More about Shattering Families

From Colorlines, the national magazine on race and politics: "As parents are detained and deported, an increasing number of kids are stuck in the foster care system, with little hope of reuniting with their mothers and fathers. It's an injustice that hurts everyone."



See Juan Martinez on this topic here.

We append the following disclaimer on all posts: “Please note that the views expressed by guest bloggers represent their own personal views, and not necessarily those of everyone associated with Loving the Stranger or any institutions with which the blogger may be affiliated.”

A society that does not believe in the family

On November 3, 2011 a report on the status of U.S.-born children whose parents have been detained or deported by immigration agents was released (Shattered Families). According to this study, there are more than 5,000 American children who are in foster care and are unable to be reunited with their detained or deported parents. Of course, this figure does not include children who have been left in the custody of relatives due to deportations and detentions. This situation has become increasingly more problematic, because the U.S. Government has increased the number of deportations and detentions to record-breaking levels.

These children are U.S. citizens, so they cannot be deported. However, the system is practically turning them into orphans. The anti-immigrant argument of some is that these children are “anchor babies”, an attempt by their parents to guarantee that they can permanently stay in the country. However, the “anchors” are clearly not working—the children’s undocumented parents are unable to stay. What this situation is doing is leaving these children adrift. According to congressman Jose Serrano, New York representative, if this situation is not corrected, these children may have to be adopted by other families. 

The immigration system also has a lot of undocumented minors detained. These children crossed the border without their parents, often with the goal of being reunited with their parents who are living in this country. These children are being detained, without the possibility of meeting up with their parents. Some of them are in a legal state of limbo, as their undocumented parents are afraid of trying to come claim them.

This situation is particularly painful for me personally, because many of the people who are against fair and comprehensive immigration reform claim to be in favor of  “family values.” However, they don’t want exceptions to exist to the deportation policy that would take into consideration the situation of children born here in the United States. It’s even more sad that many of these people are Christians who get angry when the political and social policies of this country attack the family. But it’s clear that their perspective only applies to certain families…not to poor or immigrant families.

It’s time to call our sisters and brothers who support policies that separate families and leaves children at the mercy of government systems to repentance. If we really are pro-family, it’s time for us to show this at all times, in all circumstances. It’s time for us to look for a fair solution to the issue of undocumented people and their children who have been born or raised in this country. If we are not prepared to work for them, then it’s time for us to recognize that we are not pro-family, to recognize that our politics are more important to us than our family values. 

Dr. Juan Martinez  is associate provost for diversity and international programs and associate professor of Hispanic studies and pastoral leadership at Fuller Seminary. Since coming to Fuller in 2001, Dr. Martínez has also served as director of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community. Among other topics, his current research focuses on the history of Latino Protestantism, Latino Protestant identity, ministry in Latino Protestant churches, and Latino and Latin American Anabaptists.  

This article was originally posted at Caminando con el Pueblo, Protestant Digital and is cross posted at Sojourners' God's Politics Blog. Translation by Loving the Stranger blogger David Schmidt. 

We append the following disclaimer on all posts: “Please note that the views expressed by guest bloggers represent their own personal views, and not necessarily those of everyone associated with Loving the Stranger or any institutions with which the blogger may be affiliated.”

Profits, Slavery and the Law

 A woman came to our job program office and said she risked everything to be there that day. She was not allowed to leave her job in a sewing factory south of downtown. She was given a place to sleep inside the factory. She worked when she was awake.

An ICE officer tells a group of students on a tour of downtown that the neighborhood they are in is notorious because of the immigrants who are forced to work to pay for the services provided to get them to this country when they were brought here with the offer of a job. Law enforcement has few or no tools to change what is going on.

A teen in a church youth group tells one of the leaders that he was offered a job in the United States by another youth in his Costa Rican hometown if he would just go with him north--a trip that included riding on top of trains and being smuggled across multiple international borders. When he arrived in the United States he was given a package of drugs to sell. If you refused, the penalty would be death.

Slavery in the US exists and is fueled by a lack of reasonable laws to protect the vulnerable. What intellectual capital do you bring to help the situation?


Solutions to this will come with reasonable laws and structures that will make slavery less profitable and value people regardless of their origin. What can you do to stand up for the most vulnerable?

HT to Jubilee a nonprofit band for posting the video.

We append the following disclaimer on all posts: “Please note that the views expressed by guest bloggers represent their own personal views, and not necessarily those of everyone associated with Loving the Stranger or any institutions with which the blogger may be affiliated.”

Bernard's Story

The first time I heard about Bernard Pastor and his story was from Troy Jackson, a pastor in Cincinnati, Ohio. Bernard was in custody at that time and there were very few precedents of these stories turning out well. The narrative did turn out well in this situation. But the whole story has not has not yet played out. I share this because of its similarity to hundreds of youth who I have known in the last 20 years. It illustrates the need for justice, compassion, the DREAM Act, and Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

This is the story of how one community changed a young man's life. You can learn more about what happened with Bernard, his faith community and his larger community at this website and video. What follows here is a short introduction.

Bernard's Story from Bernard's Story on Vimeo.


We append the following disclaimer on all posts: “Please note that the views expressed by guest bloggers represent their own personal views, and not necessarily those of everyone associated with Loving the Stranger or any institutions with which the blogger may be affiliated.”

What's so wrong about "Secure Communities?"

By Robert Chao Romero

Since the horrific terrorist attacks of 9/11, the United States government has continually criminalized undocumented immigrants as scapegoats for the "war on terror."  ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was created in 2003 through a merger of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and sections of the U.S. Customs Service, and it's stated mission is to "promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration."  Even though none of the perpetrators of 9/11 were undocumented, ICE has systematically targeted undocumented immigrants and their families for deportation over the past decade.  In the past two years alone, nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants have been deported.  Latino, Asian, and other immigrant groups have become scapegoats in the war on terror. 

Seven DREAMers Arrested in San Bernardino

ICE Threatens Deportation of Seven Undocumented Youth Arrested at Protest

IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES THREATEN THE 7 UNDOCUMENTED YOUTH WITH DEPORTATION 

 

Pasadena, CA – Earlier this morning the seven undocumented youth arrested at a sit-in near the San Bernardino Valley College yesterday were all released.  The seven rallied earlier in the day asking local police to stop cooperating with ICE programs.  Jonathan Perez, one of the youth arrested stated: “We are coming out of the shadows to protest programs that target undocumented people, programs like 287(g) and Secure Communities.  Local police should not be enforcing or collaborating with ICE, it creates a mistrust in the community and it needs to stop right now.” After sharing their testimonies the youth staged a sit-in, with over 200 supporters surrounding them, the 7 youth were arrested.

“We spent much of the night in booking, at one point ICE came in and interviewed us.  We thought we were going to get detained like most undocumented people who go through these jails, however we were not detained for some reason,” said Martha Vazquez, 22. ICE authorities threatened they may still get involved.

 Ju Hong, 21, one of the seven, risked arrest in an effort to empower his community, “I took action because I want to encourage all Asian American undocumented youth to come out of shadows and fight. In this critical time, we must stand united and continue to take a risk in order to push for the fair and humane immigration reform to our community.”  More about his story, a senator elect to the Cal Berkley Associated Students is in the Daily Californian. 

Two of these students, Jonathan Perez and Martha Vasquez, was part of the delegation that went to California Senator Ron Calderon's office  on July 6th, 2011 to talk about the concerns we all have about enforcement without any concern for a path to normalized immigration status. I posted about that experience here. Another DREAMer that I met in Pasadena a while back, Isaac Barrera was arrested. I am using his photo below. 

More information about the action at San Bernardino Community College is in the Redlands Daily here.

Some of the students are holding a press conference announcing future plans of arrested youth at Pasadena Community College on July 14, 2001 at 12 noon in front of campus by the fountain. 

Information from this story was found in the news articles that are linked above and from a press release from the San Gabriel Valley DREAM Team.  

World Relief Refugee and Immigration Advocacy Update June 2, 2011-Part 2

Legislative News from World Relief's Policy and Advocacy Director:
  


Immigration Enforcement

Yesterday, the House began consideration of H.R.2017, the FY 2012 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act under an open rule which means that any member of Congress can file an amendment to increase or decrease spending for DHS operations, like immigration detention, Secure Communities, 287(g), etc. As reported out by the Appropriations Committee, the DHS appropriations bill would increase the number of daily immigration detention beds by 600 (33,400 to 34,00), increase immigration detention spending by $25 million above President Obama’s budget request, and increase Secure Communities spending by $10 million above President Obama’s request. A number of amendments have been filed that would further increase funding for immigration enforcement, including for border fencing, detention and removal operations, and 287 (g) programs.


Today, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to mark up four bills, including H.R.1932, the Keep our Communities Safe Act of 2011. This bill would give the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to detain immigrants indefinitely if they are subject to a final order of removal and cannot be deported for some reason, or if they are subject to a removal order that has been stayed by a judge while their immigration case is on appeal. The Judiciary Committee is also expected to mark up bills pertaining to E-verify in the near future.


World Relief urges Congress to oppose HR.1932 as it commits precious U.S. taxpayer dollars to detain vulnerable migrants seeking protection in the United States while providing them with inadequate recourses to challenge their detention. World Relief also expresses strong concern about passing E-verify without a parallel path for earned legalization for undocumented immigrants and funding of expanded enforcement measures without full consideration and passage of comprehensive immigration reform.

Click here for part 3.

Jenny Yang is Director of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief. Jenny has provide the information in these posts to people how have signed up for advocacy updates on World Relief’s Advocacy website. She is also co-author with Matthew Soerens of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate.

Crazy Making Ironies

Sometimes things can get so nutty! A couple of years ago our city council passed an ordinance that placed a Federal ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent in our city jail. So now anyone who is picked up by the police is screened by an ICE agent. You don't have to be convicted or guilty of anything, just brought in for whatever reason and you are screened for documentation.

A couple months back a friend of mine refused to sleep with her abusive ex-husband when he brought the rent over. He got angry. She got scared and threw a plate at him. When the police got there he was bleeding and she wasn't so they took her away as the aggressor. It didn't seem to matter that he had a history of domestic violence. So my friend spent the night in jail. There were no charges brought against her and the case was dropped.

Except then she was on an immigration hold after having been processed through our city jail. So now she is in the process of being deported, in which case her three American citizen children will be left in the custody of their abusive father or child protective services.

That all seems pretty straight forward and some would even say it is fair. Technically, the law played out (whether or not it is a just law is another question). Here's where it gets nutty...

While our team is trying to get an immigration lawyer on the case I get a phone call from one of our city council members who was a strong proponent of placing the ICE agent in the jail. She is calling to say that she would like to recognize our organization at the next city council meeting with a Proclamation of our valuable community work.

The thing is that the woman in the process of being deported is the main force behind our "valuable community work." She rallied the neighbors to open the community center. She is the one who pulls people together to support a neighbor in need. She is the main idea woman behind our community seminars and programs.

So I went to the city council meeting to receive an award for my friend's work in the community that she is simultaneously being removed from by the same council's policy.

I don't know whether to laugh or scream my head off. Isn't it confusing to celebrate one's work on one hand and then condemn them on the other? It's too nutty. It's too real.