The Declaration outlines several rights for undocumented youth, including the right to live with dignity in the country they call home, the right to live with their families, and the right to education.

There are many ways to join in on May 17:

1. Organize an event.  Are there members of your community facing deportation?  Highlight their stories in a local press conference or other type of event.  (Register your event here and UWD can provide an organizing tool kit and media support.)
2. Attend an event.  Check the UWD map to find event locations.
3. Submit an op-ed to your local newspaper, telling the story of one or more DREAMers in your community and highlighting the Declaration of Dreams.
4. Sign on to the Declaration of Dreams and share it on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Contact Tammy Alexander with any questions at talexander@mcc.org or (202) 544-6564 x113.

Additional resources:  DREAM Sabbath 2011 toolkit | MCC DREAM Act web page

You can view the slide shows of our actions outside the Supreme Court against SB1070 on the new Photo Slideshow page under “Media Center.”

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition’s spent two days in a constant vigil for immigrant justice at the Supreme Court as they prepared to hear arguments on Arizona’s Controversial law SB 1070. Every vigil time slot brought a new group giving testimony on why from a fait perspective we are called to give prophetic witness to welcome the stranger. Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Jewish, Unitarian and United Church of Christ all showed their unique way of prayer, song and testimony in defense of the needy, the poor, the outcast and the immigrant.

A Catholic group from Arizona drove across the country to join the vigil in front of the court giving testimony a Phoenix woman named Gina shared, “You don’t know the terror we face in our communities, parents afraid to go out of the house to work, children fearful they could come home and find their parents missing and deported.” Although SB 1070’s controversial “papers please” piece is still not in effect as it goes through the court system, Sherriff Joe Arpaio, of Maricopa County in Phoenix, has a 287 (G) agreement with ICE which has reaped the same devastating impact that SB 1070 will have on the entire state.

As the hearing grew closer it was a powerful experience to watch more groups come together one after another as media frenzied with cameras and interviews. The faith presence was strong along with the presence of labor unions, worker centers and civil rights groups that combined to make almost one thousand people present. Cardinal Roger Mahoney from Los Angeles and Rev. Gabriel Salguero from Evangelicals and Rev. Warren Stewart a Baptist from Arizona all spoke at the Press Conference and rally. The New York New Sanctuary Movement came in white robes and red sashes accompanied by shofars and trumpets as they made their way around the Supreme Court seven times for a Jericho Walk, symbolizing the need for the walls of injustice to come tumbling down.

As people began exiting the court, the news of how the hearing of arguments went did not favor our call to stop SB 1070. Some of the Justices’ comments and questions sounded preferential to Arizona’s law. Although there is no way to know how the justices will vote just from the hearing. This case was more about whether Arizona has the right as a state to enforce their own immigration laws, normally a federal jurisdiction. The ACLU and MALDEF have their own cases on the civil rights violations regarding the “reasonable suspicious” clause. These suits are also expected to make it to the 9^th circuit court, and probably to the Supreme Court where this struggle for human rights will continue.

In all of the attention focused on the Supreme Court in Washington DC, dozens of solidarity actions took place in Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi and many other states that have passed or considered similar anti-immigrant laws. No matter what the Supreme Court says, it is up to the local and grassroots leaders to call for the values of loving one another, and not follow the same destructive path as Arizona and Alabama. As 2012 state legislative sessions close for the year, it looks as though none of those who introduced an anti-immigrant law will pass one. This is a huge victory to be celebrated in the continued lifting up of faith values and human rights.

April 24^th, Washington DC: The controversial Arizona anti-immigrant law SB 1070 will be heard in the Supreme Court tomorrow, April 25th. The courts decision could have dramatic impact on whether more states such as Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina will copy the Arizona law that leads to racial profiling and creates a fearful xenophobic environment. Will this country work towards one national humane immigration reform or a patchwork of fifty different immigration laws state by state?

Faith communities have responded by joining together in two days of constant prayer and vigilance outside the Supreme Court. Catholic, Jewish, Evangelical, Unitarian and United Church of Christ faith leaders kicked off the 48 hour vigil with a press conference while the Baptist, Methodist and many others continue to take different time slots for the ongoing vigil. An altar in front of the podium held migrant artifacts a child’s shoe, a tooth brush and a woman’s make up, collected by Samaritans in Arizona who give water and first aid to the often desperate travelers in the desert where an estimate of almost 10,000 migrants have died intending to make it to the United States to find work.

SB 1070 currently has various provisions not in effect as it works its way through the court system, but the profiling and targeting of Latino populations has still risen as a result dividing communities further along racial lines.  A recent Department of Justice report said Latinos are up to 9 times more likely to be stopped than whites, with many of them arrested without “good cause” in Phoenix.

The constant vigil at the Supreme court reminds people of faith and the public at large that the discrimination based law SB 1070 is not in line with our faith values to “love thy neighbor” and “welcome the stranger.”  The vigil is a testimony to our moral responsibility to give prophetic witness and speak truth to power.

Last night, a group of twenty Arizonan’s showed up to the to the vigil in front of the Supreme Court after driving across the country, 44 hours non-stop, to be part of this testimony. These same committed activists were part of a three-month vigil at the Phoenix Capital in 2010 after SB 1070 was signed. It was a powerful experience to watch them set up the Virgin of Guadalupe statue and read the Rosary prayer together by candlelight as the Supreme Court Pillars towered over us. Certainly these prayers will have an impact on the Justices that some have feared vote only along party lines, but only time will tell as we wait and pray.

Wednesday April 25th will mark the beginning of a truly historic moment in the current debacle that is the U.S. immigration debate. The Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments for and against Arizona’s extreme anti-immigrant law Senate Bill 1070. The law, which was passed in the summer of 2010, was soon enjoined by a federal district court, essentially barring it from taking effect. If put into effect, SB1070 would have:

• required local law enforcement to verify immigration status in any lawful stop, detention or arrest any time they have “reasonable suspicion” that someone is unlawfully present (Racial profiling, anyone?)
• made it a state crime for immigrants not to carry their papers proving they are here legally with them at all times (I personally know green card holders who are here perfectly legally, but lost their physical copy of their green card and are waiting for the government to mail them a new one…what about those kind of people? And for U.S. citizens who happen to be have brown skin? Who’s to say that police officers wouldn’t wrongly arrest them for not having their “immigration papers” that they don’t have nor need in the first place?)
• given law enforcement officers the power to make warrantless arrests solely based on suspicions of someone being the country illegally (Again, how exactly do you enforce that one without racial profiling??….and, warrantless arrests? Really?)

Read the complete article here.

PRESS CONTACT: Eric Gibble
717-926-4974, egibble@networklobby.org

IN ADVANCE OF SCOTUS HEARING, NATIONAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS KICK OFF 48 HOUR VIGIL TO STOP ARIZONA’S HARSH ANTI-IMMIGRANT LAWS

 More Than 100 Clergy Protest at Supreme Court, Call for People of Faith to “Love Thy Neighbor,” “Welcome the Stranger”

Washington DC—Today, local DC clergy and national religious leaders gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court to call for a just ruling against Arizona’s anti-immigrant SB 1070 law, which will be heard by the Court on Wednesday, April 25. More than 100 clergy and lay leaders of different denominations and traditions, including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Evangelical, and Unitarian Universalist, kicked off a 48 hour vigil, which is intended to lift up the moral responsibility of all people of faith to “welcome the stranger” and “love thy neighbor.”

As Rabbi Noam Marans, Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations for the American Jewish Committee, commented, “The diverse religious leadership of America joins together as the conscience of this great nation, to urge our judges to strike down Arizona’s SB 1070 and fulfill the American promise of opportunity and fairness for our immigrant community, reflected in the Biblical proposition that we are all created in God’s image.”

Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr., Associate Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, noted, “As Unitarian Universalists we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all. This worth includes our Latino and Latina brothers and sisters who are being undeniably discriminated against with SB 1070. My prayer is that this bigoted law be overturned. I stand on the side of love and justice not on the side of hatred and fear.”

Faith-based advocacy groups believe that the court’s ruling in United States v. Arizona, which is expected in June, will determine whether the U.S. will have one immigration policy or fifty.  Faith leaders from diverse communities around the country have expressed concern that if the court rules to uphold SB1070, the court will also be upholding Arizona’s initiative to enact laws that lead to racial profiling and judging people on how they look regardless of citizenship. Arizona styled anti-immigrant laws have proven harsh and unjust as they tear apart families, jeopardize community safety, destroy state economies and leave crops rotting in the fields as witnessed in Alabama and Georgia.

“As Sisters of Mercy, we are committed to stand in solidarity with immigrants seeking the fullness of life. We believe the Arizona immigration law will result in racial profiling and unwarranted arrest and deportation. This will cause tremendous suffering, particularly on families who will be separated, said Sr. Pat McDermott, RSM, President, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. “Contrary to our faith teachings, the Arizona law perpetuates a system of welcoming some and not others. For 171 years, the Sisters of Mercy have served immigrant communities, and we will continue advocating on their behalf.”

Added Father Peter Lyons, TOR, of the Franciscan Action Network, “On top of all the other expressions of injustice in the Arizona law, it threatens the religious liberty of people of faith. Since we are called to minister to our sisters and brothers in need, ‘we must obey God rather than man.’”

Lisa Sharon Harper, Director of Mobilizing for Sojourners, stated, “Senate Bill 1070 is nothing less than a social and racial sin. A social sin because the law serves only to divide communities in Arizona, preying on fear and distrust of individuals. Racial, because it encourages discrimination against people based on how they look or how they speak. And trust me, the ‘reasonable suspicion’ that a person might be undocumented rarely comes from their works or deeds; ‘reasonable suspicion’ is aroused because of the shallow, hurtful and frankly offensive expectation that someone who has skin of a certain color, or a certain accent, might not be American.”

Faith leaders will continue activities in protest of the Arizona law on Wednesday, the day the Court will hear the case.  That morning, religious leaders will join civil rights, labor and business leaders for a press conference on the dangerous  impact of laws similar to SB1070, before joining people of faith in a biblically-inspired “Jericho March” around the Court, and culminating in a solidarity rally with more than 500 supporters.

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Monday, 10 A.M.: IN ADVANCE OF SCOTUS HEARING, NATIONAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS KICK OFF 48 HOUR VIGIL TO STOP ARIZONA’S HARSH ANTI-IMMIGRANT LAWS
More Than 100 Clergy to Protest at Supreme Court, Call for People of Faith to “Love Thy Neighbor,” “Welcome the Stranger”

Washington DC — On Monday, April 23rd at 10 AM, local DC clergy and national religious leaders will gather at the U.S. Supreme Court to kick off a 48 hour vigil in opposition to harsh anti-immigrant laws such as the SB 1070 law that will be heard by the Court on Wednesday, April 25. More than 100 clergy and lay leaders of different denominations and traditions, including Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, Jewish, Evangelical, Unitarian Universalist and United Church of Christ, will join the two-day vigil, which is intended to lift up the moral responsibility of all people of faith to “welcome the stranger” and “love thy neighbor.”

Faith-based advocacy groups believe that the court’s ruling in United States v. Arizona, which is expected in June, will determine whether the U.S. will have one immigration policy or fifty. Faith leaders from diverse communities around the country have expressed concern that if the court rules to uphold SB1070, the court will also be upholding Arizona’s initiative to enact laws that lead to racial profiling and judging people on how they look regardless of citizenship. Arizona styled anti-immigrant laws have proven harsh and unjust as they tear apart families, jeopardize community safety, destroy state economies and leave crops rotting in the fields as witnessed in Alabama and Georgia.

The constant 48 hour vigil is in coordination with faith, business, civic, and immigrants’ rights groups that will also be holding a Jericho March and rally the day of the hearing, Wednesday April 25th.

What: Prayer vigil for Supreme Court to overturn Arizona’s anti-immigrant laws

Who:
• Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr., Associate Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis
• Rev. Edgar Palacios, Associate Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church
• Rabbi Noam Marans, Director, Interreligious & Intergroup Relations, American Jewish Committee
• Sr. Pat McDermott, RSM, President, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
• Father Peter Lyons, TOR, Franciscan Action Network
• Lisa Sharon Harper, Director of Mobilizing, Sojourners

When: Monday, April 23rd at 10 a.m. EDT

Where: In Front of the Supreme Court (rain location: United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Avenue NE, Washington, DC)

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• How to educate your community about the case through letters to the editor.
• Maximize your voice on social media.
• A flyer on events occurring on the Supreme Court steps beginning on Monday, including a 48-Hour Vigil and the Jericho Walk.

Make sure to also follow the Interfaith Immigration Coalition on Facebook and Twitter and engage in the conversation with us!

Clergy of varying denominations say Mississippi’s immigration bill isn’t very hospitable of the Hospitality State.

Bishops of the state gathered Thursday at the Capitol, seeking to make House Bill 488 more humane.

“We believe House Bill 488 will do harm. It will create a greater climate of hostility and suspicion and fear,” said Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church. “We know this is true because we have seen what has come to pass in the state of Arizona and in our neighboring state of Alabama.”

Bishop Ronnie Crudup, senior pastor of New Horizon Church International in Jackson, said the bill would not only lead to racial profiling of Hispanics, but also people of color in general. Crudup also said the bill threatens the state’s economic viability.

“Because of the history here in the state of Mississippi, on immigration reform, we have an opportunity to do it right and be the right side this time around instead of the wrong side,” Crudup said.

House Bill 488 says if someone is arrested and a law enforcement officer has “reasonable suspicion” about the person’s immigration status, the officer must check the immigration status before the person is released.

Read the complete article.

By Senator Harry Reid

I recently met Daniela and Dayanna Pelaez, two exceptional young Floridians from Miami whose struggles to gain citizenship this paper has documented well.

Within the complicated immigration debate, Daniela and Dayanna represent an area of common ground. Republicans and Democrats can agree that as a nation of immigrants, we cannot afford to lose — and should not reject — the talents and contributions of two hard-working, law-abiding young women with promising futures who grew up loving our nation, and dreaming of lives as productive Americans.

A solution exists for the Pelaez sisters and the hundreds of thousands of their peers brought here through no fault of their own. It’s called the DREAM Act. Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch introduced it in 2001 as a centrist compromise, with the support of conservatives such as Sen. Chuck Grassley and progressives like Sens. Ted Kennedy and Dick Durbin.

But in 2010, when I brought the DREAM Act for a vote twice, nearly all Republicans opposed it. Ninety percent of Senate Democrats voted for it, but intimidated by their party’s fringe, most of the DREAM Act’s former Republican supporters vanished. Today, Republicans use the DREAM Act as a rhetorical punching bag in Congress and on the campaign trail. Mitt Romney has threatened to veto the DREAM Act, while praising Arizona’s extreme law as a national “model” and advocating “self-deportation.” Tea Party-backed Republican lawmakers routinely deride the DREAM Act as an “amnesty” bill and flood the media with misinformation.

To be clear, the DREAM Act applies only to young people already here, not future immigrants as opponents allege. Americans support it. A recent Fox News poll reported that 63 percent of Americans — including 55 percent of self-described conservatives — agree with the DREAM Act’s core principle: that “illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States since they were children should be eligible for legal citizenship.”

Predictably, the Republicans’ opposition has tanked their standing with Hispanic voters. But instead of working with Democrats, alarmed Republicans are papering over their party’s lurch to the right with opportunistic half-measures that don’t solve the crisis faced by young people like Daniela and Dayanna.

These half-measures would exclude hundreds of thousands of such young people. One such House Republican proposal has an age limit of 18 ½ and would apply only to individuals who enroll in a four-year university — excluding Dayanna Pelaez, 26, even though she arrived in this country when she was 12. As Univision’s Jorge Ramos recently pointed out, even Daniela, 18, would not qualify in a few short months. The House proposal also excludes community college students, slamming the door on young people at institutions like the College of Southern Nevada and Miami-Dade College.

Read the complete article.