| May 16, 2007 |
|
Indianapolis |
The "New Sanctuary Movement," launched May 9, 2007, aims:
- To protect immigrant workers and families from unjust deportation;
- To change the public debate;
- To awaken the moral imagination of the country; and
- To make visible immigrant workers and families as children of God.
Disciples’ congregations wishing to consider participation in this New Sanctuary Movement should contact Refugee and Immigration Ministries of Disciples Home Missions to get full details on the movement. Issues of concern to be taken into consideration include the probability of trauma in personally experiencing the possible deportation of someone who has become a friend and the availability of local legal help for any congregation that becomes involved.
In the early 1980s, thousands of Central American refugees fled life-threatening repression and human rights violations to come to the United States. At the time, federal immigration policy denied political asylum to the vast majority of these persons because their governments were U.S. allies. Faith leaders across the country united under the banner of the Sanctuary Movement to offer social services to these persons and to engage in advocacy to change federal immigration policy. The Sanctuary Movement engaged in civil disobedience to provide refuge for Central Americans whose identities they pledged not to reveal. Some members of the Sanctuary Movement were jailed for their involvement, but their efforts helped to change national policy and protect thousands of Central Americans.
Today, the influx of undocumented immigrants into the United States has reached a large scale, forcing millions of people to live in the shadows even as they work and contribute to their communities. While the majority of these undocumented persons are from countries south of the continental United States, there are also people from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Former Soviet Union, Europe, and even Canada. The factors that bring them here are complex, from political repression to intolerable economic and social conditions. Many have been in the United States for many years, have citizen children, and contribute to our economy.
Unlike the earlier movement, the New Sanctuary Movement is providing sanctuary to entire families and publicly revealing their identities and their legal cases. The immigrant families that are hosted will be at risk of deportation, having received or likely to be issued a deportation order. They will be fully aware of the risks they are taking and be committed to telling their story to help countless other families who cannot come forward. The families will include immigrant adults with good work records who are parents of American citizen children. They will come from various nationalities.
Religious leaders are being asked to sign on to a Sanctuary Pledge in support of the movement. Congregations are being asked to sign the Pledge, provide spiritual and material support as needed (meals, transportation, and financial assistance), offer shelter in the church or the home of a congregational member as needed, allow the church to become the mailing address of the immigrant family if needed, and provide pro-bono legal services. The churches will be supported by a larger network of individuals, congregations, and immigration lawyers.
The New Sanctuary Movement is being coordinated by three networks in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York: Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice – Calif., Interfaith Worker Justice (Chicago), and the New York Sanctuary Coalition. There are representatives from participating cities and interdenominational institutions that are also part of a national steering committee.
Contact Jennifer Riggs, director, Refugee and Immigration Ministries, for more information at (317) 713-2643.
A general ministry of the church, Disciples Home Missions is committed to equipping Disciples for Christ and connecting people to the life changing love of God. |
