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CRLN Statement on DACA Rescission: “President Trump Moved By Racism & Xenophobia”
“
It is a shame that President Trump was moved by racism and xenophobia to put an end to the DACA Program, leaving 800,000 young people and their communities in uncertainty. Those DACAmented individuals contribute in ways that go without saying to our beloved community. We are in solidarity with our DACA siblings and we will continue to fight with them for meaningful access to justice and opportunities to obtain legal status and legal protection for immigrants. We will continue to call attention to the connections between the attacks on DACA, local ICE abuses, and the overall picture of how much money Congress appropriates to the detention and deportations machine
.”
Claudia Lucero, Executive Director
Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America
#ProtectionForAll #Sanctuary4ALL #Faith4DACA
What you need to know //
Lo que necesitas saber (en español)
Join CNSC in this National Immigration Day of Action! On Sunday March 10th, the Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) will be holding the fourth
National Coming Out of the Shadows Day: Out of the Shadows Into the Streets
. First, join us for a march from Union Park starting at 11 AM. IYJL will meet in Federal Plaza at 12:30 PM for pre-rally music with Quinto Imperio, poetry, and a drum performance by the Korean American Resource Center.
At 1 PM, marchers coming from Union Park will be welcomed, and the story-sharing will begin. This year, those ‘coming out of the shadows’ will not only include youth and students, but also relatives of those in detention, immigrants facing deportation, and children whose parents have been deported, as we say together that DEPORTATION, DETENTION, and DACA will not stop us. Come be part of this National Mobilization as we keep fighting for a Compassionate and Comprehensive Immigration Reform!
Also, check out our Immigrant Welcoming Congregations Gathering Story at this
link
. Thank you for all those who supported this event. To find out how to get involved in the push for immigration reform contact us at
773-293-3680
.
Launching the Campaign to End the Gang Database & #Faith4DACA in DC!
Last Thursday, CRLN joined OCAD, BYP100, Mijente, and other organizations as a part of the coalition to Expand Sanctuary in Chicago to call for an end to the gang database in Chicago. The campaign, calling for a review of Chicago policies to strengthen protections for those targeted by Trump administration, began focusing on expanding the Welcoming City Ordinance, Chicago’s Sanctuary city policy, to be consistent with respecting all immigrant’s constitutional rights and requiring a warrant for all police interaction with immigration enforcement. However, despite support from the ACLU of Illinois and dozens of immigrant rights and civil rights organizations in Chicago, the Mayor and City Council have failed to make the necessary changes to Chicago’s ordinance.
A few days later, Claudia Lucero, Executive Director of CRLN,
joins faith leaders from throughout the country in D.C.
to rally in support of defending DACA. As a part of today’s delegation,
CRLN joined prophetic witnesses from many regions
to call on Congress to defend DACA, while at the same time fighting for protections for all immigrants, voting no to billions of dollars to expand the immigration enforcement machine, and call for accountability from local ICE offices.
Today and everyday, we learn from and take the lead from our DACAmented & UnDACAmented immigrant siblings:
”
To all those that ask how to help and who say they stand with us:
The continued attacks affect
our
daily lives in tangible, material ways. We organize because our lives are completely political. We live the struggle, because this country has denied our humanity due to the circumstances of our births. When we step out to recharge, we are doing so to come back stronger leaders.
No immigrant should have to meet any criteria to gain your support.
Our humanity is enough to garner solidarity.
We do not need your “solidarity” if it means throwing us and our families under the bus for personal or political gain or providing a resume of contributions we’ve made to the country to garner support. We do not need your solidarity if it defends white supremacy. We do not need your solidarity if you are not centering our lives, our struggles, and our voices.
It is time for a new kind of solidarity.
To be an accomplice, start by asking yourself:
-
Will you set up human chain blockade if they try to deport one of us?
-
Will you slash the tires of a law enforcement vehicle when they try to come for us?
-
Will you help us post bail if we or another undocumented community member is apprehended?
-
Will you move aside and offer your seat on a immigration panel to an actual immigrant?
-
Will you hire undocumented workers ?
-
Will you fight against the forced migration that gentrification inherently creates?
-
Will you provide shelter and sanctuary to immigrants fighting deportation orders?
-
Will you finally shatter any notion that the American Dream is something real?
-
Will you demand that the shadow economies we have built become decriminalized?
-
Will you listen to us, and follow our lead?
We are the protagonists of our own story. It is not yours to tell. Offer donations, scholarships, jobs, and political connections to get resources and to stop deportations.
Whatever the next steps may be, let’s make sure to learn from the movement lessons of the past and lead with our heads held high. We have been here before. It is up to us to decide what our future will be.
Sincerely,
Immigrant Womxn of Color”
—
Additional information on what you need to know now that DACA is ending is available in
English
and
Spanish
.
Please visit ICIRR’s
Events page
for a listing of upcoming DACA information sessions and workshops.
Please visit ICIRR’s
Protection page
for links to legal, mental health, and other community resources.
You can text “DACA” to (630) 524-4106 to get more information regarding legal and community resources near you.
ACTION ALERT: Now is the time!
Call Your Senators EVERY DAY until Immigration
Reform Passes!
Call
1-866-940-2439
(or
202-224-3121)
Feel free to use this sample script:
“I am from [City, State, Congregation], and as a person of faith, I urge the Senator to vote YES for the bipartisan immigration reform bill. I urge the Senator to protect the refugee and asylum provisions from negative amendments, and to support amendments that would reunite families, reform enforcement practices to be more humane, and make the path to citizenship more accessible.”
Background:
The Senate will be considering amendments to the bipartisan immigration reform bill as early as
Monday, June 10th, and voting on the bill in late June. Key amendments will be
considered regarding who is eligible for the path to citizenship, social
services available to immigrants, intrusive enforcement practices and border
militarization, and changes that could negatively impact refugees and asylum
seekers. We need 60 votes to pass positive amendments; 41 votes to defeat
negative amendments; and a final 60 votes for immigration reform to pass in the
Senate.
Amendments will be considered very quickly, so it’s important that your Senators hear from you NOW and EVERY DAY until the Senate passes immigration reform! Your Representatives
also need to hear from you, as many worry that the House will not support a
pathway to citizenship for our undocumented community members. You can find
your Senators and Representatives’ direct contact information at
www.senate.gov
and
During the amendment process, we made more than 3,000 calls, and were a big part of
defeating the worst amendments and gaining modest improvements to the bill. We
need to escalate the number of calls made during the upcoming debate and vote
on the Senate floor. ALL Senators must hear from their constituents who support
immigration reform that reform must prioritize family unity and create a clear
and accessible pathway to citizenship.
Call
1-866-940-2439
to be connected with your Senators.
Feel free to use this sample script:
“I am from [City,
State, Congregation], and as a person of faith, I urge the Senator to vote YES
for the bipartisan immigration reform bill. I urge the Senator to protect the
refugee and asylum provisions from negative amendments, and to support
amendments that would reunite families, reform enforcement practices to be more
humane, and make the path to citizenship more accessible.”
Follow @CRLN_LA on Twitter and “like” the CRLN-Chicago Religious Leadership
Network on Latin America or Chicago New Sanctuary
Coalition on Facebook to receive the most up-to-date alerts on amendments being
considered in the Senate floor debate. Find Your Senators’ Twitter names on their websites
http://www.senate.gov and urge them to vote YES on S.744 by tweeting @[their twitter
name].
Ex: “@Sen_JoeManchin As a
West Virginian & person of faith I urge you to support #pathtocitizenship #immigration
reform #cir”
Also, consider writing
a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in support of immigration
reform, urging your Senators and Representatives to be champions for family
unity, refugees and asylum seekers, a pathway to citizenship, and more humane enforcement
practices. Host prayer vigils and other faithful actions near your Senator or
Representatives’ office, and get your community involved by writing letters and
spreading this alert far and wide. For resources and more information, go to
www.crln.org.
|
|
|
Action Alert: Calls Needed TODAY, Thursday, June 20
The Senate will continue to vote on amendments to the bipartisan immigration bill S.744 today, Thursday, June 20th. Yesterday your calls make were successful! Paul #1200 which was tabled, which would have hurt refugees and delayed the path to citizenship, and Lee #1208 failed, which would have delayed the path to citizenship.
Please call TODAY and keep calling to defeat negative amendments and win sensible improvements to the bill!
Call
1-866-940-2439
to be connected with your Senators.
You can also call the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 or find Senators’ direct lines at
http://www.senate.gov/
Feel free to use this sample script:
“I am from [City, State, Congregation], and I support
immigration reform.
As a person of faith, I urge the Senator to vote
NO
to
amendments sponsored by Senators
Cornyn, Inhofe, Cruz, Rubio,
Fischer, Grassley, Wicker, and Sessions
,
which would expand detention,
significantly delay the path to citizenship, and prevent many of our community
members from accessing the path to citizenship.
I also ask the Senator to
SUPPORT Senator Hirono’s
amendment #1403
to help women and families access the visa system, and
Senator Boxer’s #1240
to ensure training for all officials along the
border.”
OPPOSE AMENDMENTS THAT
WOULD EXPAND DETENTION AND DELAY THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP
SENATOR CORNYN’S “RESULTS” AMENDMENT #1251
would mandate unreasonable triggers that could inevitably
delay the path to citizenship and increases enforcement costs without a clear
strategy and purpose. The Department of Homeland Security would have to ensure
100% situational awareness of the border, full operational control, and fully
implement a nationwide employment verification system and biometric entry and
exit system at all air and sea ports of entry. This would cost around $24
billion, mostly for adding 10,000 officer and agents. These are extremely high
costs lacking clear justification. Cornyn may file another amendment to be
considered today that would narrow who is eligible for the path to citizenship.
SENATOR INHOFE’S AMENDMENT #1203
would radically expand immigration detention, including arriving asylum seekers
and longtime lawful permanent residents with misdemeanor offenses, and remove
basic due process. It would extend mandatory detention to individuals with old
convictions who have been free for years and leading productive lives, and
would bar Immigration Judges from ordering the supervision of immigrants on
secure and cost effective alternatives to detention. It would also authorize
the indefinite-or potentially lifelong-detention of broad categories of people,
without meaningful judicial review.
SENATOR CRUZ’S AMENDMENT #1320
would
replace current border provisions with more burdensome requirements and delay
the processing of applications for RPI status until these border security
requirements are met.
OPPOSE AMENDMENTS THATWOULD PREVENT MANY FROM ACCESSING THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP
SENATOR RUBIO’S AMENDMENT #1225
AND
SENATOR FISCHER’S AMENDMENT #1348
would
require individuals to pass the English and civics exam currently required for
citizenship in order to even receive RPI status (Fischer #1348) or adjust to
LPR status (Rubio #1225). These amendments would restrict many of our community
members from accessing RPI and LPR status, and thus prevent them from
sponsoring their family members for reunification. The standard currently set
in the bill, to allow people in RPI status to adjust to LPR if they
are “satisfactorily pursuing a course of study…to achieve an
understanding of English and knowledge and understanding of the history and
Government of the United States” should remain, so individuals can adjust
to LPR and continue learning English to prepare for the citizenship exam.
SENATOR GRASSLEY’S AMEDNMENT #1299
would bar individuals who have been a member of a gang from entering the U.S.
or, for those who are here, pursuing the path to citizenship. It would expand
the term “criminal gang” to mean an ongoing group, club,
organization, or association of 5 or more persons that has as 1 of its primary
purposes 1 or more criminal offense”. This could prevent access to the
path to citizenship for many individuals who were members of gangs in their youth
but who have changed their lives and are contributing members of our
communities.
SENATOR WICKER’S AMENDMENT #1229
would revoke RPI status from someone who
leaves the U.S. for more than 180 days, utilizes Federal means-tested benefits,
uses a fraudulent document, or is no longer eligible for such status. This
could prevent people from traveling to see a sick family member and or from
finding health services for their children.
SENATOR SESSIONS’ AMENDMENT #1334
would change in the definition of “aggravated identity theft” from
the possession of the identification “of another person” to the
possession of identification “that is not his or her own”. This would
eliminate the ability of many immigrants who have used fake documents to get by
from ever applying for RPI status.
SUPPORT AMENDMENTS TO HELP WOMEN, FAMILIES AND BORDER COMMUNITIES
SUPPORT SENATOR HIRONO’S AMENDMENT #1403
to help women and families enter through the merit-based system.
This amendment is sponsored by 12 women senators, including Senator Murkowski
(R-AK).
SUPPORT SENATOR BOXER’S AMENDMENT #1240
This amendment
would require that all National Guard and Coast Guard officials who are
stationed along the border receive the same training programs in immigration
law enforcement, vulnerable populations, and responding to children and victims
of crime. The current bill requires this training for border patrol agents, but
leaves out these National Guard and Coast Guard officials. Everyone patroling
the border should be specifically trained in these issues.
Find Your Senators’
Twitter
names on their websites (
http://www.senate.gov/
) and urge them to support positive
amendments and oppose negative amendments by tweeting @[their twitter name].
Ex:
”
@
Sen_JoeManchin
As a WV person of faith I
support
#
immigrationreform
.
Please oppose Grassley #1195 which would delay
#
pathtocitizenship
#
cir
”
All amendments filed can be found at
http://1.usa.gov/14im8Gp
. Please note that this list takes time
to update, so it is possible that amendments being considered may not appear at
this link until 24 hours after they have been filed.
