Every day, close to 1,000 people are deported from this
country. Mothers and fathers, brothers and friends are torn from their families
and communities, deported to countries some of them no longer know. Congress
has not acted to change this reality; they have failed to take any meaningful
action on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. This nation desperately needs
Immigration policy reform that will grant legal status to the 11 million people
living in fear of deportation. Moreover, on September 6, 2014, the Obama Administration
delayed executive action that could have extended deportation relief and offer
work permits to thousands.
Click here to read PC(USA) Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons response to Obama’s
announcement on delayed action.
In response, communities of faith across the nation have
decided to take a stand against our broken immigration system: we are leading a
movement to offer Sanctuary to people set to be deported and thus separated
from their families. Sanctuary is the practice of offering housing and shelter
in the church building, protecting people from harm; it has deep roots in
church tradition. Four congregations in the U.S. are currently providing
Sanctuary to four loving families; two of these churches are Presbyterian: Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ and University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, AZ.
President Obama must not continue to stand by
while people are forcibly separated from their families. Contact the White House today and ask him to use his broad executive authority to stopdeportations immediately and to expand deferred action for all.
The Sanctuary Movement
Rooted in the actions of people of faith throughout history
who have welcomed the stranger and loved their neighbors, Sanctuary in 2014 seeks
to shield immigrants under immediate threat of deportation. By invoking 2011 policy set by immigration authorities,
which recommends individuals who fit certain qualifications be granted deportation
relief through prosecutorial discretion, faith communities protect these
individuals in the shelter of their churches until they receive a stay of
removal or their cases are closed. These qualifications include the length of
time they have resided in the U.S., a lack of a criminal history, and whether an
immediate family member -- a child, parent, or spouse -- is a U.S. citizen or
permanent resident.
Thousands of deportation cases have been closed through this
type of prosecutorial discretion. But people in immigration removal proceedings
rarely have access to adequate legal representation that would request this
type of relief. This is where communities of faith, under the advisement of
legal teams, can intervene. We can offer sanctuary, thereby publicly shielding immigrants
from deportation and providing a network of care and support throughout the
advocacy process. (Immigration authorities have set policy forbidding
immigration officers to enter places of worship to make an arrest.)
Sanctuary Has Real Meaning in
Real Lives
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| Daniel Neyoy Ruiz Photo credit: Fernanda Echavarri/Arizona Public Media |
Southside Presbyterian in Tucson, AZ, has taken the lead in
this movement, reviving the 1980s movement (also founded at Southside) of over
five hundred churches and synagogues nationwide that sheltered over ten
thousand Central Americans fleeing civil wars. On May 12, 2014, Daniel Neyoy Ruiz, publicly entered into
sanctuary in Southside on the eve of his deportation order. After a month of
living inside the church with his family, he received a stay of removal,
granting a means to remain in the U.S. and receive a work permit.
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| Luiz Lopez Acabal, in Sanctuary at University PC in Tempe |
Right now, four immigrants reside in Sanctuary: Rosa Loreto Robles at Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ, Luis Lopez Acabal at University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, AZ, Beatriz Santiago Ramirez at Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Chicago, IL, and most
recently, Francisco Aguirre in Agustana Lutheran Church in
Portland, OR.
Their individual histories and cases are different, but they
all bear the cost of immigration policy that fails to uphold the unity of family,
recognize human dignity, or acknowledge immigrants’ rich and diverse
contributions to their communities and this country.
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| Rosa Robles Loretto and family |
This is how you can help*:
1. Contact the White House today and ask them to:
- Expand deferred action for all
- Close Luis’ case
- Close Rosa’s case
- Close Beatriz's case
What does the PC(USA) say about
Sanctuary?
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has affirmed its support
for immigrants many times. This year, the 221st General Assembly (2014)
affirmed the formation of the Presbyterian Immigrant Defense Initiative, a
campaign to “empower Presbyterians
to work to change policies and practices that infringe on the human and civil
rights of immigrants in our communities including immigrant detention,
streamlined deportation, and the executing of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) by local law enforcement.” ** Sanctuary—a movement begun by
Presbyterian churches-- is heeding that call.
The 2014 Sanctuary Movement is growing. This week is the
launch of the National Sanctuary Movement. Over seventy-five congregations
nationwide are preparing to offer Sanctuary or to support other congregations engaging
in this ministry.
Read PC(USA) Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons’ letter to President Obama on Sanctuary and delay of executive action:
Just yesterday, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) took part
in a tele-press conference about the growing Sanctuary movement. Here are the remarks prepared by the Reverend Gradye Parsons.
** “On Recognizing the Presbyterian Immigrant Defense
Initiative to Affirm and Promote the Civil and Human Rights of Immigrants in
Our Communities—From the Presbytery of Central Florida.” Approved by the 221st
General Assembly (2014). http://pc-biz.org/Explorer.aspx?id=4703
