Immigration press conference in Detroit. MUUSJN director Randy Block at the far right.
Last month, the Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) and people from three UU congregations took their big Standing on the Side of Love banners to participate in immigration reform press conferences across the state of Michigan. These events, organized by the Alliance for Immigrant Rights, helped kick off a national immigration reform campaign. In Detroit and Lansing, our message of love was welcomed by media event organizers. Another press event was held in Kalamazoo, where UUs participate in an immigration reform coalition called the Michigan Organizing Project. These events were covered by the Detroit News, the Lansing State Journal, a local CBS affiliate, and other media.
At these events, hundreds of supporters gathered to ask Congress and the President to keep their promises and pass reform in 2013. Faith, community, union, social service, and elected leaders called on the President and Congress to support these important principles in a reform bill:
• Keep families together through a path to citizenship.
• Grant visas for family preference.
• Reunits the deported with their families.
• Create a worker program that serves families, not just employers.
• Enforcs humane treatment in the border and detention systems.
• Promote racial justice and an end to all discriminatory programs.
• Establish an Immigrant Integration Office.
This is just the beginning of our advocacy for compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform in 2013!
This post was contributed by Randy Block, director of the Michigan UU Social Justice Network.
