UUSC President and CEO Dr. Charlie Clements, UUA President Rev. William Sinkford, and Peter Zalewski of Arlington Street Church.
"Witness for Justice": Massachusetts Unitarian Universalists Lead Interfaith Rally Against ICE Raid
October 6, 2008
On October 1, 2008, immigrant rights groups and religious allies gathered at City Hall Plaza in Boston to call for a moratorium on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Unitarian Universalist speakers at the “Witness for Justice” rally included Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President Rev. William Sinkford, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) President and CEO Dr. Charlie Clements, and Rev. Kim Crawford Harvie of Arlington Street Church (ASC) in Boston. Interfaith allies and advocates from Centro Presente and Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition also organized and spoke at the rally.Clements, Harvie, and Sinkford joined with other religious leaders at the rally and around the state in writing letters and promoting a petition calling for a moratorium on ICE raids. Dozens of letters from faith leaders were collected at the rally and mailed to Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry and to ICE headquarters. Hundreds of signatures have been collected for the petition, which is also directed at Kennedy, Kerry, and ICE headquarters.
In his opening remarks at the rally, Rev. Sinkford stated, “The ICE raids are the most glaring symptom of an immigration system that is fundamentally broken. We must remember that this great nation was built by immigrants, for immigrants. But today, many newcomers following the American Dream and striving to give their children a better life are forced to join a permanent underclass. To people of conscience, this situation is intolerable.” At the UUA General Assembly in 2007, delegates passed a resolution calling for an end to ICE raids in workplaces.
UUSC President and CEO Charlie Clements testified about his work as a physician in California communities where undocumented workers were afraid to seek medical treatment for serious conditions, including toxic exposure in the fields where they were employed. Advocates from MIRA and Centro Presente shared heartrending testimonies about the treatment of immigrant adults and children in ICE detention facilities.
Other interfaith leaders, including Rev. Jack Johnson of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, Rev. Laurel Scott of Centralville United Methodist Church in Lowell, and Bishop Felipe Teixeira of the Catholic Churches of the Americas, also spoke in support of the petition. UUA staff and congregants from local Unitarian Universalist congregations chanted and circulated petitions. Rev. Kim Crawford Harvie led an “altar call” at the end of the rally, inviting clergy to pledge their support for the moratorium on workplace raids by ICE.
The “Witness for Justice” rally was coordinated by Peter Lowber and Aileen Montour and was one of eighteen "Tour of the Faithful" events taking place across the country this October. Lowber and Montour are congregants at ASC, the first congregation in Massachusetts to join the New Sanctuary Movement, and co-chairs of ASC's Sanctuario Task Force. The rally was designed to raise awareness about the toll the raids are taking on families. “Until we can get just and humane immigration reform, the petition to call for a moratorium on ICE raids is an important tactic to generate momentum for change,” explained Lowber.
Montour remarked, “I was very pleased with the turnout and especially the number of clergy who stepped forward to commit to ongoing engagement with the struggle for justice for immigrants as a matter of conscience and morality. I see a crucial role for faith communities to work together on this issue by providing leadership, enlightening their own members on the issues and creating strength and power as we join together in solidarity.”
Lowber also emphasized the need for congregations to work in coalition with local immigrant rights groups. He recalled, “Last spring, after we had learned from Centro Presente at workshops on immigrant rights, Aileen and I asked them, ‘What can we do for you?’ They responded, ‘You can bear witness for our community.’” That suggestion inspired Lowber and Montour to plan the “Witness for Justice” rally.
“Our relationship with Centro Presente has been essential in helping us become better allies and giving us clear direction on how to best provide support to the immigrant community and join with other community organizations to work for justice,” said Montour.
The “Witness for Justice” rally was sponsored by more than thirty
organizations, including congregations, immigrant rights groups, and
Massachusetts community organizations.
Last updated on Tuesday, October 7, 2008.
