Month: May 2016

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Immigrant Day 2016

Immigrant Day 2016 was a beautiful success. We would like to thank all of those who traveled near and far to participate. As an organization we were represented by over 35 faith leaders from various parts of California, had 21 legislative visits and possibly turned one or two votes.

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Below are a few of the bills that were discussed during our legislative visits.

AB 2792 TRUTH ACT The Truth Act will bring the truth about ICE’s practices to light and allow communities to craft policies for local needs.

SB 10 Expand Healthcare to All Undocumented Californians.

SB 1289 Stop the creation and renewal of certain for-profit immigration detention facilities and codify the currently unenforceable national immigration detention standards.

SB 443  Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill will require that a defendant be convicted of an underlying crime before cash or property can be permanently forfeited under state  law, and it will prevent CA law enforcement from receiving a share of federally forfeited assets unless there has been a conviction.

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Hilda Cruz, Im4HumanIntegrity’s Campaign Coordinator shared this message after her visits Monday,

“May we all remember that our elected officials represent us and our values. Therefore the need to visit with them and share not just our concerns but also the many ways in which we contribute to our communities. This year we were happy to notice that the crowd was diversified. Possibly due to a legacy left by the youth during the courageous campaign we now know as the “Dreamers” campaign.  Many of these youth while not having the proper documents to be considered included fully in our society, found the strength to be unafraid to share their stories. The every day struggle with a higher education structure that left them out. A labor structure that would not hire them or if they did was paying them under the table wages that were less than the minimum wage. Many of these young voices were heard in the State of California where it enacted legislation  to receive in-state tuition. Years later, we would see the immigration policy from Washington DC called  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  This policy would allows certain immigrants who entered the country before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to receive a renewable two-year work permit and exemption from deportation. These policies and are the legacy of youth who were unafraid to visit with legislators and then go back to their local communities and encourage others to do the same.  This year many parents of these youth were in Sacramento also seeking to influence in policies that will strengthen their families and their communities and we are most hopeful that they will also see the fruits of their labors.”
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The Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity is committed to working with our legislators to advance policies that support fairness and full inclusion of all of our State’s residents. Our faith traditions teach us that the lives of all people are sacred and we are called to treat them as neighbors, family and friends.
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Victory: SF Supes approve legislation limit deportations

PRESS RELEASE
FREE SF Statement: Due Process vote represents progress; 
Coalition will keep fighting to end detentions and deportations

San Francisco — This afternoon, just moments ago, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved broadly-supported legislation by Supervisor Avalos to update the city’s pro-immigrant policies. The new law will largely keep local law enforcement out of deportations and upholds key values of Due Process, inclusion, and rehabilitation.

Specifically, the updated ordinance protects community members from new, deceptive deportation practices by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which led to the near-deportation of car theft victim Pedro Figueroa and have added to a growing crisis of confidence in local law enforcement.

In response to these developments, the FREE SF Coalition – including  Asian Law Caucus; Causa Justa::Just Cause;  California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance; California Immigrant Policy Center; Centro Legal de la Raza; Community United Against Violence; Dolores St. Community Services; EL/LA;  Faith in Action Bay Area; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area; Mujeres Unidas y Activas;  Pangea Legal Services, Young Workers United – issued the following statement:

Today’s compromise agreement is an important step forward for San Francisco’s immigrant communities. The policy the Board approved today will protect many people from ICE’s new, deceptive deportation tactics. In largely upholding Due Process, San Francisco has taken a stand against hate and scapegoating.

At the same time, while we recognize this important step, we believe that any entanglement between troubled local law enforcement agencies and a deportation system that lacks due process is unjust, no matter how limited. As the crisis in confidence in local law enforcement had made clear, communities of color face discrimination and criminalization.

Thus, we pledge to continue to fight to uphold the basic human rights of all people and to continue the fight to end harmful detentions and deportations. We will closely monitor this policy’s implementation and will continue to push for real solutions that honor our values of rehabilitation and move us forward together.

Background: The City’s 2013 Due Process for All ordinance, passed unanimously, guarded against most ICE request to “hold” immigrants for extra time. These requests were later found to be unconstitutional by federal courts. ICE then instituted new, deceptive practices with the same painful results, including requesting “notification” of when a community member is about to be released from jail or for personal information like home addresses.
The newly passed legislation upholds those protections to prevent equally damaging requests for law enforcement to notify ICE of personal information, and also removes an obsolete carve-out in the city’s Sanctuary Ordinance that had left the door open to significant abuse.
After a series of negotiations with Sheriff Hennessy, the finally passed legislation contains limited exceptions.  Specifically, law enforcement can only turn over someone to federal immigration authorities if they have been convicted of (1) a violent felony in the last 7 years; or (2) a certain type of serious felony in the last 5 years; or (3) three felonies as specified in California’s AB 4 in the last 5 years; AND the person is held to answer on an AB 4-eligible felony.
Media Coverage:
Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sanfrancisco-immigration-idUSKCN0YG065 (quotes our statement!)
Associated Press 
SF Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-supervisors-OK-compromise-sanctuary-city-7943757.php (quotes Saira)
SF Examiner 
KTVU 2
KRON 4 http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=44c548cb-1059-48c5-bfcb-5d6748b46a22
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San Bernardino – May Day 2016

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On Sunday May 1, nearly 300 people gathered at the San Bernardino Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Facility on W. Rialto Ave. in San Bernardino and made the nearly 5-mile trek to San Bernardino City Hall.

Some participants held signs that said “Luchando Por Justicia” or “Fighting for Justice” while others held signs that said “Vota!” or “Go DAPA Go.” DAPA refers to another deferred action program under review by the Supreme Court that would grant undocumented parents of U.S.-born children and legal permanent residents protection from deportation if implemented.

Among them was 19-year-old Eric Melendez of Colton, who said his cousin was deported after serving in the U.S. Army and returning home from Iraq. “There is something very wrong with our immigration system,” Melendez said. Melendez said his cousin, Marco Melendez, who deployed to Iraq twice, was arrested and convicted on charges of driving under the influence in Los Angeles County. After his conviction, he was placed on an immigration hold and deported back to Mexico. “He’s lived here his entire life,” Melendez said. “He didn’t even speak Spanish and after serving this country during a war they just sent him to Mexico after one mistake.”

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The march was sponsored by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, local families and community members. Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity is an active member of the Coalition and very active in the planning of the event.