Don’t forget: the next National Call of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition is Monday 2nd at 4pm EST.
Join the National Faith Conference Call March 2 at 4 pm EST to hear stories of the vigils across the country that have taken place, the tremendous media coverage of a number of them, and the buzz that has been created by people of faith – just like you!
And there is of course much to be done for immigrants and their families. While House and Senate offices are beginning to hear of the prayer vigils and the remarkable mobilization of these two weeks, they now need to hear directly from people of faith in their districts. So, we are now looking towards the week after Easter and Passover, April 16-17, for local faith communities to set up “Neighbor to Neighbor” in-district meetings with their Members of Congress. More info on this on the call!
Call-in number is: 800-920-7487
ID code: 76723736
Take Action Now: The Interfaith Immigration Coalition has a new Action Tool!!!
Go to www.interfaithimmigration.org and click on Take Action and Write a letter to your representatives telling them you want to see humanitarian and fair immigration reform this year.
National Interfaith Prayer Vigils Campaign for Immigration reform
Prayer, Renewal & Action on Immigration February 13-22, 2009
As members of the 111th Congress returned to their districts over President’s Day weekend faith communities across the nation spoke out for humane immigration reform.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition, a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform, organized the prayer vigil campaign of Prayer, Renewal and Action on Immigration. Hosting prayer vigils around the country gave people of faith an opportunity to reflect on the deep scriptural, spiritual roots of our work to support immigrants in this country, highlight the moral aspects of the immigration issue and remember the real-life consequences of our failed policies on immigrant families. These vigils also enabled us to make our voices heard; reminding representatives in Congress that humane immigration reform is a top priority for people of faith.
Along with Methodist, Jewish, Evangelical, Lutheran, Catholic and other faith groups, Episcopalians across the country hosted and participated in vigils. The following are some of the prayer vigils hosted by Episcopalians:
· On Monday 16th Bishop Prince Singh of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester participated with other faith leaders of an interfaith church vigil in Rochester, NY. About 150 people gathered at the FirstUnitarianChurch seeking reforms to immigration policy. Speakers on the need for immigration policy reform included Bishop Matthew Clark of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester; Muhammad Shafiq of the Islamic Center of Rochester; Isobel Goldman of the Brennan Goldman Institute for Catholic Jewish Studies; Will Bontrager, of the Friends Community (Quakers); Virginia Fifield, a Mohawk, of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations).
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090217/NEWS01/902170321/1002/NEWS
· On Sunday 22nd , St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Sand Diego, CA hosted a prayer for comprehensive immigration reform, for protection of immigrants and their families, and for humane border policies will be lifted up at all worship services. The event is called “Prayers for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.”
· El Buen Pastor Episcopal Church, Redwood City, CA used the Immigrant’s Mass on Sunday 22nd, to offer prayers of protection for immigrants, empowerment for people of faith to speak out for justice, and moral courage for Members of Congress to act for humane immigration reform.
· On 2/22/09 at 2pm, at the Chapel of Saint Matthew/San Mateo Episcopal Church
the community prayed for protection for immigrants and the enactment of humane immigration reform.
· On Sunday 22nd from 6-7pm the Episcopal Diocese of WNC hosted an Immigration Vigil at All Souls Cathedral to lift our voices and prayers for justice in immigration policy, legislation and enforcement.
· A prayer vigil was hosted at St. Mathew’s Episcopal Church, Hyattsville, MD on Saturday 21st at 7 pm to pray for protection for immigrants and immigration reform. This event was organized by the Hispanic Ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
· The Episcopal Church Santa Maria Virgen in Oklahoma City, OK hosted a prayer Vigil calling for immigration reform.
If you hosted and/or participated of a prayer vigil please send us information, pictures, news clips, accounts, etc. to awhite@episcopalchurch.org
Media Coverage of the prayer Vigils:
Here is a link to the TV clips we have so far for the faith events: take a moment to watch them they are great!!!!
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Interfaith church vigil calls for immigration reform
By Gary McLendon
February 17, 2009
http://www.democrat andchronicle. com/article/ 20090217/ NEWS01/902170321 /1002/NEWS
Aurora Sentinel: Faith calls together crowd for immigration vigil
By Brandon Johansson
February 16, 2009
http://www.aurorase ntinel.com/ articles/ 2009/02/16/ news/doc499a4854 541b3483745427. txt
Omaha World Herald: Bishops take on immigrant policies
By Cindy Gonzalez
February 16, 2009
http://www.omaha. com/index. php?u_page= 2798&u_sid=10565212
National Faith Leaders Call on Obama to Lead on Immigration Reform: The Interfaith Immigration Coalition announced Hundreds of Immigration Prayer Vigils and New Platform with Vast Religious Support. On Wednesday, February 11th, national faith leaders from diverse traditions hold a press conference to call on President Obama and the new Congress to prioritize immigration reform in 2009. U.S. Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) and Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) joint the coalition as it announces a national campaign to engage religious groups and congregations around the nation. The Coalition released a faith platform highlighting the moral foundation and principles for a new immigration reform, endorsed by more than 500 national and regional organizations, local congregations, and faith leaders from around the country (with more than 60 Episcopalians!!!). The following faith leaders presented the platform: Jim Wallis, President of Sojourner; Bishop Minerva Carcaño Bishop, Desert Southwest Annual Conference of the UnitedMethodistChurch; Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Sister Eileen Campbell, Leadership Team, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas; and Rev. William G. Sinkford, President, Unitarian Universalist Association.
Media Coverage of the event:
Church Leaders Rally for Immigration Reform
CBNNews.com
February 11, 2009
(With Video)
Faith Leaders Re-Ignite Immigration Debate
The Christian Post
By Michelle A. Vu
February 12, 2009
Will immigration get on the agenda?
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
By Eric Fingerhut
February 11, 2009
U.S. Religious Leaders Demand "Humane" Immigration Reform
Latin American Herald Tribune
By Lucia Leal
February 12, 2009
Líderes religiosos de EEUU reclaman una "reforma humana" de la inmigración
MSN Latino
By Lucía Leal
February 12, 2009
In response to Secretary Napolitano Directive
The Episcopal Church signed on a letter directed to Secretary Napolitano regarding key initiatives in interior enforcement, border security, detention and other immigration programs. The letter is accompanied by a report, prepared by an informal coalition of legal aid providers, immigrant and refugee rights organizations, research institutions, legal experts, and other non-governmental associations from across the nation, to ensure that the Secretary has a wide range of data to review for her assessment of these programs. The letter urges Secretary Napolitano to consider the following key priorities as part of the Department review: Prosecutorial Discretion, Interior Enforcement, Detention, Border issues, E-Verify and SSA No Match, and Naturalization, Family, Employment-Based and Nonimmigrant Administrative Backlogs. The report provides specific recommendations for all these key areas.
Iraqi Refugees
The Episcopal Church singed on a letter President Obama regarding the situation inside Iraq and the ongoing issues facing refugees in the region. The letter ask President Obama to ensure that the U.S. government delivers more effectively on its commitment to assist and protect vulnerable Iraqis, and to further the long-term development of Iraq, by mandating civilian agencies to take the lead in formulating and implementing an effective humanitarian and development strategy.
TPS for Haitians
The Refugee Council USA sent a letter to Secretary Napolitano requesting her to designate the country of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status. In September 2008 Haiti suffered massive destruction wreaked by four deadly storms: Topical Storms Fay and Hanna and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. At the same time, Rep. Hasting reintroduced a bill (HR 144) intended to grant TPS to Haitian immigrants in this country. The Episcopal Church signed on a letter sent to Rep. Hasting in support of this bill.
Support to the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act
The Episcopal Church signed on a letter in support of the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act of 2009, a bill Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA) re-introduced. Rep. Roybal-Allard introduced HR 7255, the Immigration Oversight and Fairness Act of 2008 in October 2008. The 2009 bill has substantially the same text as the 2008 version with the exception of minor technical amendments and a few improvements. The 2009 bill adds new provisions on the following: 1) a new confidentiality section governing the release of information about unaccompanied alien children; 2) a new section requiring training of all personnel in all facilities in which non-citizens are detained. The 2009 bill improves upon the existing sections from the 2008 version: 1) transfer of detainees; 2) the location of facilities; 3) legal visits to detainees; 4) access to detention facilities for NGOs and other independent observers.
Legislative and Administration Updates:
President Obama signed the Children’s Health Bill
President Obama signed the legislation (HR 2) in a ceremony, underscoring the difference in the political landscape wrought by the 2008 elections. President Bush twice vetoed similar bills in the 110th Congress. The bill will extend health coverage to approximately 4 million children across the United States, including many immigrants. The bill also lift the 5 year waiting period for legal immigrant children and pregnant women to apply to these programs.
E-Verify Stripped of the Stimulus Package by Conference Committee
E-Verify for all recipients of stimulus funding was stripped out of the conference report for the economic stimulus package.
DHS Appointments: On February 23, the Department of Homeland Security issued a Press Release announcing the appointment of John Morton to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Esther Olavarria as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy. Esther Olavarria was for nearly 10 years Senator Edward Kennedy's chief counsel on immigration, and as such has been central to efforts to enact comprehensive immigration reform. John Morton has more than a decade of experience on immigration and criminal matters at the Justice department. Both appointees are veterans of the last round of immigration reform negotiations in the Senate and understand the complexities of the issue.
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