Author: Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

Support H.R. 1945, The Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act

Post author By Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Post date July 22, 2019

Call Your Member of Congress

Switch Board for Contacting Your Representative: (202)-224-3121

1) When you call your Representative’s office, ask to speak to the foreign policy aide. Use the script below in speaking with the aide. 2) If the aide has not seen the bill, ask for the aide’s email address so that you can forward a copy of the bill. 3) If the foreign policy aide is not available, ask to leave a message on their voice mail. 4) Be sure to get the name foreign policy staffer so you can follow up.

Script: “My name is _____. I am a constituent from (your town/city) in (your state). I am calling to ask Rep. _____ to co-sponsor H.R. 1945, The Berta Cáceres Human Rights in Honduras Act calling for a suspension of U.S. security aid to Honduras until human rights violations committed by the Honduran security forces cease. Has Rep. _______ seen this bill? Can I count on him/her to sign on? Please call me this week at (_your phone number_) to let me know if you have seen the letter, and if Rep. _____ will sign it.” **In your phone conversation, please highlight why this letter is important to you, especially your links or connections to Honduras, Central America or the impact that the caravans have had on you.

Background: The Berta Caceres Human rights in Honduras Act was introduced by Rep. Johnson on March 28, 2019 for the second time. The importance of this bill cannot be understated. Through its passage, the US would suspend security assistance to Honduras from agencies in addition to loans from multilateral development banks that go towards police or military until human rights violations by Honduran security forces cease and their perpetrators are brought to justice.

On July 23rd, there will be a congressional briefing in Washington D.C to inform our members of congress on the root causes of migration and the importance why it’s important to push this bill forward.

Mobilization to Washington D.C is not accessible to everyone, but supporters across the country can be part of this historic event and amplify the conversation by utilizing social media feeds. This document can be used as a guide and resource for information. Hashtags #CaravanRootCauses #BertaCaceresAct #Justice4Migrants #HR1945

Link to the Full Bill: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr1945/text

Updates

July 14: San Francisco Chronicle

Post author By Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Post date July 14, 2019

But the absence of reported raids Sunday did not allow immigrant advocates to lower their guards. The Rev. Deborah Lee, executive director of Oakland’s Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, said leaders at dozens of Bay Area churches were informing their congregations about resources such as immigration hotlines. “In a way, I feel like we’ve been preparing for a raid as soon as the president was elected,” Lee said. “These threats from the president are designed to create panic and fear. If you’re going to raid people, why tell them three weeks in advance? He’s obviously doing this as a strategy to instill fear and put people back into the shadows. It’s a form of repression.”

Read the full article here.

Updates

Lupita Ortiz, Inland Empire: “A Call to Action”

Post author By Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Post date July 10, 2019

Lupita Ortiz, IM4HI board member, and Hilda Cruz, IM4HI faith organizer, working at Coachella shelter

A message from Lupita Ortiz, IM4HI Board member

About a month ago, I witnessed a humanitarian crisis when asylum seekers were being dropped, by the border patrol at the bus station in downtown San Bernardino. According to the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, an IM4HI partner organization, 600 people were released during 16 days (adults, youth, and children). On May 15, 2019 (after our Pastoral Council meeting) my husband Jaime and I accompanied our priest to the bus station to offer shelter to a group of asylum seekers that were expected to arrive at the bus station. That night we picked up, fed and sheltered 9 persons from Honduras and Guatemala at a local church (within the group were two children under 5 years old and two ladies that could only speak a Guatemalan native language). The following day, the Catholic Cathedral had become the shelter for the incoming immigrant families. I joined the welcoming team and made daily visits to assist in whatever the need was. From coordinating volunteers, to guiding families to their showers, washing blankets, etc. I called on some volunteers from St. Bernardine’s Catholic Church and organized to provide dinner for 85 people at the Catholic Cathedral. I offered to organize activity tables for the children, such as coloring and crafts. As a first responder, I witnessed how the community came together to welcome, shelter, and feed the disoriented immigrant families. This was an experience that enriched me and reinforced my faith and desire to be part of a movement that envisions and works towards “human integrity” through faith.

I invite the reader, especially people of faith, to stay informed and to be aware that the media coverage is not always accurate. For example, some reporters referred to them as ‘illegal aliens” instead of asylum seekers that are waiting for a legal process that will either grant them asylum or will return them back to their country. I believe that false news and the negative stereotypes create fear and confusion that result in negative reactions and prejudice from many people.

In my interaction with the immigrant families, I listened to heartbreaking stories from men, women, and children. A 17 year old Guatemalan girl shared that she graduated as an accountant, but she could not find a job in her country (Note: the working age is 18-25; this is one of the main factors for which many migrate to the U. S.). I also learned about the larger worldwide humanitarian crisis that we don’t hear about in the media. A story that echoed was that the caravans did not only consist of people coming from Central America, “There were people from Korea, India, South America, Cuba and Haiti” (asylum seekers). Nevertheless, the only coverage that most of us have seen in traditional media outlets are from Central American asylum seekers. In conclusion, my call to action to you on behalf of these asylum seekers ends with a question that I often ask myself, as a practicing catholic.
How are you being called to place your faith into action?