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Our commitment to immigration reform calls us to raise our voices in defense of the voiceless and vulnerable immigrants in our midst. Ever since the downturn in the U.S. economy there has been an increase in backlash against immigrants. We have heard of workplace raids, detentions and deportations, as well as anti-immigrant legislation proposed and passed by local and state governments. The crackdown on immigrants has not only created a climate of fear and intimidation, but also prevents the immigrants from exercising their economic and political power.
Postcard Campaign
On February 1, Justice for Immigrants campaign reported that they received orders for over one million sheets of postcards (3 postcards to a sheet) from dioceses throughout the country. If you or your parish want to participate in the postcard campaign, please contact your local diocese in order to get involved. Spread the word! We need to send as many postcards as possible so that Congress knows how much support there is for legislation on immigration reform. Fifty-eight Sisters at Victory Noll sent postcards to our Senators and Representative.
Another way to participate in the postcard campaign is to go to the new JFI website at www.justiceforimmigrant.org to download the electronic postcard or send it online directly to your Senators and Representative. The website also includes an updated parish kit and other informational items for your use.
Human RIghts and Detention
Over 300,000 men, women, and children are detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) each year, and most of them have no criminal record whatsoever. Harsh immigration laws passed in 1996 violate the human rights of immigrants by using a policy of mandatory detention, denying them access to legal counsel and a fair hearing in court for immigrants in deportation proceedings. (Source: Detention Watch Network, at www.detentionwatchnetwork.org)
It is estimated that this year ICE will detain nearly half a million men, women, and children, which is more than six times the number held in detention just a decade ago. The rapid growth in the detention system has led to neglect and poor conditions inside facilities, such as grave inadequate health care, physical and sexual abuse, overcrowding, and discrimination. (Excerpts from “Immigration Detention; Evidence of a Government-Run System in Crisis” by Jacki Esposito, Fellowship, Vol. 75, No.10-12, Winter 2010)
On January 10, 2010, an article in The New York Times revealed the silence and cover up by officials in the deaths of immigrants while in detention. Despite investigations for years, it was only recently that documents obtained by The Times and the American Civil Liberties Union through the Freedom of Information Act got information about the 107 deaths in detention, counted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement since October 2003. These documents reveal the duplicity and deception by officials to cover up the facts that pointed to substandard care and abuse. This article cites several instances where deaths could have been prevented if the detainee had received prompt medical care. (“Officials Hid Truth of Immigrant Deaths in Jail” by Nina Bernstein,
The New York Times, January 10, 2010)
Children in Detention
About 8,000 children from Central and South America are apprehended each year trying to enter the United States without their parents. They are frequently led by smugglers, and many do not survive the long and physically dangerous trip. According to Tricia Swartz, Director of the National Center for Refugee & Immigrant Children, “those who do are often exploited by police, smugglers, and other adults. Yet these children risk their lives to come to the United States in the hopes of finding new parents, their own parents, or a life on their own.” There is help for these children. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has set up a nation–wide National Center for Refugee & Immigrant Children to provide comprehensive services and advocacy for these detained children. Check the website, www.uscri.refugees.org, for more information.
Pastoral Care Ministry
Sr. Francisca Olvera is in the process of receiving training to serve as a chaplain in the El Centro, California detention center. She will be working under the auspices of the Jesuit Refugee Services. JRA has chaplaincy programs in El Paso, Texas; Mira Loma, California; Florence, Arizona; and Batavia, New York. We are grateful for the opportunity for a Victory Noll Sister to be a caring presence among those who are being detained and assure Sr. Francisca of our support and prayer in this new ministry.
In Chicago, Sisters JoAnn Persch and Pat Murphy, members of the Sisters of Mercy, are largely responsible for legislation passed in Illinois to have pastoral ministry in prisons and detention centers. The law went into effect in June 2009, and the weekly visitations with approximately 250 undocumented persons at the McHenry County Jail are going very well. Pastoral visitations began at the Broadview Center on February 19, 2010.
Sisters JoAnn and Pat were part of the original planning group to establish “Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants, and continue to be a vital part of the endeavors of this group, as are our Sisters at the Julia Center. Sisters JoAnn and Pat were also instrumental in starting a prayer service outside the federal detention center in Broadview, the last stop before the detainees are deported. Every Friday for the past two and one-half years in all kinds of weather, the group, which has grown to nearly two dozen sisters, clergy, and other activists, prays the rosary and then boards the buses to bless the immigrants being sent out of the country.
On the Political Front
The U.S. Catholic Bishops welcomed the introduction of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP) by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) last December. Actually this is a resolution, not a bill, but as the Bishops said, “an important first step in the legislative process.” There are 70 co-sponsors of this resolution.
In the State of the Union address to Congress on January 27, President Obama stated that Congress should continue “the work of fixing our broken immigration system – to secure our borders, enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.” Later, Administration officials confirmed the President’s commitment to passing immigration reform legislation this year.
At the same time, both Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) confirmed their intention to address immigration reform this year. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), with whom Senator Schumer is working to draft a bipartisan bill, also made positive comments recently about passing immigrant reform. (Source: Justice for Immigrants website, www.justiceforimmigrants.org, Feb.1, 2010)
287(g) Programs
The 287(g) program is an initiative of the Department of Homeland Security that deputizes local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws. The program has led to racial profiling, damaged community policing practices and community security, and left crime victims afraid to ask for police protection.
Pope Speaks on Migration in New Encyclical
In his new encyclical, Caritate in Veritate (Charity in Truth), Pope Benedict XVI touches on migration at several points. He writes that as a result of mass migration, “we are facing a social phenomenon of epoch-making proportions that requires bold forward-looking policies of international cooperation if it is to be handled effectively.” Furthermore, he highlights the “significant contribution” that migrants give to their host countries through their labor and warns against treating migrants as a commodity.
For a more-detailed analysis of the new encyclical, go to www.justiceforimmigration.org or www.usccb.org and click on the Migration and Refugee services web page.
Resources on Immigration
There are many religious and secular organizations that are working for immigration reform. For more information, check the following websites on the Internet:
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition: www.interfaithimmigration.org
Send an email to bmefford@umc-gbcs.org for information on how to participate in a conference call on the first Monday of each month.
Another source of comprehensive information is “A Pastoral Letter on the Human Rights of Immigrants” by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor, Diocese of Little Rock, entitled “I Was a Stranger and You Welcomed Me…,” published in 2008. It may be downloaded from www.dolr.org for distribution, with acknowledgments. No further permission is required, but samples are appreciated.
Our Lady of Victory Missonary Sisters is an American Missionary Congregation founded in 1922 — serving the poor and oppressed in a personal, non-institutional way
+ Proclaiming the Gospel + Working for Justice + Empowering the Laity
