Rally and Vigil to support fair and humane immigration reform

Join us!!

The Greater Rochester Coalition for Immigration Justice and the Worker Justice Center of NY, joined by more than 35 diverse organizations and community members, religious leaders, advocates, and lawyers from all over Western NY, will gather in Batavia, NY, on July 30 to demand real immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for all, equal protection and due process of law, family unity, and humane treatment of immigrants. The vigil will be in support of those who cannot be with us due to current immigration laws. 

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

6:00pm

Batavia Federal Detention Center

4250 Federal Drive, Batavia, NY

WHY: The Greater Rochester Coalition for Immigration Justice and the Worker Justice Center of New York are pleased that the Senate has embraced significant reforms, but we cannot endorse draconian measures that will double the number of Border Patrol agents at the southern border, add 350 miles of border fencing, expand the use of drones and helicopters, increase the criminalization and racial profiling of immigrants, and cost American taxpayers another $30 billion. Ten years ago, 500 agents worked at the US northern border; at 2200 now, the plan is for 3400 by 2014.  

This is a local issue. The United States maintains 42 border patrol stations on its border with Canada. Of these, Rochester’s station apprehends the most people every year. Because the US border has been defined as a 100-mile strip that wraps around the country’s boundaries, most of New York lies within an area where the Border Patrol engages in racial profiling, stops, searches, and interrogates Americans on an everyday basis with absolutely no suspicion of criminal wrongdoing. 

Effects in Western NY include:

Economic hardship – Border patrol roadblocks and harassment of patrons have cost some businesses as much as 90% of their income. Experienced farm workers have not returned to our area and growers have seen their labor costs rise. Farm work comes to a total halt when raids are conducted. 

Environment of fear – The Hispanic Catholic community left Sodus, NY, as a result of ongoing harassment during Mass. Farm workers had been detained in front of church and sometimes removed from church property by the Border Patrol. One congregation west of Rochester saw most of its members detained after their van was stopped without reason.

A woman who witnessed a serious car accident, called 911, and stayed to help the injured was detained when she could not produce papers besides her driver’s license. She was arrested and placed into a deportation process despite countless letters written on her behalf about her years of hard work, community engagement, and exemplary parenting of her two American born children.

Families are separated – Raids on families have been documented. Arrested family members are often separated and sent to different places of detention. Even when this does not happen in their family, children fear losing their parents. Cut off from the society around them, they miss out on opportunities for upward mobility that others have.

This is just a short list, but more information about the effects of immigration enforcement practices in Western NY will be presented at the rally and vigil. We urge the House to find a way forward to protect a pathway to citizenship for millions, provide for regulated flows of newcomers, and reunite families.                                     

Contact/information: John (Lory) Ghertner, M.D. <JohnGhertner@gmail.com>  585.733.3171

For maps and directions, updates on parking, joining a car pool and more:

https://www.facebook.com/GRCIJ

https://www.facebook.com/GRCIJ/events

https://www.facebook.com/events/541486729232563/