Thread: Whitewater churches aid bewildered Hispanics after arrests

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."

"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, "

Forget the bond, buy the entire family tickets back to your old home town in MEXICO. your personal ticket is on the US taxpayer.
Thanks for opening up a job for a legal resident.Your taking the kids also helps reduce school expenditures.
Let the do-gooders at the church spend there vacation time and money to help you improve conditions back in Mexico. Take them with you too. Please make sure the tickets are ONE WAY.

Have a wonderful trip

Have a wonderful trip

hasta la vista.............baby!

It is sad.....it's sad they just couldn't go about this legally. It's sad the government didn't enforce the laws this entire time and gave them the false impression it was OK. The ONLY thing I would go soft on is, as long as they are being deported....they should be able to sign over guardianship to a legal citizen or allow the minor child to go with them.
The rest......I sat and watched families be torn apart sent to different cities and states and no way of knowing where they were or if they were alive etc. when Katrina hit. They did nothing wrong.

These churches that are so gung-ho illegals should set up some communication with churches in Mexico and get the kids back to them if that's what they want to do.

Originally Posted by AlturaCt

Have a wonderful trip

hasta la vista.............baby!

and take the Taco truck with you

It is sad.....it's sad they just couldn't go about this legally. It's sad the government didn't enforce the laws this entire time and gave them the false impression it was OK. The ONLY thing I would go soft on is, as long as they are being deported....they should be able to sign over guardianship to a legal citizen or allow the minor child to go with them.
The rest......I sat and watched families be torn apart sent to different cities and states and no way of knowing where they were or if they were alive etc. when Katrina hit. They did nothing wrong.

These churches that are so gung-ho illegals should set up some communication with churches in Mexico and get the kids back to them if that's what they want to do.

Yet it doesn't deter criminals from being criminals. I really feel sorry for the children because their parents are just using them and exploiting them for self gain and that's a shame.

Churches are once showing why I'm so disgusted with most organized religion.

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.

Okay, someone please tell me where the fathers are? Are all of these children illigetimate? I guess the anchor baby program is alive and well! I wonder if they have a "Juan" appleseed that runs around town planting seeds for these women? I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting tired of these women exploiting their children to further a cause. All I can say is, they should have been better prepared - they all knew this day could come.

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

No, the illegal immigrants were punished because they entered the country ILLEGALLY! They use these children as an excuse that the mothers should be allowed to go without punishment for their crime and not be deported. There also many women in prison and jail in this country that are not illegal but committed crimes that would also like to not be punished for their crime and be with their children. If these people really care about the children and the parent then why don't they send the children to Mexico to be with their mothers. The law is the law and why should these illegals that committed a crime be any different from a mother here legally that committed a crime and can't be with her child either, if they want amnesty for the illegal mother's, then they should also want to let every mother that has committed a crime out of jail to be with her child. Illegal should not give you special priviledges over those here legally.