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Immigrant Justice Update

Immigrant Justice Update. Daniel Stracka , Chair UULMCA Immigrant Justice Steering Committee Founder, UURISE. Jan Meslin Detention Visitations and UULMCA Immigrant Justice Steering Committee . Rev. Lindi Ramsden Senior Minister & Executive Director UULMCA

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Immigrant Justice Update

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  1. Immigrant Justice Update Daniel Stracka, Chair UULMCA Immigrant Justice Steering Committee Founder, UURISE Jan Meslin Detention Visitations and UULMCA Immigrant Justice Steering Committee Rev. Lindi Ramsden Senior Minister & Executive Director UULMCA Staff for Immigrant Justice Team

  2. UU s and allies join Sept 29, 2012 TRUST Act Rally in McArthur Park, LA

  3. Immigrant Justice Update AGENDA • Welcome and Intros • UULMCA Immigrant Justice Team • Past Actions • Next Steps • Legislative Priority - TRUST Act • County and statewide organizing • Building Relationships through volunteer engagement (Detention center visitation, DACA, etc) • Learning Opportunities

  4. Welcome & Introductions • Your Name • Congregation • County • Four words that describe why you care about immigrant justice

  5. Immigrant Justice Team What is a UULMCA Justice Team? 1) Steering Committee 2) Guiding Principles 3) Immigrant Justice Congregational Contacts 4) UULMCA Staff Support

  6. Richard HobbsFirst Unitarian Church of San Jose Amy Moses-Lagos, scribeUU Church of Berkeley Bob LaneMt. Diablo UU, Walnut Creek Rev. Lindi Ramsden, staffUULMCA Immigrant Justice Team • Daniel Stracka, chairUURISE & Palomar UU - Vista • Rev. Tera LittleThroop UU, Pasadena and PSWD Staff • Jan MeslinTapestry UU, Mission Viejo • Barbara MooreEmerson UU, Canoga Park The Steering Committee is responsible for policy direction, program, and growing our organizing capacity

  7. Immigrant Justice Team Guiding Principles: grounded in UU History UU ancestors crossed borders to flee persecution and seek religious freedom in 1500 and 1600s • Michael Servetus of Spain fled persecution because of his theology and writings - On the Errors of the Trinity • Italian religious liberals flee from Italy and Switzerland to Poland • Bernard Ochino banished at age 76 from Zurich in the winter, dies trying to find safe harbor • Polish Bretherenflee to Holland & Translyvania

  8. Immigrant Justice Team Guiding Principles: Historical Grounding Resistance and service • 1840s -Henry David Thoreau opposes war with Mexico, active with underground railroad • 1850s - Theodore Parker –resists fugitive slave act • 1860s - Thomas Starr King teaches the value of multi-cultural society and keeps CA in the union during Civil War • 1940s - UUSC helps those persecuted by Nazi’s to escape • 1960s – 70s Support for Farmworkers • 1980s –Central American Sanctuary Movement • 2012 - UUA Justice GA Link to UUA Statements on Immigration

  9. Immigrant Justice Team 1. Family Reunification 2. Path to Residency and Citizenship 3. Legal Remedies for Continuing and Future Migration 4. Just and Humane Enforcement Policies: We will work for enforcement policies which treat all people with dignity and respect, including policies that afford migrants fair and equal treatment under the law and recognize their due process protections. We will work to reduce the incarceration of migrants who have committed no crime, and work to ensure humane detention conditions for those migrants who are detained. 5. Integration of Migrants Into Our Society 6. Just and Sustainable Development Policies For the full text of the UULMCA Immigrant Justice Guiding Principles go to www.uulmca.org/immigrantjustice • Guiding Principles- Goals

  10. Immigrant Justice Team Congregational Ambassadors, Contacts, & Clusters • Far North • Sacramento & Foothills • North Bay/Lake County • East BayGarner Takahashi MorrisBob Lane, Contra Costa & Alameda Counties • SF & Northern Peninsula • Silicon Valley • Central CoastDeborah Pembrook • Northern San Joaquin/Sonora • South San Joaquin • Channel • San Fernando Valley Meredith Graham & Rev.Betty Stapleford Barbara Moore, LA County • Los AngelesKathleen McGregorBarbara Moore, LA County • Orange County/South LARev. Karen Stoyanoff & Jan MeslinJan Meslin, Orange County Barbara Moore, LA County • Inland Empire • San Diego CountyPatrick McLaughlin Key: Red = UULMCA Cluster Coordinator (general organizing) Green = Countywide UULMCA Immigrant Justice Coordinator

  11. Together we are making a difference. The UULMCA Immigrant Justice Team has made great strides in engaging UUs in moving from promise to commitment, from talking justice to doing justice. Together we are doing more than we could ever do alone!

  12. 2011-12 Education & Action Congregational Study Immigration as a Moral Issue Group Read: The Death of Joseline Workshops & Trainings October 2011 - Mt. Diablo UU March 2012 - Neighborhood UU March 2012 – Border Links Trip April 2012 - PSWD District Assembly First Unitarian LA May 2012 - Farmworker Reality Tour Watsonville, CA June 2012 - Justice GA 2012 Phoenix, AZ

  13. Past Education & Actions TRUST Act (AB1081) • May 2012 Lobby Day in Sacramento • Prayers for TRUST – Prayer Flags • Public Witness – in Sacramento, in LA • County Level Organizing – LA, Contra Costa • Pasadena Police Chief Interfaith Clergy Visit

  14. 2011-12 Legislation TRUST Act -AB1081(Ammiano) • Passed the CA Legislature • Check how your Legislators Voted • Assembly 48 aye, 26 no, 6 not voting • Senate 24 aye, 13 no, 3 not voting • Governor vetoed bill September 30, 2012Hopeful (if confused) veto message

  15. Governor Brown’s Veto Message on TRUST Act To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 1081 without my signature. Undocumented immigrants play a major role in California's economy, with many performing low-wage jobs that others don't want. Comprehensive immigration reformincluding a path to citizenshipwould provide tremendous economic benefits and is long overdue. Until we have immigration reform, federal agents shouldn't try to coerce local law enforcement officers into detaining people who've been picked up for minor offenses and pose no reasonable threat to their community. But I am unable to sign this bill as written. Under the bill, local officers would be prohibited from complying with an immigration detainer unless the person arrested was charged with, or has been previously convicted of, a serious or violent felony. Unfortunately, the list of offenses codified in the bill is fatally flawed because it omits many serious crimes. For example, the bill would bar local cooperation even when the person arrested has been convicted of certain crimes involving child abuse, drug trafficking, selling weapons, using children to sell drugs, or gangs. I believe it's unwise to interfere with a sheriff's discretion to comply with a detainer issued for people with these kinds of troubling criminal records. The significant flaws in this bill can be fixed, and I will work with the Legislature to see that the bill is corrected forthwith. Sincerely, Edmund G. Brown Jr.

  16. Next Steps: 2013 TRUST Act 3.0 (Ammiano) • Local Actions – congratulations Berkeley City Council! • November 15: Interfaith Call- in Day to Governor • Info for Orders of Service next week • Utilize Stories • What would help you get your congregation to call?

  17. Next Steps: 2013 A Wish for the Holidays Education and action activity for children, youth and families Stop deportations and detentions so our families can stay together www.webelongtogether.org/wish • Educational materials • Video – I Want My Parents Back (for age 15 and up) • Art/letter writing project 5.5 million children live with the fear that a parent could be deported. These policies threaten the fabric of all of our communities. It just isn’t right.

  18. Next Steps 2013 Building Relationships through direct service Relationships foster understanding and support UU Volunteers at Justice GA 2012 pair up to assist immigrants with naturalization process and are transformed by the experience.

  19. Deferred Action Volunteers Relationships foster understanding and support What is DACA? – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Estimated that 1.5 million young people qualify, about 25% from California How can your congregation help? Find a local immigration services organization to assist For more info: Dan Stracka daniel@uurise.org

  20. Detention Visitation Where Are Detention Centers in CA? • San Diego • Orange County – Orange, Irvine, Santa Ana • San Bernardino County – Adelanto, San Bernardino • LA County – Lancaster, Pasadena, Alhambra, Glendale, Pomona • Ventura • Kern County- California City • Contra Costa County - Richmond • Sacramento • Yuba - Marysville See the of US Detention Centers at www.endisolation.org

  21. Detention Visitation Detention Visitation Resources Lost in Detention – Frontline Video • Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement CIVIC • Detention Watch Network • Visiting Immigrants in U.S. Detention Facilities - Detention Watch Manual • The Sojourner Detention Program video • Lutheran Access Toolkit • Women's Refugee Commission If your congregation is interested in learning more please contact: Jan Meslin from the UULMCA Immigrant Justice Team jmeslin@cox.net

  22. Walking the Walk UU Justice Leaders Summit The weekend before Thanksgiving

  23. Walking the Walk:UU Justice Leaders SummitNovember 16-18, 2012 Presentation Center, Los Gatos (Santa Cruz Mountains, 20 minutes from San Jose airport )

  24. Walking the Walk: UU Justice Leadership Summit Nov 16-18 Immigrant Justice Trainers • Christina Mansfield, Founder Detention Dialogues • Katia Hansen, UURISE • Rev. Tera Little, PSWD and Throop UU Plus many other teachers and trainers – see www.uulmca.org for a full description

  25. Planning Ahead Spring Justice Trainings –San Diego, LA, Sacramento, East BayBorderLinksTripswith UU College of Social Justice Feb 1-4 or May 24-27 May 20:Immigrant Lobby Day at the Capitol!

  26. Community Partners • CIVIC Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement • California Immigrant Policy Center • ACLU Immigrant Rights Project • California Dream Network • National Day Labor Organizing Network • Immigration Equality – for LGBTQ individuals and families • CHIRLA - Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles • SIREN – Services Immigrant Rights & Education Network (Santa Clara County) • Asian Law Alliance - Santa Clara County

  27. UU & Interfaith Resources • Unitarian Universalist • UU Legislative Ministry, CA & UULM Action Network, CA • UU RISE UU Refugee and Immigration Services and Education • UUA Immigrant Justice Resources • PSWD Border Issues & Migration Resources • Interfaith • Interfaith Immigration Coalition • PICO California Affiliates Photo by Mike Kerwin • East Bay UUs protest expansion of Contra Costa Jail to hold more immigrant detainees • California CLUE • Interfaith Committtee for Worker Justice (San Diego) • Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (SF East Bay)

  28. General Discussion

  29. Thank you for joining us!

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