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ACT's Labor Day Weekend March for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
On Labor Day Weekend, 2009, on Saturday, September 5th from 7:00AM to 9:30AM, hundreds of community faith leaders from throughout Sacramento County, as well as Fairfield, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Winters and Chico, led by Bishop Jaime Soto, rose at dawn to fill Southside Park in downtown Sacramento. Hundreds of people from Sacramento’s faith community were motivated by the need for just and comprehensive immigration reform. “As soon as possible, we need to arrive at a workable solution to immigration reform that keeps families together and uplifts American values,” said Lucia Zamora of Guadalupe Parish in Sacramento.
For over a year, laity and clergy from twenty congregation groups throughout the diocese have been meeting regularly to become leaders in building a Diocesan Immigration Support Network. Through a partnership between Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT) and the Sacramento Diocese, the network of leaders have received ongoing training and support, and conducted over 40 forums, reaching hundreds of people with information and assistance on immigration, such as access to lawyers, knowing rights and responsibilities, understanding US law and even cross-cultural community dialogues.
Now, empowered by President Obama’s commitment to Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the recent public plea from Cardinal George and the Bishops to Congress and President Obama for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, the local faith community is stepping up to voice the pressing need for a just and humane reform to the United States’ broken immigration system. In their letter to President Obama, the Bishop’s called the immigration crisis in the US a “pressing humanitarian issue…that undermines basic human dignity.” They explained how the current immigration system has created a “permanent underclass of persons that benefits from their labor without offering them legal protection.” In their letter, the Bishops urged President Obama and Congress to enact a reform by the end of this year.
During the 1.6 mile march, which began at 7:00 am at Southside Park and ended at the steps of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, community members quietly meditated, prayed, and held signs educating the larger community about the immigration crisis. Signs read “over 12 million undocumented immigrants are living in the shadows,” “every year, over 300 immigrants die on the journey to the United States,” “there is a 14-yr backlog on applications for legal residence in the US,” etc. Upon arrival to the steps of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at 8:25 am, a Faith Action was held, with support statements from Bishop Jaime Soto, several other clergy members from Sacramento’s diverse faith community, a representative from Congresswoman Doris Matsui’s office and several personal immigrant testimonies. Also included in the morning’s action was a “research report,” to lift up the economic contributions of the immigrant community to our country’s economy, as well as to make the case that not only would a reformed immigration system improve our economy, but that the reform would pay for itself through increased tax revenue. During the action, leaders talked about elements their community would like to see in a comprehensive immigration reform, such as secure borders, reunited families, and protection for current and future workers.
Bishop Jaime Soto observed during his remarks: “We have come together because we are ‘strangers and aliens no longer.’ We are fellow citizens of the kingdom of God. (Ephesians 2:19) I reiterate the concern that all the Bishops of the United States have for the immigrant community. Together we are the Body of Christ and no part of the Body of Christ can say to another, ‘I do not need you.’ (1Corinthians 12:21)”
