ___________________________________
Are you affiliated with a national
organization/network? Which one?
_______________________________________
With which members of Congress will you seek meetings?
Where? (DC or in-district)
Please e-mail completed form to:
Kate Shaughnessy
kate@cirnow.org
Or fax to: 202-223-9315 Attn: Kate Shaughnessy
You can select the form in
this box, and either paste it into an email note to fill out and
return,
or print it out and send it as a fax. |
A late update: There may be progress!
It appears that an agreement has been reached in the
Congressional stalemate on immigration issues. Senator Kennedy's
announcement is below. The Senate is expected to take up the issue again
next week. It is important to continue with advocacy activities, because no
bill or agreement is final until it has gone through debate and voted.
==========================
Statement by Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the leadership
agreement on immigration legislation
Washington, D.C. - May 11, 2006 – Today, Senator Edward M Kennedy released
the following statement on the leadership agreement on immigration reform:
"Today's agreement is a major step forward in our fight
for tough but fair immigration reform, and I applaud the leadership for
reaching a consensus. Business and Labor, Democrats and Republicans,
Religious leaders and the American people strongly support our plan to
strengthen our borders, provide a path to earned citizenship for those
undocumented workers who are here and put in place a realistic guest worker
program for the future. Now is the time to fix our broken system once and
for all and I'm optimistic we can get the job done."
###
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office
Presbyterian Church (USA)
202-543-1126 202-543-7755 (fax)
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002
eivory@ctr.pcusa.org |
|
Moderator Rick
Ufford-Chase comments on the immigration debate, out of his18 years of
experience on the border [5-3-06] |
The immigration debate: It’s really all
about race
[5-2-06]
The Rev. Eun-hyey Park, who lives and works in Louisville, KY, first wrote
this note on the PFJI e-mail network. (PFJI is the network of
Presbyterians for Just Immigration.)
One of the articles I ran across this morning was a compilation of opinions
from an interview with KY senators and representatives
on the online Courier Journal. Nothing much new, but it
was striking to see it put all together in one place for constituents to
see.
What struck me was how little my elected officials talked
about the dynamics of race, and the history of racism in "legal" immigration
policy in our nation's history (e.g. the Chinese exclusion act of the late
19th century).
To me, their voices seem representative of middle class,
White America. Yesterday, on the way back from the march, I was stopped by a
man who saw me with one of the signs we had made. He asked me, "So, you're
for illegal immigration?" He went on to say how he is for immigrants who
learn to assimilate, and don't insist on holding on to their "Hispanic
nation." Again, on some of the coverage of the May 1 rally on talk shows and
news last night, I heard one of the commentators saying how he was disturbed
at the celebration of differences in yesterday's rallies. He would much
rather have Americans celebrate what they have in common. In other words, to
be American, we have to act, talk and think like the dominant culture.
I have spent most of my life not paying attention to
sentiments like that, thinking that most thinking people could not really
agree. But after hours and hours and pages and pages of similar sentiments
expressed by a lot of the American public, I realize none of us, who
disagree with them, can afford to ignore those sentiments. Instead, I'm
going to have to spend more time understanding how they have come to their
conclusions, and how to help them see me as a human being/full person.
In the next twenty years or so, I hope to have figured out
how to engage people who have tuned out the voice of reason and faith with
regard to race issues and how they relate to immigration. Until then, may
God have mercy.
Eun-hyey Park |
To support immigrant rights –
Join May 1 Actions in your area
[4-28-06]National Farm Worker Ministry encourages
you to participate in ongoing marches and rallies to promote the rights of
all immigrants, including farm workers. A national coalition for
comprehensive immigration reform is calling for coordinated actions on May
1. It is important that a significant number of non-immigrant supporters be
visible at these events.
Check for related
actions in your area – and remember to wear white! |
Immigrant rights are being threatened -- but here's some help
[4-28-06]
There are reports from various places around the U.S.
about active police efforts to detain undocumented immigrants, visiting
factories, setting up highway check points, and more.
The ACLU has prepared very helpful pamphlets in English
and Spanish, offering information to people on "what
to do if..... You are stopped by immigration agents or police while on foot;
your car is pulled over by immigration agents or police; immigration agents
or police come to your home."
Download the flier in PDF format ...
|
|
PresbyAction Network: Immigration Bulletin
Immigration: In Christ There Is No East or West, In Him No North or South
[4-21-06]
More than a million people, mostly immigrants, have taken to the streets
recently to rally for a compassionate, respectful and comprehensive
immigration law. They carried signs that boasted: "We
are America;" signs
that asked "Do not
criminalize us" and
begged; "Do not
deport my parents."
There were more than 140 rallies across the U.S.
for a National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice. Protesters against the
pending harsh immigration laws chanted, "Today,
we march; tomorrow, we vote."
The anger of future voters has struck fear in
the hearts of politicians, on both sides of the aisle.
Not all the marchers are undocumented. Some are registered voters or will
be old enough to vote in the next Presidential election. Although the Senate
was poised to vote in the spring, the force of these protests may delay any
vote until after the fall midterm election. In the meantime, people of faith
can take time to reflect upon this issue from a theological perspective. As
quoted in the opening, ‘The
solution of one problem,’
i.e., the estimated 12 million undocumented
persons in the U.S., ‘brings
us face to face with another:’
Do we march all 12 million to the border and
push them out, or do we develop a path to citizenship?
The
rest of the report, including suggestions for action, and links to more
information >> |
|
Urgent
Alert from the Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
PresbyAction Network: Immigration Alert
Immigration: Politics Trumps Policy [4-11-06]
Take
Action!
Further demonstrations continue around the
country in the wake of Senate not voting last week. April 10th Rallies have
been called for in various locations. Go to
http://www.april10.org to see what continuing events may be happening in
your locality. This site will list future events as well. Your Members of
Congress are at home on recess for two weeks. Visit them in their district
offices. More >> |
|
Presbyterian immigration policy study guide
[4-6-06] As the debate on
immigration policy continues to rage in the U. S. Senate, you and your
congregation may find help in a study guide developed by The Advisory
Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), based on a Resolution Calling
for a Comprehensive Legalization Program for Immigrants Living and Working
in the United States, which was approved by the 216th General Assembly
(2004) .
Download
the 26-page document in PDF format >> |
|
More resources for dealing with immigration legislation
[3-31-06] Action Alert from the Presbyterian
Washington Office
For the latest in the rapidly shifting legislative actions
on immigration, our Presbyterian Washington Office provides a great deal of
helpful information: contacts, suggestions for action, background
information and more.
It's
all here >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Interfaith Worker Justice provides good resources for
use in congregations this weekend or next
What You Can Do To Support Humane U.S.
Immigration Reform Law, an action
bulletin insert
Remember the Immigrant,
a responsive reading
What Faith Groups Say About Immigration
Reform
Their message continues:
In addition, you can find
Celebrating immigrants,
an interfaith immigration service, on
our website.
Please take a moment using the attached link to
send a letter to your Representative and Senators urging
support for an immigration bill that supports a path to citizenship,
family unification and strong worker protections, and opposition to
punitive approaches that criminalize hard-working immigrants and people of
faith who support them.
The rallies of the past few days and the unwavering support of the
religious community has truly been inspiring. Let's continue to engage
members of our congregations. God bless you in this work.
|
|
If you care for immigrant rights, now’s the time
(again!) to be heard. Comprehensive Immigration
Reform Goes to Senate Floor. Make Your Voices Heard...Call your Senators
Today!
[3-29-06]
The Presbyterian Washington Office sends this, in
cooperation with other immigrant rights groups:
On Monday, March 27th, the Senate Judiciary Committee, in a
historic bipartisan vote, passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill
that begins to address our broken immigration system in a realistic and
humane fashion.
The committee's bill creates an earned path to citizenship
for the current undocumented population and new workers; provides a way for
future workers to safely migrate to the U.S. and work with labor and worker
protections; and addresses the family backlog so that families can be
reunited.
This significant and historic step forward would not have
been possible without the tremendous support and mobilizing of a broad and
diverse coalition of organizations and individuals from our faith,
immigrant, labor, civil rights, civic and business communities.
As the full Senate begins deliberating immigration reform
this week, we must continue to make our voices heard! Contact your Senators
today and let them know you support comprehensive immigration reform and the
Judiciary Committee bill.
Contact your Senator by calling (202) 224-3121.
Here is a list of Senators who voted with us on Monday;
they deserve a special thanks!
CALIFORNIA Senator Feinstein (202) 224-3841
DELAWARE Senator Biden (202) 224-5042
ILLINOIS Senator Durbin (202) 224-2152 KANSAS Senator
Brownback (202) 224-6521
MASSACHUSETTS Senator Kennedy (202) 224-5251
NEW YORK Senator Schumer (202) 224-6542
OHIO Senator DeWine (202) 224-2315
PENNSYLVANIA Senator Specter (202) 224-4254
SOUTH CAROLINA Senator Graham (202) 224-5972
VERMONT Senator Leahy (202) 224-4242
WISCONSIN Senator Kohl (202) 224-5653 and Senator Feingold
(202) 224-5323
############################
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office
Presbyterian Church (USA)
202-543-1126
202-543-7755 (fax)
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002
eivory@ctr.pcusa.org |
|
Jesse Jackson, as so often happens, puts the "immigrant
issue" in a wider moral perspective: Wage War on
Poverty, Not Immigrants
[3-29-06]
The only way to stop the flood of immigrants is to help
lift their standards up, rather than drive ours down. We can spend billions
trying to lock immigrants out and hold those that come in down. Or we can
devote energy and resources now wasted on a civil war in Iraq to help lift
our neighbors up, gain real trading partners and significantly reduce the
misery that drives people from their homes, writes Jackson.
Read his brief article >> |
National Action at the Capitol for true immigration reform
March 27, West Lawn of the U. S. Capitol [3-24-06]
From the Presbyterian Washington Office:
Presbyterians are welcome to come first to Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church
at 201 Fourth Street, SE. There will be coffee and doughnuts before the
group heads off together for the West side of Capitol and a prayer vigil at
11:00am.
We are expecting a large group of Presbyterians gathering and going to the
event announced below. The Washington office and the New Immigrant Ministry
of the PCUSA will be present to assist and give information.
March 27, 2006 @ 11 AM
West Lawn of the United States Capitol
Congress is on the verge of passing
legislation that will decide how immigrants will be treated for decades to
come. New laws are needed that will provide for legal immigration in a safe,
orderly and just manner.
Together we can influence our national leaders to pass laws that ensure
immigration reform that is comprehensive.
Join other faith-based and community groups as we call for:
Legalization and Path to Citizenship for
the Undocumented
Family Reunification
Humane & Just Treatment for Workers
DREAM Act
Immigrants Make America Strong!
Sponsors include the Center for Community Change, the Coalition for
Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
of Los Angeles, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, the Gamaliel
Foundation, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the National Capital
Immigrant Coalition, the National Korean American Service and Education
Consortium, the New American Opportunity Campaign, the New York Immigration
Coalition, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and more
For More Information, Contact: Julia Thorne, 888-728-7228, Ext. 5372 or
jthorne@ctr.pcusa.org
The New York Times on March 23 published a good article on the
difficulties being faced by Pres. Bush as he tries to reassert some
influence on this conflicted issue. |
| From the
Presbyterian Washington Office A call to support immigrants'
rights, by opposing Sen. Frist’s purely punitive immigration bill
[3-22-06]
For background articles, scroll down
this page.
Several advocacy organizations and
denominations are sending out this same information. Immigration continues
to be an extremely hot issue. It is an issue driven by the grass
roots--that's you out there. Bishops in the Lutheran and Catholic church
have asked if their clergy are at a risk of being labeled a criminal simply
because they give communion or food or shelter to someone who may be
undocumented. The answer is yes, if the punitive House bill is passed in the
Senate or if Senator Frist's version continues to be an enforcement only
bill.
We have shared the announcement
about the March 27, 2006 events. Because a number of Presbyterians are
expected to participate, we are trying to arrange a gathering place for
those who may want to come together . Stay tuned to our information and we
will give the location. In the meantime, you may want to call Senator Frist
- who is a Presbyterian - to share your concern for a compassionate
immigration approach.
If you are a resident of Tennessee , you may be able to
send an email to Senator Frist from the PresbyAction Center at
www.pcusa.org/washington. Just put your zip code
in the GO box to the right. (People from other states may try to use the GO
box to contact Senator Frist, but the Senator's email address may only
accept the message from those in his state. Many members do this
understandably, in order to hear from their own constituents. You are
certainly welcome to use it to contact your own Senators.)
================================================================
Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee made significant
progress in crafting a bipartisan agreement on an immigration reform bill
that addresses several key issues, including an earned path to citizenship
for the current undocumented population and future immigrant workers. The
agreement also includes strong worker protections. The Senate Judiciary
Committee will resume its debate and will vote on legislation on Monday,
March 27th.
While the Judiciary Committee members were working hard to
reach a thoughtful, bipartisan consensus on this complicated issue, Senator
Bill Frist (R-TN), Senate Majority Leader, bypassed the Committee and
introduced his own enforcement - only bill!
Let's make our voices heard and let Senator Frist know how
we feel about his push to enact enforcement-only legislation. Call Frist's
Washington and Tennessee offices on Wednesday and Thursday with a strong
message:
1. I OPPOSE Senator Frist's decision to bypass the
Judiciary Committee and put his enforcement-only bill on the Senate floor!
2. I SUPPORT a comprehensive and humane solution to our
broken immigration system. REAL REFORM includes a path to citizenship for
the undocumented population, family reunification, and a new worker program
that provides strong worker protections and a safe and secure way for
workers to come to the U.S. in the future.
3. I SUPPORT the work of the Judiciary Committee and they
should have as much time as they need to complete their work on this
critical issue.
SENATOR BILL FRIST:
Washington, D.C. 202-224-3344
Nashville, TN 615-352-9411
~~~~~~~~
National Action at the
Capitol for Immigrant Rights
~~~~~~~
March 27, 2006 @ 11 AM West Lawn of the United States Capitol
Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that will decide how
immigrants will be treated for decades to come. Criminalization of 11
million undocumented immigrants and those who help them could become law!
BUT immigrants and other reform-minded Americans together
can stop this anti-immigrant attack and turn the tide towards humane and
fair solutions.
Join us as we call for: Legalization and Path to
Citizenship for the Undocumented Family Reunification Worker Rights Civil
Rights & Civil Liberties DREAM Act
Immigrants Make America Strong!
Sponsors include the Center for Community Change, the Coalition for
Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
of Los Angeles, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, the Gamaliel
Foundation, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the National Capital
Immigrant Coalition, the National Korean American Service and Education
Consortium, the New American Opportunity Campaign, the New York Immigration
Coalition, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and more
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office
Presbyterian Church (USA)
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002
202-543-1126
202-543-7755 (fax)
eivory@ctr.pcusa.org |
| From the
Presbyterian Washington Office –
There’s still time to support immigration reform
[3-17-06]
This News Release, from the National Immigration Forum,
gives us an update of events in Washington related to the hearings and
status of the bills. The many phone calls, vigils and email from concerned
advocates across the nation seem to be working. Keep up the good work!!! It
looks like the issue will be around until March 27th and can still use the
voices of those who have not yet contacted their Senators. This is not the
time to ease up on the pressure. Your Senators may be in their home
districts to attend Saint Patrick Day celebrations. What better day to talk
with them face to face about compassion in immigration. There are many Irish
walking around Washington wearing T-shirts that ask for compassion in
immigration.
Again, if you have not contacted your Senator, you may do so through our
PresbyAction Center at
www.pcusa.org/washington Just put your zip code in the GO box on the
right. If you have contacted your Senators, pass this message along to those
who may not have.
================================================================
Turning Point Reached on Immigration Reform
May 16, 2006
Senate Judiciary Committee Moves Toward Approval of Comprehensive
Immigration Reform In Preparation for Upcoming Floor Debate
Washington, DC * Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee took a dramatic step
forward towards a comprehensive approach to immigration reform. Having spent
most of two weeks dealing almost exclusively with enforcement issues, and
faced with an arbitrary deadline imposed by Senate Majority Leader Bill
Frist (R-TN), today the Committee decided to take more time to complete its
deliberations, made significant progress on how to treat the 12 million
undocumented immigrants living and working in the United States, and
signaled a potential compromise on the issue of how to structure worker
visas for those admitted in the future. The following is a statement by
Frank Sharry, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a
pro-immigrant advocacy organization based in Washington.
Yesterday, we feared that Chairman Specter would allow the clock to run out
on the Senate Judiciary Committee's efforts to report out a comprehensive
immigration reform bill. It turns out that our fears were unjustified.
Today, Senator Specter stepped up to the plate and followed through on
asserting his Committee's expertise and jurisdiction on immigration reform.
His insistence that his Committee be allowed to complete its work makes it
much more likely that a comprehensive and effective immigration package will
be the starting point for Senate floor debate later this month.
Once he had made his demand for finishing the Committee process clear,
Chairman Specter moved quickly to make progress on the most important issues
remaining before the Committee: 1) the fate of the estimated 12 million
people already living in the U.S. illegally; and 2) visas for "future flow"
immigrants to be admitted legally in order to fill available jobs, within
realistic and enforceable limits and with robust worker protections.
As a result of today's discussions, it appears that there are bipartisan
majorities in favor of workable strategies on both fronts. On the issue of
the 12 million undocumented immigrants already here, Chairman Specter
signaled support for a bipartisan approach based on the McCain-Kennedy bill,
on the following condition: that undocumented immigrants who come forward
for earned legalization receive their green cards only after those waiting
in line outside the country. On the issue of how to structure a workable
temporary worker program, there are encouraging signs that a bipartisan
compromise may be at hand that would combine incentives for circularity for
those who want to come and work and then go home, as well as provisions for
a path to permanent residence for those who eventually sink roots in the
U.S.
Creating consensus on an issue more closely associated with conflict is a
great achievement for Sen. Specter. In the face of pressure from colleagues
and the media to short-circuit their deliberations, the Committee made a
decisive move towards creating sound policy.
###############################################
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office
Presbyterian Church (USA)
202-543-1126 202-543-7755 (fax)
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002
eivory@ctr.pcusa.org |
| Urgent alert from the
Presbyterian Washington Office March 9
– call-in day on immigration reform bill
[3-8-06]
The Senate debate on immigration reform has begun! The
Senate Judiciary Committee began consideration of Senator Specter's (R-PA)
draft bill ("Chairman's Mark") on Thursday, March 2 and will continue
reviewing and revising the bill on March 8, 9 and 16. The Chairman's Mark
has some very serious problems, including not providing a path to
citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, creating a permanent
caste of second class workers, and limiting due process and judicial review.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SENATORS HEAR FROM YOU! CALL
YOUR SENATORS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 9 and urge passage of a realistic, humane
comprehensive bill that contains a path to earned citizenship for the
undocumented population, extends labor rights and protections to all
workers, reunites families, and does not limit judicial review and due
process. It is especially important to call if your Senator is on the
Judiciary Committee!
You can contact your Senators' offices through the Senate
switchboard: (202) 224-3121. Toll Free: (888) 355-3588 (Note: This toll free
number may change without notice.)
You can also
find contact information for your Senators here >>
For a
list of Senators who serve on the Judiciary Committee >>
For updates and more
information >>
Visit this web address to tell your friends about this important action!
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office
Presbyterian Church (USA)
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002
202-543-1126
eivory@ctr.pcusa.org
|
| Oppose Anti-Immigrant Attacks Now!
[12-12-05]
From the Presbyterian Washington Office
What you need to do:
Please call your Senator and House Representative TODAY.
The message:
Oppose H.R. 4437. This enforcement-only bill is
anti-immigrant, unfair, and unjust. - I urge you to oppose H.R. 4437
during tomorrow's mark up in the Judiciary Committee, and in particular to
oppose Titles II ("Combating Alien Smuggling and Illegal Entry and
Presence"), IV ("Detention and Removal"), VI ("Terrorist and Criminal
Aliens"), and VIII ("Immigration Litigation Abuse Reduction").
House Switchboard: 202-225-3121 Senate Switchboard:
202-224-3121
You may also go to the
PresbyAction Center and compose your own message to your member of
Congress.
The House is expected to vote Wednesday or Thursday on the
bill authored by James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Peter King (R-NY), H.R.
4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control
Act. The bill was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee last week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ACTION ALERT: As reported last week, the
House Judiciary Committee has once again mounted a frontal assault on the
due process rights of noncitizens in this country by passing the Border
Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (HR
4437). Click
here to view the text of the legislation
or here to
view a section-by-section analysis of the most troubling provisions.
In short, this 170-page bill would criminalize unlawful presence; strip
judicial review; gut due process for aliens, permanent residents, and U.S.
citizens; broaden expedited removal; expand criminal liability to reach
family members, employers, and immigrant advocates; increase mandatory
detention; place unrealistic and counterproductive restrictions on
naturalization; expand the already overbroad aggravated felony definition to
reach mere unlawful presence; create new grounds of deportability and
removability; and militarize the border.
The full House is scheduled to consider and vote on this atrocious
legislation on either Wednesday (12/14) or Thursday (12/15) of this week!
Click
here to view the action alert and send a letter to your Members of
Congress. In conjunction with our coalition partners, AILA also is
organizing a day of action on Wednesday (12/14). Every single one of us
needs to call and write to our Members of Congress, making it crystal clear
that the vast majority of Americans adamantly oppose anti-immigrant
proposals that negate our constitutional commitment to fair process. More
information and specific instructions, including talking points, will be
posted to InfoNet soon. Additionally, AILA and our coalition partners will
run an ad in the major newspaper on Capitol Hill on Wednesday opposing this
devastating bill.
Get angry, get engaged, and make a difference now!
BACKGROUND--
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION PROJECT ACTION ALERT:
OPPOSE SENSENBRENNER'S BORDER PROTECTION BILL!
What is the "Border Protection" Bill?
House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner
(R-WI) introduced the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal
Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437), an enforcement-only bill that
threatens asylum-seekers, noncitizens, and their families. Before 9/11, many
in Congress agreed that Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) was so harsh, they were ready to "Fix
'96." This will goes further than the worst, most onerous provisions in
IIRIRA.
Status: In TWO DAYS the House Judiciary Committee will
review this bill. The bill will reach the House floor for votes NEXT WEEK.
House leadership is on a mission to pass this enforcement-only legislation
before the December 17th adjournment. This misguided and harmful proposal is
going to move rapidly through the House and WE NEED TO ACT NOW to prevent
its final passage!
What does the Border Protection Bill do? (A summary of the
bill is attached to this email.) The bill proposes several draconian
measures, only some of which are listed below. If passed, it would:
* Expand expedited removal to the interior, denying removal hearings for
noncitizens.
* Make unlawful presence in the United States a crime.
* Deny automatic review in the Circuit Courts, requiring that a single
Circuit Court judge first grant permission before the appeal can be filed.
* Make the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bar apply to everyone, not
only people who leave the U.S. This would have disastrous consequences for
people applying for green cards in the U.S.
* Deny voluntary departure to individuals who want to appeal to the BIA.
This would force any asylum seeker to give up her appeal if she wants
voluntary departure.
* Greatly expand the aggravated felony definition to include a broader
array of smuggling offenses.
* Bar asylees and refugees with aggravated felonies from becoming lawful
permanent residents.
* Overturns the Supreme Court's ruling in Leocal by making any noncitizen
convicted of three drunk driving convictions deportable.
* Expand several aggravated felony categories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This information is taken from several Immigration advocacy groups in
Washington.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory
Director, Washington Office Presbyterian Church (USA)
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Suite 410
Washington, DC 20002
202-543-1126
202-543-7755 (fax)
eivory@ctr.pcusa.org
|
| |
|
Some blogs worth visiting |
| |
|
Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog
for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship and activism,
Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the voices of
feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy, students,
exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers and
devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God in
whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
| |
|
Witherspoon’s Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, Witherspoon’s
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views, or initiate
a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
| |
|
John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical reflections on
everything between summit to shore, including kayaking, climbing,
religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology, politics, culture,
travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New York City and the
Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive New York City
Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the Witherspoon
board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian Church in
Flushing, NY. |
| |
|
John
Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently serving as
pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, Tenn., blogs
about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized and
disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and lightening
up. |
| |
|
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
| |
|
Plan now for our 2010 Ghost Ranch
Seminar!
GHOST RANCH SEMINAR
July 26-August 1, 2010
WE’RE
ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
CONFRONTING THE STRUCTURES OF INJUSTICE |
| |
|
If you like what you find
here,
we hope you'll help us keep this website going ... and growing!
Please consider making a special
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Click here to send a
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Or send your check, made
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