By: Ivanna Salgado, CRLN Immigration Organizer Intern
(Photo credit// credito de la foto: Mijente.)
CRLN continues to fight for meaningful and ongoing practices of sanctuary at all levels, from our congregations and neighborhoods to schools and city government. Taking the lead from BYP100 and Mijente nationally, we are working with other Black, Latinx, and im/migrant community organizations in Chicago to expand sanctuary.
Together, we call for real sanctuary that provides protections for ALL communities directly impacted by attacks under the current administration. While Chicago is publicly a “sanctuary city,” we believe that the current Welcoming Cities Ordinance does not go far enough to provide sanctuary for all residents. Chicago has a history of over-policing, racial profiling, and criminalization, which has led to Chicago residents being put in deportation proceedings and in the prison system, even when the police do not directly cooperate with ICE.
As Janae E. Bonsu, National Public Policy Chair for the Black Youth Project stated at last month’s press conference to #ExpanSanctuary:
“Sanctuary – as the city of Chicago had defined it – doesn’t go far enough. Until the mayor and city council shows a real commitment to ending the criminalization of Black and Latinx people in policy and practice, sanctuary will remain an empty word to our people.”
Instead, we imagine a city where communities of color and undocumented communities do not face violence from either the police or immigration agents. We imagine a city that directly challenges the larger systems of criminalization, mass incarceration, deportations and detention. Join us in calling for the city of Chicago to strengthen the ‘Welcoming Cities Ordinance’ AND to vote in favor of the ‘Recommendations to Fraternal Order of Police Contract Resolution.’
To learn more about this campaign, to get involved, or to reach out to your alderperson in support of these policies, please contact the CRLN Immigration Organizer at crodriguez@crln.org.
Alerta de políticas publics: #ExpandSanctuary en la ciudad de Chicago
CRLN continúa luchando por prácticas significativas de santuario en todos los niveles, desde nuestras congregaciones y vecindarios hasta las escuelas y el gobierno de la ciudad. Tomando la iniciativa de BYP100 y Mijente a nivel nacional, estamos trabajando con otras organizaciones comunitarias, AfroAmericanas y negras, Latinx, y migrantes en Chicago para expandir el concepto de santuario.
Juntxs, pedimos practicas de santuario reales que proporcionen protecciones para TODAS las comunidades directamente afectadas por los ataques de la actual administración. Mientras que Chicago es públicamente una “ciudad santuario”, creemos que la actual ‘Welcoming Cities Ordinance’ (Ordenanza de Ciudades de Acogida) no va lo suficientemente lejos como para proporcionar un santuario para todos los residentes. Chicago tiene un historial de policiamiento excesivo, discriminación racial y criminalización, lo que ha llevado a los residentes de Chicago a ser sometidxs a procedimientos de deportación y al sistema penitenciario, incluso cuando la policía no coopera directamente con ICE.
Como dijo Janae E. Bonsu, Presidenta Nacional de Políticas Públicas para BYP100 en la conferencia de prensa del mes pasado para #ExpandSanctuary:
“Santuario – como la ciudad de Chicago lo ha definido – no va lo suficientemente lejos. Hasta que el alcalde y el ayuntamiento demuestren un compromiso real para poner fin a la criminalización de la gente negra y latina en la política y la práctica, el santuario seguirá siendo una palabra vacía para nuestra gente.”
En cambio, imaginamos una ciudad donde las comunidades de color y las comunidades indocumentadas no se enfrentan a la violencia ni de la policía ni de los agentes de inmigración. Imaginamos una ciudad que desafía directamente a los sistemas más amplios de criminalización, encarcelamiento masivo, deportaciones y detención. Únase a nosotros llamando a la ciudad de Chicago para fortalecer la ‘Welcoming Cities Ordinance’ Y votar en favor de las Recomendaciones a la Resolución de Contratos de la Orden Fraternal de Policía (‘Recommendations to Fraternal Order of Police Contract Resolution’).
Para obtener más información sobre esta campaña, para involucrarse o para comunicarse con su consejo local en apoyo de estas políticas, comuníquese con la organizadora de inmigración de CRLN en crodriguez@crln.org.
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?”