God loves migrants

Just found this article covering Christian support for migrant rights. It brightened my day, I hope it does yours. 

In a Sept. 27 statement, Bishop Gerald R. Barnes, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, said it was disturbing the U.S. hasn’t found “the will to humanely address” immigration. Here’s more from Bishop Barnes, according to a story in Catholic Online:

To compound matters, local jurisdictions have been pitted against each other, with some cities or counties passing anti-immigrant measures. State and local laws that seek to force migrants to leave the country by denying them the means to subsist not only violate human dignity, but undermine the common good.

I especially think it is worth going to this site, because the comment posts are so RABIDLY anti-migrant- it would be nice to put a couple of pro-ones up there.

Why would a congregation risk prosecution to provide sanctuary to an immigrant family?

This is exactly the question that Alexia Salvatierra, one of the leaders in the New Sanctuary Movement in a recent piece she wrote (posted below).

Civil Disobedience has been a part of movements for decades if not centuries. It is the act of moving outside of (i.e. breaking) an unjust law. The very act of disobedience brings to light the injustice and inhumanity of that law.

Sit-ins and lunch counters, Rosa Parks moving to the front of the bus, and other such simple yet powerful acts have shown the indecency of unjust laws and have called our society to change.

The New Sanctuary Movement is again bringing forth the injustice of our immigrant rights laws that destroy families and run our communities asunder.

It is not simply time to break unjust laws, it is time to break unjust mind sets, hateful ways of treating others, and wrongful practices that hurt us all. What do you think of the new sanctuary movement?

Sanctuary Breaks An Unjust Law
by Alexia Salvatierra

Why would a congregation risk prosecution to provide sanctuary to an immigrant family? Why would a pastor decide that people who have broken laws deserve protection, support, and advocacy?

When I was doing missionary work in Southeast Asia, I attended a service in a language that I didn’t speak. At a certain point, I discerned that they were saying the Lord’s Prayer. It was an amazing moment; I felt the depth of our connection as brothers and sisters in Christ, beyond all of our differences. When we got to the line, “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors,” I was struck by the insight that one of the deepest roots of our connection is the common experience of God’s mercy. While we were yet sinners … while we did not deserve forgiveness … before we had any capacity to repent … someone loved us enough to die for us. Someone had compassion on us—literally “com” (with) and “passion” (feeling)—someone felt with us, felt our pain as if it was his pain, our hopes and dreams as if they were his hopes and dreams.

Awakening the moral imagination

Last week I had the opporunity to attend the opening of the Liberty Hill Foundation’s exhibit, Strangers No More, a collection of photos from the 2006 marches in LA. Among the panelists were Son Ah Yun, Co-Director of FIRM, Angelica Salas, Executive Director of CHIRLA and Alexia Salvatierra, one fo the leaders of the New Sanctuary Movement.

All the panelists shared great insights into the stakes of the fight for immigration rights, but it was Alexia Salvatierra’s words that struck a particular chord for me. She put forth an important idea: awakening the moral imagination of America.

From the churches that offered refuge to immigrants at the turn of the century, to organizing efforts for rights and fair work conditions for immigrant worker in the early 1900’s to the first sanctuary movement of the 1980’s and today’s new sancutary movement, churches have played an influential role in awakaening the moral imagination of America.

Rights are not universal truths set down in stone from the dawn of time. They are values that we agree to and share communally. It takes time and work to establish new rights. The first step towards establishing rights is always IMAGINING the very existence of those rights. The critical turning point in a fight for rights comes when the larger public grows that imagination into reality by codifying those rights in governing laws.

Before change can happen, someone has to plant that seed of imagination - the new sanctuary movement is continuing to plant those seeds, and I am interested in learning more about others who are planting that seed. Do you have any stories to share?

Alexia’s words helped me remember that we may or may not get the immigration reform bill that millions of Americans and immigrants desperately need this year, but all of our fighting and lobbying and actions will not be wasted because we will have furthered the imagination of the Americans. We will have laid an even stronger foundation from which we can continue to grow the belief in immigrant rights.

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La Placita Church - a place of history and faith

Last week the Immigrant Organizing Committee, the governing body of FIRM, gathered in a church basement in downtown LA to discuss immigration reform, our June 19th action and share our experiences from fighting for immigrant rights. It was a typical IOC meeting, but not a typical church basement.

This basement had a whole community bustling right baove it. From a mission chapel, to beautiful church, service center, book store and courtyard where families could meet. We met in La Placita church, founded over 180 years ago- this church has been the anchor of the the burgeoning Los Angeles community from its inception. Generations of Angelinos and immigrants have turned to the church for refuge and assistance. When there were immigration raids at the turn of the century, workers would flee to the open gates of the church for safety.

Today, the La Placita continues it’s leadership and service as a part of the new sanctuary movement. Is your mosque, temple or church a part of the new sanctuary moevment? We’d love to hear your stories!

 convening our Immigrant Organizing Committee in the basement of La Placita Church in downtown LA. Some of you may know this church, but I thought it was worth sharing the story.

The Church covers an entire compound at the service of the community. From a beautiful mission chapel, to a community services center, pastoral office, and courtyard for families to meet, the Church is the heart of a community.

La Placita is one of the

Catholics Urge Congress to Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform

More Interfaith National News for Immigration Reform:

Catholics urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform

Washington DC, Apr 16, 2007 / 09:28 am (CNA).- Catholics from across the country will visit Capitol Hill this week and urge lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform that is in line with proposals presented by the U.S. bishops.

The march on Capitol Hill is part of an April 17-19 conference that will bring together social justice leaders, diocesan directors, and others active in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants campaign.

Mark Franken, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services office, will give the opening presentation. The theme for the gathering is “Offering Hope, Promoting Justice.”

Participants will share ideas, strategies and best practices for educating the Catholic community about key elements of the bishops’ immigration reform proposals.

The U.S. bishops have consistently advocated for comprehensive immigration reform that includes:

• An earned legalization program that allows undocumented persons to earn permanent residency
• A guest worker program that protects foreign-born workers and safeguards against the displacement of U.S. workers
• Family-based immigration reform that reduces waiting times for family reunification
• Restoration of due process protections for immigrants 
• Policies that address the root causes of migration.

Other speakers at the three-day conference, held at the Hilton Washington, include Kevin Appleby, the director of the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Policy office; Frank Sherry, the executive director of the National Immigration Forum; and Mirna Torres, the director of legalization and advocacy for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice in MA

Our momentum is building and we continue to work with allies in diverse sectors to push forward for immigrant rights.

I’m constantly inspired by the coalition and bridge building of our movement. In the face of raids, deportation and rampant fear in our community we are all working to continue to lift our voices in unison. The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition has been working very hard alongside countless partners in Massachusetts and throughout the Northeast to build a strong base for Immigrant Justice.

Last week on April 12th they co-organized a summit on immigrant justice. I’ve included the Press release below. For more information on the event and on MIRA’s organizing efforts visit HERE

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2007

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ali Noorani, 617-835-1402

Over 1,200 gather for Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice

Boston, MA – Today at the Massachusetts State House, over 1,200 immigrants and community leaders gathered for an Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice.  From communities across Massachusetts faith leaders came to join a chorus for immigrant justice.  Over 150 faith-based organizations and religious institutions endorsed the event.

Reverend Cheng Imm Tan of the Office of New Bostonians read in her invocation, “Fire our hearts to act with courage, protest if necessary to right the wrongs; Banish fear from our minds to proclaim loudly and clearly that justice, compassion and connection is the bedrock of security. 

Sister Tess Browne, Mistress of Ceremonies, opened the event saying “We are here today to hear from faith traditions on how we are called to treat one another, to educate on ways to strengthen the Commonwealth for all residents and to practice good citizenship.”

Sheikh Bsyouny Nehela of the Islamic Society of Boston remarked, “This meeting is a gift of God.  We gather here to help our government deal with immigrants in a just and fair way.”

Reverend Hurmon Hamilton of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church and Greater Boston Interfaith Organization said, “Beware of how you deal with strangers for they may be the angels of tomorrow.  Now we look at our Senate President, our Speaker of the House and our Governor, and they are the descendants the strangers of yesterday – Irish, Italian and African.  They are now the angels of today.” 

Kermit Dunkelberg of the Ludlow Area Adult Learning Center, who brought over 100 students from Western Massachusetts said, “This was a great experience for our students.  They met their legislators and a community of immigrant from across the Commonwealth.”