Category: Civil Rights - California Church IMPACT

Protect all immigrants - RALLY Thursday at Capitol to bear witness for SB 54!

9/6/2017

Dear Friends,

California Council of Churches IMPACT will join with our interfaith coalition and the CA Immigrant Policy Center among many others to press for the passage of SB 54 that protects the rights of our immigrant brothers and sisters.

We are calling all people of faith including clergy to join us on the North Steps at 9 am tomorrow, Thursday September 7 on the North Steps of the Capitol at 10th and L Streets in Sacramento.

We will bear witness on behalf of immigrants everywhere. SB 54 prohibits the use of state funds and resources to seek out and offer up immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation, and it protects the rights to immigrants with due process when they are apprehended. This is also our time to stand with "Dreamers" who are now under threat of being deported if Congress does not uphold their pathway to lawful presence and ultimately citizenship.

California's economy depends on immigrants. More to the point, we never had barriers to immigration when our free forebears arrived. We stand for the humanity of all people who seek the same hope and rights our historical families did.

Please come rally and let your voices be heard. If you cannot join us, please call your Assembly members and let them hear you even if they can't see you.

Thank you!

Stand with DACA Dreamers and for SB 54 to protect their rights

9/6/2017

Dear Friends,

You shall not oppress a resident alien, you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Ex. 23:9

After today’s Presidential decision to put DACA – Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals – under threat of cancellation, we are called to act. If Congress does not ratify this status protecting young people brought to the USA as children, they will be jeopardizing 800,000 children and adults who have done nothing wrong.

We are all humans, we are all part of God’s family. We need clear and unambiguous support for people who had no choice in coming here undocumented and who have grown up knowing only the American Dream and working to fulfill it.

So call Congress and insist they create a humane and fair way for these children to remain, to move toward citizenship, and to be secure along the way.

Call Congress – 202-224-3121 – and tell both Senators and your Representative that the long tradition of America as a land of undocumented immigrants must be upheld. Until 1952 you simply did not wait or need papers to enter America. You needed a little money in your pocket and to be disease free. That’s it. You GOT your papers when you entered. We, as people of faith, understand that populations are mobile in hard times or even good – we were the nation that opened its doors to everyone. That is what America is. That is who we are.

Then, while we are urging Congress to act humanely, we need to put pressure on our Assembly and the Governor to pass SB 54. It is coming up shortly for a floor vote then, if passed, it goes to the Governor. SB 54 prevents state agencies and law enforcement from abetting deportations, gives legal protection such as demanding warrants to those who are under threat, and in sum, upholds the rights of resident aliens grounded in the federal as well as state Constitutions.

Many law enforcement agencies want this to pass. Immigrants are often victims of crime or witnesses to it. Being able to work with all immigrants is essential to upholding the law successfully. If people do not report crimes or cooperative in solving them for fear of deportation, crime will worsen.

Contact your Assembly Member here and let him or her know that you support protecting the rights of all people including undocumented immigrants.
We are called to care for the strangers among us. They are all God’s children equal to us in every way. This needs your voice in reinforcement now.

Thank you!

Help us convince the Governor to sign the "CA Values Act" giving immigrants lawful rights

8/22/2017

Dear Friends,

SB 54, the California Values Act, will likely pass the Assembly.

This bill that we have been tracking all session, prohibits open-handed cooperation between CA governmental agencies, including law enforcement, and ICE, on rounding up and deporting people from our state. This is critical to assuring due process for all people and especially to protecting the role of immigrants, documented or not, as witnesses to crimes and their rights as victims of crimes. People cannot live in the shadows, powerless to engage with our police if they are living in fear of them.

This does not ban deportations. It simply means immigrants — the aliens among us God has directed we care about — be given strong rights before our laws. The Constitution of the United States requires this. SB 54 ratifies that process.

SB 54 does the following:

Disentangle ICE and local law enforcement: No state or local resources will be used to investigate, detain, detect, report, or arrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes.
Require a judicial warrant in order to detain any person for deportation purposes: Regardless of whether state or local resources are implicated, no state or local law enforcement agency will detain or transfer any person for deportation without a judicial warrant.
Protect sensitive locations: California schools, health facilities, courthouses, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement will remain safe and accessible to all California residents, regardless of immigration status.

You may email the Governor directly via his site: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/
The office phone and FAX numbers are also located on this page.

The Governor also has two field offices:
Los Angeles — phone: 213-897-0322 or FAX: 213-897-0319
San Francisco — phone: 415-703-2218 or FAX: 415-703-2803

The message is simple:
Hello, my name is______ and I am a member of California Church IMPACT (and/or your congregation or group). I am asking you to sign SB 54 to offer the immigrant populations of California due process in all potential deportation operations. This law protects people from unlawful and over-zealous actions by ICE and keeps our local state law enforcement people focused on their job of protecting us all, not abetting a horrible and abusive federal policy. SB 54 upholds the Constitutional directions to provide aliens with due process and assures that they receive full and fair hearings on their status. We need a strong, thoughtful law to keep people from harm, and SB 54 is it. Please pass this bill as it stands. Thank you.

Please begin your contacts with the Governor now. We are in the final month of this session, and time is of the essence. Justice for all people requires this of us.

Thank you!

Stop The RAISE Act from Separating Families & Reducing Refugee Resettlement

8/3/2017

from our friends at Church World Service:

CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!
Background: Senators Cotton (R-AR) and Perdue (R-GA) introduced the “Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy” (RAISE) Act, which has garnered support from President Trump and white nativists. We urge all Members of Congress to reject this anti-family and anti-refugee legislation that would:

Permanently cap refugee admissions at 50,000 per year, the lowest resettlement goal in U.S. history, during the largest global refugee crisis in world history.
Eliminate the ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor their brothers and sisters, and create an impossible process for them to sponsor their parents for five-year visas, during which time the parents would not be able to work and the child would have to cover all expenses and health insurance costs.
Stop green card holders from sponsoring their children over the age of 18.
Make family-based visas for spouses and children harder to access by reducing the overall number of visas available based on the number of individuals who overstay their visas.
Bar individuals from applying for U.S. citizenship if their family sponsor has not reimbursed the government for any expenses incurred.
Delete individuals’ applications for eliminated visas, unless they have only one more year in the backlog, leaving approximately four million people, who have been promised a visa but are waiting in line for it to become available, without any opportunity to reunite with their family members
Essentially only permit individuals who have certain education levels, work history, English-language ability, or high-paying job offers to enter the United States
Reduce legal immigration channels by 50-70 percent, with an 85 percent cut to family-based immigration,
Not increase skills-based immigration, or increase jobs or wages for the U.S.-born, as such policies have failed in the past since immigrants do not depress wages or reduce job growth

CALL YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVE TODAY: 202-224-3121
Sample Script: “I’m your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and I am strongly OPPOSED to Senators Cotton and Perdue’s RAISE Act. Thi bill would permanently cut refugee resettlement numbers to historic lows, make family reunification inaccessible, and essentially only permit individuals who have certain education levels, employment history, and English-language ability to enter the United States. I urge you to reject this bill and do everything in your power to see that it does NOT become law.”
Feel free to share a personal story about standing in solidarity with refugees and immigrants.
You can also tweet at your Representatives & Senators:

.@[REPRESENTATIVE] Welcome #refugees & #families & #immigrants. Say NO to the RAISE Act #RefugeesWelcome #NoBanNoWallNoRaids #GreaterAs1
..@[SENATOR] The RAISE Act would separate families, reject refugees & dishonor American values. Stop this anti-family, anti-refugee bill. #VoteNo

Please spread the word and send this alert to your networks! Please tell us if you take action!
Follow @CWS_global on Twitter and “like” CWS Immigration and Refugee Program on Facebook for up-to-date alerts.

Facing a Grave Constitutional Crisis? What You Can Do

5/10/2017

Dear Friends:

Yesterday's firing of the FBI Director, James Comey, has led to what is now a grave Constitutional crisis. Comey was the key figure investigating whether American citizens, including key federal office holders and staff, colluded with a foreign government to corrupt our 2016 presidential election.

Firing the man in charge of the investigation is a most dangerous step toward totalitarianism and certainly to a cover up. Our system requires unfettered access to information by our duly elected representatives. Anything that thwarts this action is anti-democratic and a threat to the survival of truth and the operation of a functioning Republic.

While Congress continues its own work, we now must have an absolutely neutral outside force continuing the inquiry.

Please call or contact the Department of Justice and contribute your voice to the call for an independent investigation.

Contact information is here

You may make a written comment on this site or call the DoJ main public comment number 202-353-1555 Tell Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that you want him to appoint and independent investigation of the issues and people involved in the ongoing inquiry to Russian tampering with our election.

We never thought this would be an issue for us again. After the lessons of Watergate 1972-1974, we thought our nation and beloved democracy was safe from craven personal manipulation, from exploitation and abrogation of due process. We at Church IMPACT are charged with examining public policy, but we did not excpect to have to mobilize all of you to defend the basic principles of open and honest government, especially not at the federal level. But we cannot stay silent in the face of such a threat to our system of justice and right.

Please pass this on to your friends, allies, family - anyone who thinks we must speak out on the basic principles of democratic justice. Please encourage them to sign up with us to stay abreast of developments and actions they can take. We face a real crisis in our government, and it will take all of us working together to make sure we pass safely through these rough seas.

They may sign up at http://www.churchimpact.org/take-action.html

Thank you. May Peace and Justice prevail for us and our nation.

Urgent! Please send the Governor and State Legislators your support for humane immigration policy!

4/20/2017

Dear Friends!

California Church IMPACT is joining with Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity to send a powerful message to our Governor and State Legislators.

Please Sign and Circulate this California Faith Leaders Sign on Letter.   (e.g. lay and professional congregational, spiritual and religious leaders)

We have 5 days to collect 100+ signatures!
_________________________________________________

"Do you not wish that God should forgive you?" (Quran 24:22)

Faith Sign-On Letter to Governor Brown & CA State Legislature
A Call to Compassion, Courage & Common Humanity

Click Here to Sign on

Message of the Letter:

"Our faith traditions not only have a special protection and care of the migrant, but also the deep values of forgiveness and compassion for those who were formerly incarcerated. Our faith traditions call out the possibility for transformation and redemption, mercy and restorative justice.

"Let them forgive and overlook: do you not wish that God should forgive you? For God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Quran 24:22, Islam)

"I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you visited me." (Matthew 25:35-40, Christianity)

"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt, I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:33-34, Judaism)

We ask for your support for SB 54 and SB 6 and final legislation that will be as strong and as inclusive of all California immigrants targeted by the aggressive, rogue and inhumane deportation policies. We are disconcerted by the harmful discourse and potential amendments that would leave out from these important protections those most targeted by immoral and indiscriminate federal deportation policies.

We urge you to uphold your moral and ethical courage to stand on the side of righteousness and justice, forgiveness and redemption. Immigrants who are formerly incarcerated deserve to be reunited with their families and communities just like any other returning resident, and not deported.   [click here to read full letter]

We call on religious leaders of all traditions to add your name to this letter.

Add your signature here

Now more than ever our voice is needed!

Amplify the sound with us! Join us today!

Visit us at www.im4humanintegrity.org and urge others to join California Church IMPACT www.churchimpact.org to voice support for key legislation upholding these cherished values!

Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Nor. CA office:
310 8th St. #310, Oakland CA 94607
Sent by dlee@im4humanintegrity.org

Thank you!

Faithful Five Minutes made easy if you like to text

4/11/2017

Dear Friends,

If you have a smart phone with text capacity that doesn't cost and arm and a leg, there is a very simple way to send messages to your federal Senators and Representative.

Send a text message to 50409 and type "Resist" in the message. Within seconds a "Resistbot" (I'm just the messenger - didn't make up this name!) replies and asks your name and ZIP.

Resistbot then finds your Senators first. Congress will be next.

It will ask you for a message that you compose to them. It can be very short or you can add information about yourself, a person of faith, or whatever you want to it. My first was only 8 words. Now I have the hang of it, I will add more about who I am, why issues matter. Once you're done, press 'send', and the Bot will FAX your message to your Senators or Representative.

If you don't text or have no desire to do this, we will always offer options through our IMPACT connections to your elected representatives including state ones. But do pass this information on to your friends, kids, grandchildren so they can become more engaged in advocacy, too.

Faithful Five Minutes via tech is yet another way to be heard. Give it a try if you like. It's powerfully easy to do!

Thank you!

You stood for justice - your voices were heard!

4/4/2017

Dear Friends,

Thanks to overwhelming numbers of calls, FAX transmittals, visits, and email, all three of the bills upholding the protections and rights for immigrants have passed.

YOU did this. Your witness for Muslims, for all immigrants, for due process and legal assistance, all have passed.

SB 6, SB 31, and SB 54 all passed in the Senate where we seriously doubted they could. We would not have convinced the "worried middle" Senators had you not spoken out so clearly.

Thank you for all you did on behalf of embattled and at-risk populations. It matters.

Now we will have a breather. The legislature goes on Spring Break starting Thursday April 6 through Easter Sunday. As soon as they come back, our work shifts to the other house, the Assembly, and we will let you know what are our "next steps" on this and other concerns.

Thank you for your presence on behalf of humanity. We are grateful beyond words for your care

Standing with the Strangers Among Us - support SB 54 and SB 6 now!

3/30/2017

Dear Friends:

Two bills we think are important for the rights of immigrants in our population will be voted on in the California Senate this coming Monday, April 3.

SB 6 offers every immigrant facing deportation the right to legal counsel.   SB 54 requires that all California state and local agencies refrain from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in identifying and apprehending immigrants for that reason alone.

SB 54 makes full cooperation with ICE a requirement when it comes to violent or serious felony offenders. But it stops police or any other agency from identifying or apprehending people who are guilty of nothing but a questionable immigration status.

Although ICE purportedly arrests only those with felony convictions, the actual record is considerably different. Many mistakes - or indifference to status - have been made in the last few months of increased action on deportations. Ripping families apart for no reason, deporting contributing taxpayers, threatening the stability of workplaces, are not the solution to our chaotic immigration system.

Please call your state Senator today or send email or FAX communication over the weekend. It is important that our witness for the 'stranger among us' be loud and clear.

Sample call:

Hello, my name is _______ and I am calling from _______ (indicate city as a constituent) to ask Senator ________ to support an inclusive SB 6, the Due Process for All Act, and a strong SB 54, the California Values Act, which will both be voted on in the Senate floor on Monday. I urge the Senator to be on the right side of history, not on the side of the California Sheriff's shameful collusion with Trump's anti-immigrant agenda. Will the Senator support SB 54 and SB 6?

To access your Senator's contact information, please go to: http://www.churchimpact.org/take-action.html

These two bills will go a long way to stopping the harassment and sheer terror that now are constant companions for too many of our neighbors. Yes we need paths to lawful presence, yes we need paths to full citizenship. What we cannot uphold is a chaotic, nightmarish apprehension and detention system that makes huge errors and destorys lives.

Raise your voice today for your fellow human beings. It is what we are called to do in our lives today.

Thank you!

Protect our brothers and sisters - whoever they may be. Support SB 6, SB 31, and SB 54

3/15/2017

Dear Friends:

I have just returned from a massive immigrant rights rally where I saw a number of you, our members, standing with immigrants and Muslims as we are called by our faith to do. This is the first step - bearing public witness however and wherever we can.

The next step is transforming our principles into law. If we do not secure democracy legally, we will eternally rally but no one will be truly safe because of it. These to things - activism and advocacy - go hand in hand.

This morning we rallied. This afternoon we begin changing our laws to assure the cries of "No Justice? No Peace! Know Justice, Know Peace!" are not just hollow slogans.

Please take a few minutes to support two bills that protect and defend our Muslim brothers and sisters and our immigrant families whoever they are.

SB 31 protects Muslims in California by forbidding any public agency from handing over information on a person's religion. Period. Full stop. This state will not be complicit with the ill-considered creation of religious profiling at airports or other points of entry nor with a religious registry that targets Muslims as potential terrorists. No hospital, college or university, no law enforcement agency, no social service office - no public employee of any kind may become an informer.

SB 6 will assure that people facing deportation have adequate legal representation. The brave attorneys who still sit day after day in the waiting lounge of international arrivals need this support as much as the people who need the attorneys. The lawyers must also be in place at detention centers to make sure those arrested are actually the right targets and that due process is maintained. We need a regular system of lawful representation for those unjustly targeted for who they are.

SB 54 prohibits our state and local police from abetting what too often has become hasty and erroneous seizure for deportation. Our law enforcement authorities already have the right to participate in deportation of convicted felons. When local law enforcement also becomes complicit in general round ups of people such as the awful story of a father ambushed by ICE, in the company of the local police, and seized while dropping his children at school. When this happens, the police drive a wedge into the trust of the community. Law enforcement officers around the state tells us this is extremely harmful to obtaining witnesses for crimes and especially for victims to come forward. This law prohibits the cooperation except under carefully planned multi-jurisdictional enforcement operations that must be pre-approved based on lawful criteria.

Please let your State Senators know that you support these three bills. They provide stable legal foundations as well as human rights and justice as part of how we exist as a state and society. All three are headed for the Senate floor. Please act NOW. While there is strong support, these three bills are "urgency" bills meaning they are meant to take effect immediately. This requires a 2/3 vote so every vote is precious. Allay doubts and worries among our elected officials; assure them these bills have our support from all of our members within our faith communities! Our faith voice is particularly powerful in these kinds of matters.

Please go to: http://www.churchimpact.org/take-action.html

Please tell your Senator that you stand with legal justice and lawful due process for all people and that these bills are essential to make sure our system of law gives the same rights to all people that we ourselves enjoy in California.

This is important witness for those who, caught in the hysteria too often present in our political lives, cannot always speak for themselves. Add your voice today!

Thank you!