Bishop Wester speaks on the side of immigrants

"For some time now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has targeted employers who hire unauthorized workers by using force to enter work sites and arrest immigrant workers," said Bishop Wester, who serves as the chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Migration and Refugee Committee. "We have experienced several of these raids here in Utah. Once of which, sadly took place on Dec. 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in 2006. Over the past year, 6,000 immigrants have been deported, but only 10 employers have been prosecuted.

"During the process of these raids, U.S. citizen children have been separated from their parents for days if not longer," said Bishop

Wester. "Immigrants arrested have not been afforded the rights of due process, and local communities, including legal permanent residents and U.S. citizens have been disrupted and dislocated.

"The sweeping nature of these raids, which often involve hundreds of law enforcement personnel with weapons, strike fear in immigrant communities, and make it difficult for those arrested to secure basic due process protections, including legal counsel. Children who are U.S. citizens are forced to either go to a country which they do not know, or to live here with relatives and friends enduring separation of family," said Bishop Wester. "With many communities living in fear of deportation, they no longer find themselves able to cooperate with local authorities as they are forced into the shadows."

Bishop Wester said we are gravely concerned about the collateral human consequences of immigration enforcement raids on the family unit. But many local churches, wards, synagogues, and temples have helped respond to human needs generated by these enforcement actions. They have provided counseling, legal services to parents and children, and basic needs assistance to immigrant communities.

"While we do not question the right and duty of our government to enforce the law, we do question whether work site enforcement raids are the most effective and humane method for performing this duty," said Bishop Wester. "In this regard, we ask DHS to immediately pledge to take the following actions to mitigate the human costs of these raids:

• DHS should refrain from enforcement activity in certain areas that provide humanitarian relief such as churches, hospitals, community health centers, schools, food banks, and other community-based organizations that provide charitable services;

• Primary, not simply sole, caregivers should be released following an enforcement action to care for their children;

• DHS should facilitate access to meaningful legal representation for arrested individuals so they are aware of their legal rights and options;

• Enforcement actions should be conducted in a manner which preserves basic human dignity: immigrants who are working to survive and support their families should not be treated like criminals;

• Mechanisms should be instituted to allow family members to remain together and to locate each other during and following an enforcement action.

Absent the effective and immediate implementation of these safeguards, we believe that these enforcement raids should be abandoned.

"There is hope," said Bishop Wester. "In March, the U.S. Bishop’s on Migration, which I led, met with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and asked her to reconsider the raids policy. She is concerned about these matters. Since then DHS has announced a switch from these work site actions to focus more on unscrupulous employers. We have seen some downturn and hopefully they will eventually end. In the meantime, I pray SB81 will not add to the fear and uncertainty of many of the immigrants."

"The last time we gathered on Capitol Hill to testify about SB81, we were talking to a blank wall," said Bishop Irish. "It has all been decided. It was very discouraging, But, none the less, we show up, we make our presentation, and we stick up for all people.

"The Episcopal Church is not large in Utah, but we have been here a long time," said Bishop Irish. "We have always been on the side of love and justice. Our faith not only has a set of beliefs and hopes, but core values, and they start with justice. They are love, compassion, and all those things we need to call forth in ourselves and in our communities in order to address this grave situation we are now facing.

"The worst part of this bill, from my perspective, is that it entirely ignores due process," said Bishop Irish. "If we have, as this bill provides, local law enforcement, deputized as immigrant officers, you can see how clearly that lends itself to racial profiling, and if they do not have their papers, they go back to from where they came without a lawyer, or an opportunity of due process. That hurts me more than any other aspect, because it is what America stands for, and what our Constitution stands for."

"The topic of illegal immigration has become the center of public debate, not only in the political arena, but in our neighborhoods, schools, homes, and churches," said Dr. Ramos. "The majority of these discussions are characterized by the lack of a profound knowledge about the immigrations issues. In general the questions and affirmations of economical implications, and national security dominate the discussions, forgetting that the dignity and well being of the families of the immigrants are what really matters. We must also put this issue and its consequences on a global dimension.

"Our faith, as Christians, calls us to get involved beyond the debate," said Ramos. "Our faith calls us to take concrete actions in order to help alleviate the pain of our brothers and sisters with the spirit of love and charity."

Ramos said the consequences of SB81, which becomes effective on July 1, include Latinos being fired because they are not able to show legal status, stopped by police and being deported, Latino families are losing half of their income because the mother must stay home because of fear that one of the couple will be arrested by immigration and not be able to reach the children who are in school or are at home. Because of this Latino families are sending less money home to Latin America to support families. The money sent from the U.S. represents the second highest form of income received by the government in Latin America."

Sinkford said, "Love your neighbor as yourself, but who is our neighbor?" Every generation of Americans has had to confront that question. The reality of at least 12 million undocumented neighbors living among us calls us to face that question again.

"As a faith community, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of not some people, but of all people," said Sinkford. "While we wait, we know our current immigration system is broken. We know ICE raids are not the solution to this broken system. Deportations will not save us in this situation. We could not deport 12 million people even if we wanted to. We know the back log of processing family-based immigration requests leaves millions in limbo, and we know the flow of guest-worker program leaves millions without a path to citizenship. We know tragically, this nation has now created an under class of residents who are refused the dignity and civil protections that come with citizenship."

Larry Love, a Mormon, shared the story of his wife, who illegally crossed the border. Five years later, she was arrested and let out on an ankle bracelet. They will not give her a hearing, and she will be deported. She has three U.S. citizen children, and cannot get permission to stay in this country.