Ten
feet from the red-iron beams of the wall that separate Sasabe, Sonora,
México, from Sasabe, Arizona, the Reverend
John Fife, Moderator of the 204th General Assembly (1992), read from
his tattered Bible, “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made
both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the
hostility between us.” As a Presbyterian pastor, John has committed his life to
breaking down dividing walls; in 1982, he sparked the idea of the Sanctuary
movement with his friend Jim Corbett, a Quaker. For almost a decade, Sanctuary
volunteers helped immigrants fleeing the civil wars in Central America to cross
into the U.S. unnoticed. They built a network of churches and synagogues that helped
transport people to safety, all over the nation. At the time, John was the
pastor of Southside Presbyterian in Tucson, AZ. In that decade, over 14,000
people slept at Southside as the first stop in the journey to a more safe and
secure life in the United States.
As he read from Ephesians, I thought, “This.
This is what faith looks like.”
I
stood at that wall as a member of the Presbyterian Immigrant Solidarity Delegation to the Southwest border with PC(USA) Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons and
Director for Public Witness J. Herbert Nelson. Our primary mission was to show
support for and be in solidarity with two Presbyterian congregations providing
Sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, Southside Presbyterian in Tucson, AZ and
University Presbyterian in Tempe, AZ. These efforts are part of Sanctuary 2014, a nationwide
faith-based movement that has sought to protect 10 immigrants from deportation
and separation from their families.
Southside
Presbyterian, now under the leadership of Rev. Alison Harrington, has taken up
the mantle again in leading the efforts to stand beside undocumented
immigrants. In May of 2014, Daniel Neyoy Ruiz, a spouse and father, sought
protection from deportation under Southside’s roof. After one month, he
received a stay of removal and was able to leave the Sanctuary of the church.
In
August of last year, Rosa Robles Loreto sought Sanctuary at Southside for the
same reason. During our visit, we sat down with Rosa and heard her story. After
she landed in Border Patrol custody because of a minor traffic stop by Tucson
police, she was detained for three months in an immigrant detention center,
followed by two years of waiting for the court’s decision. In August, she
received it: a final order of deportation. Seeing no other alternative, she
entered into Sanctuary at Southside, away from her two boys and husband, unable to
leave the house of worship.*
On
our journey, we learned about the many ways church and community members have
walked alongside Rosa and her family. They maintain a twenty-four hour presence at
the church in their ‘Solidarity Suite.’ People visit and share meals with
Rosa. They also hold a nightly prayer vigil. We were present for one of
these vigils, at which we sang, “Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary.” We prayed
and lit candles for all of the immigrants in Sanctuary. During the vigil, I
again thought, “This. This is what faith looks like.”
 |
| L to R: Stephanie Quintana (Southside member) and Rosa |
 |
| Members of the Presbyterian delegation and Southside members singing at the vigil with Rosa and husband Gerardo. |
After
four months, Rosa remains strong and is a light for the other immigrants living
in Sanctuary.** More than that, Rosa tells her story, aware that she
represents thousands of other undocumented mothers and fathers who could be
separated from their children any day by deportation. As she spoke of her gratitude
for the welcome and home she has found at Southside, I thought, “This.
This is what faith looks like.” Her faith could move mountains:
she has not given up hope that relief will come. Hers is a testimony to the
kind of faith to which God calls us.
For
those four days in December, I felt the power of all these individuals’ faith. John, Rosa,
Alison, and members of Southside all have faith in what
is not yet seen. This faith compels them to act, and lives are changed as a
result.
 |
| L to R: Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, Teresa Waggener, Olivia Hudson-Smith, AmyBeth Willis, Rosa Robles-Loreto, Rev. Alison Harrington, Rev. Gradye Parson, and Rev. Toya Richards- Jackson |
*
The rationale behind the Sanctuary movement is that Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) has policy forbidding immigration
officers from entering places of worship to make an arrest.
** After six months, Rosa remains in Sanctuary at Southside.
Her latest
petition for a stay of removal was denied.
Stand with Rosa by taking action here. Look for more ways to support her case in the coming weeks.
AmyBeth Willis is a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in the Office of Public Witness. She primarily works on policy issues of immigration, money in politics, and hunger and nutrition. She served as a YAV in Tucson, AZ, 2013-2014, where she worked at Southside Presbyterian. She helped with Daniel Ruiz’ Sanctuary case.
