Religious organizations express
concerns for the rights and well-being of detainees and immigrants;
support release of information
An alert from the Presbyterian Washington Office
[11-20-01]
Check out a new warning and call for action in defense
of immigrant rights. [3-30-02]
Amnesty International has issued a strong
statement about the related threat posed by the President's declared
intention to use military tribunals.
[11-20-01]
The following letter has been sent to Attorney General
John Ashcroft by a number of major religious organizations, including
the Presbyterian Church (USA).
People concerned for justice and the rule of law may
wish to write similar letters to the President and the Attorney General.
Given the fast pace with which Washington is addressing immigration
issues, a telephone call might be the best way to respond.
Write to:
President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 202-456-1414
Attorney General John Ashcroft
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530
Phone: 202-514-2001
==========================
November 20, 2001
John Ashcroft
Attorney General
Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Mr. Attorney General,
We, the undersigned religious organizations, are
concerned about the treatment of US citizens, permanent legal residents
and other immigrants that has taken place since September 11. While we
recognize the need to make progress in the nation*s struggle against
terrorism, reports indicate that hundreds and perhaps even thousands of
individuals who have no relevant information have been arrested and
detained, causing serious disruptions to their jobs and family, and
sometimes resulting in deportation or indefinite detention. We are
extremely concerned by these reports, and the possibility that such
needless suffering will continue. We support the release of information
on those arrested and the circumstances of their detainment. We urge you
to use your authority to arrest and detain with care, in order to
minimize the disruption of innocent lives and ensure that racial
profiling does not occur. Finally, we ask that in your public statements
you regularly emphasize the importance of treating all who dwell within
our borders with dignity and respect.
At a press conference on March 2 of this year, you
said, "I don't believe anything that seriously undermines the trust
between significant components of the culture and the law enforcement
authorities can be a part of effective law." More now than ever,
the practice of racial profiling is a major threat to this trust.
Secrecy is another, for it encourages speculation, suspicion, and fear.
The ongoing lack of official information on detainees, combined with
numerous media reports of mistreatment and racial profiling, is making
it progressively more difficult for Arabs, Muslims, immigrants and their
advocates to trust that law enforcement power is being used
appropriately.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
On October 29, a coalition of civil liberties, human
rights and electronic privacy organizations filed a Freedom of
Information Act request for information about the individuals arrested
or detained since September 11. We support the release of information on
those arrested and the circumstances of their detainment, including the
length of detainment, charges brought against them, and if they have had
access to legal counsel. We agree with the ACLU that "some aspects
of this important investigation are necessarily and appropriately
confidential. But we also believe that specific information can and
should be released to assure the American public that the government's
investigation is both thorough and fair." While we welcome the
November 8th announcement that the Department will release information
on those held on immigration violations and those in federal custody, we
are disappointed that a total tally will no longer be given. We believe
that justice and the public's trust are better served by sharing more
information, not less.
USE AUTHORITY WITH CARE
Under the new USA/PATRIOT law (PL 107-56), immigration
and law enforcement agencies, and particularly you as the Attorney
General, have unprecedented power to arrest, detain, search, and
monitor. We urge you to use this authority with care, in order to
minimize the disruption of innocent lives and prevent racial profiling.
Reports suggest that innocent people, including US
citizens, have been arrested and sometimes detained for significant
lengths of time. While we understand that some innocent people will be
detained while their innocence is determined, we are concerned that such
a wide net is being cast that many more people than necessary will be
forced to endure the significant disruption in job and family life that
can result from such detention.
We are also concerned about the fate and treatment of
those being held because they did run astray of the law at some time in
their lives. We believe that all people - including those who have
committed minor legal or immigration violations - deserve basic civil
rights, including contact with their families, confidential access to
competent legal counsel, and regular due process protections. We urge
you to extend basic rights to those detained, even when the law does not
require it.
PUBLICLY SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS' CONTRIBUTIONS AND WORTH
Most immigrants are decent, hard-working people who
came to this country for its economic opportunities and political
freedom. Indeed, we are a nation of immigrants, and without this strong
work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, and love for freedom, the United
States would not exist at all. Immigrants are vital to our economic
prosperity and cultural richness.
We are concerned that the recent and ongoing focus of
law enforcement and policy on immigrants will exacerbate an
already-hostile climate for our nation's guests. Suspicion, fear, and
hate have already manifested themselves in the ugliest of ways, and
innocent people have lost their lives because of it.
To help prevent these horrible acts, and to keep
public opinion from turning further against immigrants, we ask that in
your public statements you regularly emphasize the importance of
treating all who dwell within our borders with dignity and respect. The
war against terrorism should not be a war against immigrants.
CONCLUSION
For more than 2,000 years leaders from a host of
religious traditions have called us to treat our neighbors as we would
be treated, and to judge our greatness by how we care for the most
vulnerable among us. This prophetic imperative is always most
challenging in times of tumult, but those are also the times when
heeding the call is most important.
The new law, other new enforcement regulations, and
the available reports of needless suffering clearly show that there is
significant room for improvement. We, the undersigned religious
organizations, have shared with you some of our ideas on how trust
between law enforcement and a significant part of society could be
better maintained. If we can be of service to you, please let us know.
Sincerely,
American Baptist Churches USA
American Muslim Council
Center of Concern
Church Women United
Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Episcopal Church, USA
General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church
The Interfaith Alliance
Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Washington Office
National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington Office
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
Cc: President Bush, Congressional Leaders
