Last night, the House Judiciary Committee passed the “SAFE Act”, H.R. 2278.  If enacted, the “SAFE Act” will lead to the rampant expansion of racial profiling, unconstitutional arrests, and mass detention and deportations.  It will criminalize over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States and funnel more immigrants into our detention and deportation system than ever before.  The “SAFE Act” is single-minded in its focus to expand immigration enforcement and detention and stands in the way of fair, just, and commonsense approaches to immigration reform endorsed by 73% of Americans.

Read more about the SAFE Act with DWN’s one-page summary of the detention-related provisions and our press release.  We need your help to stop it from becoming law.  Contact House Leaders Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and tell them not to bring the “SAFE Act” up for a vote.

Help us stop the SAFE Act from becoming law

 1.    Make calls to House leaders Rep. John Boehner & Rep. Nancy Pelosi and to your own Representative.

Rep. Boehner (House Speaker, R-OH):(202) 225-0600

Rep. Pelosi (Minority Leader, D-CA): (202) 225-4965

Your own Representative: (202) 224-3121 for the Congressional Switchboard

 Script: My name is _____ calling from ­­­­­_____. The SAFE Act is out of step with the rest of the country and represents the views of nativist, anti-immigrant extremists.  The SAFE Act’s single-minded focus is to locate, detain and deport immigrants at the detriment of families and communities.  I urge you to recognize the 73% of Americans who support efforts to pass common sense, just immigration reform. Please oppose the SAFE Act, H.R. 2278, and keep it from coming up for a floor vote. 

2.    Spread the word about the SAFE Act.

Forward this alert to your networks and tweet @JohnBoehner and @NancyPelosi to stop the “SAFE Act” from coming to the House floor.   Share tweets about any comments that highlight anti-immigrant, enforcement-only sentiments.  Use hashtag #HATEAct to spread the word.

3.    Send an Email

Click here to send an email to the House Leadership and your own Representatives through our friends at Rights Working Group.

 U

Three Things You Can Do to Oppose the SAFE Act

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) introduced the “SAFE Act” H.R. 2278 in the House, and the House Judiciary Committee will mark-up the bill TODAY, Tuesday, June 18.

If enacted, the SAFE Act’s single-minded focus on immigration enforcement will increase detentions and deportations and create an environment of rampant racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions without fixing the immigration system’s fundamental problems. If the SAFE Act passes, it would also be disastrous for the bipartisan efforts to win just immigration reform.

Three Things You Can Do to Oppose the SAFE Act 

1. Make calls to members of the House Judiciary Committee (if you live in their districts) or to House leaders TODAY 

* Find out if your representative is on the House Judiciary Committee. Call (202) 224-3121 for the Congress Switchboard.

Script: My name is _____ calling from ­­­­­_____. The SAFE Act is out of step with the country, and represents the views of the nativist, anti-immigrant extremists. As a constituent, I urge you to invest in your political future by voting NO on the SAFE Act, H.R. 2278.

*Call (202) 224-3121 for the Congress Switchboard. Ask for Representatives Goodlatte (HJC Chair R-VA), Conyers (HJC Ranking Member (D-MI), and Boehner (House Speaker, R-OH).

Script: My name is _____ calling from ­­­­­_____. The SAFE Act represents the views of the nativist, anti-immigrant extremist and is out of step with the views of the vast majority of Americans. The SAFE Act’s single-minded focus on immigration enforcement would dramatically increase detentions and deportations, and create an environment of rampant racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions without fixing the immigration system’s fundamental problems. I urge you to invest in your political future by opposing the SAFE Act, H.R. 2278, and blocking it from coming up for a vote.

2. Watch the House Judiciary Committee mark-up via livestream TODAY and tweet throughout the mark-up using hashtag #HATEACT . 

*Share tweets about any comments that highlight anti-immigrant, nativist enforcement-only sentiments.  Don’t forget to use #HATEACT #timeisnow # CIR4

3. Circulate a local press statement to affirm your organization’s opposition 

A sample statement from CAMBIO member Rights Working Group can be found here. 

URGENT Action Needed to Stop Dramatic Expansion of Detention and Deportation

 We just learned that the House Judiciary Committee will review and debate the “SAFE Act,” introduced by Rep. Gowdy (R-SC), on Tuesday June 18th.

 If enacted, the SAFE Act will dramatically increase detentions and deportations and create an environment of rampant racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions without fixing the immigration system’s problems. If the SAFE Act passes, it would also be disastrous for the bipartisan efforts to win just immigration reform. Please see this analysis from DWN members National Immigrant Law Center and Immigrant Justice Network.

We need YOU to take action TODAY.

1. Contact House leaders TODAY and tell them not to bring the “SAFE Act” up for a vote.

Call 1-888-787-9658 for the Congress Switchboard. Ask for Representatives Goodlatte (HJC Chair R-VA), Conyers (HJC Ranking Member (D-MI), and Boehner (House Speaker, R-OH).

Script: My name is _____ calling from ­­­­­_____. The SAFE Act represents the views of the nativist, anti-immigrant extremist and is out of step with the views of the vast majority of Americans. The SAFE Act’s single-minded focus on immigration enforcement would dramatically increase detentions and deportations, and create an environment of rampant racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions without fixing the immigration system’s problems. I urge you to invest in your political future by opposing the SAFE Act, H.R.4437, and blocking it from coming up for a vote.

2. Call your Representative TODAY and urge them to vote NO on the “SAFE Act.”

Find out if your representative is on the House Judiciary Committee. Call 1-888-891-3271 for the Congress Switchboard.

Script: My name is _____ calling from ­­­­­_____. The SAFE Act is out of step with the country, and represents the views of the nativist, anti-immigrant extremists. As a constituent, I urge you to invest in your political future by voting NO on the SAFE Act, H.R. 4437.

3. Spread the Word

Forward this alert to your networks, join CAMBIO’s Field Call on the SAFE Act at 4pm on Monday 6/17^th (see details below), and tweet at House Judiciary Committee members to vote NO on the “SAFE Act.”

Organizing Call to Oppose the SAFE ACT H.R. 2278 Monday 6/17 4pm ET

Call-in number:

Toll-Free Access Number:
1.800.977.8002
Direct Dial/ International Access Number:
1.404.920.6650  

Participant Code: 
6427412#

Summary of H.R. 2278, the “Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act”

(The SAFE Act)

 The SAFE Act was introduced in June 2013 by the House of Representatives’ Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) with the support of the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).  If enacted, the SAFE Act’s single-minded focus on immigration enforcement will increase in detentions and deportations, and create an environment of rampant racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions without fixing the immigration system’s problems.  Below is a summary of key sections of the SAFE Act.

 Grants states and localities full authority to create, implement, and enforce their own criminal and civil penalties for federal immigration violations so long as the penalties applied do not exceed those under federal law.  This provision would directly overturn the Supreme Court’s decision last year in Arizona v. United States, 132 S. Ct. 2492 (2012, which reaffirmed that states cannot enact their own criminal penalties for violations of federal immigration law, even when the state law mirrors the federal provision.  Allowing all 50 states and countless localities to enact their own immigration enforcement laws is unworkable and will decrease public safety and adversely impact our nation’s foreign relations.

 Allows state and local law enforcement to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, and detain people in violation of immigration laws and to transfer them to federal immigration authorities.  This is an unfettered delegation of immigration enforcement authority to localities, allowing them to arrest and detain people based on nothing more than more than mere suspicion that a person has committed a civil immigration violation.  Local officers with minimal training in the complexities of immigration law cannot be expected to implement federal immigration law appropriately or uniformly. 

 Requires the federal government to assume custody over every person identified by a state or local government as inadmissible or deportable upon request by such agency.  Such persons must be held in detention in a federal, contract, state, or local prison, jail, detention center, or other facility.  This section takes away the ability of the Secretary of Homeland Security to exercise discretion in deciding whether a person should be released on bond, under an order or supervision, or on their own recognizance rather than continuing to detain a person. 

Allows state or localities to detain people who are inadmissible or deportable for 14 days after the completion of their jail or prison sentences in order to transfer the person to ICE custody.   This unprecedented and unconstitutional expansion of detention authority hinges on an untrained local officer’s determination of whether a person is inadmissible or deportable.

This section also allows state and local law enforcement officers, untrained in federal immigration law, to issue an immigration hold (detainer) and to detain the individual indefinitely until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assumes custody.  This completely unchecked authority to detain individuals in prison for 14 days or longer will result in the prolonged detention of U.S. citizens and lawfully present immigrants.

 Makes changes that would expand the failed 287(g) program. This provision strips away federal control by requiring that DHS accede to any state or local jurisdiction’s request to participate in the program, except where a “compelling reason” exists to refuse participation.  Under current law, either DHS or the state or local party to the 287(g) agreement may terminate for any reason, however this provision restricts DHS’ ability to terminate.  This is particularly problematic given the many documented abuses by deputized state and local officers that have occurred under the program. 

 Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to provide extensive information regarding every noncitizen “apprehended” who is “believed to be inadmissible or deportable.”  This provision represents a dramatic expansion of existing law (8 U.S.C. §§ 1373 and 1644) by requiring extensive information sharing, which will tax local law enforcement resources and drive a wedge between communities and the police.

 Requires that the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database be filled with millions of noncriminal records pertaining to non-citizens who have overstayed visas, received voluntary departure or final orders of removal, or have had their visas revoked.  This would clutter up the NCIC, a critical tool for law enforcement, and local law enforcement officers using the system would have to waste precious time deciding whether a “hit” in the system merited action.  Law enforcement chiefs and associations oppose such changes. 

 Prohibits states and localities from limiting compliance with ICE detainer requests and from issuing policies, resolutions, or ordinances that restrict local cooperation with federal law enforcement.  This section is a direct response to a number of jurisdictions—most prominently Cook County, Illinois—that have adopted policies or ordinances setting guidelines for when local law enforcement will extend the detention of a person based on an ICE detainer request.  This undermines the ability of state and local agencies to direct their policing resources based upon the public safety needs of the communities they serve.

 Expands the crime of illegal entry, and criminalizes overstaying a visa.  This section removes the traditional limit on the crime of illegal entry, which only criminalized individuals apprehended while entering the United States and instead makes it a continuing offense until the time an individual is discovered by federal officials.  The section also criminalizes overstaying a visa, even if by a single day, and regardless of any compelling circumstances.

 Attempts to authorize the indefinite detention of persons who have been ordered removed.  In Zadvydas v. Davis, 33 U.S. 678 (2001), the Supreme Court held that indefinite detention of a non-citizen who has been ordered removed, but whose removal is not significantly likely to occur in the reasonably foreseeable future, would raise serious constitutional concerns.  This section attempts to overturn the Zadvydas decision except for a narrow category of cases.  Worse the provision also appears to restrict court review of indefinite detention for individuals who cannot be removed and limits the decision to continue to detain to the sole discretion of DHS. 

 Creates new grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for persons whom DHS knows or “has reason to believe” are current or former members of a criminal gang.  Such persons would be subject to mandatory detention and barred from receiving asylum and Temporary Protected Status.  This would sweep in people who have never been convicted of a crime and are merely suspected of being in a gang, as well as people who are erroneously listed on gang databases due to living in neighborhoods with gang activities.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Contact:

Donna De La Cruz, ddelacruz@communitychange.org (202) 339-9331, 202 441-3798 (cell)

Catalina Nieto, cnieto@detentionwatchnetwork.org, 802-579-7701 (cell)

For Spanish language Media:

Ricardo Ramírez, rramirez@communitychange.org, 202-339-9371, 202-905-1738 (cell)

Immigrant Families Mark Father’s Day with Protests, Other Actions Nationwide

Actions to Remind Congress of the Thousands of Fathers Separated From Their Families 

For millions of immigrant families, Father’s Day is a reminder of the cruel separation of their families at the hands of the broken immigration system. Mass enforcement, detention and deportation continue to tear our families and communities apart.  Every day in the U.S. 1,500 fathers, mothers, children and friends are taken away and locked-up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigrant communities across the country will hold “Father’s Day is for Families” actions to remind Congress and the Obama administration that family separations must end now. Family unity must be a vital part of any immigration reform legislation.

Here is a list of more than 25 events sponsored by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement and the Detention Watch Network being held nationwide:

TODAY, June 12^th:

Washington, DC

Casa in ACTION, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, United We Dream, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Rally and press conference with fathers facing deportation to call on the president to end deportations. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, expected to participate.

10:30 am start; Rayburn Building.

Contact: kpropeack, 301-379-7461, kpropeack@casamd.org

Chicago, IL

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Father’s Day Action–Where is Kirk? : Hundreds of children and families will give Senator Kirk a deadline of when he can come out on Immigration Reform with the message “Who will fill our fathers’ shoes?”

6:30 pm start; Senator Kirk’s Office, Federal Plaza 230 S Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60604

Contact: Rebecca Yemin Shi or Ere Rendon;

Rebecca: 312-576-8032, rshi@icirr.org

Contact: erendon@resurrectionproject.org, 815-715-1577

ARKANSAS

June 14, 2013

Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas United Community Coalition

People of all faith will join in a vigil in Little Rock on June 14th to pray for Arkansas families that have been affected by the immigration system and bringing attention to a Gospel without borders.  Senator Mark Pryor will be in Little Rock.

4:00pm start; First United Methodist Church: 723 Center St. Little Rock, AR 72201

Contact: Mireya Reith, 479-871-2168; director@arkansascoalition.org

ARIZONA

June 14, 2013

Phoenix, AZ

Promise Arizona, Black/Brown Coalition, AZ CIR Table, Tonatierra and others

Participating families will process from the Maricopa county 4^th Ave. Jail to the Federal Courthouse followed by a rally and press conference on June 14th. Women from Promise Arizona will dress in half female, half male clothing to represent the role women play when their male relatives are deported or incarcerated. Rally to highlight Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s anti-immigrant ways.

7:00am start; Maricopa County 4^th Avenue Jail: 201 S 4th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003

8:15am rally start; U.S. District Court Office, 401 West Washington, Phoenix, AZ

Contact: Tony Navarrette, 602-752-1616, tony@promiseaz.org

CALIFORNIA

June 13, 2013

Los Angeles, CA

CHIRLA

Families will march from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center to the Twin Towers Correctional Facilities on June 13th with mariachi bands in order to show support for those who are incarcerated and to remind them that the fight is not over.  Family testimonies will also be shared. Partnering organizations include APALC, CARECEN, COFEM, Korean Resource Center, L.A. County Federation of Labor, and SEIU 721, ULTCW & USWW.

11:00 am start; in front of Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center: 535 N Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012; end in front of the Twin Towers Correctional Facilities: 450 Bauchet St. Los Angeles, CA 90012

Contact: Xiomara Corpeno, 213-201-4451, xcorpeno@chirla.org

WASHINGTON, DC

June 13^th, 2013

Washington, DC

Voces de la Frontera

6 Wisconsin children and their parents/guardians will travel to Washington, D.C. To have coffee with the senator (Johnson- R) to deliver Father’s Day cards which explain how they have been affected by the current immigration system and talk about how they are counting on him to keep their and all Wisconsin families together. They will then meet with congressmen Paul Ryan, Sean Duffy, and Reid Ribble; all republicans who are swing targets. To deliver Father’s Day cards and share the same message.

10:00 am start; Ron Johnson’s office in Hart

Contact: Nancy Flores, 608-358-0565

FLORIDA

Contact for all Florida events: Kathy Bird, 786-210-9030

June 15^th, 2013

Lake Worth, FL

Florida Immigrant Coalition

Lake Worth rally

5:00 pm start; 7 N Dixie Highway, Lake Worth, FL

June 15^th, 2013

Pompano Beach, FL

Florida Immigrant Coalition member groups, SEIU, 1 Miami

Father’s Day Rally: Our missing fathers need immigration reform, families of current detainees will speak

12:00 pm start; Broward Transitional Center, Pompano Beach, FL

June 15^th, 2013

Orlando, FL

FLIC member groups, SEIU, Mi Familia Vota, AFLCIO, AFSCME

Father’s Day Action at ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Office

10:30 am start; ICE ERO Office, 9495 Delegates Drive, Orlando, FL 32837

GEORGIA

June 14^th, 2013

Atlanta, GA

Georgia Detention Watch          

Evening event (educational, meet-and greet), Catalina from detention Watch Network will be a speaker.

7:00 pm start; GA 414 Oakdale Road NE, Atlanta, GA

Contact: Dianne, atlantaiac@aol.com

IDAHO

June 17^th, 2013

Boise, ID

Idaho CAN

Large postcards will be delivered to Senator Crapo and Senator Risch on June 17^th, each containing 11 ties, a traditional Father’s day gift, that represent the 1100 immigrants deported every day.  Families will share their stories and press will be in attendance.

10:00 am start; Offices of Senators Crapo and Risch, 251 E. Front Street, Boise, ID 83702

Contact: Fernando Mejia, 208-830-0313

ILLINOIS

June 14^th, 2013

Broadview, IL

Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition, Sisters of Mercy, Brothers and Sisters of Immigrants, and other members of the religious community

Weekly vigil

7:15 am start; Broadview Detention Center, Broadview, IL

Contact: Sister JoAnn, JPersch@mercywmw.org

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Vigil at the Suffolk County Detention Center to call on Congress, ICE and President Obama to stop the detention and deportation of innocent people.

 2:00pm start: Suffolk County House of Corrections (South Bay), 20 Bradston St., Boston, MA, 02118

Contact: Pedro Portillo, 857-294-8055, pportillo@miracoalition.org

MICHIGAN

June 16^th, 2013

Dearborn, MI

Michigan United

A Deportation Moratorium Rally will be held on June 15th, focusing on the non-priority fathers who have been deported.

11:00 am start; 16099 Michigan Ave. Dearborn, MI

Contact: Raquel Andersen, 313-595-6492, raquel.garcia.andersen@gmail.com

NEW JERSEY

June 13^th, 2013

Newark, NJ

AFSC NJ

An expected 100 participants will sit on the line at the NJ ICE office in with the message of “stop tearing families apart, stop deportations” on June 13th. Partnering organizations include American Friends Service Committee, Immigrant Rights Program, Wind of the Spirit, IRATE & First Friends, St. James Church, Anakbayan New Jersey, Casa Esperanza, Casa Freehold, SEIU Local 32 BJ, Center for Popular Democracy, the Latino Action Network, Passaic County Committee for Immigrant Rights and Peruvian Americans for Immigrant Rights

10:00 am – 2:00 pm start; in front of NJ ICE office in: 614 Frelinghuysen Ave., Newark, NJ 07112

Contact:  Chia-Chia Wang, AFSC, at (973) 643-1924, CCWang@afsc.org

NEVADA

Immigration Reform for Nevada

A ‘Dignity Not Detention’ Las Vegas Vigil will be held.

7:00pm start: in front of New York-New York Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, 89109.

Contact: Carlos Silva 702-595-8256, NayaritasLV@gmail.com

NEW YORK

June 13^th, 2013

Brentwood, NY

Make the Road New York

Father’s Day Vigil: Prayer to take action against the deportation of fathers

4:30 pm start; St. Anne’s Church, 88 2nd Ave Brentwood, NY

Contact: Ana Chireno, 374-866-1094

June 14^th, 2013

Manhattan, NY

New York Immigration Coalition

About 75 people are expected to rally in front of the Varick St. Detention Center on June 14^th after a week of postings by families about their separated fathers on the blog www.meetmyimmigrantdad.tumblr.com while the New Sanctuary Movement posts pictures of empty shoes of separated fathers.  The event will be using the hash tags #meetmyimmigrantdad and #myfathersshoes.

12:00pm start; in front of the Varick Street Detention Center: 201 Varick Street, Manhattan, New York 10014

Contact: Ana Chireno, 374-866-1094

June 14^th, 2013

New York, NY

Families for Freedom, Migrant Power Alliance

Action in front of Schumer’s office: Children of Fathers detained or deported and their allies will stage a protest and release balloons symbolizing the thousands of fathers banished from their homes.

4:00 pm start; 780 Third Avenue, New York, NY

Contact: Esther, esther@familiesforfreedom.org

OREGON

June 17^th, 2013

Portland, OR

Causa

A vigil will be held on June 17th to raise awareness of the implications of deported fathers on families with attendees representing the faith community, labor movement, the business community and other communities of color.  Families will share their immigration stories. Partnering organizations include the Oregon New Sanctuary Movement, Vecinos en Alerta, Colonia Libertad, AFL-CIO, SEIU, the Oregon Dream Activists, and the Oregon DREAMers.

6:00pm start; in front of the Portland ICE office: 511 Northwest Broadway, meet at the park on the corner of Park and Glisen, Portland, OR 97209

Contact: Jose Silverman, 503-949-8336, jose@causaoregon.org

TEXAS

June 15^th, 2013

Austin, TX

Texans United For Families, Grassroots Leadership

Father’s Day Caravan to Close the Polk County Detention Center (Departs from Austin), 8:00 a.m. press conference as caravan departs, rally, protest, speakers at the Detention Center, livestream

8:00 am start; meeting at 4700 Grover, Austin, TX at 8:00AM to get on the bus

Contact: Matt Gossage, 512-669-9968, matthewgossage@hotmail.com

Houston, TX

Texans United for Families, Grassroots Leadership Fathers Day Caravan to Close Polk County Detention Center (Departs from Houston)

10:15 am Houston Caravan Departure, meeting at Dominican Sisters Compound, 6501 Almeda, Houston, TX 77021

 Contact: Dave Kalloor, dkagape@gmail.com, 713-444-6260

Livingston, TX

Texans United For Families, Grassroots Leadership

Father’s Day rally, protest, and speakers at the Polk County Detention Center to demand its closure. livestream

1:00 pm start; IAH Polk County Secure Adult Detention Center, 3400 FM

350 South  Livingston, TX, 77351

Contact: Matt Gossage, 512-669-9968, matthewgossage@hotmail.com

WASHINGTON STATE

June 17^th, 2013

Yakima, WA

One America, SEIU

Community members led by OA and SEIU will gather in front of Rep. Hasting’ office to have a candle vigil and rally to demand stop deportations and a YES vote on Immigration Reform with Path to Citizenship.

6:00 pm start; Rep. Hasting’s Office, 402 E. Yakima Avenue, Suite 760, Yakima, WA

Contact: Ricardo Rodriguez, 262-716-3431

June 17^th, 2013

Pasco, WA

One America, SEIU

Community members led by OA and SEIU will gather in front of Rep. Hasting’ office to have a candle vigil and rally to demand stop deportations and a YES vote on Immigration Reform with Path to Citizenship.

6:00 pm start; Rep. Hastings Office 2715 St. Andrews Loop, Suite D, Pasco, WA

Contact: Juanita Soto, 509-949-8411

June 15^th, 2013

Walla Walla, WA

One America, SEIU

Walla Walla, WA

Community members led by OA and SEIU will gather in front of Rep. McMorris Rodgers’ office to have a candle vigil and rally to demand stop deportations and a YES vote on Immigration Reform with Path to Citizenship.

8:00 pm start; McMorris Rodgers’ Office, Walla Walla, WA

Contact: Mary Lopez, 509-386-3525

June 17^th, 2013

Spokane, WA

One America, SEIU

Community members led by OA and SEIU will gather in front of Rep. Hasting” office to have a candle vigil and rally to demand stop deportations and a YES vote on Immigration Reform with Path to Citizenship.

6:00 pm start; Katy McMorrison’s Office, Spokane, WA

Contact: Lucia Vasquez, 425-319-0242

June 14^th, 2013

Wenatchee, WA

One America, Grupo Cafe, SEIU, Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church

OneAmerica, Grupo Café, SEIU and the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church will have Educational Fair on immigration reform and a vigil and walk to ask for a reform with a path to citizenship.

2:00 pm start; Convention Center, Wenatchee, WA

Contact: Alma Chacon, 509-630-3315

June 17^th, 2013

Vancouver, WA

One America, SEIU

Community members led by OA and SEIU will gather in front of Rep. Herrera-Buttler’ office to rally and demand stop deportations and a YES vote on Immigration Reform with Path to Citizenship.

7:30 pm start; Herrera Buttler’s Office 750 Anderson Street, Suite B Vancouver, WA

Contact: Rick Covington, 360-253-2874

June 17^th, 2013

Mt. Vernon, WA

One America, SEIU

Community members led by OA and SEIU will gather at this busy intersection to have a candle vigil and rally to demand stop deportations and a YES vote on Immigration Reform with Path to Citizenship.

8:00 pm start; Riverside and College Way, Mt Vernon, WA

Contact: Sara Bishop, 206-452-8413

WISCONSIN

June 14th, 2013

Milwaukee, WI

Voces de La Frontera

Children and faith leaders will gather for song and prayer in front of Senator Ron Johnson’s office on June 14th.  They will then deliver homemade Father’s day letters to emphasize that the children are without a father to celebrate with and they need their fathers in their lives now.  WNIRR is also partnering with Voces.

2:00pm start; Ron Johnson’s office building: 517 E. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53221.

Contact: Nancy Flores, (608) 358-0565, statewideorganizer.voces@gmail.com

###

You can read AFSC staff member Elissa Steglich’s account of Kofi’s deportation Witness to a Family’s Tragedy.

Produced by Madeline Schaefer.

To listen to more audios stories, see the Calling forth the Goodness podcast page. For more audio stories like this one, subscribe to the Acting in Faith podcast.

Transcript (Exerpt)

Madeline Schaefer:  On May 17th, Kofi, a man seeking asylum and working as a mechanic in Newark, New Jersey, who had fathered a child and was supporting a family, was detained and deported without warning.

Kofi’s girlfriend:  He left with nothing, no money, no nothing. No clothes.  He didn’t even say goodbye to the children…and it’s very hard.

Madeline Schaefer: How do you tell your four year old daughter that her father has been sent away, indefinitely, and contact with him is infrequent, at best?  Kofi’s girlfriend, who asked to remain anonymous for our interview, still struggles to find the words to tell her.

Kofi’s girlfriend:  It’s hard to explain because he has been with them since, especially her, since she was baby and he always took care of her. And now to explain to her that he’s not coming back it’s something so difficult for me to explain.  And every time she ask me why I start crying, she asks me what’s wrong, but I don’t know what to say.

For Immediate Release

Contact: B. Loewe, NDLON, bloewe@ndlon.org

Susana Flores, CASA in Action, sflores@casainaction.org

Congressman Gutierrez Join Hundreds of Organizations Including UWD, MALDEF, CASA in Action, NDLON in Calling for Suspension of Deportations As Senate Debate Begins and Father’s Day Nears

Best Way to Move Bill Forward is to Keep Families Together Who Are Working Toward Reform

What: Press Conference Calling for President to Suspend Deportations

When: 10:30am Eastern, Wednesday, June 12th, 2013. 

Where: Rayburn 2237, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

Who: Rep. Gutierrez, NDLON, CASA in Action, MALDEF, United We Dream, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, Families in deportation proceedings

Congressman Gutierrez and other Congresspeople will join fathers facing deportation and representatives of more than 400 immigrant rights organizations to deliver a letter asking President Obama to suspend deportations for those who would be entitled to eventual citizenship in the immigration bill being currently debated.

The press conference comes the day after the President brought together immigration reform advocates at the White House to discuss the way forward.

”We call on the President to relieve the suffering of families by ceasing deportations as Congress debates reform,” said Oscar Alfaro.  Oscar, who had previously received a stay of deportation, was recently denied a renewal.  Oscar and his family have battled tirelessly in support of the President’s vision for immigration reform yet may be deported in these next few weeks if the President doesn’t take action to protect him and the 1,100 others who are deported on a daily basis from the United States

At Wednesday’s press conference, Oscar and other fathers will describe their stories as representatives of more than 500 organizations urge the President to cease deportations as a first step in the reform process.

The press conference caps a week of events being held at detention centers and ICE offices around the country commemorating Father’s Day and calling on the President to cease deportations.

The organizational letter and its signers can be seen at http://bit.ly/n1morgs

Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard In cooperation with Human Impact Partners, First Focus, and the Women’s Refugee Commission cordially invites you to a briefing on:

Health Impacts of the Immigration System on Children and Families

Thursday, June 6, 2013: 2:00pm-3:00pm EST

NOTE NEW ROOM: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC

Please RSVP http://adobe.ly/10Hrmcr

Reform of U.S. immigration policy will not only decide the future of 11 million undocumented immigrants but also profoundly affect the health and well-being of their children, many of whom are citizens by birth. A new study finds strong evidence that the children of undocumented immigrants are harmed by current detention and deportation policies, and that immigration reform that prioritizes keeping families together will have far-reaching benefits for these children and our society.

The study, Family Unity, Family Health: How Family-Focused Immigration Reform Will Mean Better Health, is a health impact assessment of the consequences of continuing current federal immigration policies. It finds that without reforms that create a clear path to citizenship, each year hundreds of thousands of children will suffer poorer physical and mental health, lower educational achievement, and increased poverty and hunger. 

Speakers include:

• Lili Farhang: Co-Director of Human Impact Partners (HIP), lead researcher and author of the report
• Wendy Cervantes (Moderator): Vice President, Immigration and Child Rights Policy at First Focus
• Dr. Alan Shapiro: Senior Medical Director of the New York Children’s Health Project and of the South Bronx Health Center and Center for Child Health and Resiliency
• Parent and child: Whose family is impacted by our immigration system (invited)

Important Action is needed to Eliminate the 34,000 Immigration Detention Bed Quota
Call your House Representative today and ask them to support Rep. Deutch’s (FL) and Rep. Foster’s (IL) amendment to HR 2217 that will eliminate the detention bed mandate.

Today, Wednesday, June 5th, the House of Representatives will be considering the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act, HR 2217. This bill will authorize the budget for the Department of Homeland Security for the 2014 fiscal year, which includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and removal operations.

Over the last few years, the House of Representatives Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Committee has consistently included report language in the appropriations bill that creates an Immigration Detention Bed Mandate, requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to fill 34,000 detention beds at all times, regardless of the need for those beds. DHS asserts that Congress has directed ICE to daily fill every detention bed for which Congress has appropriated funds, based on the language in this bill.

Representative Deutch (FL) and Representative Foster (IL) are co-sponsoring an amendment to be included on page 13 of the HR 2217 bill that will strike the detention bed mandate language.

Tell Congress to Stop Using a Quota System to Detain Immigrants. Make Your Voice Heard and Demand an End to the Bed Mandate!!

Please call your U.S. Representative today and tomorrow and ask them to vote FOR Rep. Deutch’s (FL) and Rep. Foster’s (IL) amendment that will eliminate the immigration detention bed mandate.

Go to http://www.house.gov/ to find the contact information of your Representative, or call the U.S. House of Representatives Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Some key talking points for calls:

The mandate, which is essentially a quota system, drives ICE to target deportable individuals in order to funnel them into detention beds that must be filled.
DHS needlessly spends over $2 billion each year on immigration detention. That’s over $5.5 million each day. It costs American taxpayers $164/day to hold someone in immigration detention, but alternatives to detention can cost between 30 cents and $14/day.
No other law enforcement agencies have quotas for the number of people they must keep in jail.
ICE already has a Risk Assessment Tool to help determine whether an individual presents a flight risk and whether it is necessary for that person to be detained. The bed mandate ties the hands of ICE officials since they are required to keep beds full even when release is appropriate.

We expect the amendment to be debated and voted on at 1:00 pm Eastern today. Please reach out to your U.S. Representative as soon as possible.

Thank you!