March 1, 2016

***Press Release***

Faith Leaders Tell ICE: Stop Immoral Tactics & Stay Away from Sacred Spaces

Sanctuary Movement leaders denounce deceptive tactics targeting man on church grounds

Español aquí

CHICAGO – Following their condemnation of immigration raids earlier this year, religious leaders are indignant at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s latest display of misconduct and abuse of power. Faith leaders are outraged that ICE

used a ploy to convince congregant

, Reynold Garcia, then praying at the Christian Pentecostal Center in Schaumburg, Illinois, to leave church grounds so they could detain and deport him. Faith leaders claim that Garcia’s case shows the deception and disregard that are the pillars of current immigration enforcement tactics.

According to fellow members of the congregation, ICE impersonated a local police officer, claimed that Garcia’s cousin had been in a car accident and urged him to leave church property to discuss the matter. ICE then convinced Garcia to go with them in an unmarked car, on the pretense of helping his cousin, only to detain and deport him hours later. This tactic was preceded by an ICE raid on his home the day before, resulting in the arrest and detention of his wife and two children.

Speaking on behalf of the pastoral team at the Christian Pentecostal Center, the Rev. Gerson Moreno said, “We are appalled by ICE’s behavior. They lied and used deceiving tactics to convince our brother Reynold to leave the safety of our church. The removal of the Garcia family has caused great emotional distress in our congregation and many fear for their families and friends. We continue to support the Garcia family and we request their case be reopened and that they be allowed back into the country.”

Since 2011, ICE has utilized policy guidance regarding operations at sensitive locations, including churches. In January,

national faith-based organizations issued a letter

reaffirming the importance of

ICE’s sensitive location guidance

and demanding ICE stay away from sacred spaces.

Earlier this year, Chicagoans shut down traffic outside of the Chicago ICE office, the regional ICE office which supervises enforcement operations throughout Illinois and other nearby states. Protesters highlighted the Chicago ICE office’s

consistent pattern of abuse and human and civil rights violations

. Reynold’s case was one of several grievances raised against the Chicago ICE office and its Regional Director, Ricardo Wong.

The Rev. Julian DeShazier, a faith leader with the Chicago Religious Leadership Network and pastor of a Sanctuary-offering congregation in Chicago, responded to the developments in Schaumburg from his church just miles away saying, “We are in solidarity with the Christian Pentecostal Center. Places of worship, as well as immigrant homes and communities, are all sacred spaces that must be off limits for immigration enforcement. As a faith community we are seeking answers from Director Wong for the immoral enforcement tactics stemming from his office. ICE began the year raiding immigrant homes, and now it’s coming into congregations. We must organize to stop the raids and hold ICE accountable.”

Nationally, Sanctuary Movement pastors are also speaking out against tactics that violate the sensitive locations policy. The Rev. Alison Harrington of Southside Presbyterian Church said, “It is not only unthinkable, but morally reprehensible that ICE would come after someone as they pray in their church. Our government has no right to impede on sacred spaces and the freedom to practice one’s religion. We echo demands that Reynold Garcia’s case be reopened and he be paroled in on humanitarian grounds.”

The Rev. Jim Rigby, whose congregation is offering Sanctuary to asylum seekers from Guatemala, Hilda Ramirez and her son, commented, “As congregations open their doors to the most vulnerable, we understand that all God’s children should be welcomed and given hospitality. We have a moral responsibility to do no less. We will continue to offer our halls to those who need them and will refuse to allow ICE to set even one foot on our grounds.”

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(Our offering/ofrenda and banner at the vigil / Nuestra ofrenda y pancarta en la vigilia)

(Español abajo)

On Tuesday, November 1st, CRLN and various immigrant welcoming congregations came together for the Detention Watch Network’s Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos National Week of Action.

Since 2003, 164 people have died in immigrant detention, including 10 deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this year alone.

On November 1st, CRLN, Wellington United Avenue Church, Organized Communities Against Deportation (OCAD), West Suburban Action Project (PASO), and the Latino Union of Chicago convened a vigil in front of the Broadview Detention Center to honor and remember the individuals that have died in immigrant detention.

We committed to continue to fight in the name of Jose Antonio Hernandez-Gomez who lost his life while in detention at Broadview in 2010. Along with communities and organizations all over the country, we demanded

1) an immediate review of the 10 deaths in ICE custody this fiscal year, and publication of these reviews by January 30, 2017 and 2) the immediate shutdown of LaSalle Detention Detention Center in Louisiana where 3 of this year’s deaths have occurred

. As we continue to organize against detention and deportations, the number of people locked

up in immigrant detention reaches a record breaking high. To learn more and for a summary of Chicago’s action, follow

@CRLN_LA

,

#StopTheCaging

, and

#EndDetentions

on twitter!

Join Us:

The issues we face today are immense, but together we are making a real impact in the lives of immigrant communities. We urge you to join us in our work. If you are interested in being a part of our immigration justice work, please contact Cinthya Rodriguez, CRLN’s Immigration Organizer, at

crodriguez@crln.org

for more information.

Vigilia para #StopTheCaging #NoMoreDeaths en el Centro de Detenci


ó


n Broadview

El martes 1ero de noviembre, CRLN y varias congregaciones que brindan apoyo y bienvenida a los inmigrantes se reunieron para la Semana Nacional de Acción de Día de los Muertos del Detention Watch Network.

Desde el 2003, 164 personas han muerto en detención de inmigrantes, incluyendo 10 muertes en custodia del servicio de inmigración y control de aduanas (ICE) este año solamente

. El 1ero de noviembre, CRLN, la Iglesia Wellington United Avenue, Comunidades Organizadas contra las Deportaciones (OCAD), el Proyecto de Acción de los Suburbios del Oeste (PASO) y la Unión Latina de Chicago convocaron una vigilia frente al Centro de Detención Broadview para honrar y recordar la personas que han muerto en detención de inmigrantes.

Juntos, nos comprometimos a seguir luchando en nombre de José Antonio Hernández-Gómez, quien perdió la vida durante su detención en Broadview en 2010. Junto con comunidades y organizaciones de todo el país, exigimos

1) una revisión inmediata de las 10 muertes en ICE en este año fiscal y la publicación de estas revisiónes antes del 30 de enero de



2017 y 2) el cierre inmediato del Centro de Detención LaSalle en Louisiana donde ocurrieron 3 de las muertes de este año

. A medida que continuamos organizándonos contra la detención y las deportaciones, el número de personas encerradas en la detención de inmigrantes alcanza numeros récord. Para obtener más información y un resumen de la acción de Chicago, siga @CRLN_LA, #StopTheCaging y #EndDetentions en twitter.

Únase a nosotros:

Los problemas que enfrentamos hoy son inmensos, pero juntos estamos produciendo un impacto real en las vidas de las comunidades de inmigrantes. Les insistimos que se unan a nosotros en este trabajo. Si está interesado en ser parte de nuestro trabajo de justicia migratoria, comuníquese con Cinthya Rodriguez, Organizador de Inmigración de CRLN, al

crodriguez@crln.org

para más información.

Washington D.C. – Following President Trump’s announcement today aiming to curb Sanctuary Cities, turn away asylum seekers, order the construction of a border wall, and increase harmful enforcement policies mark the start of our resistance. The National Sanctuary movement reaffirms its unwavering support for local jurisdictions with limited detainer policies and continued commitment to protect immigrants and refugees by opening their congregations to those being targeted by Trump’s policies.

Rev. Noel Andersen, CWS National Grassroots Coordinator,

said: “The Sanctuary Movement is growing stronger everyday, with more than 800 congregations strongly committed to protecting our immigrant brothers and sisters and standing with them during these trying times. The Sanctuary Movement has a long tradition of civil initiative, holding the government accountable to their own asylum laws. This is another case wherein numerous federal courts have found ICE practices to be unconstitutional when using detainer holds. We encourage all cities to hold true to the 4th amendment in our Constitution and keep their sanctuary policies intact–so that we can protect all members of our communities.”

Rabbi Jonathan D. Klein, Executive Director, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice: Creating a Just and Sacred Society



(CLUE)


said: “As the “America First President” and his xenophobic attempts to dismantle the spirit of our nation’s welcoming message, emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” people of faith throughout California utterly reject the politics of scapegoating any sub-community. Instead, we pledge

Sacred Resistance

to policies of divisiveness and

solidarity

with our fellow community members living in fear.  Rabbis, ministers, and other religious leaders have pledged to protect all human beings, regardless of immigration status, from the hate-filled Executive Orders that define this President’s first days as one of the least popular in history.”

Rev. Kenneth Heintzelman, Sr. Minister, Shadow Rock UCC

, said: “Shadow Rock UCC welcomes immigrants in need of Sanctuary in the spirit of the values that best represent the United States and our faith tradition. The values of hope, freedom, opportunity and justice support the immigrant story which is ultimately the story of all of us. President Trump’s actions, though draped with a thin cloak of patriotism, actually goes against the narrative of what it means to be a proud citizen that knows our history and what it means to be a person of faith who strives to love God and neighbor.”

Pastor Alli Baker, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ

a congregation who helped pass the Sanctuary city ordinance in Chicago is also currently assisting two asylum seekers added this comment: “On Martin Luther King Jr. day, we remembered his Vietnam speech, when he said, now is the time to ‘move past indecision to action.’ Today we must ask ourselves, before the requests come – what are we willing to risk to truly be a Sanctuary city/church/space?”

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Learn more about the National Sanctuary movement at



www.sanctuarynotdeportation.org

By: Ivanna Salgado, CRLN Immigration Organizer Intern

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Were the words that were screamed with much enthusiasm by several protesters and organizations on June 15th, 2017 to push the city of Chicago to amend the Welcoming City Ordinance with no carve outs.

In 2012, Chicago passed the Welcoming City Ordinance establishing guidelines on how Chicago police interacts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), meant to limit collaboration between police and ICE, and protect immigrants from deportation.

These words allowed for my tears to silently splatter the concrete floor in the “One Chicago” that was built through the violence against immigrants and enslaved people on these stolen lands. Over the years, we have forgotten this actual reality because it has been covered by narratives of white supremacy that have manipulated us into believing their truth is the only truth that exists.

In fact, the word “immigrant” itself is a construction of white supremacy, a system that has gained power after settlers immigrated to America to separate themselves from those who they would soon treat as inferiors. Then, the word immigrant became racialized and criminalized.

Being an undocumented immigrant is nothing to be ashamed of, but we have been trained to do so by hearing quotes like “In America we only speak English.” The irony out of this quote is that, America includes all of North America and South America. America itself is made out 33 Latin American countries, and English is not even the main language there.

Over the years, for me, being an immigrant has come with so much pride and struggle rather than with shame. Being an immigrant has taught me to explore my own identity and celebrate and understands the politics of the cultures of my immigrant friends.

Yesterday’s rally made me reflect on the families that are currently being impacted by the immigration system or who have been criminalized by police officers or ICE.

It is hard to feel proud when our families are being ripped apart. It is often regret that our families feel for coming to the U.S.

Just like the City Hall building that has been built through the exploitation of immigrants. Just like Alderman Rosa says “Chicago cannot claim it is One Chicago if it is not offering sanctuary for all of its residents and instead it is working with ICE to deport immigrants. The City Hall building belongs to us because we built it so we have a voice.”

*

I study in Ohio, and when I heard that Chicago was a sanctuary city my heart was filled with happiness and proudness because I am a Chicagoan. Ohio unfortunately is a swing state. However, I am disheartened to know that the city of Chicago is not the sanctuary city it displays to the public. Many immigrants are being criminalized and dehumanized for wanting to stay with their loved ones.

As I saw signs like “Sanctuary For All. No Exceptions.” or “La Lucha Obrera No Tiene Fronteras” uplifted at the rally, I was happy to know that many communities were on board and continued to fight. Because once we are done turning the city of Chicago into a sanctuary city with no loopholes,

are we really done?

What’s the next move? It is a long battle because in every other city there are undocumented communities fighting for the same cause, for our liberation, and we should be standing next to them fighting and screaming  “No Wall. No Registry. No White Supremacy.”

This ongoing battle that has been supported by a working group: Arab American Action Network, Asian American Advancing Justice- Chicago, Organized Communities Against Deportation, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Right,s the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Southwest Organizing Project, Centro  de Trabajadores Unidos – Immigrant Worker Defense Project, the Latino Policy Forum, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Enlace, the Hana Center, Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, Chicago Community and Workers’ Rights, the Latino Union of Chicago, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Communities United, and Black Youth Project 100.

Thank you to these organizations and individuals that been in solidarity with becoming a “Model Sanctuary City.”