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South Florida being the Mecca of multiculturalism defines the need for the faith
community to join in solidarity to faithfully proclaim justice for the voiceless.
We live in a society of a broken immigration system, instead of protecting
people, it is breaking the value of society’s most vulnerable, namely the
stranger in a strange land. As people of faith, we believe in the inherent worth
of the human being. In many of the cases we’ve seen (*see worker stories
below), the punishment just does not fit the crime. When a law involves the
separations of families, when a law disregards the contributions of hard
working men and women, when a law deliberately deemphasizes the basic
values that shapes a country, then, those with a morally formed conscious
must stand together to fight the injustice.
The New Sanctuary Movement was partly modeled on a 1980s campaign by
congregations across the nation to offer shelter and aid to Central American
refugees fleeing civil wars and human rights abuses in their home countries. A
more recent inspiration came from an undocumented single mother from
Mexico who last year sought sanctuary at a Chicago church rather than be
deported.
community to join in solidarity to faithfully proclaim justice for the voiceless.
We live in a society of a broken immigration system, instead of protecting
people, it is breaking the value of society’s most vulnerable, namely the
stranger in a strange land. As people of faith, we believe in the inherent worth
of the human being. In many of the cases we’ve seen (*see worker stories
below), the punishment just does not fit the crime. When a law involves the
separations of families, when a law disregards the contributions of hard
working men and women, when a law deliberately deemphasizes the basic
values that shapes a country, then, those with a morally formed conscious
must stand together to fight the injustice.
- In the early 1980's, thousands of Central American refugees poured into
the United States, fleeing life-threatening repression and extensive human
rights violations by their governments. At the time, federal immigration
policy would have denied the majority political asylum simply because their
governments were allies of the U.S. Many of these refugees had actively
participated in the liberation theology movement and naturally sought
protection from congregations.
- Many Catholic, Protestant and Jewish congregations and temples
responded positively -- offering these refugees social services and
advocacy support as well as engaging actively in efforts to change federal
immigration policy. These congregations, united under the banner of the
Sanctuary Movement, also pledged that they would not reveal the
identities of these refugees, even if they were arrested or jailed for doing
so.
- The Sanctuary Movement was ultimately successful both in changing
national policy and in protecting tens of thousands of individuals and
families, enabling them to start a new life in the U.S.
- Now, over 25 years later, religious leaders across a broad spectrum of
denominations from 10 states are coming together to begin a New
Sanctuary Movement to accompany and protect immigrant families who
are facing the violation of their human rights in the form of hatred,
workplace discrimination and unjust deportation.
The New Sanctuary Movement was partly modeled on a 1980s campaign by
congregations across the nation to offer shelter and aid to Central American
refugees fleeing civil wars and human rights abuses in their home countries. A
more recent inspiration came from an undocumented single mother from
Mexico who last year sought sanctuary at a Chicago church rather than be
deported.
| For more information, please click: New Sanctuary Movement |
| 150 SW 13th Avenue, Miami, FL 33135 Phone (786) 264-1708; Fax (786) 264-1859 interfaith@sfiwj.org; www.sfiwj.org |
| THE NEW SANCTUARY MOVEMENT |