Thread: Chicago: Illegals in 'burbs march to oppose raids

www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-i ... 5037.story
chicagotribune.com
Immigrants march in western suburbs to oppose deportation raids

By Joseph Ruzich

Special to the Chicago Tribune

2:43 PM CDT, September 25, 2008

Jose Herrera said he came to the United States when he was 7 years old. Arrested in an Immigration raid recently and detained for three months at the Cook County Jail, Herrera now has a court case pending in which he's trying to gain permit residency.

"I have a 7-year old child to support," the 25-year-old said. "These raids don't do any good. They just separate families."

Herrera joined over 100 people who marched and held a candlelight vigil in the western suburbs Wednesday night in an effort to halt raids, address inhuman conditions at Immigration detention centers and urge support to enact a new state law that would give religious clergy access to detainees in county jails.

Spearheaded by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the protesters marched several miles from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Melrose Park to a detention center in Broadview near Lexington and Beach Streets, where they held a candlelight vigil.

Many in the march held signs that read "Stop the Raids" and others shouted phrases such as "No Deportations" in Spanish. Some included families with relatives who are currently or have been deported or held in detention centers.

"Every Friday morning, religious leaders stand outside the Broadview detention center and pray," said Sister Joann Persch, a member of the Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants with the Archdiocese of Chicago. "As religious leaders, we felt it made sense to go into those centers and to pray with detainees."

The proposed legislation would allow Persch and other bona fide clergy access to jails throughout the state. Persch believes those in immigrant detention centers should have the same religious rights as others serving time for criminal offenses.

"We are living in a period of aggressive Immigration enforcement," said Diego Bonesatti, an official with Mt. Carmel Church. "Detention is one of the key elements of enforcement. But detention, unfortunately, deprives some immigrants of their rights and it [detention] has an effect on a person's morality."

Bonesatti said detainees don't have much choice but to be deported. "A typical bond amount to get out of detention is between $5,000 and $8,000," he said. "For an increasingly impoverished community, this is a difficult burden to overcome. Most detainees just sign their deportation orders."



http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... rint.story

"I have a 7-year old child to support," the 25-year-old said. "These raids don't do any good. They just separate families."

If ANYONE gets arrested for a crime what do you think happens, they go to jail and are separated from their family's. That is how the law works and that goes for Everyone!!! So stop using that lame argument!!!!!!

"We are living in a period of aggressive Immigration enforcement,"

If that were the case all of us here at ALIPAC would be rejoicing!! That is exactlly what we want. OUR LAWS TO BE ENFORCED!

Originally Posted by 93camaro

"I have a 7-year old child to support," the 25-year-old said. "These raids don't do any good. They just separate families."

If ANYONE gets arrested for a crime what do you think happens, they go to jail and are separated from their family's. That is how the law works and that goes for Everyone!!! So stop using that lame argument!!!!!!

You got that right camaro! We also aren't the ones who separate their families. They are free to take their families with them, no one's stopping them from doing so, so what's the problem???

If you dont want to be seperated then take your family Back to Your Country

"These raids don't do any good. They just separate families."

Talking Point!
They must pass out a book on what to say..

Keep it up it adds members to Alipac and NumbersUSA.

Double edge sword there guys.

Originally Posted by WorriedAmerican

"These raids don't do any good. They just separate families."

Talking Point!
They must pass out a book on what to say..

I'm sure they do. After all, they pass out a book in Mexico telling them how to safely cross the border (illegally).

It is beginning to sound like this church is blatantly aiding and abetting illegals. Remove their tax exemption and have those illegals and their supporters tithe enough money so the church can pay the taxes.

Originally Posted by vortex

It is beginning to sound like this church is blatantly aiding and abetting illegals. Remove their tax exemption and have those illegals and their supporters tithe enough money so the church can pay the taxes.

I'm with you Vortex