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Philadelphia phone bank urges passage of immigration law | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/01/2010

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With Congress poised to vote as early as this week on legislation granting permanent residency to an estimated 825,000 undocumented immigrants, supporters of the Dream Act inundated senators and representatives Tuesday with telephone calls urging passage as a step to broader immigration reform.

Photos from Nov 1st Day of the Dead action at City Hall

Day of the Dead -- Nov 1st Action at City Hall and DA's office

DAY OF THE DEAD PROCESSION on Nov 1st @ City Hall and the DA's officeNSM plans are in the works to put together a creative public action calling for the end of the fear and silence in the Philadelphia immigrant community due to police and ICE collaboration!  Watch for details. As we process around city hall, we'll be stopping at each corner for a different symbolic action to be lead by various immigrant groups. 

*** There has been some conversation among CBC's immigration group about organizing to do group singing at public events like this.  NSM has asked if CBC can be prepared for Nov 1st and lead something musical on one of the four corners?

Immigration - Art - Action fundraising event for New Sanctuary

NSM 1st Annual "Immigration, Art, and Action" fundraising event -- Saturday, Oct 23rd, 7pm to 10pm @ Philadelphia Praise Center / 1701 Mckean St., Philadelphia PA 19145-2913. (map)
You'll start seeing info in the CBC bulletin and newsletter about this exciting evening of live music/dance performances and a silent auction. CBC's own Yatz Marcano will be dancing!  We also have an Ecuadorian dance group lined up, and "InMotion" - an Philly-based Indonesian band.  Auction items include art by Philly artist/activists Harvey Finkle and Joe Brenman, items by Ron Morgan, autographed books, restaurant gift certificates, and more.   Proceeds will support NSM's new "Community Leadership Training Program" of ongoing workshops to cultivate leadership from within affected immigrant communities in Philadelphia.  Tickets available for purchase on the NSM website www.sanctuaryphiladelphia.org or at the door.  $15 individual / $30 family / $50 "super booster".

Cambodian Deportations in Philadelphia - Day of Action!

Invitation from the Cambodian Association of  South Philadelphia

What: DAY OF ACTION AGAINST DEPORTATION

Where: Independence Mall, Philadelphia - Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets

When: Monday Aug 30th / 4-7PM

4-5PM: Information Booths, Educational Materials, Short Fim Screenings

5PM: Special Performance by AZI, Philly's own Cambodian-American Hip Hop Group

530-630PM: Speakers - Family Members, Community Leaders, Philly and DC Advocates

 

We are raising awareness of the climate of fear and paranoia that Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has created in Cambodian-American communities across the United States, AND to call attention to the 47 Fathers, Husbands, Brothers, and Community Leaders recently torn apart from their families, to be deported at the end of August, and in September.  

 

These Refugees have been residents in America since before they were 12 years old, have been living here for 20-25 years, and have very few memories of Cambodia, the country they fled with their families to escape genocide, war and trauma. Many are unfamiliar with the language and culture of Cambodian society. Unjustly deporting these Refugees will drive them and their U.S. Citizen families into poverty.

Since the passage of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA), both in 1996, detention and deportations have increased exponentially.  These laws replaced a discretionary system with mandatory detention and deportation, expanded the grounds of Deportation to include minor offenses, and systematically denies individuals of their human and civil right to due process.  The 1996 laws are also retroactive. All 47 Khmer-American Refugee detainees have already served time for past crimes. However under current immigration law they are "Criminal Aliens" and are deportable.  This is inhumane and unjust.  Double punishment is wrong!

The community is stepping up and demanding CHANGE! It is 2010, and detentions and deportations are dramatically increasing. We must act NOW for LOVE, JUSTICE, and FAMILY UNITY!

Direct Action Training

Register for a special training re: direct action / civil disobedience Saturday, July 10th from 10 AM - 3PM at Project Home, 1515 Fairmount, in Philadelphia.  More information and register online at this link -- register now. We'll be learning more about options for organizing nonviolent, direct action tactics to intensify our local campaign for immigration justice. As part of the training, we will be learning why direct action can be useful, talking about planning effective actions, and generating ideas for specific creative tactics to use here in Philadelphia. The training has been planned by a group of people working with Reform Immigration For America.  The training will be led by "Training for Change" coordinator Daniel Hunter-- an excellent facilitator with international experience. For more info: www.trainingforchange.org. Training for Change provides activist training for groups standing up for justice, peace, and the environment through strategic non-violence, including state-of-the-art direct action trainings -- in nonviolence, campaign strategy and other basic skills. Lunch will be provided.

Call to Action for Immigrant Justice from the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

What:  Philadelphia Safe Communities Forum with the Deputy Mayor in Charge of   Police Affairs!

When:  Sunday, June 27^th, at 2pm
Where:Annunciation Catholic Church / 1511 S. 10th St. / South Philadelphia

New Sanctuary Movement, in conjunction with JUNTOS and the Philadelphia Storytelling Project, is organizing an important forum to share testimony with city officials concerning collaborations between the Philadelphia police department and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officials and the impact on immigrants in our communities.  NSM has a verbal commitment from the deputy mayor to attend, and is working on a commitment from the Philadelphia District Attorney, as well.  We need to show District Attorney Seth Williams and other public officials that these issues are concerns for undocumented and documented community members alike. 

The goal is to have 400 people turn out for this event.  


Please join us!  

*** CBC will arrange carpools to leave after worship.  Details to follow. ***

SB1070 Do I Look Illegal?

Updates on Local Actions for Immigration Reform

Since last month’s passage of Arizona’s law, SB 1070, criminalizing immigrants and creating state sanctioned racial profiling, ten other states have introduced similar anti-immigrant legislation, including PA, where Sen. Metcalfe has introduced the HB 2479.  Simultaneously, policies such as Secure Communities, that encourage police and ICE collaboration, are spreading across the country, and is happening here in Philadelphia, under the radar.

“From Philly to Phoenix”   Gay Marshall, Dan Burnam, Caroline Cargo, Katy Friggle-Norton, Doug Norton, and Ray Schellinger represented Central Baptist Church  at the May 26^th “From Philly to Phoenix” rally for immigration reform at Constitution Center, followed by a march ending at the federal building.   Speakers at the event called for an executive order from President Obama to reverse SB 1070 and an end to copycat legislation in our own state.  Community members shared personal stories about families torn apart by the broken immigration system.  A local leader in the national organization of  Dream Activists  introduced herself as “undocumented and unafraid” as she spoke boldly about the need to ensure passage of the “Dream Act” for college students.  (To learn more, see www.dreamactivist.org.)  And there were prayers to bless Philadelphia representatives heading to Arizona to take part in the mass demonstrations there.

500 Petition Signatures – Thank you to Juan DeAngulo!  

As of last week, more than 2000 signatures of Philadelphia residents had been added to a New Sanctuary Movement petition calling for Deputy Mayor Seth Williams to end collaborations between the Philadelphia Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  CBC member Juan DeAngulo was responsible for gathering 500 of those signatures through his work at Congreso in Philadelphia!

The petition highlights Philadelphia police and ICE collaborations through the “Secure Communities” program and through permitting ICE access to the PARS database.  These policies harm community safety because:

·         Immigrants in Philadelphia live in fear of any police encounter, eroding public trust and compromising community policing. 

·         Victims and witnesses do not report crimes due to fear of deportation.

·         Due process is violated as immigrants brought into police custody are transferred to ICE custody before conviction.

·         These policies have no mechanisms to prevent or monitor racial profiling.

·         And they undermine Mayor Nutter’s executive order of non-inquiry.  

Although the primary call is for Philadelphia residents to sign, others concerned about these policies can also continue to add their names by signing an online petition at www.ipetitions.com/petition/safecommunities.

Call to Action from the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

What:   Philadelphia Community Forum with the Deputy Mayor in charge of police affairs!

When:  Sunday, June 27^th, at 2pm

Where:  Event to be held at Annunciation Catholic Church / 1511 S. 10th St. / Philadelphia

New Sanctuary Movement, in conjunction with JUNTOS and the Philadelphia Storytelling Project, is organizing an important forum to share testimony with city officials concerning collaborations between the Philadelphia police department and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officials and the impact on undocumented people in our communities.   NSM has a verbal commitment from the deputy mayor to attend, and is working on a commitment from the Philadelphia District Attorney, as well.  We need to show Deputy Mayor Seth Williams and other public officials that these issues are concerns for undocumented and documented community members alike.  The goal is to have 400 people turn out for this event.   Central Baptist Church will be represented in the audience  – and we hope a good group of us will consider attending as a show of support for local immigration reform!  Watch for further details by email and in the Sunday bulletins.

Central Baptist Church Stands with Arizona - Prayer Vigil

Central Baptist Church Stands with Arizona

Public Prayer Vigil to Call for Immigration Reform

7pm to 9pm this Sunday evening, June 6, 2010

Come with your family and friends on Sunday evening, June 6, from 7 – 9 p.m., or any part of that time. Together we will light the vigil candles as we renew our commitment to tend the flames of hope, justice, solidarity, and unity for and with our immigrant brothers and sisters.  Our gathering time opens with prayers, songs, stories, and reflections on the issue of immigration justice. Moving into a creative response time, we will have opportunities to travel among several learning, reflection, and action stations. Options include:

• Reflect on visual images of displaced people around the world
• Write a note of encouragement to Arizona advocates
• Play an immigration board game designed for learning
• Paint a banner and create posters to use in the closing vigil
• Focus on the reality of immigration journeys through meditative sand play in a desert box
• Explore resources and fact sheets about immigration 

 And as a public witness, we will close with a candlelight vigil expressing our solidarity with immigrants across the United States.

Our vigil begins a broader nationwide, 8-week effort called the Isaiah 58 Summer, a nationwide vigil and fast for Arizona organized by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.The Isaiah 58 Summer, a “rolling” prayer vigil and fast, will move from region to region from June 6 to July 28, culminating with a three-day fast July 30-August 1, in Arizona and across the country. Each week, groups in different states will lead constant prayer and public witness in support of the people of Arizona, to denounce the anti-immigrant law there, and to send the message to state and national leaders that we need humane, just comprehensive immigration reform this year – and that no other state should face legislation like Arizona’s.

Thurs May 6th, 10 AM

Gathering at Sen. Casey’s office to

Call for Action on Immigration Reform

Followed by Peaceful Procession to Love Park

For Mayor Nutter’s National Day of Prayer

Meet at 20^th & Market, Phila

More info: marchforamericapa@gmail.com

Film series and immigration discussions at CBC

 Join us for these upcoming films and discussion group afterward.  We serve soup and bread at 5:30; the film begins at 6:30.

Sunday, January 10, 2010              Weapons of the Spirit



Sunday, January 24, 2010              Sentenced Home

Sunday, February 7, 2010               Posada:  A Film about Unaccompanied Children
                                                                   Knocking on America's Door

Sunday, February 21, 2010             Man Push Cart



Added note -- Our first film was preceded by a Reform Immigration for America rally for
our Congressional district.  We had nearly 60 people from 7 faith
communities, 2 universities, a labor union, and other community groups.  We
were Haitian-American, Liberian-American, Japanese-American,
Chinese-American, Latino, and Anglo.  The film discussion was rich and
provocative!