In May, as part of a divinity school class, “Traversing Our Nation’s Wound: Immigration & US/Mexico Border”, I traveled to Arizona and Mexico, immersed in border and immigration issues. I have to preface these reflections by my own personal identity as a child of God who continually works to embrace the commands I believe we are given in both the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and the New Testament of Scripture to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to take loving care of the foreigner. My identity additionally includes being the daughter of an immigrant, so I have lived at least a glimpse of the impact of the treatment of immigrants on subsequent generations. Additionally, over the past several years, I have listened to the stories and experiences of those who work in this country without appropriate documentation, and have been made aware of round-ups in recent years of migrant workers that have left crops rotting in fields with no US citizens filling the work force needs that were left vacant.
During our time in Tucson, AZ and Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, we were hosted by Border Links, an organization in Tucson, AZ which raises awareness of border issues and who hopes to motivate people to become active citizens. We met with undocumented migrant workers both in the US (who had survived crossing the border and desert) and Mexico (who were attempting to cross the border into the US), attended a vigil for Daniel Ruiz being held in detention (see his story at: http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_0e229cb8-f5f4-57ba-91fc-c0399d730b4b.html), met with John Fife, the pastor who served at South Side Presbyterian Church when they began the Sanctuary Movement in Tucson, met with two individuals who had been in detention, one for about six months, the other for about three years, both of whom came to this country seeking political asylum. Additionally, we met with representatives from two maquilas (plants of foreign companies that assemble products) in Nogales, stayed with families in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico to hear their experiences with border issues, including the impact of NAFTA, visited the site in Nogales, Mexico where Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was killed by US Border Patrol, went on an Arizona desert walk, and met with staff from the Kino Border Initiative. We sat through an afternoon session of Operation Streamline where 60-70 individuals are processed daily and sent to detention, followed by a meeting with one of the public defenders. We also met with folks from No More Deaths in Arrivica, AZ who provide humanitarian aid (food and water) to those crossing the Arizona desert, and heard their stories of how their town has become a military zone even though it is 12 miles inside the US border. Their children pass through a security checkpoint both going to school and returning home every day that is manned by armed guards that stop every vehicle that passes on the highway. The tourism of their town that had been comprised of bird watchers and hunters has disintegrated, they believe, due to harassment of the Border Patrol. We participated in a tour of the Border Patrol facilities, as well as a drive-along with Border Patrol Public Affairs staff.
All these interactions provided diverse views into border and immigration issues, and, as can be expected, there were many conflicting stories. The differing realities that were shared confirmed that the border and immigration issues are complex, and will not be solved by one-line commentaries that do more to divide people than unite them to work for viable solutions. Having said that, it seems there are some clear steps that can be taken, and that we can encourage our politicians to do to support immigration reform to make our society more just for all people.
1. Remove security checkpoints within our borders along our highways that cause more harassment to our citizens and adversely impact our children.
2. Revise the process for attaining Visa category H-2A and provide adequate staffing. Currently applications from 1993 are being processed, so there is no reasonable expectation to attain one for migrant workers.
3. Return to the paradigm of allowing individuals to voluntarily return to their country of origin without issuing an order of deportation. By issuing orders of deportation, if individuals return, they can be subjected to felony charges.
4. Look at alternatives to detention. It is estimated that over 90% of those that are processed through Operation Streamline have only come to this country for work, and have NO other legal issues.
5. Remove the guaranteed quotas of prisoners for our privatized incarceration institutions. This only motivates law enforcement and our justice system to find reasons to incarcerate individuals, without consideration to their status.
6. Discontinue the subsidies to US farmers/corporations as agreed in NAFTA. By not living up to the agreement, the trade cannot be “free trade”, and has had adverse impact on especially peasant farmers in Mexico, causing them to need to find work elsewhere.
Additionally, for people of faith, I hope we will all look at creative ways that we can engage personally and as communities both of faith and society to love our neighbors, and care for the foreigner. There are numerous partners in this work from whom we can get ideas, and support. Everything from our prayers and seemingly small acts of kindness extended to others provide a tremendous amount of hope to those whose lives are in crisis.
Submitted by Cathy Crimi, EALA Board Member
In May, as part of a divinity school class, “Traversing Our Nation’s Wound: Immigration & US/Mexico Border”, I traveled to Arizona and Mexico, immersed in border and immigration issues. I have to preface these reflections by my own personal identity as a child of God who continually works to embrace the commands I believe we are given in both the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and the New Testament of Scripture to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to take loving care of the foreigner. My identity additionally includes being the daughter of an immigrant, so I have lived at least a glimpse of the impact of the treatment of immigrants on subsequent generations. Additionally, over the past several years, I have listened to the stories and experiences of those who work in this country without appropriate documentation, and have been made aware of round-ups in recent years of migrant workers that have left crops rotting in fields with no US citizens filling the work force needs that were left vacant.
During our time in Tucson, AZ and Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, we were hosted by Border Links, an organization in Tucson, AZ which raises awareness of border issues and who hopes to motivate people to become active citizens. We met with undocumented migrant workers both in the US (who had survived crossing the border and desert) and Mexico (who were attempting to cross the border into the US), attended a vigil for Daniel Ruiz being held in detention (see his story at: http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_0e229cb8-f5f4-57ba-91fc-c0399d730b4b.html), met with John Fife, the pastor who served at South Side Presbyterian Church when they began the Sanctuary Movement in Tucson, met with two individuals who had been in detention, one for about six months, the other for about three years, both of whom came to this country seeking political asylum. Additionally, we met with representatives from two maquilas (plants of foreign companies that assemble products) in Nogales, stayed with families in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico to hear their experiences with border issues, including the impact of NAFTA, visited the site in Nogales, Mexico where Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was killed by US Border Patrol, went on an Arizona desert walk, and met with staff from the Kino Border Initiative. We sat through an afternoon session of Operation Streamline where 60-70 individuals are processed daily and sent to detention, followed by a meeting with one of the public defenders. We also met with folks from No More Deaths in Arrivica, AZ who provide humanitarian aid (food and water) to those crossing the Arizona desert, and heard their stories of how their town has become a military zone even though it is 12 miles inside the US border. Their children pass through a security checkpoint both going to school and returning home every day that is manned by armed guards that stop every vehicle that passes on the highway. The tourism of their town that had been comprised of bird watchers and hunters has disintegrated, they believe, due to harassment of the Border Patrol. We participated in a tour of the Border Patrol facilities, as well as a drive-along with Border Patrol Public Affairs staff.
All these interactions provided diverse views into border and immigration issues, and, as can be expected, there were many conflicting stories. The differing realities that were shared confirmed that the border and immigration issues are complex, and will not be solved by one-line commentaries that do more to divide people than unite them to work for viable solutions. Having said that, it seems there are some clear steps that can be taken, and that we can encourage our politicians to do to support immigration reform to make our society more just for all people.
1. Remove security checkpoints within our borders along our highways that cause more harassment to our citizens and adversely impact our children.
2. Revise the process for attaining Visa category H-2A and provide adequate staffing. Currently applications from 1993 are being processed, so there is no reasonable expectation to attain one for migrant workers.
3. Return to the paradigm of allowing individuals to voluntarily return to their country of origin without issuing an order of deportation. By issuing orders of deportation, if individuals return, they can be subjected to felony charges.
4. Look at alternatives to detention. It is estimated that over 90% of those that are processed through Operation Streamline have only come to this country for work, and have NO other legal issues.
5. Remove the guaranteed quotas of prisoners for our privatized incarceration institutions. This only motivates law enforcement and our justice system to find reasons to incarcerate individuals, without consideration to their status.
6. Discontinue the subsidies to US farmers/corporations as agreed in NAFTA. By not living up to the agreement, the trade cannot be “free trade”, and has had adverse impact on especially peasant farmers in Mexico, causing them to need to find work elsewhere.
Additionally, for people of faith, I hope we will all look at creative ways that we can engage personally and as communities both of faith and society to love our neighbors, and care for the foreigner. There are numerous partners in this work from whom we can get ideas, and support. Everything from our prayers and seemingly small acts of kindness extended to others provide a tremendous amount of hope to those whose lives are in crisis.
~Submitted by Cathy Crimi, EALA Board Member
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