Thread: Churches offer refuge for Central Americans facing U.S. deportation

Churches offer refuge for Central Americans facing U.S. deportation

By Steve Gorman 9 minutes ago

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Immigrants who have been caught crossing the border illegally are housed inside the McAllen Border Patrol …

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Leaders of the church-based Sanctuary Movement vowed on Friday to offer their places of worship as refuge for immigrants facing deportation under an Obama administration crackdown on Central American families who entered the United States illegally.

The statement came two days after The Washington Post first reported the U.S. government was planning a series of raids to remove hundreds of undocumented families as early as January in the first such large-scale effort targeting the recent flood of border crossers.

The Department of Homeland Security preparations to intensify deportations of Central American migrants, confirmed by U.S. government sources, drew immediate fire from Democratic presidential candidates and human rights groups.

Leaders of the multi-denominational Sanctuary Movement, which has sheltered at least 10 immigrants from deportation over the past 18 months, joined in the criticism on Friday, alluding to the biblical Nativity story of Mary and Joseph seeking refuge before the birth of Jesus.

"As pastors we know that each and every family is a holy family," said the Rev. Alison Harrington, pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona. "We open our doors to today's Josephs and Marys. ... The gift we have to offer on Christmas Day is the gift of sanctuary."

The Sanctuary Movement, which Harrington said encompasses about 50 congregations in a dozen U.S. cities, made headlines in January by providing refuge in Philadelphia to a Honduran woman whose two children were born in the United States. She ultimately won a two-year reprieve from deportation.

The Rev. Noel Anderson, a coordinator for the affiliated Church World Service, put the overall number of congregations supporting the sanctuary network at about 300 in more than 20 states nationwide.

Immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua have been streaming into the United States from Mexico by the thousands since early 2014 - many of them unaccompanied minors and families - fleeing extreme poverty, gangs and drug violence in their home countries.

Most were detained after turning themselves in at the border seeking asylum, but were released to surrounding communities after initial screening to await further proceedings.

A 2008 U.S. anti-human tracking law bars undocumented Central American children from being summarily sent back, as they could be if they were from Mexico or Canada.

Government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said the new campaign by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency marks an expansion from mostly targeting individuals to pursuing families with undocumented members who have already been ordered to leave.

Asked why the agency was singling out families, a spokesperson said the crackdown focused on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, "whether alone or with family members."

Support for the move came from U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, who said it would help "eliminate the incentive that results from allowing 95.6 percent of these illegal immigrants to stay."

Harrington said she feared the crackdown will ensnare many who lacked sufficient time or legal representation to prepare asylum claims and "were too quickly put through the system."

http://news.yahoo.com/churches-offer...215437970.html

What they're saying is they're willing to harbor illegal aliens. That's against the law. Any church that says this need to be their 501 C 3 status revoked.

Churches who take in these families will have to supply all of their food, clothing and medical care.
The children are required by law to attend school.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Churches offer sanctuary to immigrants ahead of DHS imminent crackdown

Published December 28, 2015 Fox News Latino

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  A one-year-old from El Salvador clings to his mother after she turned themselves in to Border Patrol agents on December 7, 2015 near Rio Grande City, Texas. ((PHOTO BY JOHN MOORE/GETTY IMAGES))
  

Dozens of churches say they will open their parishes and offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants who could be the target of a series of raids early next year.

The announcement by the Sanctuary movement, a religious and political campaign started in 1980s to provide safe-haven for Central American refugees fleeing the region's civil conflicts, comes as the Obama administration plans a series of nationwide raids on undocumented immigrants early in 2016.

The faith-based Sanctuary group said it was offering its houses of worship to any migrant seeking safe haven from the crackdown.

The Washington Post reported last week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was planning a series of raids that would begin as soon as next month and would likely affect hundreds of immigrants who fled violence in Central America since the start of 2014.

In a statement last week, ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen would not comment on the Post story but said that as part of civil enforcement priorities announced by DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in November 2014, the agency will focus on individuals "who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security." That group includes people who have been caught trying to enter the U.S. illegally and those who have been ordered removed from the country since January 2014.

"As Secretary Johnson has consistently said, our border is not open to illegal immigration, and if individuals come here illegally, do not qualify for asylum or other relief, and have final orders of removal, they will be sent back consistent with our laws and our values," she said.

Leaders from the Sanctuary Movement, which has granted safe haven from deportation to at least 10 immigrants in the last year and a half, joined Democratic presidential candidates and human rights groups in criticizing the Obama administration's crackdown.

Referencing the Christmas holiday, the movement made mention of the Nativity story of Mary and Joseph being turned away from the village inn before giving birth to Jesus in a stable.

The organization encompasses about 50 congregations in a dozen U.S. cities, Rev. Alison Harrington, pastor of Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson told the Washington Post.

The Obama administration disclosed this week that in the 2015 budget year, the U.S. deported the fewest immigrants since 2006. ICE said that of the 235,413 people removed or returned during that time period, 98 percent met one or more of ICE's enforcement priorities.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/pol...ent-crackdown/

This is probably one of several reasons the Obama administration announced the possible roundup a month early. Yep, let's get the word out early so the illegals can seek sanctuary or go into hiding. Next, I suspect Obama wants to give the activist groups plenty of time to prepare so there will be plenty of time to plan protest and media events. Got to have time to rally the troops so they can better formulate their plan for seeking sympathy from the American people.

Immigration activists prepare to fight against largest deportation effort

Stephanie Ramirez, WUSA9 9:17 p.m. EST December 28, 2015


(Photo: WUSA9)

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Immigration and Latino Community activists are gearing-up for a fight after the Department of Homeland Security confirmed they are planning the largest deportation effort yet.

On Monday, a director with the immigration advocacy group, CASA de Maryland told WUSA 9 they’re learning raids would target families: adults and children.

Some of the people they work with have been panicking, which is why a CASA spokesperson they an emergency meeting on the issue on Monday morning.

"It's ironic, it's a slap in the face of most of our communities for this directive to be issued at this particular time,” said CASA Human Services Senior Director, George Escobar noting the news comes while we’re still in the holiday season and in the wake of the President urging the American public not to turn its back on Syrian refugees.

Escobar believes the raids could happen as early as January but said they have not received communication from the Department of Homeland Security or ICE.

They’re learning this information from news outlets.

Escobar referred to the people being targeted as Central America’s refugees and argued many of these people should qualify for asylum but did not get adequate representation.

"To be deported and rejected by the country where they're seeking safe harbor and a rescue from their situations is really devastating,” said Escobar.

"I know a lot of people, personally, I know a lot of people,” said a Hyattsville man who did not wish to be identified but shook his head as he talked with WUSA 9 about the expected DHS raids. “I feel bad for those people, well not ‘those’ people, those are my people,” he said.

An ICE Spokesperson told WUSA 9 ICE is focusing on people who unlawfully entered the US or received final order removals on or after January 1st of 2014. During that time different reports say the US received a huge influx of people fleeing record violence from mainly El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

Our Media partner, The Washington Post, said more than 100,000 families, adults and children, made the journey in the past year.

“If they’re known criminals those are probably people who, you know, might want to be at the front of the line but targeting families, breaking-up families, that is not something that would be very comfortable with,” said Mike Levin.

"If they deport us, they'll kills us when we arrive to the other country," is what Herman Martinez said to WUSA 9 in Spanish. Martinez said he is from El Salvador and hopes his family members are allowed into the U.S.

"We do know the Metropolitan area is the primary receiver of folks coming in from those countries,” said Escobar, who said the DMV will definitely be impacted by this.

An ICE spokesperson would not say not say how they plan to carry out the large-scale effort but did issue this statement:

"As part of the civil immigration enforcement priorities announced by Secretary Johnson in November 2014, ICE focuses on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. These include individuals, whether alone or with family members, who have been apprehended while attempting to unlawfully enter the United States, recent border crossers, and individuals who have received a final order of removal on or after January 1, 2014.

Indeed, as reported in the end of fiscal year statistics released on Tuesday, ICE removed or returned 235,413 individuals, 98 percent of which fell into one or more of ICE’s enforcement priorities.

As Secretary Johnson has consistently said, our border is not open to illegal immigration, and if individuals come here illegally, do not qualify for asylum or other relief, and have final orders of removal, they will be sent back consistent with our laws and our values. ”

Members of CASA de Maryland tell WUSA 9 they’re planning a noon protest outside of the White House on Wednesday. More details are expected on Tuesday.

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/loca...fort/77999394/

"If they deport us, they'll kills us when we arrive to the other country," is what Herman Martinez said to WUSA 9 in Spanish. Martinez said he is from El Salvador and hopes his family members are allowed into the U.S.

"We do know the Metropolitan area is the primary receiver of folks coming in from those countries,” said Escobar, who said the DMV will definitely be impacted by this.

Oh stop this sob story script. Go hide in a church in El Salvador.

Churches to provide shelter to illegal immigrants

Fifty churches throughout the U.S. have said they will shelter illegal immigrants seeking sanctuary from upcoming raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Sanctuary movement, a political and religious group that works to protect those who illegally entered the U.S. to escape violence and economic instability in Central America, said over the weekend that its network of congregations will welcome any individual who fears he or she will be retargeted for deportation.

The announcement came after a report that the Department of Homeland Security's immigration wing ICE was planning a January crackdown on individuals who had previously evaded deportation.

Out of more than 100,000 people who traveled from Central America to the U.S. over the past year, less than 1,000 will be targeted in the raids.

Churches to provide shelter to illegal immigrants | Fox News

Out of more than 100,000 people who traveled from Central America to the U.S. over the past year, less than 1,000 will be targeted in the raids.

Disgusting.

Nice find European Knight.

100,000 from central america this year alone - we have no borders and this has been going on for a decade, changing the face of USA. This country is ruined, unreal!

Two of the finest civilizations in the world, America and Europe obliterated by greedy corporate globalists and saudi muslim influence. Our politicians should all be fired - no pensions!