Help block the bill that will separate families.
Right now, Congress is considering anti-immigrant legislation that will hurt all of our communities.
Click here to Tweet a message to key Senators.
OR
Call your Representative now at1-866-940-2439 and leave a message.
Betty* is an undocumented mom from Arizona who was on her way to pick up her kids from school when she was stopped by police because of a broken tail light.
In the same situation, many of us would get a warning or a ticket and be on our way — but Betty didn’t make it home for 10 months. In the state where Betty lives, a law was passed that forces police officers to question and detain suspected “illegal immigrants.” Because of this law, Betty was immediately locked up in a detention center two hours from her home. She then wound up spending nearly a year fighting to be reunited with her family.
I once served as a Bishop in Arizona and know the plight of our brothers and sisters there. I now serve in Los Angeles, and continue to hear heartbreaking stories because of the suffering of immigrant families. As a person of faith committed to justice for all God’s children, I am called to stand in the gap with those forgotten, marginalized and in need of solidarity. I'm asking you to stand with me in support of policies that promote the safety of all families in our communities. Let’s work to keep families together.
Right now, Congress is considering anti-immigrant legislation similar to the flawed policy that put Betty in detention over a broken tail light. This bill would force local law enforcement officers across the country to act as immigration agents, increase prosecution and sentencing minimums for individuals who re-enter the United States, and further criminalize our undocumented brothers and sisters. One bill has already passed the House and similar legislation could pass the Senate this week.
Here’s what you can do to help in less than 2 minutes:
Click here to Tweet a message of support to key Senators:
To welcome is to be whole - @SenFeinstein @SenatorCarper @SenSchumer stand for safety of all, vote NO on anti-immigrant laws. #Not1More
Call 1-866-940-2439 to connect with your Senator’s office.
You’ll hear our recording first before their staff or a machine take your message. Here’s a sample of what you can say:
“I’m a constituent from [City/State] and I urge the Senator to OPPOSE S.1812, ‘The Improving Cooperation with States and Local Governments and Preventing the Catch and Release of Criminal Aliens Act’ and similar legislation that would force local police to serve as immigration enforcement officers.”
Generations of immigrants like Betty and her family have made this country great with their ideas, hard work, resilience and traditions — they are our neighbors. As we work toward real solutions that promote the safety of all, let us in all of our actions embody the idea that has been interwoven throughout our American history — that to welcome is to be whole.1
Blessings,
Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño
Los Angeles Episcopal Area
The United Methodist Church
*Deep gratitude for Betty and her daughter Junive for having the courage to share their story with us.
[1] “Praying for Healing: A Faith Leader’s Response to Anti-Immigrant Legislation.” Carcaño, Bishop Minerva G. Huffington Post. July 23, 2015.
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