New Sanctuary Movement

[YinYangMom]

Immigrants offered sanctuary in U.S. Churches

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Alarmed by immigration raids on illegal workers, a coalition of U.S. religious groups is launching a sanctuary movement on Wednesday to harbor immigrant families who risk being torn apart.

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim groups are opening churches and synagogues to shelter families who face deportation.

“This is a natural for the religious community,” said Kim Bobo, founder of the national Interfaith Worker Justice organization and one of the “New Sanctuary Movement” coordinators.

“It is natural for us to find a much more public role, to stand up with the immigrants, to challenge the direction of the nation and suggest that we need a much more comprehensive immigration program,” Bobo told Reuters.

full article . . .

This bothered me because of the blatant distortion of the truth here. Note that the opening statement correctly addresses the real issue: immigration raids on** illegal workers** but then they talk about families about to be torn apart while dropping the word ‘illegal’ from future references to ‘immigrants’.

This is not a matter of immigration.
It is a matter of illegal immigration.

The only matter I can see the Catholic church justifiably taking a stand for is coming to the aid of the children about to knowingly be abandoned by their parents.

When the law catches up with the illegal immigrant then that person is faced to pay the piper. If they brought their children with them then the children go back with the parents. If they had their children here in the states here then they’ve lived with the knowledge that one day they will have to decide what to do for those children when the time comes.

If it is the decision of the parents to leave their U.S. born children behind then I can see where the Catholic church would be wise to use her resources and networks to establish homes for those children until they are 18. **The parents do not have to break up their families. **Our government does not force them to leave any U.S. born children behind. The children do not face political persecution in their parents’ country. They won’t be arrested or tortured or killed. They will have a different lifestyle but they still get an education, health care and a home.

It seems to me the Church harboring people they know have broken the laws borders on scandal. How is participating in this New Sanctuary Movement an act of social justice for the Church?

 

[LittleDeb]

I totally agree with your stance, Mom. If you hadn’t pointed out the dropping of the word ‘illegal’ I would have never noticed it. I see what you mean that illegal immigrant parents need to think through the long term repercussions their actions have on children.

The only real concern I would have with forcing illegal immigrants to choose between taking their children home would again be the long term problems the children face. If they go home, would they be able to be sort of citizens in their parent’s country? What documentation would be required so they could go to school or work there? Is the age of adulthood the same there? Would they have the financial resources to return once they were of age? Or have we trapped an American citizen in another country against his/her will? Our laws say that he who is born here IS an American. Is it that law that is broken?

I think that the Church social justice is about speaking up for those who have no voice. The child would say if he could, “But I wanna stay here AND have my parents here too!” The Church must make sure that voice is heard.

 

[puzzleannie]

Immigrants offered sanctuary in U.S. Churches

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -
This is not a matter of immigration.
It is a matter of illegal immigration.

?

this is a matter of US employers hiring illegals, a far graver violation of the law which is receiving no attention, other than various proposals which will allow them to continue breaking the law. Target the people responsible for the crisis, not the workers themselves.

 

[carmelspirit]

Immigrants offered sanctuary in U.S. Churches

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Alarmed by immigration raids on illegal workers, a coalition of U.S. religious groups is launching a sanctuary movement on Wednesday to harbor immigrant families who risk being torn apart.

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim groups are opening churches and synagogues to shelter families who face deportation.

“This is a natural for the religious community,” said Kim Bobo, founder of the national Interfaith Worker Justice organization and one of the “New Sanctuary Movement” coordinators.

“It is natural for us to find a much more public role, to stand up with the immigrants, to challenge the direction of the nation and suggest that we need a much more comprehensive immigration program,” Bobo told Reuters.

full article . . .

This bothered me because of the blatant distortion of the truth here. Note that the opening statement correctly addresses the real issue: immigration raids on** illegal workers** but then they talk about families about to be torn apart while dropping the word ‘illegal’ from future references to ‘immigrants’.

This is not a matter of immigration.
It is a matter of illegal immigration.

It seems to me the Church harboring people they know have broken the laws borders on scandal. How is participating in this New Sanctuary Movement an act of social justice for the Church?

I completely agree with you. I’m Catholic, I’m Hispanic, the daughter of LEGAL immigrants who played by the rules over 50 years ago and are proud naturalized U.S. citizens who respect the laws, customs, norms of their adopted homeland. We expect everyone else to play by the rules no matter their country of origin. I find it and so does my family and many like-minded Catholics offensive that the CATHOLIC church leadership has adopted the Marxist social liberation theology stance on this issue to promote lawlessness, and undermine the health, safety, and welfare of the law-abiding citizens, legal immigrants and naturalized citizens of this country. Yesterday, the POPE took a stance against Socialist liberation theology and practices of many Catholic leaders and members. The solution to poverty, and all the societal ills illegal aliens face in their nations is NOT to simply move them to the United States. Rather, the church should be putting pressure on the governments of Mexico, for example which is a very rich, but very corrupt country who has purposely ignored their underclass, refused to change their policies to provide economic and educational opportunities for more than 3/4 of their citizens, and instead, has opted to encourage their underclass to flee to the U.S;. in search of employment and impose that U.S;. citizens pay the fringe benefits of health care, education and other social safety nets meant for our own most vulnerable members of our society.

 

[vern_humphrey]

this is a matter of US employers hiring illegals, a far graver violation of the law which is receiving no attention, other than various proposals which will allow them to continue breaking the law. Target the people responsible for the crisis, not the workers themselves.

It is also a matter of police being forbidden to report illegals when they arrest them for crimes, of social workers being forbidden to report illegals they come into contact with, with states (Kansas, for example) providing free college education for the children of illegals (but not for mere citizens, of course.)

 

[carmelspirit]

It is also a matter of police being forbidden to report illegals when they arrest them for crimes, of social workers being forbidden to report illegals they come into contact with, with states (Kansas, for example) providing free college education for the children of illegals (but not for mere citizens, of course.)

Just keep in mind that 3 of the “Ft. Dix” six, were illegal aliens from Albania, who were smuggled to the U.S. along with their parents via Italy and our Southern Border of Mexico. These guys had a total of 45 encounters with law enforcement and the criminal justice system in NJ (an illegal alien sanctuary state with many sanctuary cities), none of which reported them to ICE. HAd it not been for the savvy clerk at Circuit City where they brought their Al-Qaeda training video for conversion to a DVD, these guys would’ve benefitted from the current Senate Amnesty proposals granting immediate temporary residency to all illegal aliens currently present in this country. Is it right and just that these guys could have walked into a church and asked for “sanctuary” ? Are Catholics being asked to provide funds and support this? CAtholics are being fed double-speak on this issue, we have a right to expect that everyone play by the rules as we are expected to do.

 

[YinYangMom]

The only real concern I would have with forcing illegal immigrants to choose between taking their children home would again be the long term problems the children face.

Who’s forcing them to choose, though? That’s my point. No one.

If they go home, would they be able to be sort of citizens in their parent’s country? What documentation would be required so they could go to school or work there?

They are natural born citizens of their home country. If we’re talking about Mexico, then that country allows for dual citizenship. Documentation to work is the same for them as with any other citizen.

Is the age of adulthood the same there?

What difference does that make from the viewpoint of sending them with their parents?

Would they have the financial resources to return once they were of age?

Depends on if they save up any money or if they coordinate with family/friends here in the state to financially sponsor their return.

Or have we trapped an American citizen in another country against his/her will?

What trap? There is no trap, at least not set by our government. IF there is a trap it was set by their parents the day they decided to concieve while here in the country illegally.

Our laws say that he who is born here IS an American. Is it that law that is broken?

Broken by whom? The child born here of illegal immigrant parents is an American citizen (whether that law will change is a topic for another thread), but if your husband was transferred to Japan next week to live for the next 10 years you and your children would follow - by choice. You’d still be American citizens the entire time you’re in Japan.

Certainly you can stay behind with your children if you deem that best for your family. The children of the illegal immigrant could stay behind too - if they find a home for them. If one parent is being deported and the other is legally here, then the other can remain behind with the kids. The point is, whether or not the family splits up is a family decision. It is not forced upon them by anyone.

I think that the Church social justice is about speaking up for those who have no voice. The child would say if he could, “But I wanna stay here AND have my parents here too!” The Church must make sure that voice is heard.

Yeah, and my kids could say I wanna stay in CA and have my parents stay here too when dad gets transferred to Nebraska. So what? Since when do the children get to say what is best for the family? Parents must do what’s best for the family unit.

For some, that includes taking the risk of illegally entering a county and trying to survive under the radar. But if/when they get detected then they must face the music. They were smart enough to consider the ramifications before they crossed. Smart enough to choose to take the risk. So they should be smart enough to work out a Plan B for if/when the dreaded day comes. It’s called being prepared. Much like the rest of us have wills to lay out who takes what and who will raise the children and so on…the illegal immigrant adult should have those directives worked out.

Now perhaps that is a ‘social justice’ call the Catholic church could get behind - matching illegal immigrants with lawyers and other social service agencies to work out contingency plans. That’s better than letting them live illegally on church property, imo.

 

[YinYangMom]

this is a matter of US employers hiring illegals, a far graver violation of the law which is receiving no attention, other than various proposals which will allow them to continue breaking the law. Target the people responsible for the crisis, not the workers themselves.

That is the root of the problem, yes. So what is the Catholic church doing in that regard? Isn’t that where they should seek to provide social justice?

My issue is with the Catholic church joining the New Sanctuary Movement to harbor criminals. And I know people get their feathers ruffled when I use the term, but a criminal is someone who breaks the law and people who enter the country using false documentation or no documentation at all are breaking the law and thus they are criminals. Just because we are conditioned to consider criminals only those who use violence to break laws doesn’t make it so.

 

[YinYangMom]

The solution to poverty, and all the societal ills illegal aliens face in their nations is NOT to simply move them to the United States. Rather, the church should be putting pressure on the governments of Mexico, for example which is a very rich, but very corrupt country who has purposely ignored their underclass, refused to change their policies to provide economic and educational opportunities for more than 3/4 of their citizens, and instead, has opted to encourage their underclass to flee to the U.S;. in search of employment and impose that U.S. citizens pay the fringe benefits of health care, education and other social safety nets meant for our own most vulnerable members of our society.

Well stated. There are and have been as many, if not more, US citizens deprived of basic necessities here at home. Where’s the outcry for that?

 

[YinYangMom]

It is also a matter of police being forbidden to report illegals when they arrest them for crimes, of social workers being forbidden to report illegals they come into contact with, with states (Kansas, for example) providing free college education for the children of illegals (but not for mere citizens, of course.)

Really? :ehh: I didn’t know the police and social workers were forbidden to report illegals. I thought that was just a voluntary practice. Who set those rules?

 

[YinYangMom]

Had it not been for the savvy clerk at Circuit City where they brought their Al-Qaeda training video for conversion to a DVD, these guys would’ve benefitted from the current Senate Amnesty proposals granting immediate temporary residency to all illegal aliens currently present in this country.

Is it right and just that these guys could have walked into a church and asked for “sanctuary”?

Are Catholics being asked to provide funds and support this?

Catholics are being fed double-speak on this issue, we have a right to expect that everyone play by the rules as we are expected to do.

Great questions!

That is my concern, too, the mixed message. We cannot be preaching adherance to laws and then be asked to support harboring and protecting those who break the laws.

 

[carmelspirit]

That is the root of the problem, yes. So what is the Catholic church doing in that regard? Isn’t that where they should seek to provide social justice?

My issue is with the Catholic church joining the New Sanctuary Movement to harbor criminals. And I know people get their feathers ruffled when I use the term, but a criminal is someone who breaks the law and people who enter the country using false documentation or no documentation at all are breaking the law and thus they are criminals. Just because we are conditioned to consider criminals only those who use violence to break laws doesn’t make it so.

Using another’s social security number to obtain anything of value, whether or not it’s employment, goods or services is a FELONY. Obtaining, selling false or fraudulent documents is also a FELONY. Fraudulently obtaining valid documents i.e. identity theft is a FELONY. All of us would be in jail for doing that. The Catholic church is violating immigration law when it harbors felons. This is madness. I don’t think if I robbed a bank or stole your identity to lease an apartment or obtain a mortgage, my Catholic church would provide me with “sanctuary” from local police. Of course, if I was an illegal alien…that would change the story wouldn’t it?
The children of illegal aliens are suffering the consequences of the illegal acts committed by their parents, not because of our “unjust laws”. Unlike other criminal laws, deportable aliens have the freedom to take their children home with them and if they cared about their children they should. If they are U.S. citizens, they can always come back.

 

[YinYangMom]

Using another’s social security number to obtain anything of value, whether or not it’s employment, goods or services is a FELONY. Obtaining, selling false or fraudulent documents is also a FELONY. Fraudulently obtaining valid documents i.e. identity theft is a FELONY. All of us would be in jail for doing that. The Catholic church is violating immigration law when it harbors felons. This is madness. I don’t think if I robbed a bank or stole your identity to lease an apartment or obtain a mortgage, my Catholic church would provide me with “sanctuary” from local police. Of course, if I was an illegal alien…that would change the story wouldn’t it?
The children of illegal aliens are suffering the consequences of the illegal acts committed by their parents, not because of our “unjust laws”. Unlike other criminal laws, deportable aliens have the freedom to take their children home with them and if they cared about their children they should. If they are U.S. citizens, they can always come back.

I hear your frustration as I share it with you. You’ve raised a very valid point - I don’t see where the church would be moved under the veil of ‘social justice’ to grant sanctuary to ‘ordinary’ felons. A convicted felon goes to jail and the family is left alone to fend for themselves. Does the Church take those families under Her wing? Provide for their health insurance? Their educational expenses? Their clothing needs? One could easily cry out for justice for those children as well, given this faulty argument.

And that’s the reason for this thread. I want to know if others see how skewed this article is - how the other tv stories are being presented - and I want to discuss how we, as Catholics, are to respond to this news article? Does anyone know whether or not these churches are operationg outside Catholic church guidelines?

I’d like to find out which Catholic churches in the area have signed on to work with the group and/or look into the diocese to see what the bishop’s stand will be.

 

[carmelspirit]

I guess one way to find out is to call individual Archdioceses or contact the Catholic Conference of Bishops, Office of Migration (or something like that). As a Catholic, I feel compassion for the victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens, for those citizens who cannot find work…there are 23 million of them, for those families living paycheck to paycheck one health care crisis away from financial ruin b/c they can’t afford health insurance and their employer d/n provide it (meanwhile illlegal aliens access free medical clinics and use the ER’s as personal health clinics w/o being made to pay anything). I feel compassion for our young veterans who can’t find work and whose families are struggling financially.

Please see, youtube.com/watch?v=SpomTIkv0V8

I personally know several family members of victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens. All of these crimes were 100% preventable if our borders were secured, our laws respected and enforced. Where’s the compassion for these families?

 

[calchiquita]

Immigrants offered sanctuary in U.S. Churches

It seems to me the Church harboring people they know have broken the laws borders on scandal. How is participating in this New Sanctuary Movement an act of social justice for the Church?

Well, “Sanctuary” as practiced in old England at least was meant for criminals, actually. But it was temporary, so that they might have time to make peace with their adversaries perhaps, let cooler heads prevail, to avoid lynch mobs in a way. It wasn’t to get around the law.

 

[Verisimilitude]

I completely agree with you. I’m Catholic, I’m Hispanic, the daughter of LEGAL immigrants who played by the rules over 50 years ago and are proud naturalized U.S. citizens who respect the laws, customs, norms of their adopted homeland. We expect everyone else to play by the rules no matter their country of origin. I find it and so does my family and many like-minded Catholics offensive that the CATHOLIC church leadership has adopted the Marxist social liberation theology stance on this issue to promote lawlessness, and undermine the health, safety, and welfare of the law-abiding citizens, legal immigrants and naturalized citizens of this country. Yesterday, the POPE took a stance against Socialist liberation theology and practices of many Catholic leaders and members. The solution to poverty, and all the societal ills illegal aliens face in their nations is NOT to simply move them to the United States. Rather, the church should be putting pressure on the governments of Mexico, for example which is a very rich, but very corrupt country who has purposely ignored their underclass, refused to change their policies to provide economic and educational opportunities for more than 3/4 of their citizens, and instead, has opted to encourage their underclass to flee to the U.S;. in search of employment and impose that U.S;. citizens pay the fringe benefits of health care, education and other social safety nets meant for our own most vulnerable members of our society.

Well said.

 

[LittleDeb]

Who’s forcing them to choose, though? That’s my point. No one.

They are natural born citizens of their home country. If we’re talking about Mexico, then that country allows for dual citizenship. Documentation to work is the same for them as with any other citizen.

What difference does that make from the viewpoint of sending them with their parents?

Depends on if they save up any money or if they coordinate with family/friends here in the state to financially sponsor their return.

What trap? There is no trap, at least not set by our government. IF there is a trap it was set by their parents the day they decided to concieve while here in the country illegally.

Broken by whom? The child born here of illegal immigrant parents is an American citizen (whether that law will change is a topic for another thread), but if your husband was transferred to Japan next week to live for the next 10 years you and your children would follow - by choice. You’d still be American citizens the entire time you’re in Japan.

Certainly you can stay behind with your children if you deem that best for your family. The children of the illegal immigrant could stay behind too - if they find a home for them. If one parent is being deported and the other is legally here, then the other can remain behind with the kids. The point is, whether or not the family splits up is a family decision. It is not forced upon them by anyone.

Yeah, and my kids could say I wanna stay in CA and have my parents stay here too when dad gets transferred to Nebraska. So what? Since when do the children get to say what is best for the family? Parents must do what’s best for the family unit.

For some, that includes taking the risk of illegally entering a county and trying to survive under the radar. But if/when they get detected then they must face the music. They were smart enough to consider the ramifications before they crossed. Smart enough to choose to take the risk. So they should be smart enough to work out a Plan B for if/when the dreaded day comes. It’s called being prepared. Much like the rest of us have wills to lay out who takes what and who will raise the children and so on…the illegal immigrant adult should have those directives worked out.

Now perhaps that is a ‘social justice’ call the Catholic church could get behind - matching illegal immigrants with lawyers and other social service agencies to work out contingency plans. That’s better than letting them live illegally on church property, imo.

All very good points. I live in a heavily Hispanic area. And since we have a “bleeding heart … media” we do tend to get the skewed version here. We are fairly conservative, but a recent attempt at a humorous protest of illegal immigration received hate mail and had sponsors threatened. It surprised a lot of us in this more sleepy area. It got ugly on both sides.

Yes, it would seem that the Church is aiding felons. I hope some sort of decent solution can be found. I just can’t help thinking that the sins of the parents are being visited on the children. But I don’t know that I feel strongly about that. Because you are right. The children still retain their American rights.

 

[Dale_M]

I guess one way to find out is to call individual Archdioceses or contact the Catholic Conference of Bishops, Office of Migration (or something like that).

Migration and Refugee Services
usccb.org/mrs/contactmrs.shtml

 

[Bob_Byrnes]

It is also a matter of police being forbidden to report illegals when they arrest them for crimes, of social workers being forbidden to report illegals they come into contact with, with states (Kansas, for example) providing free college education for the children of illegals (but not for mere citizens, of course.)

Let’s not refer to our fellow creations of God as “illegals”. They may have crossed the border illegally and they may be undocumented but they are not “illegals”. The vast majority of these people are trying to support and feed their families. If I were in their position I would probably do the same thing. Many of those I know would love to return home but there is no work there. I don’t know what the answer is but calling them “illegals”
seems to lack the love and compassion they certainly deserve.
Whatever happened to “Feed the hungry”. Does that mean only after they have waited for a legal VISA ?

 

[YinYangMom]

Let’s not refer to our fellow creations of God as “illegals”. They may have crossed the border illegally and they may be undocumented but they are not “illegals”. The vast majority of these people are trying to support and feed their families. If I were in their position I would probably do the same thing. Many of those I know would love to return home but there is no work there. I don’t know what the answer is but calling them “illegals” seems to lack the love and compassion they certainly deserve. Whatever happened to “Feed the hungry”. Does that mean only after they have waited for a legal VISA ?

People who enter this country without the proper documentation are here illegally. It is what it is. They are illegal immigrants - though I notice the USCCB and Rome prefers to use the term:
‘immigrants in an irregular situation’ or 'migrants in an illegal situation".

As for feeding the hungry: of course we are to feed and care for anyone’s needs who come to ask it of us, but when the law catches up with someone who knowingly commits a crime then we aren’t supposed to interfere with justice. We can certainly go to the police station with them so they are not alone, we can be witnesses to their plight and make sure they don’t get abused while incarcerated, we can visit them when they are in prison, we can post their bail, we can offer to care for their families until the matter gets resolved. There are many other ways to meet our corporal works of mercy obligations without breaking the laws ourselves.