Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights - ICIR-CLUE-CA

Children's March - Jan. 24th, 2012

2012-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

"What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God" --Micah 6:8

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN INTERFAITH ALLIES IN A

CHILDREN'S MARCH!

TO SUPPORT THE
DOMESTIC WORKERS' BILL
AB 889
January 24th, Tuesday
10AM March
11AM Press Conference & Other Activities

Sacramento Capitol Building
West Side Steps
(10th St. between N St. & L St.)

Domestic workers are mothers and grandmothers who do the work that makes all other work possible!

Join a march of hundreds of women, children and families across California fighting for the dignity and equal rights of domestic workers, housekeepers and caregivers! Join workers, employers and allies - saying this work has value - and should be treated with the dignity of overtime and meal and rest breaks, just as any other job in California.

The interfaith community will be giving the opening blessing for the children and their hard-working mothers! Let us know if you can help lead the blessing.

Bring along your friends and family.Bay Area car-pooling available, please RSVP below.

Hope to see you there!

Please click here to let us know you are coming

Click here to download flyer

For more information please contact ICIR Program Asst., Magee Page-Stokes, at 510-893-7106 X327 or by email at mpstokes.icir@gmail.com

Study Guide- Immigration from a Christian Perspective

2012-01-09T10:58:00.001-08:00

The Welcoming the Strange Learning Group Guide: Discovering and Living God’s Heart for Immigrants, a seven-session experiential learning group guide, is now available for free download. This resource, created by World Relief and the National Association of Evangelicals, is designed to be used by church small groups, Adult Education classes, or just an informal group of friends to help Christians think about the issue of immigration from a distinctly Christian perspective. This Learning Guide contains seven unique sessions focused on a specific topic, like “Biblical Perspectives on Immigration,” “Immigration Policy, Past and Present,” and “The Facts about Undocumented Immigrants.” Each Learning Group session is designed with five main components: 1) Learning, 2) Discussion, 3) Prayer, 4) Experience, and 5) Going Deeper. The Guide is flexible and can be used to create an environment that moves a group of people towards action as an expression of faith.

These Learning Group Guides are available for free if you are willing to have each participant in the Learning Group take part in a pre-experience survey and a post-experience survey to give us feedback on the Guide. If interested, please email Matthew Soerens at msoerens@wr.org and the guides will be shipped to you directly. You can also download it (and look at other resources) on www.welcomingthestranger.com under the “Champion” section, or you can order it from the NAE for $20 here.

An Afternoon Restoring a Little Human Dignity

2011-12-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

An Afternoon Restoring a Little HumanDignity:

Herminio’s Journey with ICE

November 17, 2011, Mary Jane Marcus,SFICI

TodayI met Herminio, one of the people whogave testimony at the vigil against the U.S. Government’s shackling of immigrants in San Francisco who are facing civil,deportation charges (not criminal charges). They currently do not even have the same protections as those in thecriminal system. He had just spoken atthe Vigil for Human Dignity about being bruised blue around the waste by ashackle that was too tight.

After the Vigil, ourSFICI crew including Rev. Deborah Lee , Judy Liteky, Rev. Tita Valeriano and I wentacross the street to eat some Chinese food. Over chow mien and stir-fried long beans, Herminio told us stories abouthis experience in detention –how he was released in Yuba City without a centand had to beg for money on the street in order to get the funds to take a bus($70) back to his home in Sunnyvale. Becauseof this release policy, he said in Yuba City you will see a number of peoplestanding by the side of the road.

Herminio told us abouta Vietnamese man whose plight awakened him to the inhumanity of it all. This Vietnameseman was in his late 60s, shackled with Herminio, and was shivering the wholetime they were transported to court from the prison. When they got to court,there were no chairs and they (including this elderly man) were forced tostand. He told us the most inflexible(unwilling to make any accommodation) were the private security, who managedthe transport between facilities. Whenthey arrived at the Courthouse, the staff loosened their chains and the Judgewas very kind.

As he was talking, Herminiopulled out a receipt, and told us that Immigration still had hisbelongings. These belongings includedhis cell phone, his credit card all of the belongings he had with him when hewas detained. We asked him where they were and he said they were on Sansome Street. He had not picked them up (since his releasein May 2011) because he was afraid of being detained if he went there, eventhough he paid $5000 when he was released on bond. He is awaiting his deportation hearing inMarch. Surprised, we naturally said “Whydon’t we go over there after lunch and see if we can get your stuff?” With Deborah’s Spanish translation, welearned he felt comfortable going there if we were with him.

He also told us abouthow he prayed for a miracle to keep him here, since he has a beautiful 5 yearold son in Kindergarten and a lovely wife. His brother (in Michoacán) and 30 others were recently tortured and heldhostage when the assailants tried to get money from their family. Herminio is afraid he will face the samefate if he returns to Mexico, and is seeking asylum now. I felt my heart reach out to his, as someonewho is just making a good life for him and his family.

So we all decided togo to the INS building. Herminio did nothave an ID, so he could not go to the 6^th floor where detained personsbelongings are held, but the officer said we could go upstairs to collect themin his place. Judy and I got to theoffice at 2:50 and the office closed at 3 pm. We gave the ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) Officer the claimcheck and waited to see if we would get the possessions.

In the meantime, Iused the opportunity to do a little investigation with the ICE Officer. It turns out people are held on the 6^thfloor (not overnight) while they are awaiting hearings, from Yuba City orelsewhere. The officer “joked” about howpeople stay here until they are deported and then they are back the next day.We did not see anyone while we were there. I asked why the possessions are kept there, and he said that they usedto be sent to detention facilities (like Yuba City) but they were often lost enroute so they stopped that. He did saymoney was sent to Yuba City. I asked himif he has much stuff there, and he said the room was packed, and that manypeople do not pick up their stuff. ICEis supposed to send out a letter to the families after 6 months. I mentioned how people are afraid to come in,and he seemed surprised (and did not believe that)…saying that someone like Herminiowith a bond shouldn’t have an issue.

After a few minutes,the officer brought out a paper bag with a number on it that we confirmedcorresponded with the claim tag. Surprisingly, we did not have to sign anything, but he told us not toopen it until we were outside.

We brought it outside to Herminio and he was thrilled to find his possessionsthere – including his cell phone, wallet, photos, everything! He showed us apicture of his wife, and his son, who is says is quite bright.

Itwas a small effort to make, but it felt really good to do something thatactually made his life a little bit better – to restore a little bit of dignitythat is lost in the injustices of the system. In this season of feeling like ‘we are too busy to give,’ this time withHerminio reminded me that helping another person really does help your ownheart grow. Let’s hope our Americansystem can show kindness to Herminio next March in his hearing.

200 Immigrant East Bay Workers Fired by Latest ICE I-9 Raid

2011-12-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

Watch the video news coverage:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=8471852

Print Coverage:

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/federal-immigration-authorities-forces-foundry-fir/nF4py/

Contra Costa Times:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_19557783?source=most_viewed

On Dec. 18^th, International Day of the Migrant, members of community and faith

organizations held a solidarity event to show community opposition to the firings of over

two hundred families at an East Bay foundry.  "We are showing our support and bringing

them food to show them that they are part of our community, and we care what happens to

 them over the holidays," said Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.

Over two hundred workers at the Pacific Steel Castings foundry in Berkeley have been

terminated from their jobs as a result of an audit of I-9 immigration forms, often referred

to as a "silent raid," by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch of DHS.   ICE

alleges the workers have no legal immigration status.  The workers at Pacific Steel had

steady, well-paying union jobs and support many other people in their families.

Many worked at the foundry for over a decade, and some over two decades.

"Many of us are buying homes, or have lived in our homes for years," said one worker.

 "We have children in the schools.  We pay taxes and contribute to our community.   What is

 happening to us is not just, and hurts our families."

Reverend Deborah Lee of the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights said,

"These families have done nothing wrong.  They're being punished for working, which is

what people in our community are supposed to do.   We will not let this happen in silence,

nor allow these workers to be treated as though they are invisible.   We are also meeting to

 protest the injustice of their firing.  Being terminated because of immigration status is a

violation of their human and civil rights."

Since ICE began threatening the terminations last spring, leaders of local faith groups, labor

unions, community and civil rights organizations have sent letters asking the agency not to

demand the terminations.  City councils in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda passed resolutions

 opposing the firings.

"These families and our entire community are being harmed, and inequality and poverty will

 increase as a result," said Mayor McLaughlin.

The Mayor, Councilwoman Jovanka Beckels, Councilmember Jesse Arreguin  and other

community, faith and labor leaders were present at the gathering.  About half the families

live in Richmond and San Pablo, and St. Mark's Catholic Church has opened its doors to give

them a space to meet. The fired workers belong to Glass Molders Pottery and Plastics

Workers Local 164B.

Similar I-9 audits have led to the mass firing of hundreds of janitors in San Francisco, and

 thousands of other workers throughout the country in the last year.  Audits, and the use of

 the E-Verify database, are a leading immigration enforcement strategy of the Obama

 administration. Despite statements by ICE officials, however, that immigration enforcement

is focusing on criminals, these firings focus on people whose crime is simply that they are

working for a living.

Dec. 18^th, is the U.N. International Day ofthe Migrant where the international community celebrates the rights of migrantsand calls for respect, tolerance and justice for all immigrants, regardless oftheir status. The convention adopted bythe UN General Assembly in 1990 states: “The International Convention on the Protectionof the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families affirmsthe human rights of all migrants, regardless of citizenship or immigrationstatus, and recognizes that migrants are men, women, children, and families –not just economic commodities.”

Collections of food and toys continue to be made to supportthe fired workers and their families.

Contact Rev. Deborah Lee, dlee@clueca.org,510-893-7106 x 319 to make a donation.

December Detention Center Vigil - Dec. 21st 5:30 pm

2011-12-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

LasPosadas for

ImmigrationReform

5:30 p.m.December 21, 2011

West CountyDetention Center

5555Giant Highway

Richmond,CA

A vigil insolidarity with immigrants detained in the

West CountyDetention Center and all immigrants who fear deportation

In the midst of this season of Advent, Hanukkah and Islamic New Year, wewill celebrate the “Posadas,” a Latin American tradition that honors theexperience of homelessness and migration and calls all people of faith to aresponse of radical welcome.

What tobring:

- Flashlight or candle

- Drums, pans, & other noisemakers to let thedetained immigrants know we are here

- Canned food donations or toys for the 200immigrant workers recently fired from Pacific Steel due to ICE I-9 Raid

- A thermos of a hot drink to share

This month's vigil led by Christ the Lord Episcopal Church in Pinole.

Monthly vigils (3^rd Wednesdays every month) sponsored by theEast Bay Immigration Interfaith Coalition. Call Francisco (510) 893-7106 x 302 for more information or for a ride.

Las Posadas

por una Reforma Migratoria

17:30 21de diciembre 2011
West County Detention Center
5555 Giant Highway
Richmond, CA

Unavigilia en solidaridad con los inmigrantes detenidos en el WestCounty Detention Center y todos los inmigrantes quetemen ladeportación.

En medio de este tiempo de Adviento, Jánuca y Año NuevoIslámico, se celebrará el "Posadas",una tradición latinoamericana que honraa la experiencia de la falta devivienda y la inmigración yllama a todas las personas de fe a una respuesta de bienvenida radical.

Quéllevar:
Velas olinternas.
Tambores y matracas para que losinmigrantes detenidos saben que estamos aquí.
Un termo con una bebidacaliente para compartir.
Alimentos o juguetes para la recogida ennombre de los 200 trabajadores despedidos de empresa de PacificSteel por el ICE Raid

La vigilia de este mes dirigido por Cristo elSeñor en la Iglesia Episcopalde Pinole. Vigilias mensual ( miercoles tercio cada mes) espatrocinado por la Coalición Interreligiosa de Inmigración EastBay.

Llamea Francisco (510)893-7106 x 302 para más información o paseos.

2011-11-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

THE STRUGGLES OF ASIAN-PACIFIC ISLANDER (API) IMMIGRANTS TODAY & OUR FAITH RESPONSE:

A Breakfast Roundtable for API Clergy & Lay Leaders
and those who serve among the API community

"I have heard the cries of my people..." Exodus 3: 7-8

Come and join other Asian and Pacific Islander (API) clergy and religious leaders to share about the realities facing API immigrants today (students, families, domestic caregivers, hotel workers, and others) and their struggles for faith and just treatment. As people of faith, what might it mean for us to seek God's just and compassionate shalom within our communities? As 47% of the API community is Christian, this particular discussion will be rooted in Christian theological reflection.

As we seek to minister together and serve God's people In these times. One of the important realities before us, is that API (Asian-Pacific Islander) immigrants in the Bay Area are struggling to survive economically, and face real threats to keep their families together. We, as people of faith, are called to listen to the voices of those who are crying for God's salvation, the same way God listened to the cries of Hebrew slaves in Egypt.

We invite you to attend one of two breakfast roundtables we are hosting in the Bay Area where we will gather as leaders in the API faith community to listen, reflect, and consider ways we might respond as we hear the stories of API immigrants:

In San Francisco

Thursday, November 10^th at 8:30-11AM

Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Hecker Hall

660 California St., San Francisco, CA

In Oakland

Thursday, December 1st at 8:30-11AM

Chinese Community United Methodist Church

321 8th Street, Oakland, CA

For more information, contact Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, at (415) 297-8222 or dlee@clueca.org or Craig Wong, Grace Urban Ministries, at (415) 703-6094 or cwong@gum.org

Click here to RSVP

You may download flyers here (see the flyer image below):

San Francisco event

Oakland event

We look forward to meeting you and knowing more about the concerns of your congregation. May God bless you and the ministry entrusted to you.

Shalom,

Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, CLUE-CA

Rev. Don Ng , First Baptist Chinese Church, San Francisco

Craig Wong, Executive Director, Grace Urban Ministries

Fr. Ed Dura, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, San Francisco

Rev. Bruce Reyes Chow, Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), religion blogger

Rev. Israel Alvaran, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice-SF

What the Bible teaches about immigration....

2011-10-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

A survey of what the Bible teaches about Immigration & how we should respond....

Immigration Matters - click to read the article

by M. Daniel Carroll R. is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary. He is affiliated with the Evangelical Theological Society, Institute of Biblical Research, Society of Biblical Literature, Society for Old Testament Study (Great Britain), Fraternidad Teológica Latinoamericana, Latin American Studies Association, and Evangelicals for Social Action. An author of numerous books and articles, he is a contributing editor to Prism, and is an editorial consultant for Perspectivas.

Religious Letter Calling for Suspension of "ICE's- Secure Communities" program

2011-09-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

This letter was signed by over 225 California religious leaders.

August 29, 2011

Dear Governor Brown and Attorney General Harris:

“Give the king your justice, O God…May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.” - Psalm 72

In the tradition of the Psalmist, we as leaders of faith communities throughout California are writing to you to ask for your leadership, wisdom and acts of justice. As concern and controversy is growing nationally about the morality of S-Comm, we are writing to express our dismay over California’s continued participation in the federal “Secure Communities” or S-Comm program. This program, which has deported 40,000 people in California over the past two years, deeply contradicts our deep values and commitments as Californians.

As people of faith from diverse traditions, we share a deeply held belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every human being and that all of us together form part of the collective whole. We know for a fact, that what happens to one of us, affects all of us. We share a deeply held belief in the importance of preserving family unity. And we share a deep commitment to protecting the innocent and upholding the basic right to due process.

In our view, the S-Comm program violates all of these cherished values.

We believe the program’s costs – to families, to public safety, and to local budgets – are simply too great for our state to bear.

We are heartbroken and helpless at the suffering endured by women like Norma from San Francisco, mother of a young child and a victim of domestic violence. As the Los Angeles Times reported in April, Norma’s desperate call for help while she was being battered landed her in deportation proceedings. Mistakenly arrested with her abuser, Norma’s charges were dropped. But due to S-Comm, she remained in prison for several more days– at local expense – until ICE began the deportation process against her.

Norma’s pain is evident in a statement she prepared for the California Senate Public Safety Committee: “I was so scared not knowing what would happen to my three-year-old child while I was in jail."

We are gravely troubled that literally thousands of Californians are suffering just as Norma is. S-Comm is hurting our congregants, our neighbors, and our community members. Last fall, the Sacramento Bee wrote of a couple in Lodi, CA who left a two-year old daughter behind after both abuser and victim were deported after a 911 call. And in June, ABC Los Angeles reported the story of Magali, who faces deportation for the “crime” of selling hotdogs on the street.

Yet ICE’s statistics tell us these unsettling stories are the norm – nearly seven in 10 of the 40,000 Californians deported under S-Comm had not been convicted of anything or were brought in for charges as minor as selling food without a permit.

We call upon you in your position, to take action to ease this unjust suffering. We respectfully call upon Attorney General Harris to suspend the Memorandum of Agreement between the California Department of Justice and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding S-Comm. We also respectfully request that Governor Brown sign the TRUST Act (AB 1081-Ammiano) when it reaches your desk.

We believe that deporting hard-working people who are trying to protect and provide for their own children and contribute to our communities is not an intelligent, fair or helpful policy.

Moreover, we are concerned that S-Comm undermines trust between immigrant communities and the police. We believe all communities have a right to be safe, and we know from our own experience that California’s immigrants want to live in safe communities. But the frightening experience of Norma, Magali and the continuous disruption in the communities by deportations breeds a palpable climate of fear and impedes crime victims and witnesses from coming forward.

We also fear that S-Comm opens the door to unscrupulous law enforcement officers who may seek to profile and target immigrant communities. Even false or pretextual arrests still result in deportation under S-Comm.

Governor Brown and Attorney General Harris, we believe that you both know that our nation needs Comprehensive Immigration Reform at the Federal Level. We share that belief with you. But we believe that in the absence of meaningful reform at the Federal Level, California’s support for a program which is needlessly tearing apart families and devastating our communities undermines, rather than advances, that shared goal. We believe that our state, California can do better.

We, the undersigned, call upon you to take leadership to defend our shared values of balance and fairness. We call for Attorney General Harris to suspend California’s participation in S-Comm, and we ask that Governor Brown sign the TRUST Act when it reaches his desk.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned Religious Leaders of California (Organization for affiliation purposes only)

The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California, Episcopal Diocese, San Francisco

Rev. Stephen A. Privett, S. J., University of San Francisco, San Francisco

Monsignor Maurice McCormick (retired ), San Francisco Organizing Project, San Francisco

Imam Shakeel Sye, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Anaheim

Rev. Eric Lee, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Los Angeles

Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto, Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco

Sister Mary Litell, Sisters of St.Francis, Oakland

Rabbi Jerrold Goldstein, Leo Baeck Temple, Los Angeles

Sister Eva Camberos, Franciscans, San Francisco

Rev. Thomas Hill, California-Pacific Annual Conference -United Methodist Church, Pasadena

Imam Ali Siddiqui, North Bay Muslim Community, Santa Rosa

Sister Maria Elena Martinez, Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Emeryville

Rev. Victoria Gray, Christ the Lord Episcopal Church Pinole, Vallejo

Rabbi Howard Laibson, Congregation Shir Chadash, Lakewood

Ms. Dolores Priem, Unitarian Universalists for Peace-San Francisco, San Francisco

Sister Patricia Krommer C.S.J., Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Los Angeles

Rev. Kathryn Schreiber, United Church of Hayward UCC, Hayward

Mr. Jerry Bolick, Buddhist Church of San Francisco, Brisbane

Rev. Bob Matthews, United Church of Christ, Alameda
Cantor Gregory Yaroslow, Redlands
Rev. Carol Been, CLUE California, San Jose
Rev. Teresa Santillana, The United Methodist Church, Hawthorne

Mr. Randall Heyn-Lamb, All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena
Pastor Rudy Gonzalez, Grace Christian Reformed Church, Moreno Valley

Ms. Millie Phillips, First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, San Francisco
Randa Krakow, San Dieguito United Methodist Church, Encinitas
Rev. Richard Smith, Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco
Ms. Betty Kobata, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Los Angeles
Sister Bernie Galvin, Social Justice Activist Sisters San Francisco, San Francisco
Bill Joyce, Chair, Fr. Bill O'Donnell Social Justice Committee, Berkeley
Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, American Jewish University, Los Angeles
Mrs. Louise Lynch, Pax Christi, Fremont
Rev. Kathleen Morrison, San Lorenzo Community Church (UCC), San Lorenzo
Rev. Elmar De Ocera, The United Methodist Church, Hayward
Rabbi Allen Bennett, San Francisco
Rev. Roy Birchard, Fellowship of Reconciliation, San Francisco
Ms. Kara Speltz, Newman Nonviolent Peacemaking Group, Berkeley

Rev. Drew Nettinga, Hayward
Rev. Lee De Leon, Templo Calvario, Santa Ana
Cantor Emerita Aviva Rosenbloom, Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles
Rev. Bro. Joseph Lockwood, Salesians of Don Bosco, Bellflower
Rev. Dr. Bruce Reyes-Chow, San Francisco
Rabbi Dr. Katherine Hans Von Rotes Schild Zitler, Synagogue Hashem, San Francisco

Ms. Jane Affonso, Justice Ministry Chair Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America, So CA Synod, Redondo Beach
Sister Joanne Doi, Maryknoll Sisters, Berkeley
Rev. Jennifer Gutierrez, California-Pacific Conference United Methodist Church, Los Angeles
Rev. John Chamberlin, Hayward First United Methodist Church, Hayward
Mrs. Ivonne Diaz, Fullerton
Rev. Susan Champion, Christ the Lord Episcopal Church, Pinole
Rev. Albert Cohen, Southern California Ecumenical Council, Pasadena
Rev. Sandhya Jha, First Christian Church, Oakland
Mr. Hussam Ayloush, Council on American Islamic Relations-California, Anaheim
Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, The Guibord Center - Religion Inside Out, Los Angeles
Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Progressive Faith Foundation, Woodland Hills
Pastor Keith Giles, The Mission, Orange County
Mr. Usman Madha, Islamic Foundation, Culver City
Rev. Leonard Jackson, A.M.E. Church, Los Angeles
Ms. Judith Liteky, St. John of God Sanctuary Committee, San Francisco

Rev. Maria Tafoya, Delhaven Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), La Puente
Mrs. Ann Egan, St. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, Huntington Beach
Rabbi Stephen J. Einstein, Congregation B'nai Tzedek, Fountain Valley
Rev. Dennis Duhaylungsod, Filipino American is a United Church, Fremont
Ms. Karol Svoboda, Youth With A Mission, San Francisco
Rev. Phil Lawson, United Methodist (retired), Hercules

Father Tommy King, St. Boniface Church, San Francisco

Mr. Robert Lane, Immigration Task Force Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church, Walnut Creek

Sister Maureen Duignan, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Berkeley

Rev. Timothy Svoboda, Youth With A Mission, San Francisco
Elder Suzanne Darweesh, St. Mark Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach
Dr. George Johnson, Irvine UCC, Laguna Woods
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, AJRCA, Los Angeles
Rev. Donna Wood, Park Presidio Unidted Methodist Church, San Francisco
Rev. Douglas Johnstone, Lutheran Church, Long Beach
Cantor Stephen Richards, B'nai Tikvah, Walnut Creek
Father Chris Ponnet, St. Camillus Center for Spiritual Care, Los Angeles
Ms. Marijke Fakasiieiki, First Congregational Church of Berkeley, Berkeley
Rev. Joellynn Monahan, The Spiral Way, Oakland
Rev. Roland Stringfellow, Coalition of Welcoming Congregations of the Bay Area, Berkeley
Ms/ Vicki Tamoush, Interfaith Witnesses, Tustin
Sister Kathleen Healy, Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco
Rabbi Jason Van Leeuwen, Temple Ner Maarav, Encino
Mr. Mark Maginn, Mt. Diablo Unitarian Church, Walnut Creek
Rev. Dr. Israel Alvaran, United Methodist Church, San Francisco
Elizabeth Copley, Mt. Diablo Unitarian Church, Walnut Creek
Ms. Elizabeth Mcleod, Concord United Methodist Church, Concord
Ms. Betty DeForest, South Hayward Parish, Hayward
Rev. Anna Lange-Soto, Episcopal Diocese of California Immigration Task Force, Redwood City
Rev. Michael Yoshii, Buena Vista UMC, Alameda
Ms. Kathleen Newkirk, Mt. Diablo Unitarian Church, Pleasant Hill
Mary Foran, Unitarian Universalist Community Minister, Oakland
Ms. Sarah Wallace, I am Jerusalem, Newport Beach
Rev. Kurt Kuhwald, Starr King School for the Ministry, Oakland
Rev. Dr. Sarah Reyes, Bethel Community Presbyterian Church, San Leandro
Rev. Carolyn Bolton, St. Paul's Episcopal, Oakland
Sr. Maire Sullivan, Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco
Mr. Jeffrey Hare, Church of Sojourners, San Francisco
Rabbi David J. Cooper, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Piedmont
Imam Kamal Al-Khatib, American Islamic Institute of AV, Palmdale
Sr. Laetitia Bordes, Society of Helpers, San Bruno
Sr. Kathleen Healy, Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco
Rev. Linda Prendergast, Pinole United Methodist Church, Pinole
Rev. Ann Ameling, City of Refuge United Church of Christ, San Francisco,
Rev. Stanley McKinney, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Laguna Woods
Ms. Eva Seligman-Kennard, Jewish Community Relations Council, San Anselmo
ImamTaha Hassane, Islamic Center of San Diego, San Diego
Rev. Nancy Bruan, St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, San Francisco
Ms. Jean Forbath, St. Simon & St. Jude Social Justice Committee, Huntington Beach

Rev. Elizabeth Griswold, Irvine United Congregational Church, Irvine
Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Cong Beth El, Berkeley
Mrs. Kathy Esfahani, Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, Huntington Beach
Mrs. Grace Prine, St. Irenaeus Catholic Church/Just faith, Cypress
Mr. Manuel De Paz, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Berkeley
Rev. Jack Shriver, First Presbyterian Oakland, Oakland
Ms. Felicitas Galedary, Los Angels Latino Muslims, Los Angeles
Mr. John Pulvino, St. Cyprian Justice & Peace Ministry, Lakewood
Rev. Ronald Cox, Christ Lutheran Church, Goleta

Rev. Cheryl Ward, City of Refuge United Church of Christ, San Francisco
Elder Phil Fehrle, First Presberian Church,Burbank
Rabbi Dorothy Richman, Albany

Rev. Lindi Ramsden, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA, Sacramento

Rabbi Leonard Beerman, Los Angeles
Servant B.K. Woodson, Bay Area Christian Connection, Oakland

Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, American Jewish University, Los Angeles
Michelle Missaghieh, Temple Israel of Hollywood, Los Angeles
Sister Janet Gwinn, Srs. of St. Francis, Sacramento
Rabbi Arnold Rachlis, University Synagogue, Irvine

Rev. Roger Jones, Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, Sacramento
Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, Los Angeles

Dr. Isa Aron, Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles
Ms. Sara Fong, Inter Varsity, Berkeley
Father Wilfredo Benitez, St. Anselm of Canterbury, Garden Grove,
Ms. Tiffany Crain, First Christian Church of Oakland, Oakland
Rabbi Melanie Aron, Congregation Shir Hadash, Los Gatos
Rev. Gerry Brague, Chalice Christian Church, San Carlos
Rev. Dr. G. Penny, Nixon, Congregational Church of San Mateo, San Mateo
Ms. Kristi Laughlin, East Bay Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, Oakland
Mr. Robert Kane, Progressive Jewish Alliance, San Francisco

Rev. Norman Fong, Presbyterian Minister, San Francisco

Sufi John Ishvaradas Abdallah, World Without Borders Interfaith Sufi Ashram, San Pedro

Rabbi Laura Geller, Temple Emanuel, Los Angeles
Rev. Lynn Rhodes, United Methodist Church, Claremont
Rev. Stanley Long, South Bay Community Church, Fremont
Rabbi Camille Shira, Angel Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, San Francisco
Rev. Alison Hendley, San Rafael 1st UMC, San Rafael
Rev. Dr. Barbara Rowe, Tiburon
Rev. Jack Shriver, First Presbyterian Church Oakland, Oakland
Rev. Dr. Laurie Coskey, Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice of San Diego County, San Diego

Rev. Nancy Pennekamp, Episcopal Diocese of California, San Francisco
Rev. Janet Gollery McKeithen, United Methodist Church, Santa Monica
Rev. Dr. Andrea Bieler, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley

Ms. Belinda Robinson, Temple United Methodist Church, San Francisco
Rev. Dr. Beth Johnson, Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Vista
Mrs. Margaret Cross, Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, Belmont
Father Tommie Jennings, Christ The Kings Catholic Church, San Diego
Rev. Fred Merrick, Evangelical Lutheran Church, San Francisco
Ms. Charlene Tschirhart, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Oakland
Ms. Cindy Barr, Lakewood

Rev. NancyBrink, Chapman University, Orange County
Rev. De. Ben Bohren, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Northern Ca-NV, San Ramon

Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy, Congregation Shir Hadash, Los Gatos
Ms. Lizzy Beach, Global Ministries, Stockton
Dr. Helene Slessarev-Jamir, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont

Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Beth Chaim Congregation, Danville

Ms. Cornelia Spearing, Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, Millbrae

Rev. Carol Hovis, Marin Interfaith Council, San Rafael

Rev. Deborah Lee, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights- CLUE-CA, Oakland

Rev. Bruce Murphy, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Novato

Mrs. Lynn Bauer, Fairfax Community Church, UCC , Fairfax, CA

Rev. Pat Palmer, Unity In Marin, Novato, CA

Ms. Jillian Robinson, PC(USA), Fairfax

Ms. Lorna Wuertz, Presbyterian, Novato

Sister Marion Irvine, Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, San Anselmo

Ms. Elizabeth Moody, Marin Interfaith Council Justice Alliance Team, San Rafael

Rev. Emily Lin, Chinese Community UMC , Oakland

Ms. Jean Nickell, Mr. Diablo Unitarian Universlist Church, Walnut Creek

Sister Colleen McDermott, Dominican Sister of San Rafael, San Rafael

Rev. Don Dewey, Disciples of Christ, Altadena

Ms. Suzan Berns, Jewish Community Relations Council, San Rafael

Ms. Clementina Perez, Hercules

Fr. Jon Pedigo, Justice for Immigrants, San Jose

Rev. Martha Hodges, Unitarian Universalist Community Church, Sacramento

Rev. Rodney Yee, Congregational Church of Almaden Valley, San Jose

Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Walnut Creek

Ms. Evelia Perez, Catholic, San Francisco

Ms. Susana Garcia, Martinez

Rabbi Burt Jacobson, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Piedmont

Rev. Julia Older, Unitarian universalist of Redwood City, Redwood City

Nan Waltman, CLUE-Ventura County, Ventura

Lee Marie, Sanchez, Unitarian Universalist, Huntington Beach

Rev. Kathleen Owens, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, San Diego

Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man, Berkeley

Rev. William Kennedy, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA, Redwood City

Rev. Ben Meyers, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists , Berkeley

Rev. James Grant, First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Diego

Rev. Jeremiah Kalendae, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Francisco, San Francisco

Rev. Carolyn Colbert, Unitarian Universalist, Berkeley

Ms. Rosemary Johnston, Catholic, San Diego

Rev. Hannah Petrie, Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, Pasadena

Rev. Dr. Jay Atkinson, Unitarian Universalist, El Sobrante

Rev. Grace Simons, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Stanislaus County, Modesto

Rev. Julia Hamilton, Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara

Rev. Bill & Barbara Hamilton-Holway, Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, Kensington Sister Maire Sullivan, Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco

Fr. Roberto Moran, St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Mountain View

Rev. Carolyn Price, Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Paula, Santa Paula

Fr. Lawrence Goode, St. Francis of Assisi, East Palo Alto

ORGANIZATIONAL SIGNATORS:

Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Anaheim

Jewish Community Relations Council, San Francisco

Episcopal Diocese of California Immigration Task Force, San Francisco

Social Justice Activist Sisters San Francisco, San Francisco

Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice of San Diego County, San Diego

Fr. Bill O'Donnell Social Justice Committee, Berkeley

Council on Arab Islamic Relations-California, Anaheim

East Bay Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, Oakland

Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights- CLUE, Oakland

Justice for Immigrants, San Jose

Newman Nonviolent Peacemaking Group, Berkeley

Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Emeryville

Unitarian Universalists for Peace-San Francisco, San Francisco

San Lorenzo Community Church (UCC), San Lorenzo

Maureen Duignan, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Berkeley

St. Camillus Center for Spiritual Care, Los Angeles

Coalition of Welcoming Congregations of the Bay Area, Berkeley

South Hayward Parish, Hayward

American Islamic Institute of AV, Palmdale

Los Angeles Latino Muslims, Los Angeles

Islamic Center of San Diego, San Diego

St. Cyprian Justice & Peace Ministry, Lakewood

Unitarian Universalists for Peace-SF, San Francisco

Christ The Kings Catholic Church, San Diego

CLUE-Ventura County, Ventura

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice - CLUE-CA

Peaceful Protest at Bay Area Immigration Detention Facility

2011-08-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

Each month the Bay Area faith community has been holding vigil at the West County Detention Facility- one small part of the vast network of ICE Detention facilities across the country.

Watch the news coverage of the latest vigil here.

Join the vigil- the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 5:30 pm, 5555 Giant Highway Rd., Richmond CA 94806. More information available on the EBIIC webpage

2011-08-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

Let Governor Brown Hear

Your Prophetic Voice!

Religious Letters for A.B. 1081 (S-COM)

& A.B. 889 (Domestic Workers)

Support Equal Rights for Domestic Workers &

Protecting the Unity of Immigrant Families

Thank you for to the many who have signed already! Please forward to other religious leaders, congregations and faith-rooted organizations to add their voice. Deadline is August 10th, 2011.

Dear California Faith Leaders,

While other states may be passing severe anti-immigrant legislation, here in California, we have the opportunity to make a positive and pro-active impact on the lives of immigrants in our State by acting on two key pieces of state legislation which could transform the lives of domestic workers and immigrant families throughout California.

We invite you to take 2 minutes to add your name to these Faith Sign-on Letters. (Organization/Congregation is for identification purposes only.) Please note there are 2 separate letters and 2 places to click, below.

1. TRUST ACT (A.B. 1081)

Help protect public safety and the unity of immigrant families by giving counties the ability to opt-out of a flawed program that has led to the deportation of 40,000 Californians.

The letter, in summary, says:

"As concern and controversy is growing nationally, we are writing to express our dismay over California's continued participation in the federal "Secure Communities" or S-Comm program. This program deeply contradicts our values and commitments as Californians. S-Comm has deported over 40,000 people in our state over the past two years, most of whom had no convictions or were swept up on minor charges. Even Domestic violence victims have been caught up: for example, Norma is a domestic violence survivor currently facing deportation due to S-Comm. We call upon you in your position, to take action to ease this unjust suffering by signing the TRUST Act (AB 1081-Ammiano) when it reaches your desk."

CLICK HERE to SIGN-ON to the letter asking Governor Brown to support and sign into law AB 1081 (Trust Act).

CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

2. CA - DOMESTIC WORKERS BILL OF RIGHTS (A.B. 889)

Help give domestic workers the basic labor rights and protections as all other workers and to improve the quality of care.

The letter, in summary, says:

"As people of faith, we believe that people should be treated fairly and humanely in ALL work places. Each day in California, 200,000 domestic workers perform vital services in private homes: caring for children, cleaning houses, and providing supportive services to seniors and disabled individuals. They continue to be an unprotected workforce. We urge you to support and sign AB 889, which ensures basic rights of 1) overtime pay, 2) meals and rest breaks 3) worker's compensation for injured workers 4) reporting time pay, as well as specific benefits, such as the right to cook one's own food, and a right to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. We call on you to right the historic wrong that has left these workers vulnerable, to set standards for employers who hire domestic workers, and to improve the quality of care and dignity for all in California homes."

CLICK HERE to sign-on to the letter asking Gov. Brown and CA State Senators to support the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (AB 889).

CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

THANK YOU for your prayer and action!

Rev. Deborah Lee
Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights- CLUE-CA

Watch the NEW CLUE video on immigration: "Loving the Stranger"

2011-06-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

This beautiful 7 minute film captures the prophetic voices of four nationally recognized religious leaders expressing the scriptural call to "love the stranger." Religious leaders featured in the video are: Rev. Rene Molina, pastor of Iglesia Restauracion, Laurie Beshore, Outreach Director of Mariner's Church in Irvine, Rev. Cecil Murray, former pastor of 1st AME Church, Rev. Tim Celek, pastor of The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa. Their reflections and exhortations are interspersed with the moving testimony of a Latino, Korean and African American family facing the threats of separation and deportation.

Celebration of the Interfaith Immigrant Rights Movement

2011-04-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Please join us for a Celebration of ICIR's 17 year history in the Interfaith Immigrant Rights Movement. Join us for a night of Storytelling, Music and grateful remembrance of the history of the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (ICIR), from 1993 to the present, as we move forward to achieve full dignity and justice for immigrants.

Also included will be a special honoring of Brother Ed Dunn, OFM, one of ICIR's founders, on the 5th anniversary of his passing.

Sunday, April 10th, 2011,
4:00 pm - 7:30 pm,

Mission Dolores Parish Hall,
3321 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114.

RSVP by April 1st to dlee@clueca.org.
Dinner will be served. $15 donation requested. Pay for ticket online or donate to support ICIR's work.

Romero Celebration, Saturday March 26th, 10 am

2011-03-23T15:02:00.001-07:00

Restoring Dignity to Work: CA Domestic Worker's Bill of Rights

2011-03-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

In celebration of National Women’s Day:

“Do not oppress the hired laborer who is poor and needy, whether they are one of your people or one of the sojourners in your land within your gates. Give them their wages in the daytime and do not let the sun set on them, for they are poor, and their life depends on it, lest they cry out to God about you, for this will be counted as a sin for you.” Deuteronomy, 24:14-15

Last fall the State of New York passed ground breaking legislation to improve working conditions for New York domestic workers. California now has the opportunity to pass a historic bill and join this exciting movement standing with the most vulnerable workers in our society.

For centuries domestic workers have been the invisible backbone of our economy. They clean homes, raise children, and care for elderly parents. Their contributions enable teachers, bankers and even faith leaders to do their jobs knowing their families and homes are being cared for. In California alone there are over 500,000 domestic workers who labor to keep our state running smoothly.

Despite the essential role of domestic workers in our society they have been excluded from the National Labor Relations Act since its passage in 1935. Domestic workers and farm workers were intentionally omitted from this legislation as a concession to Southern legislators opposed to extending labor rights to black workers. The Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights will right this historic wrong and provide domestic workers equal protection under the law; the same protections other service employees have enjoyed for years.

Our faith traditions tell us in a variety of ways that all people are worthy of dignity and respect. Members of this predominately female and immigrant workforce are too often the victims of labor violations and mistreatment from their employers. Due to the nature of their work domestic workers are often isolated while working inside private homes making it difficult to organize with other workers or stand up to their employer.

Interfaith networks across New York played a crucial role in passing the bill by speaking to their representatives and mobilizing their faith communities around this important bill. Now is the time for Californian faith communities to step up and fight for justice for Domestic workers in our communities

What can People of faith do?

Sign on to the Interfaith Letter of Support for the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights.
Invite a domestic worker or employer to speak to your faith community about the bill.
Host a Reflection Circle at you r home or place of worship on your experiences and connections to domestic work, how our faith forms these relationships and practices, and how to take small steps towards justice.
Hold yourself, friends and family accountable for treating domestic workers, this includes nannies, maids, and elderly caregivers with the respect they deserve.
Join a Faith Delegation to encourage elected officials to vote for the bill in your local district or at the May 24th Immigrant Day in Sacramento.
Plan a public witness or prayer service in support of domestic workers’ bill of rights.
Attend a training to be a spokesperson who can speak as a person of faith, as a domestic worker or as someone who employs domestic workers on why the Bill of Rights is important for our state.

Dream Act defeated: reflections & prayers

2010-12-08T23:43:00.000-08:00

Well, as you probably know, the DREAM Act was defeated in the Senate last Saturday.

Fr. Richard Smith, Rev. Donna Wood and Rev. Deborah Lee joined the "watch party" at Dolores Street Saturday morning with about 50 Dream Act students. There were lots of tears and we shared in their feelings of disappointment, anger, and deep sadness as many of them figure out what this means for them- their continued ambiguous state of being, threat of deportation, life on hold.

One young man, said, "With every 'no' vote echoing through the Senate
chamber, I felt that my family and I were being invalidated, told we're not
wanted here." Another young woman said, "I just want to do something with
my life." She has already graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering,
and had to turn down several job offers from companies, not even able to
tell them why.

We affirmed with them how much has been done this year, how their leadership
has courageously changed the conversation in this country. How we would
continue to find ways to support them even in the brokenness of the
situation.

So as this year comes to a close....we know that our work is not done! As
one student said, "Well I guess this means we get to keep working
together." Indeed that has been one of the many blessings this year.

Please read this Op Ed, from Mario Lopez, a Dream Act student from UC Berkeley, who came to talk to our coalitions earlier this year. It was published on Beyond Chron, and Voto Latino in DC and has gone around the country and gives his view and analysis on the disappointing Dream Act Vote.

http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=8770#more

House passes Dream Act! Senate vote tomorrow!

2010-12-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

Press Release

Bay Area groups hail House's passage of DREAM Act
Hopeful students, community leaders thank Bay Area House Members;
All eyes turn to Thursday's Senate cloture vote

Across the Bay Area, a broad coalition of community, religious, education and civil rights groups are heartily applauding the House of Representatives' historic vote this evening to pass the DREAM Act. The act would remedy the immigration status of high achieving young people who arrived in America as children but remain stuck in the nation's broken immigration system.

In a joint statement this evening, the groups, Asian Law Caucus (SF) CCISCO (Richmond), Dolores St. Community Services (SF), Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, San Francisco Organizing Project, and SIREN (San Jose), remarked:

"Today, the House proved to the American public that it is capable of putting aside politics to do what is in our country's best interest, and we very much hope the Senate will follow suit. Our movement has worked tirelessly to arrive at this historic moment, and we express our deepest gratitude to the Bay Area Congressional Delegation, all of whose members voted for the legislation.

In just the past week, The campaign to pass the DREAM Act sparked a wave of activity in cities including Hayward, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Francisco, and San Jose.

We are grateful to Senators Boxer and Feinstein to their support, and we hope the Senate will follow their lead tomorrow by voting to proceed to debate. This common sense legislation's supporters are as diverse as America: educators, labor, business, people of all faiths, and Americans from both parties. The young people whose lives the DREAM Act would transform are American in every way except on paper, and it's time we let them live their American dream and contribute fully to our society.

The DREAM Act would benefit far more people than it directly impacts; with the Congressional Budget Office finding it would reduce the nation's deficit by $1.4 Billion over the next ten years, and with a new UCLA study finding a positive impact of up to $3.6 trillion dollars over the coming four decades."

Area students were also thrilled by tonight's vote:

Mario, a 22-year old college graduate living in the Bay Area, said: “This is just one step closer to fulfilling my dreams. I couldn’t even sleep last night and it looks like I’m not going to tonight either. I’ve been waiting for this day for 10 years. We urge that the Senators call their colleagues to vote yes."

A DREAM Act student from San Jose added: "We extend our gratitude for the Republicans who stood up for what is right and fair, for not believing the lies that were spread regarding the Dream Act and for not believing that its amnesty, its just one step in the process to achieving humane immigration reform. We are students who have been here since we were young and want to fully contribute."

Dream Act Vigil

2010-12-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

On the eve of a congressional vote on the Dream Act, a vigil was held tonight at St. John's Episcopal/El Buen Samaritano Church in San Francisco, in conjunction with vigils held across the country.

A group of 60 students, teachers, families, and faith and congregational leaders gathered to support Dream Act students, pray and express gratitude for the year of tremendous grassroots efforts around the Dream Act and Immigration Reform.

Undocumented immigrant youth, many who have been working tirelessly for passage of the Dream Act, shared the strain and roller-coaster of these past few weeks to get to this eve of the vote.

Participants in the vigil brought baskets full of canned goods and other food donations to the food pantry at the church to support families in need, and as a symbol of the many gifts, talents and contributions Dream Act students want to offer this country they call home.

Angel, a potential Dream Act student from SF State said, "So many people helped my family over the years. All I ever wanted to do is to be able to give back."

Candles were lit as an expression of enduring hope, faith and solidarity for the long struggle-- for the Dream Act, for all students, immigrants, workers and families to have dignity and justice.

Keep the DREAM alive ACT Now!

2010-11-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Dream Act is coming up for a vote NOW in Congress! Vote is expected before December 3rd.

Please join other people of faith in asking your Congresspeople to support DREAM ACT legislation that gives students who grew up and graduated from high school in the US an opportunity to earn legal status through higher education or military service.

Make a free call! (Capitol switchboard will transfer you directly to your Senator or Representative)

English: 1-866-220-0044
Spanish: 1-866-961-4293

Keep calling all week!

Tell them:
1. As people of faith we believe in the "law of love" protecting the innocent and treating all with fairness and dignity.
2. Pass the Dream Act as a common sense way to help young people succeed and contribute to America.
3. Pass a "clean" Dream Act that doesn't tack on harmful enforcement policies.

LOVE keeps no record of wrongs...LOVE always protects,

always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - I Corinthians 13: 5-7

Report on Vigil and Procession against SB 1070

2010-11-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

-Posted by Sarah Berg, Lutheran Volunteer Corp, Interfaith Organizer
-Photographs by Alex Madonik

The day before the November 1^st elections, faith and community groups from across the Bay Area and Arizona came together to respond to an unjust immigration law. The U.S. 9^th circuit court of appeals met that day to hear the case for SB1070, an Arizona law that mandates local police officials check people’s immigration status if officers have “reasonable suspicion” they are undocumented. While these important decisions and discussions were taking place inside the U.S. Federal Courthouse the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice along with other community and faith based groups gathered outside on the front steps to say that this law is incongruent with our values and beliefs.

As the faith community we believe that SB1070 does not agree with our religious teachings. A law that targets innocent people and makes people fearful of police is not consistent with religious teachings that call us to love and serve our neighbors. In the midst of the messages of fear and hatred that created this law we believe that a country of peace and justice for all people is possible. More than 300 members of faith and community groups marched down Market Street in San Francisco that morning calling for this vision to become a reality. Clergy from multiple faith traditions gathered on the Steps of St. Patrick’s Church to start the procession and voice their objections to this unjust law.

“We think laws like SB 1070 are really the wrong direction for our country, that they’re not based on the best values of our country, that they’re not bringing our country together but promoting division, neighbor against neighbor." said Rev. Deborah Lee.

As the group processed towards the court house women with sign’s reading, “Immigrant Mother” pushed strollers, community group members with faces painted as skeletons for Day of the Dead carried signs and a drum corps gave all of us a unified beat. United together in chants and hymns calling for justice and peace, marchers arrived in front of the court house to find that a group in support of SB1070 had already arrived proclaiming the messages of fear and hate that led to this law. As we processed into the space in front of the court house our hymns and chants of peace and tolerance drowned out the jeers. The crowd continued to grow and spilled into the street eventually taking over 7^th Street between Market and Mission. Members of Mujeres Unidas y Activas spoke about their own struggles with immigration and rolled out banners. A call for Love and Hospitality for all people overcame the messages of distrust and fear. We are hopeful that as the 9^th Circuit Court comes to a decision on SB1070 in the next few months, that our values of welcoming and loving the stranger will continue to overcome hatred and fear to make room for a nation that respects the rights and humanity of all people.

Read the beautiful Blessing before the Procession given by Rabbi David Cooper, Kehila Community Synagogue on the 3 Major Religions beginning in a Moment of Immigration:
Read the Blessing in English and Spanish

See media coverage of the event & legal info about the case:

New American Media - video and photos
SF Examiner - article
Sf Appeal- article

Video of 11/1/10 recording of oral argument for U.S. v. Arizona

US v. Arizona (re. SB 1070) legal briefs (parties and amici) available for free download

ACLU questions and answers about SB 1070:

Join us in prayer & action- at home, work or in the street!

2010-10-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Angel Island Pilgrimage committee releases exciting new booklet & resource!

2010-10-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

This resource tells the little-known stories of faith leaders and religious institutions who ministered to, provided hope, and physical care to immigrants who were held in detention at Angel Island Immigration Station during 1910-1940. Their voices sought to improve living conditions, advocated for immigrants' release, and fought for reform of unjust policies. In many cases, their work led to the realization of entry and the beginning of a new life in America. Reading these stories kindles our spirits to be faithful and provokes us to ask ourselves: How are we to respond today?

Also includes comparison of anti-Chinese immigrant policies placed side by side with present day immigration policies.

More stories are being collected, so if you have one to contribute, please contact us at dlee@clueca.org.

Download a copy of the booklet here:

In Color

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_r-v8BFmt7FZjcwNWM3ODAtMjk5Mi00NjgzLWFlOWUtMDc0OTc3MDMwYjYz&hl=en

In Black and White
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B_r-v8BFmt7FZTVkYzczMjYtYTA5MC00M2JlLTg2YjAtOGVlMDgyNTI4ZmRh&hl=en

400 Pilgrimage to Angel Island to Make Connections to Immigration Issues today

2010-09-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

On an unusually warm Saturday morning in the Bay Area, 400 people trekked - by ferry and then on foot or tram - to the Angel Island Immigration Station. Making the journey were Chinese immigrants from Chinatown organizations, Chinese Americans whose ancestors were detained at Angel Island, and others who wished learn more about Angel Island and immigration issues.

"Welcome to my first home in America," said 89 year old, Dale Ching, who was detained at Angel Island for 3 and a half months as a teenager. "Most of those who were detained have been hesitant to reveal the unpleasant past, even to their own families, in order to keep secret the shame and humiliation, and also due to the fear of deportation (paper sons and daughters). I want to let the public know about it...to ensure fair treatment for all people in the future." (Read Dale's full speech and other speeches at the end of this post.)

Other speakers connected the experience of immigrants in the past and immigrants today. These included, Buddy Choy who shared: "In 1912, at the age of 18, my father came to America as an illegal immigrant. His given family name was Lee Ngok Fun. But to come to America, he became a “paper son” and took the name of Choy Fong, son of Choy Tim How, a Chinatown merchant. So our Lee family became Choys for all coming generations. Today is my first visit to Angel Island. It has taken me this long to visit the place of my parents incarceration."

Yvette Jimenez, an 18 year old US citizen from San Mateo whose home was raided and father deported in 2008, stood with her mother and siblings to share how present-day anti-immigrant policies, detentions and deportations are continuing to tear families like hers apart. (Read more about Yvette's family's story at http://www.mercurynews.com/torn-apart.)

Immigrant Un Un Che spoke about the struggles of current Chinese immigrants to find work, housing and the need for people to come together for immigration reform.

A message of inspiration on the pilgrimage were the hopeful stories of faith leaders and communties who spoke out, advocated for, and ministered to the immigrants detained at Angel Island. A beautiful publication entitled "Angel Island: Congregational Ministry and Advocacy " was released at the Pilgrimage. It tells the story of immigrants detained at Angel Island who were touched by the ministries of Rev. Daniel Wu, Ms. Donaldina Cameron, Deaconess Katharine Maurer, Ms. Tien Fuk Wu, Mae Wong, Rev. Edwar Lee, Rev. Sakovich, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and the National Jewish Women's Alliance. Contact us if you would like a copy. A downloadable version of the booklet will be available soon!

The pilgrimage ended with the placing of rocks, each inscribed with the names of ancestors who were detained at Angel Island or current immigrants facing family separation, at the memorial on the island for detained immigrants.

Read Other news coverage:
NBC Bay Area:

Contra Cost Times Article & Photo Essay by photographer Ray Chavez

KTSF Cantonese News Coverage

__________

Dale Ching- former Angel Island Detainee
Watch and listen to it on Youtube by clicking here
Read it online

Buddy Choy - son of Angel Island Detainees
Watch it on YouTube by clicking here
Read it here

Yvette Jimenez - US Citizen who's father was deported
Watch it on Youtube by clicking here
Read her testimony here

Craig Wong- grandson of a detainee shares how Presbyterian Mission helped his grandmother gain release from Angel Island
Watch it on Youtube by clicking here

UnUn Che - a Chinese immigrant
Click here to read her testimony

1100 travel to DC - Relief, Respect, Reform

2010-09-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

1,100 Civic and Faith Leaders travel to Washington DC
to speak and demonstrate for “Relief, Respect, Reform”, Sept. 15th

Ju, Dream Act student and organizer, interviewed Reverend EunSang Lee, a Korean American pastor with the 1^st United Methodist Church, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

click here to read the interview!

Come with us to Angel Island! More details below.

2010-09-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Pilgrimage to Angel Island
From the Whispers of the Past to the Cries of Today
Saturday, September 25th, 2010

Join us on the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Angel Island Immigration Station to

remember the experience of immigrants detained on Angel Island,

honor the congregations that advocated on their behalf, and

discern faithful responses to the immigrant struggle in America today.

Program:

11 am Program & Ceremony of Remembrance at the Immigration Station

12 noon Bring your own picnic lunch and seating

1 pm History talk, guided walk of detention center and exhibits.

SPONSORS : Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, Chinese Christian Union, Chinatown Community Development Corporation, Donaldina Cameron House, Franciscan Friars-Justice, Peace & the Integrity of Creation, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (CLUE-CA), Presbyterian Church in Chinatown, Grace Urban Ministries, Holy Family Chinese Mission, St. Mary’s Schools and Center, Old St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco Interfaith Coalition on Immigration.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to Angel Island?

To get to Angel Island you will have to take a ferry from SF, Oakland/Alameda or Tiburon.
Taking these ferry times will allow you to get to the program in time. Please arrive 20 minutes before ferry departure.

From San Francisco: Pier 41 – Ferry departs at 9:40am
From BART Embarcadero Station.
Walk one block NE to corner of Main and Market
Take Muni-F towards Beach Street and Jones Street
Get off Muni-F at corner of Embarcadero and Stockton
Follow signage to Pier 41 (3 minute walk)

Ferry Building - Ferry departs at 9:20am
From BART Embarcadero Station
Walk four blocks NE on Market through Justin Herman Park to Ferry building
(Note: Angel Island Ferry leaves from Gate B. You may have to transfer at Pier 41.

From Oakland Jack London Square: Ferry departs at 9:00am
Off at 12th St. Oakland City Center
Walk to Broadway and 12th Street
Take AC transit 72 towards 2nd and Clay Street

From Tiburon: Ferry departs at 10:00am
From US 101 take Tiburon Blvd Exit
Follow Tiburon Blvd East for four miles
Turn right onto Main Street. Parking lots are along Main Street.
Ferry is located at 21 Main St.

What is the cost of tickets?
Tickets cost approximately $15 for a round trip for adults. There are discounts for children, seniors and groups. A limited number of scholarships are available for low income and immigrant leaders. Please contact Rev. Deborah Lee at icir2010@yahoo.com.

Where and how can I purchase my tickets?
San Francisco: Blue and Gold Ferry: Tickets can be purchased on the boat (cash) or ahead of time online for an extra fee. Tickets can also be purchased at Pier 41 kiosk or inside the Ferry building at Bay Crossings with cash or credit card.
Tiburon: Angel Island Ferry. Tickets can be purchased as the ferry is being boarded; Cash only.
Jack London Square:East Bay Ferry. Tickets can be purchased onboard the ferry, credit cards, cash and checks are accepted.

Will there be enough room on the ferry?
We are not anticipating space to be an issue on the ferries but please plan to arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled departure.

What do I do when I arrive at Angel Island?
Pilgrimage volunteers will be waiting to meet you at the end of the dock. Look for our sign. They will direct you to the Immigration Station. It is a 30 minute 1.5 mile walk (includes some steep stairs at the beginning, but levels off after that). One can also take the paved road which takes 45 minutes to the Immigration Station. A privately run tram service also provides service to the Immigration Station. Fare is $5 (cash only) roundtrip. Purchase tickets inside the Cafe after arriving.

At the dock at Ayala Cove, there is a large bathroom facility. We recommend you take advantage of these as the Immigration Station has only two bathrooms. There is also a cafe, should you need to buy water or any food.

What should I bring?
water, a lunch, comfortable walking shoes, blanket or chair to sit on,
hat or sunscreen as program will be outside

Is the event wheelchair accessible?
Yes, transportation will be provided for disabled attendees and the immigration station is wheelchair accessible.

Will translation services be provided?
Yes, please contact us if you are bringing a group in need of transation. Many of the exhibits have Chinese translation already. For the program and the afternoon tours, there will be Cantonese and Spanish simultaneous translation available if you RSVP ahead of time.

What is the schedule?
11 am Program & Ceremony- lawn of the Immigration Station
music, testimony, and stories of Angel Island
12 Noon Bring your own picnic lunch
1 pm History talk on the lawn by Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation;
Guided walks through the detention center; explore site exhibits

When can I take a ferry back?
Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to make the trip from the Immigration Station to the ferry. Plan on taking a tram at least half an hour before your ferry departs or leaving at least an hour before your ferry departs, if walking.

San Francisco ferry departures: 2:55 pm and 4:30 pm
Oakland departure: 3:10 pm ONLY DEPARTURE
Tiburon departures: 10:20 am – 5:20 pm, hourly

What is a pilgrimage?
A pilgrimage is a sacred walk, a journey undertaken with intention. It is a journey usually taken together along with other people you may or may not know. For some religions, pilgrimages are to holy sites where someone important once lived and walked. Often they are in hard to reach places, like mountaintops. The journey usually involves sacrifice and effort - and an openness to transformation.

We chose to use this word pilgrimage for our event - to name Angel Island as an important and “sacred” place that its stories has some wisdom to offer us. It is a place where our ancestors once walked and lived behind bars. It is in a hard to reach place. (There's a reason why the detention center is in the middle of the Bay.) It will take some intention and effort to get there. It is our hope is that all who come will have a transformative experience at the site and by the people you will meet also making the journey.

Can anyone come?

Yes, all are welcome to come and join us! All ages, races and religions (and no religion).

For any further questions, please contact Rev. Deborah Lee at icir2010@yahoo.com, (510) 893-7106 x 319.

Reflections on Angel Island from Pilgrimage planning members

2010-09-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

FOR DETAILS or to JOIN THE ANGEL ISLAND PILGRIMAGE, SEPT. 25th - Click Here

Here are two pieces of reflections on what Angel Island means to us today, from two of our planning committee members, Craig Wong and Rev. Harry Chuck.

____

From Craig Wong, leader in the SF Interfaith Immigration Coalition, and a member of Grace Fellowship Community Church, July 2010.

History repeats itself.

My name is Craig Wong, and I represent religious leaders of Chinese ancestry who recognize today’s egregious immigration situation as a dark repeat of our own experience in 1900s San Francisco.

Our memory is Angel Island, built in 1910 to tighten the flow of Chinese immigration in a way that was isolated, quarantined, prevented escape. There, my grandmother contemplated suicide. Unsanitary and crowded, detainees languished in despair for months on end, as described by this poet:

When I arrived in America, all I could do was gaze at the sea in vain. Jail room after jail room, the lock of the gate is secure. Brothers cannot pass one word to each other, separated as if by mountains. The barbarians become angry with us…they kick and punch us severely. They scrutinize us like a prince inspecting his soldiers. They trap us with schemes, with multiple levels of encirclement. Like a pig chased into a basket, we are sternly locked in. We are not even the equal of cattle or birds. How can we suppress our cries?

Angel Island closed in 1940, but things didn’t get better at the new facility here at 630 Sansome. On Sept 21st, 1948, the Chinese wife of a US Army vet hung herself in this very building because she could no longer endure the interrogations, the separation from her husband, and the weary wait for possible deportation. Chinese advocates spoke out:

The US is the most democratic country in the world, its government most efficient, yet in this immigration case, it has strangely spent several months, even years. Upon arrival, immigrants are held for months while a hair-splitting investigation is made. There is no denying the far greater ease with which members of the white race can enter the country as compared to the Chinese. This prejudice of American immigration policy is apparent to all. Racial discrimination and unfair treatment lead to social and even international conflict. So to enhance goodwill, the far-seeing authorities should not overlook these discriminatory immigration practices.

As Chinese religious leaders, we stand in solidarity with our Latino, Middle Eastern, African and Asian immigrant brothers and sisters who are currently suffering under the same conditions we did a century ago in this very place. We join with the voices of our ancestors in calling for sober reflection on the deterioration of our nation’s soul. We call ourselves, our faith communities, our entire nation to repentance from our self-preservationist fears, our economic idolatries, that are driving the barbaric policies that are literally ripping us apart. May God have mercy on us all.

____

From Rev. Harry Chuck, former Executive Director of Cameron House and minister in the Presbyterian Church USA- deliered at the dedication ceremony of a new Interrogation Table exhibit at the Angel Island Immigration Station, July 31, 2010.

My name is Harry Chuck, I am an American of Chinese ancestry. Two generations ago, my maternal grandfather came from China to work on the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Here he met my grandmother who had been sold into slavery prior to her arrival. Fortunately, she was rescued by Christian missionaries and given a new lease on life. That was over a hundred years ago. Like many of you, I have much to be grateful for.

Why are we here to today? We’re here to remind ourselves that America is a nation of immigrants. We’ve come together representing a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In a word, we’re all different and we’ve gathered to celebrate our diversity…but our differences, instead of keeping us apart, have brought us together in a spirit of solidarity and unity.

Today, here at Angel Island, we will experience a rich repository of historical imprints left behind by those who preceded us. We will recall through narrative, drama and music the patience and courage which sustained our predecessors through indescribable hardships. We will reflect on their sacrifices which enabled ensuing generations to succeed. Clearly, we are here today because of them. And above all, we’re here to affirm our place in the continuum of history begun over a century ago.

We are grateful to our Miwok brothers and sisters for the reminders that there is something here which is precious and timeless. And this treasure is embedded in the spirit of Angel Island and all that it signifies for each of us.

Thus, today, we celebrate that legacy. There are hundreds of you out here who have thousands of personal stories to share. Don’t leave this island without sharing them with family, friends and even new found friends made today. At the end of the day, we will have become a bit more informed, a bit more enriched, a lot prouder to be part of a nation where immigrants have played a key role. Today, we take our place beside brothers and sisters from every corner of the globe.

If I were to lead you in prayer, mindful of our varied religious backgrounds: here’s what I would say. In a posture of gratitude, may the spirit of this place enter our hearts and minds and touch the lives of our children and our children’s children for generations to come. Amen

2010-08-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

Faith and Immigration Film Resources
Films are a great way to deepen understanding and discourse about the various angles of the Immigration issue and how it relates to our faith.

4 Films on Immigration + Movie Discussion Guide

Dying to Live,
The Visitor,
Farmingville,
Made in L.A

CLick here for movie & discussion guide.

500 Gather in Oakland for Immigrant Justice

2010-08-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, July 29th, 500 people gathered at the Fruitvale Bart Plaza to protest against Arizona 1070 and local collaborations happening between the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Police that are persecuting immigrants.

It was a colorful and spirited gathering of poetry, music, street theater, powerful speeches, testimonies and prayers! All with the message that "Our Spirit Will Not Be Broken!"

See powerful images of the July 29th Vigil in Oakland. Click here for photos.

Bay Area clergy arrested for immigration reform

2010-08-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, July 28, the day Arizona's new immigration law went into effect, a rally was held on the sidewalk outside the San Francisco Federal Building which houses Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco office. The crowd included representatives from many community groups, including labor unions, immigrant communities, San Francisco supervisors, and faith leaders from around the Bay Area.

Bay Area religious leaders, including Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Episcopal bishop of California, led the crowd in a prayer for the protection of families living in fear of deportation. Following this, a group of mostly clergy carrying signs with slogans such as "Who would Jesus deport?" and "Love the immigrant as yourself! Lev. (19:33–34)," walked into the middle of 7th Street and sat down. This civil disobedience had been negotiated with the San Francisco Police Department in advance. The police, anticipating street closure, moved quickly to redirect traffic around the block at 7th and Mission Streets and they escorted the protesting clergy, one-by-one, out of the street.

Religious leaders arrested were from various denominations including Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Methodist, and United Church of Christ. Others arrested included leaders of several immigrant legal and service organizations. In total, there were 19 arrests.

The protest, organized by the Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, CLUE-CA, demonstrated the grave concern held by the religious community over the 1100 deportations taking place each day, numbers higher than at the end of the Bush administration. The rally called on elected officials, Rep. Pelosi and Congress to have moral courage to address the ongoing brokenness of the immigration system with practical and humane solutions.

Call to Resistance: Can you help us get to 46?

2010-07-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

Every hour 46 people are deported in the United States (1100 per day). Rates of deportation are going up with the increase of enforcement focused policies such as SB 1070, and other ICE-police collaborations.

This Wed. July 28, on the eve of AZ SB 1070 becoming law, we are looking for 46 people-- faith, civic and community leaders and members-- who are willing to risk arrest through civil disobedience.

Our message is: stop the separation of 46 families each and every hour. End the suffering and enact fair and just immigration reform.

Can you help us get to 46?

This action will be part of the large rally and event taking place with hundreds of people in San Francisco July 28th. (See below for details of the event & CD specifics.)

We appreciate your discernment to engage in this action. Those who are faced with the daily fear of police and ICE appreciate your actions and courage.

If you cannot support through civil disobedience, there are many other ways you can support- by volunteering as observers, support roles, and security help.

Respond to this email or contact Rev. Deborah Lee - icir2010@yahoo.com or 510-893-7106x 319 to be involved so that we can send you important information related to the CD action.

The Struggle Continues for Immigration Reform
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
4:00 pm - 6 pm
Location: New Federal Building on 7th & Mission Street

2:30 pm - Training and preparation for those doing CD at the AFSC office, 65 - 9th Street in San Francisco. If you cannot make training, please contact us ahead of time so that we can give you necessary information.

Sponsoring organizations of this event include a coalition of community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and labor. Organizations include Dolores Street Community Services, CARECEN, SFOP, Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (CLUE-CA), EBASE, AAN, Filipino Community Center, Out 4 Immigration, CISCO, SEIU, UFCW, AFSCME, Asian Law Caucus, Padres Unidos.

Upcoming Local Actions on AZ 1070 for Immigration Reform

2010-07-20T23:00:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the short notice. Here are 2 local events coming up next week to show our faith response to Arizona SB 1070 and the participate in the National Days of Action taking place across the country. One on each side of the Bay; different days.

Hope you can join us for one or the other!

In San Francisco:

The Struggle Continues for Immigration Reform
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Location: New Federal Building on 7th & Mission Street.

Join hundreds of people in this spirited gathering, religious community will pray for families and do a symbolic religious action to show our commitment to this moral issue. Brings your pans to make noise!

Sponsored by many of the SF based groups who have been working on Comprehensive Immigration Reform this past year, including ICIR-CLUE-CA.

In the East Bay:

Our Spirit Will Not Be Broken: Stop AZ 1070 and S-COM
Thursday, July 29, 2010
3:00pm

Location: Fruitvale BART Plaza
Join us to stand for an end to the discrimination and persecution of immigrants! Street theater by Mujeres Unidas, dance, poetry and Interfaith service.

Sponsors: Black Alliance for Just Immigration, East Bay Interfaith Immigration Coalition, ICIR-CLUE-CA, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Just Cause, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Multicultural Institute.