http://www.gazetteextra.com/wwhispanics082206.asp

Whitewater churches aid bewildered Hispanic community after arrests

(Published Tuesday, August 22, 2006 10:55:36 AM CDT)

By Carla McCann
Gazette Staff

WHITEWATER-The 1-year-old boy wouldn't stop crying. He wanted his mother, and he wasn't alone.

The toddler is one of many in Whitewater's Hispanic community who kissed their mothers goodbye the morning of Aug. 8 and haven't seen them since. The women went to work and didn't return.

The women were among 25 illegal immigrants who were arrested by local and federal authorities at Star Packaging, 960 E. Milwaukee St. The workers will be deported to Mexico, said Gail Montenegro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman.

For the women's families, local churches have been a godsend.

Pastors and congregations have stepped forward to offer love and find homes for children left behind after their parents' arrests.

All of the people arrested were hard working and productive," said the Rev. Russ Walker, senior pastor of Whitewater Community Church.

The immigrants were punished for going to work every day to support their families, he said.

Whitewater's Hispanic community is no different than those in many American cities. Some are unemployed and dependent on drugs or alcohol, Walker said.

"But they weren't the people affected by the arrests," said the Rev. Kenneth Abarca, pastor of Hispanic Ministries at the Community Church.

On the day of the arrests, Abarca received a call for help from members of his Hispanic congregation, which totals about 65 families. The church has both Hispanic and English congregations.

Abarca and Walker were caught off guard by the morning raid.

"We really had to scramble to find homes for the children," Walker said.

At a meeting that night with Whitewater police and officers from ICE in Chicago, Abarca-who is fluent in Spanish-served as liaison for the Hispanic families.

The families didn't know where their loved ones had been taken, when they would be brought back, or even if they would return, Walker said.

The arrests reminded Walker of what happened in Germany during World War II, when people were arrested and taken to unknown locations.

One difference is that Whitewater police showed compassion, Abarca said.

"This was hard for the people doing their duty, too," Abarca said. "I saw police officers suffering because of the children involved."

The fallout has reached deep into the Hispanic community, Walker said. All of the children of the illegal immigrants were born in the United States and are American citizens, but their futures here are uncertain, Abarca said.

The problem becomes how to return them to their mothers after the women are deported, Abarca said.

Families and friends offering safe homes to the children most likely are illegal immigrants, Abarca said. It's estimated that 70 percent of the city's Hispanic population is here illegally, he added.

The church has maintained a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude about whether members of the congregation are in the country legally or illegally, he said.

Many of the people arrested are trying to sell everything they own to pay bonds of $8,000 to $10,000 to get out of jail, Abarca said.

"The mothers are worried about their kids. They are crying and begging to see their children one more time before leaving the country."

Family members also fear that the women will be deported to border towns that are notoriously corrupt and dangerous, Abarca said.

The church is working to set up contacts with churches or groups in those cities to provide safe houses and transportation for those deported, Walker said.

The Rev. Thomas Suriano of St. Patrick's Catholic Church said some local and area residents outside the Hispanic population have voiced opinions about the arrests.

"Some people see it as a black-and-white issue, when in reality, there are many shades of gray coloring this incident," Suriano said. "The church is trying to mirror the goodness of the Lord and respect all viewpoints.

"There is no perfect solution. We are trying to build bridges, show compassion and help people work through this."

While the Hispanic community struggles with the pending deportations, the owner of Star Packaging is scheduled for an initial appearance in Walworth County Court on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Allen Petrie is accused of employing people without proper documentation, including Social Security numbers, which would allow them to live and work in the United States. He is out of jail on a cash signature bond.

The mother of the 1-year-old who cried himself to sleep every night also is out of jail on bond.

No information was available Monday night on when the woman will be deported, but chances are it won't be long.

"The entire situation is very, very sad," Abarca said. "It's important for the church to be involved as a supportive body. We're trying to inform the English side of the church as to what they can do to help. The Hispanic side already is mobilized."