Standing on the Side of Love with Immigrant Youth
Members of the Northwest Immigrant Youth Alliance
On Saturday, September 17th, members of REACH for Immigrant Justice at University Unitarian Church, Seattle participated in an action at the Northwest Immigration Detention Center in Tacoma, WA as allies of the Northwest Immigrant Youth Alliance (NWIYA). A dozen immigrant youth and young adults “came out of the shadows” as they told their stories and defiantly proclaimed they are “undocumented, unafraid and unashamed.” The youth witnessed to how immigration policies such as “Secure Communities” and “E-verify” had affected their own lives. These policies cause innocent people to be incarcerated in privatized detention centers, such as the one in Tacoma, as a first step toward deportation. Faith leaders of the Washington New Sanctuary Movement participated in the action at the Northwest Detention Center as well as leaders of the Oregon New Sanctuary Movement and Portland Jobs with Justice. REACH for Immigrant Justice is a partner of the Washington New Sanctuary Movement.
Standing on the Side of Love at the Northwest Detention Center
This summer, the Washington New Sanctuary Movement lifted up the Standing on the Side of Love message in its own statement challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement that it will mandatorily implement the “Secure Communities” program in every jurisdiction in the United States. The New Sanctuary statement proclaims:
Our religious traditions see each and every human being as a child of God with fundamental human dignity and with whom we are called to be neighbor. Accompanying those who leave or flee their countries of origin due to poverty, violence, repression and the restoration of family is part of our heritage and practice as enumerated in our sacred scriptures and basic teachings. In a word, as noted by our Unitarian Universalist brothers and sisters, it is our sacred duty to “Stand on the Side of Love” for all of God’s people, especially those labeled as “other.” All people and immigrants regardless of status are welcomed into our sanctuaries and are worthy of our outreach in a spirit of hospitality and welcome in our country and in our communities. We pledge to continue services and ministries without distinction to all in our midst.
The entire statement is available here.
Submitted by Roberta Ray, REACH for Immigrant Justice, University Unitarian Church, and Washington New Sanctuary Movement.
