Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

The Chicago Sun Times recently published a story about last Friday's Bob Sandman Memorial Vigil, quoting many of the religious leaders in attendance and including a beautiful video of the event. CRLN's Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition, spearheaded by Rev. Sara Wohlleb and Marcela Hernandez, consistently supports the vigil and was key in organizing last Friday's.

The article cites the many motivations of the vigil's attendees' in pushing compassionate immigration reform-among the motivations biblical quotes about "loving the stranger"; an understanding of the push of migration like global poverty and unemployment; and the immorality of tearing apart families one deportation at a time.

To read the full article and see a video of the event, CLICK HERE!

Please join the Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights at a vigil for Immigration Reform.  The vigil will begin at 8am and last all day, culminating in a massive children's march from 6-8pm.  Your presence and prayers are needed throughout the day and especially in the evening hours. Senator Kirk has indicated he will not vote for the reform bill unless it includes even more funding for border security, even though numerous studies have shown that this would be wasteful, unnecessary, and destructive to human rights.  With the vote on the Senate bill expected as early as June 25, we have no time to lose.

All-Day Vigil for Immigration Reform 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013, 8am-8pm (Children's March 6-8pm)

Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn, Chicago

For more information:

Marcela Hernandez, mhernandez[at]crln.org or Sara Wohlleb swohlleb[at]crln.org, 773-293-3680.

Please continue to call Senator Kirk every day until the vote.  Interfaith Immigration Coalition's toll-free number is 1-866-940-2439.  You will get a recording with the latest updates on how to support a comprehensive and merciful immigration reform package, or simply call Senator Kirk directly at 312-886-3506.  Here's a sample script:

"My name is ___ from ____.  As a person of faith, I urge Senator Kirk to support S744 with no additional trigger restrictions or funding for border security.  We need to use our resources wisely to support families, not divide them.  Thank you."

CRLN member and Chicago area activist Sidney Hollander reports back from his CRLN delegation to Guatemala this past January:

Sign reads: No to mining. No to the pollution of our natural, water, air and land resources."Bangladesh.

Life is cheap compared to profit.

What does that have to do with San Jose del Golfo? 

It's the same.

The mining company wants to put highly toxic mining operation in the middle of an ecology that supports 25,000 people, including those who live in San Jose del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc.

It's the same as Bangladesh.

Life is cheap compared to profit.

Imagine what it's like for the 25,000 people living in the area.  They are small farmers and workers who depend on the local agricultural economy.  A big foreign mining company comes in by bribing officials, proposes to create a large, toxic gold mine in their midst, does none, none, of the consultation with local residents that is required under both national and international law, and in response to questions about how it will affect the livelihoods and health of the people, offers only bland assurances plus the promise of about 35 jobs for local residents during the few years the mine will operate.  Nothing about the arsenic that will be left behind in very high concentrations, nothing about the other byproducts that will be dumped and left in a settling pond in a region prone to earthquakes, nothing about the large portion of the local drinking water that will be diverted for use in and contamination by the mining.

ACTION ALERT: Now is the time!

Call Your Senators EVERY DAY until Immigration Reform Passes!  

Call 1-866-940-2439  (or 202-224-3121) 

Feel free to use this sample script:

"I am from [City, State, Congregation], and as a person of faith, I urge the Senator to vote YES for the bipartisan immigration reform bill. I urge the Senator to protect the refugee and asylum provisions from negative amendments, and to support amendments that would reunite families, reform enforcement practices to be more humane, and make the path to citizenship more accessible."

Protest against charter cities proposal in Honduras. Banner reads: Model Cities: Expulsion of Garifuna People from Honduras. Photo G. Trucchi.On January 4th of this year, This American Life, a radio show produced by Ira Glass and aired on WBEZ Chicago and National Public Radio, presented an episode entitled "Some Like it Dot" (transcript here), which featured a segment devoted to the proposal for "Model Cities" in Honduras. During the program, reporters Jacob Goldstein and Chana Joffe-Walt fail to mention the June 2009 military coup that overthrew a democratically elected government. They fail to mention the sky-rocketing instability that's ensued post-coup. They do, however mention this "dot", the piece of land proposed as the site of the new city, a "dot" which they define as an uninhabited piece of land. They effectively erase the Garífuna population living in the area and struggling for their land rights. But the Garífuna are not the only people threatened by the specter of privately run cities within Honduran territory.

The story painted a rosy picture of the Honduran government and the neoliberal agenda of militarized land-grabs in Honduras, also known as the Model Cities initiative. While This American Life framed the issue of private model cities in Honduras as a wholly ameliorating process in the context of a well-meaning Honduran government, many see the Model Cities and its proponents as primarily benefiting large or foreign companies while further marginalizing the already struggling populations of Honduras.

This is why we are asking you to CONTACT IRA GLASS and urge him to tell the other side of the story on the model city; the people's story. By following this action, you can help to make sure he hears our demands to redress This American Life's skewed portrayal of the crisis posed by the "Model Cities" initiative.

Human Rights Accompaniment

Across the Americas

Celebrating the Past &

Providing for the Future

McCormick Theological Seminary

5460 S. University Avenue Chicago, IL 60615

June 11, 2013 at 6:00 pm

Join us for an evening of celebration, reflection, and dialogue on the practice of accompaniment in Latin America's conflictive zones as well as with the marginalized immigrant communities in the USA. We will honor three people with extraordinary commitment to working for justice by walking with those who are marginalized and threatened. They will share their unique stories with us and engage in dialogue about the joys and challenges of this crucial ministry.

Honorees:

Marco Saavedra

Reverend Denise Griebler

Reverend Daniel Rodriguez-Díaz

Read full bios HERE.

This event is co-sponsored by the McCormick Theological Seminary and the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America.

Join us! Buy your tickets here! or contact Marcela Hernandez at mhernandez@crln.org or 773-293-2964. You can also download the attached ticket order form and mail to CRLN with your payment. Volunteers are needed and attend for free. To volunteer please contact Celeste Larkin at clarkin@crln.org or 773-293-2964.

Victory against ICE's proposed private detention center in Joliet!Yesterday the City of Joliet announced that the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is withdrawing its plans to build a for-profit immigration detention center in that city.   CRLN congratulates the Concerned Citizens of Joliet and ICIRR for this important victory which has nationwide ramifications in the struggle against for-profit prisons.

The Concerned Citizens of Joliet made their voices heard at city council meetings, educated their neighbors, and turned out voters in the April elections.  These efforts crossed ethnic and racial lines and showed that Joliet's diverse communities will unite against the common enemy of mass incarceration devastating their neighborhoods.  Numerous elected officials spoke courageously against the proposal, including Governor Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross, and US Representatives Bill Foster, Luis Gutierrez, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Brad Schneider, Tammy Duckworth, and Robin Kelly.

On Tuesday, May 28 The Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition brought together dozens of religious leaders and networks to pray and take action for immigration reform.  Although we did not meet with Senator Kirk personally, a reporter was able to get through, and the Senator affirmed that he believes the comprehensive reform bill "has a bright future," his first public comment on the bill.  While the Senator is waiting to see more details before he announces full support for S744, he does plan to propose an amendment that would give automatic citizenship to all military personnel awarded a combat infantry badge.

Senator Kirk's Project Director Aaron Winters met with our group, and promised to keep us informed of the Senator's position on reform.  Lourdes Carrero, an undocumented mother of four who is facing imminent deportation, was one of those giving testimony.  Mr. Winters pledged that his office would look into the case. 

CLICK HERE to send an email to Senators Kirk and Durbin to make sure they sign on this letter!

On Thursday, May 23, 2013, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) began circulating a "Dear Colleague" sign-on letter on Honduras in the Senate. The letter addresses ongoing human rights violations in Honduras, links of the Honduran national police chief to death squads, and continued impunity for human rights crimes.   

Violence by and impunity for state security forces in Honduras have reached unprecedented levels. As the November 2013 elections approach, extrajudicial killings and militarization of the civilian police force enforcement continue to rise. However State Department certifications, which are intended to assure that U.S. foreign assistance dollars support the rule of law in Honduras (per the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012), appear to contradict the reality on the ground.

In just a few quick minutes, you can help! CLICK HERE to send an email and read below to make a call!