Protest is likely at church
Groups plan to demonstrate over woman's sanctuary.
By Greg Mellen, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
Article Launched:07/26/2007 09:51:26 PM PDT

LONG BEACH - Proponents from both sides of the immigration debate are likely to square off on Saturday.

Save Our State, an anti-illegal immigration group, is expected to protest a recent decision by St. Luke's Episcopal Church to offer sanctuary to a 29-year-old illegal immigrant and her U.S.-born infant son.

A counter-protest has also been organized by Fast Respond Network, Workers in Resistance and Cuauhtemoc Dance. These groups support the New Sanctuary Movement, which placed Mexican native Liliana, whose last name was withheld, and her son Pablo with the Long Beach church.

Chelene Nightingale, media and events director for Save Our State, said her group plans to rally from 10 a.m. until noon.

The counterprotesters plan to convene at 9 a.m.

Rev. Gary Commins of St. Luke's said he supports both groups' freedom to express their views.

"I would hope their behavior is civil and quiet," Commins said.

He added that about 150 homeless would be at the church that day and hoped each of the groups would remain tranquil.

Nightingale couldn't guess how many of her group would attend, although she expected there might be some members of the FIRE (Federal Immigration Reform and Enforcement) Coalition and the Minuteman Project attending.

Nightingale said she opposes the church's decision in part because she doesn't believe it is faith-based.

"This is aiding and abetting," Nightingale said. "This has nothing to do with scripture, it's about advancing a political agenda."

Commins disagreed and compared the sanctuary movement to civil rights and the underground railroad.

"I would argue sometimes the two things (spirituality and politics) blur," Commins said.

Nightingale also wanted to make it clear that her protest was not aimed at Liliana and her son.

"We're not protesting her, we're protesting the sanctuary movement," Nightingale said.

She added that the case also touched on issues of border security, immigration enforcement and homeland security.

Commins said it's about people who are "oppressed and mistreated."

In June, St. Luke's began sheltering Liliana, who faces a deportation order. Liliana's husband, Gerardo, and three children are U.S. citizens, but Liliana became ineligible for U.S. citizenship or resident alien status when she was caught trying to enter the U.S. almost a decade ago with a fake birth certificate. Liliana was deported at the time and later returned to the U.S. illegally.

Liliana met her husband, married and had been working and raising a family. However, when Gerardo earned citizenship in 2003 and subsequently petitioned for legal status for his wife, Liliana's conviction came to light.

On May 16, immigration officers went to Liliana's home to take her into custody. After the officers relented and gave Liliana a few days to get her affairs in order, she contacted the New Sanctuary Movement, went into hiding and surfaced at St. Luke's Church.

The church converted an office into living quarters, and Liliana and Pablo moved in.

Commins says the situation is far from ideal for Liliana and her child but they are adapting as best they can.

The New Sanctuary Movement, which helped place Liliana, now has coalitions in more than 50 cities.

Alexia Salvatierra of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, which helps organize sanctuary cases, said more than 600,000 families nationwide face orders of deportation.

Although churches cannot prevent law enforcement from entering and removing those who seek sanctuary, that has yet to happen.

Providing sanctuary is an ancient practice and was common in Europe through the 18th century.

More recently in U.S. history, sanctuary became a hot issue in the 1980s, when about 500 churches and religious organizations sheltered Central American refugees fleeing civil war by helping them cross the border and live underground. That movement's co-founder, the Rev. John Fife, and a number of others were convicted of violating federal immigration laws and given probation.

Members of the new movement say they are not violating the law because the sanctuary offers are being made publicly and there is no effort to hide the immigrants.

Greg Mellen can be reached at greg.mellen@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1291.

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