Dignity Act | INA 245(i) |

Friends,

I've got corrections for my next book here on my computer, with my edits-of-the-editors-edits due on Monday. Which means I'm doing lots of writing, and editing, and grinding my teeth when I can't figure how to fix this one section just right.

The book is a lenten study, and somehow I failed to write forty lenten reflections before I turned it in. How do you just fail to write the correct number? I mean I get how I could have written poorly. But just seven less than are needed?

In any case, I wanted to write another blog post on immigration, but I'm just not going to pull it off. Instead I'm sending you an extended letter, and a lot of links.

First, some reactions to my post on cities. One of you kindly sent me an important detail I left out of the story. Part of the reason [white] churches left cities is because they were following their white parishioners, who were fleeing cities out of fear. Not so much of crime, but basically fear of black and brown people. I know this story myself, growing up in a neighborhood where suddenly a quarter of the houses were for sale when a brown family moved in. I'll thank my parents for being the sort of people who suggested that when a new family moves in you bring them a pie. Crystal Andujar was my best friend for many years.

Another city dweller wrote to tell me how much she loves her city. She took [appropriate] offense my words: "Today cities are identified as places where crime happens, where immigrants live, where there is noise and dirt." I was not clear enough in my writing; these myths and stereotypes are used to show disdain for cities, but they are not the true, nor complete, story. As Julie says about Minneapolis: "We are rich in cultural opportunities, cultural diversity, civic engagement, resourceful problem-solving, well-cared for parks, well-maintained lakes, plentiful amenities, ecumenical cooperation and high faith community participation. " Like rural areas, and the suburbs, each community has it's challenges but for as much as 80% of the U.S. population, a city is a great place to live. I agree!

What I want to talk about most is the event I went to at the Northborough, MA library as part of their Restoring the Promise series. A presentation on immigration by Antonio Massa Viana, a Massachusetts-based immigration attorney, a US Citizen, and an immigrant. The presentation was depressing. Although he cares deeply about, and serves both those that have documentation for their immigration and those who don't, the information on abuse of those who were documented was shocking to me. I had not registered that more than a million people who were here legally had their legal status removed when TPS and Parole were revoked for Haitians, Venezuelans, and Cubans. Our government has created more undocumented immigrants, and then made a big deal about removing them.

He did have ideas of what we can be doing to support immigrants. His first push is for us to ask our federal representatives to support the bipartisan Dignity Act (H.R. 4393) in the House of Representatives. He said plainly that it is not a great bill. It includes building more wall. It does not have a path to citizenship for many people. But it is a huge improvement over what is happening now. It has 10 Republicans sponsors, and is a revision of the 2023 Immigration proposal. Please call your representatives and ask them to co-sponsor, and support passage of, this bill.

He also suggested asking your representatives to support extending the green card registry by renewing INA 245(i). This is existing legislations that allows people here, and working, since before 2001 to get a green card for $1000. There is a proposal to extend the date on the legislation to 2024. While $1000 is a huge cost, he believes we can raise the money for many immigrants if the law is changed.

I went to this talk thinking "what will I do if Ice comes to Boston, or to Massachusetts". I learned that ICE just recently arrested all the brown employees at the Home Depot near me. I learned that in a town half hour south of me they are arresting people. I learned that many restaurants owned and staffed by immigrants are empty, because immigrants are afraid to come out to eat. (Please go out to the restaurants near you and spend money!)

If you are in Massachusetts, please hook up with LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts.

Well, I like to include music and it's late at night and this song is totally inappropriate. And thus, I share it with you. It's in the I have to laugh so I don't cry.

Thanks listening friends.

-Liz

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