On behalf of LA RED I want to introduce Alejandra Blas. She is the new volunteer that is working with us on issues of immigration reform. Alejandra is a student at Fuller Seminary and a professor at California Baptist University. We welcome her and thank God for her willingness to serve among the immigrants of this country. Here is a note from Alejandra.

Juan Martínez, on behalf of LA RED

My name is Alejandra Díaz Blas. I was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Rowland Heights and Riverside, two California cities. My parents were originally from Oaxaca, and immigrated to the states sometimes during the week of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I am passionate about immigration reform and immigration care because I believe that the current status of immigrants breaks the tradition of immigrant care and fellowship that our Sovereign Lord requires. Leviticus 19:33-34 states, “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” The raids we inflict on the undocumented, the destruction of the family unit that the raids produce, and the general animosity that our society holds towards the undocumented—despite the benefits that they produce for our society—directly defy Leviticus 19:33-34.

On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the rights of an undocumented immigrant were violated during a raid. We invite you to read the article at UPI and discuss.

The New York Times published an essay detailing the sharp rise in the number of Latino Federal convicts within the Federal Penal system, Study Shows Sharp Rise in Latino Federal Convicts. We invite you to read and reflect upon this article.

Rumors of quotas and mistreatment have been documented by an internal ICE Report. We invite you to reflect and comment on the Associated Press’s recent article, ICE agents pressured to meet arrest quotas.

Below is a press release CHIRLA announced earlier this week discussing the effect immigration raids have on the family unit. We invite you to reflect and comment on this discussion.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:          Contacts:
February 17, 2009                       Jorge-Mario Cabrera, 562.243.5559

ICE Raids Leave Many U.S.-Born Children Behind

—100,000 parents of approximately 5.5 million U.S.-born children have been
deported—

Los Angeles, CA:  Tucked inside page A11 of the Los Angeles Times’s February
14, 2009 edition, a chilling statistic by the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) underlines the human crisis many families face today.  More
than 108,000 parents whose children are U.S. citizens have been deported
during the past 10 years.  No one knows for certain what happens to the U.S.
born children left behind.

“Americans understand the power of the family unit.  They also understand
what it means to have your whole life shattered by the absence or loss of a
parent.  Immigrants share those same exact values and feelings.  There’s got
to be more humane and practical ways to address undocumented immigration
than tearing a family apart,” stated Xiomara Corpeño, CHIRLA’s Director of
Community Organizing.

During the past decade, more than 2.2 million unauthorized immigrants have
been deported.  Approximately 5.5 million U.S-born children live with an
unauthorized or mixed status parent.

“All of us lose when every day a child comes home from school and will
likely not receive a good night kiss from a parent because he or she has
been detained or deported.  Raids and deportations of unauthorized
immigrants only exacerbate the pain and isolation caused by our broken and
inhumane immigration laws,” stated Jorge-Mario Cabrera, CHIRLA’s Director of
Community Education.

Some facts and figures about children of immigrants in the U.S.:
•       According to an Urban Institute report, four-fifths of children born
of immigrants parents are U.S. citizens.
•       About 20 percent of this country’s children, nearly 17 million, have
at least one foreign-born parent.
•       Nationwide, there are 8.5 million children who speak a foreign
language at home but also speak English well.
•       Children of immigrants make up 22 percent of the 23.4 million
children in the U.S. under the age of 6.
•       Virtually all children of immigrants have a parent who works.  72
percent have at least one parent who works full         time.
•       Even U.S. citizen children of low income households are twice as
likely to lack health insurance if the parents are      not citizens.
•       According to 2000 Census figures, it is projected that by 2020 one
child in four in the U.S. will be Latino.

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition, a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform, would like to invite you to participate in Prayer, Renewal and Action on Immigration, a national effort to organize prayer vigils coinciding with the first recess of this session of Congress, February 13-22, when members will be home in their districts. 

Why Host a Prayer Vigil?

Hosting prayer vigils around the country will give people of faith an opportunity to reflect on the deep scriptural, spiritual roots of our work to support immigrants in this country, highlight the moral aspects of the immigration issue and remember the real-life consequences of our failed policies on immigrant families.  It will show our representatives in Congress that humane immigration reform is a top priority for people of faith, and demonstrate a growing movement in support of immigration reform.

EVERYONE can be a part of this nation-wide effort—from the smallest community of faith to large suburban congregations or city-wide coalitions!  Check out the following ways you can participate:

1. Plan a public prayer vigil coordinated with other places of worship.  This type of vigil could include 50+ participants, your local media, and even your member of Congress. You may also choose to invite members of your broader community and publicize the event through the bulletins or websites of the participating congregations.

2. Plan a public prayer vigil for your community of faith, and if your congregation is already engaged in direct services related to immigrants and immigration, consider inviting an immigrant to share his or her story as part of the event.  Even these smaller vigils can be a great opportunity to invite your local press outlets.

3. Add a focus on immigration reform to an existing/on-going community event or activity—voter registration drive, community meal, ESL classes, and/or discussion for your worshipping community.  Contact local press to let them know you’re doing it!

4. Encourage your clergy or lay leaders to offer a sermon, litany or other major focus on immigration in worship.

5. Include a prayer petition concerning immigration reform within worship.

Whatever form your event takes, your prayers will be joined with other people of faith around the country praying for protection for immigrants, empowerment of people of faith to speak out more boldly for immigrants, and moral courage for Members of Congress to show leadership in enacting humane immigration reform.

Register Your Event Now

PLEASE go to http://interfaithimmigration.org to register your event.