New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia continues the campaign to end the local PARS contract – an agreement between the Philadelphia Police Department and Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The contract allows ICE to identify “deportable” immigrants to interview while they are in police custody – even before the person in custody has been convicted of any criminal act.
According to ICE, this national program targets dangerous criminals who pose a threat to public safety. The reality on the ground is the opposite. Based on statistics from ICE:
- Philadelphia is 5th in the nation for “non-criminal” deportations of immigrants
- 61% of all immigrants deported from Philadelphia are deported prior to any charges being brought or without any criminal conviction
CBC will participate in the NSM letter writing campaign with other NSM congregations during the month of June, gathering hand written letters address to District Attorney Seth Williams and Mayor Michael Nutter. Mishkan Shalom has prepared resources to guide us in writing effective letters. Watch for more information on how you can help!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment