Two takes on immigration

[7-25-07]

Many immigrants were legal only because there were no rules

Responding to the common argument against any move to grant undocumented immigrants some kind of legal status, that "my ancestors came here legally," Brian Donohue of the New Jersey Star-Ledger labels that line "utter hogwash."

In fact, he says, "for hundreds of years, as immigrants poured in by the hundreds of thousands from the 1600s to the early 1900s, there were simply no federal immigration laws to break. Unless you were a criminal or insane (or after 1882, Chinese), once you landed here, you were legal."

The full article >>

Thanks to Jonathan Nelson, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, NYC

And here’s a hopeful response to the needs of undocumented immigrants: one city is, well, providing documents!

New Haven, CT, is providing municipal ID cards "specifically designed to bring illegal immigrants out of the shadows and give them access to community services," regardless of their legal status.

The report continues:

"The simple straightforward purpose here is to build a stronger community," Mayor John DeStefano said. "You can't police a community of people who won't talk to our cops."

The mayor said the federal government had failed to address immigration-related issues, forcing cities to find ways to manage them. New Haven is simply acknowledging the people who already live there, he said.

"I think New Haven is doing something that makes sense for New Haven," DeStefano said. "Service to one another in community, more than waving an American flag, defines the spirit of our soul."

A new response to "the immigration issue" --

Sanctuary
Widening the Circle of Hospitality

[2-15-07]

Hospitality – the offering of rest and shelter to those who lie outside the circle of kinship – is a core value of every faith tradition. It could even be said that it represents the core of our humanity as well, since hospitality effectively transforms the "other" into family.

Sanctuary is perhaps the most significant form of hospitality – a welcoming of the rejected – people whose very humanity has been called into question. Sanctuary is the response of faith communities nationwide to the recent immigration raids that have resulted in the deportation of parents whose citizen children often find themselves on their own or sent to live with strangers.

When Tim Holt spotted Maria Rabanales of El Salvador lying still in the Arizona desert this summer, he believed he had a God-given duty to save her.

He forced water through the woman's swollen jaws and poured ice down her shirt. Border Patrol agents later took Rabanales to a hospital, where she was revived.

Holt was praised by Humane Borders, sponsored by First Christian Church of Tucson, where he is a volunteer. But his actions that June day might soon be considered a crime, punishable by up to five years in prison or property forfeiture, if a Republican-sponsored bill that passed the House along partisan lines on Friday becomes law.

The Presbyterian Washington Office urges people to call their legislators in Washington, to oppose H.R. 4437. This enforcement-only bill is anti-immigrant, unfair, and unjust to immigrants. 
[12-12-05]

An alert from the Presbyterian Washington Office

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

Phone: 202-514-2001

==========================

November 20, 2001

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

GA actions ratified (or not) by  the presbyteries   

A number of the most important actions of the 219^th General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries, confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.

We provided resources to help inform the reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.

Our three areas of primary interest have been:

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PVJ's Facebook page

Mitch Trigger, PVJ'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!

Voices of Sophia blog

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John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive

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