Ignatian Solidarity Network

6/26/12 – Earlier this week the Supreme Court announced their decision on the constitutionality of Arizona’s immigration law (SB 1070).   The court took a clear stand that constitutional authority to regulate immigration is a federal matter but fell short when it comes to the most inhumane element of the law.  By upholding the right of Arizona law enforcement to require any individual detained to produce immigration documents the court has perpetuated the sense of fear and mistrust that many Latino citizens already experience.

The U.S. Jesuit Conference, Jesuit Refugee Service USA, and the Kino Border Initiative have offered a public statement on the court’s action:

STATEMENT BY THE U.S. JESUIT CONFERENCE, JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE USA, and the KINO BORDER INITIATIVE 

U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision Reaffirms the Need for Humane and Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The U.S. Jesuit Conference, the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and the Kino Border Initiative welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down three key provisions of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, S.B.1070.  In doing so, the Court correctly recognized the federal government’s constitutional authority to regulate immigration.

We are disappointed however that the decision left standing a final provision of the Arizona law, requiring Arizona law enforcement officers to stop and detain without warrant individuals on the sole basis of “reasonable suspicion” of irregular status.  We fear this provision places Arizona law enforcement officers at odds with the communities they seek to protect. This decision not only affects all Hispanics in the state of Arizona, but anyone deemed “foreign looking” is subject to detention and interrogation by law enforcement officers of the state. Such laws endanger all residents of Arizona by creating a fear and mistrust of law enforcement and drive immigrant communities further into the shadows by discouraging them from contacting the police when they are victims of crimes.

The Supreme Court’s decision on this provision of the Arizona law acknowledges the potential for future legal challenges, and we are hopeful that the provision will be overturned once the problems associated with it are further documented.

Through the Kino Border Initiative (a cooperative endeavor between six religious organizations, including JRS/USA and two provinces of the Society of Jesus, operating in the twin cities of Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico) we have borne daily witness to the harsh realities of the current broken immigration system. The Jesuit Conference, JRS/USA, and the Kino Border Initiative have long been committed to a humane and comprehensive approach to immigration reform.  In this spirit, we welcome the words of Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration, who has said, in response to the Supreme Court’s decision, “The U.S. Catholic bishops across the nation will urge their state governments to not pursue laws such as in Arizona, but rather to pursue humane reform on the federal level. Humane enforcement of our nation’s laws are part of any solution, but enforcement by itself, unjustly administered, only leads to abuses and family breakdown.”

Did you know…

• Over 5.2 million people–that’s over 10% of Colombia’s population–have been displaced from their homes and communities due to an ongoing conflict.
• An additional 500,000 people have been forced to flee from Colombia to surrounding countries in order to seek safety.
• Colombia is considered the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crisis.
• 118,000 people were displaced last year alone.

These are some of the harrowing facts surrounding the Colombian conflict which has raged on for nearly 50 years. This month we have the opportunity to join thousands of people of faith and hundreds of faith communities from across the United States and Colombia to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters and reflect, pray and work together to bring an end to the Colombian conflict. Please join us in the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia 2012 movement!

Reflect:

From Jesuit Refugee Service/USA:

“[The Colombian] conflict disproportionately displaces poor rural farming communities, Afro-Colombians, indigenous groups, and women and children, who are victimized by vying armed groups as they seek to control territory, resource-rich land, and transportation channels. In addition, Colombian farmers face the challenge of crop fumigation.

The U.S. funds the aerial fumigation of toxic chemicals over Colombian farm land in an attempt to curb the illegal drug trade, yet the fumigations indiscriminately destroy both legal and illegal crops. Colombians who have been sprayed by the chemicals have reported high incidences of miscarriages, birth defects, and fungal skin infections, as well as the death of livestock and the poisoning of drinking water.

Over the past decade, the U.S. government has sent more than $8 billion in aid to Colombia under a program called Plan Colombia.  Until very recently, 80% of this aid was earmarked for arming and training the Colombian military, a troubled outfit that has been implicated in gross human rights abuses.

Jesuit Refugee Service has been working with displaced communities in Colombia since 1995. Today, 17 years later, we are still asking you to work with us for peace in Colombia. We invite you to join us,acting in solidarity with the over 5 million internally displaced people in Colombia, as well as the 500,000 Colombians who have fled the violence from the long armed conflict to neighboring countries.”

Pray:

Pray for your sisters and brother in Colombia and for a peaceful end to the armed conflict. Encourage your parish to participate in the Days of Prayer and Action by praying for Colombia as a congregation or taking action together (see next component).

Act:

Educate yourselves and your campuses, communities, or parishes about the current crisis in Colombia, and help us send over 15,000 postcards to President Obama asking for the United States to promote a negotiated end to the conflict, prioritize funding for displaced persons and victims of violence, stop sending military aid that fuels war, and end the toxic aerial spraying programs in favor of alternative development aid.

You can also participate in the public witness to be displayed in May: 5200 paper houses with messages of hope and home will be scattered in front of the White House to represent the 5.2 million displaced people in Colombia.

To order free advocacy postcards for yourself or community: Please email Kim Miller at kmiller(at)ignatiansolidarity.net.
To learn more about Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia and how to participate in the public witness: Download the Organizer’s Packet 
To ask questions, post photos, and connect with others hosting events in both Colombia and the U.S: Visit the DoPA for Colombia Facebook page