Sharing Hope for the Holidays

Imagine that you’re a child living in Honduras, Guatemala, or El Salvador, places where gangs control the barrios. The police are corrupt, and either can’t control the gangs or are in cahoots with them. Your mother is extorted weekly, forced to pay a bribe in order to sell the clothing she sews. You’ve stopped going to school because you’re afraid to walk through gang territory to get there. The gangs are trying to recruit you, but you don’t want to join. You saw what happened to your cousin… he was killed by the gangs. Then they came after your older brother.

Your father moved to the US two years ago to find work to support your family. When the gangs threatened to rape your sister, your mother decided it was time for your family to leave your home and join your father. You’ve taken buses, ridden on top of a train, and walked through wilderness. Finally, you sat in an inner tube while your mother pushed you across a river.

Once on the other side, where your mother told you your family would be safe, some officers took you to a cold, brightly-lit building. You had only the floor to sleep on, and one cold sandwich to eat for the next 14 hours. After that place, they put you on a bus and moved you somewhere else. Here you share one room with your family, but you can’t leave the room without permission and guards to accompany you. Even then you can only go to the cafeteria or the clinic. And there’s always a long line at the clinic because it seems like everyone else is sick, too. You don’t have any toys or books, and no friends. You can’t play outside. You thought you were supposed to be safe here and live with your father, but this place is a jail!

Christmas is coming soon, but you won’t be with your father, your grandparents, or any of your tios, tias, or cousins. You won’t have a Christmas tree, a stocking, or tamales. Will Santa Claus know where to find you? Will there be any cards or presents or treats this year?

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) reached out this Advent to children in exactly these and similar circumstances. The US has immigrant detention centers in almost every state, including three that house children, in Dilley and Karnes, Texas, and Berks, Pennsylvania. LIRS organized a drive to collect Christmas cards and gifts to deliver to the children in these detention centers.

A group of compassionate friends joined me to write and decorate Christmas cards for the children. We showed a video to introduce people to immigration detention, and then we went to work! We played Christmas music to keep the atmosphere cheery. We wrote Spanish phrases with colorful pens, things like, “Welcome to America. We’re glad you’re here!” and “I wish you love, hope, and peace this Christmas.” We plastered fun stickers all over the cards and drew pictures. We even had Spanish/English Bibles available for those who wanted to write Bible verses in the cards. Together we sent 232 Christmas cards to LIRS to distribute inside the detention centers. Several of us also donated money to buy gifts for the children.

While this was a fun activity, the reasons for it are anything but fun. I pray that next year we won’t need to write such cards. I pray that by then our country will realize that children don’t belong in jail. I pray that our country will welcome asylum seekers who come to the US simply to live, parents and children running for their lives.

Meanwhile, a few of us are exploring how we can begin a visitation ministry inside the nearest immigration detention centers. My motivation is to follow Jesus, and based on Matthew 25 I believe Jesus is living among the least of these, my sisters and brothers in detention.

 

To read more about why asylum seekers come to the US, read Childhood Stolen by Street Gangs

To read more about the LIRS Christmas card and gift delivery, read Sharing Hope

You might also want to check out these videos for an introduction to immigration detention:

A Tradition of Welcome

Locked in a Box

 

 

Baby Jail Follow-Up

Here’s a little promo video I made recently with friends from Catholic Charities—I’m the dorky one in the middle. This is the team I was part of for a week volunteering at the South Texas Family Detention Center, aka Baby Jail. The point of the video is that you don’t have to be an attorney in order to volunteer there and make a positive impact.

 

However, if you do volunteer, you might decide you want to learn more about immigration law! Personally, I’m taking a course with Immigrant Hope on the basics of immigration law. Here’s a peek at our textbooks.

Check out http://immigranthope.org/training/immigrantpathwayinstitute/ for more information.

Remember, you don’t have to be an attorney to volunteer at Baby Jail! Check out https://cliniclegal.org/CARA and my post “Baby Jail” to learn more.

 

 

CARA

I recently volunteered with the CARA pro bono project at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. CARA is committed to offering detained mothers and their children competent free legal representation. All the women at the center are mothers, and they’ve fled terrifying personal violence hoping to find safety in the US. I did not go there to make any political statement, but because God’s Word tells me to visit those in prison and to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to defend the rights of the poor and needy (Matt. 25; Prov. 31:8-9). The week I spent with CARA was inspiring, frustrating, hard work, eye-opening, heartbreaking, exhausting, and so much more. I’m glad I went, and I have no regrets.

All the women I interacted with came from the so-called northern triangle: El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, except for one from Mexico. For more information on the violence in these countries, check out this link:

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2016/02/24/131645/they-are-refugees-an-increasing-number-of-people-are-fleeing-violence-in-the-northern-triangle/

We did initial intakes of the women’s and children’s basic information; we listened to their stories and helped them prepare for their Credible Fear Interviews; in many cases we accompanied them to their Credible Fear Interviews for moral support; and we did data entry and documented cases.

I was struck by the amazing healing power the women experienced when telling their horrifying stories for the first time in a safe environment. Many of them had experienced unspeakable personal violence and carried the stories with them for years, never having told even another family member or close friend out of sheer terror. When they were in a room with me or another volunteer they almost couldn’t wait to unburden themselves. I could visibly see their faces and bodies relax as they told their stories, and see them regain their confidence and self-esteem. The women’s stories were heartbreaking: accounts of rape, extortion, and murder at the hands of the gangs and drug cartels. I hadn’t thought that I would be able to pray with them, but in fact most of the women were themselves deeply spiritual and we were able to mutually encourage each other in our faith. They were grateful to hear that we were volunteers, and prayed blessings on us for our work. We cried together, we prayed together, and we prepared for their next steps. What a privilege.

The Credible Fear Interviews with an asylum officer are a critical first step in the asylum process, but only the first step. If the women can show a credible fear of returning to their home country, they are released from the detention center to live with relatives or friends, either on bond or with a GPS ankle monitor – assurance that they will make a series of court appearances over the next months and years. They and their children must then pursue an asylum case in the courts. With qualified legal representation, they have a reasonable chance of asylum being granted; if they can’t afford a qualified immigration attorney, they will likely not win asylum. Unlike in a criminal trial, the state will not provide an attorney for them. If denied asylum, they will be deported back to their living hell, or to their deaths at the hands of the gangs. Lord Jesus, have mercy on us all.

For more information:

http://caraprobono.org

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/12/obama-immigration-deportations-central-america

http://dilley.thisisblackbox.com/2/

A Week in Baby Jail – Dilley, TX

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Detention-compounds-the-trauma-7091135.php

http://blog.lirs.org/wearing-gps-tracking-monitor-lent-part-1/

http://blog.lirs.org/why-im-wearing-a-gps-tracking-monitor-for-lent-part-3/

 

Baby Jail

“I am a legal assistant.” That was my motto last week as I volunteered with the CARA pro bono project in Dilley, Texas. CARA offers free legal representation to mothers and children in detention who have fled violence in their countries, seeking refuge in the US. (https://cliniclegal.org/CARA)

     When we arrived at the South Texas Family Residential Center, the first obvious thing we noticed was how full the expansive parking lot was. Run by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), Baby Jail as we came to call it, employs about 700 people according to the CCA website. Full capacity is for 2400 women and children, but 290 residents were detained the week I spent there. Baby Jail is big business. See this article for more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/opinion/private-prisons-are-cashing-in-on-refugees-desperation.html?_r=2

     Each morning and after returning from lunch we had to pass through security along with the employees. Belts, laptops, and tablets were removed, and bags were searched and x-rayed. Employees had see-through clear plastic backpacks and tote bags to speed up the security process. Cell phones and cameras were prohibited, and so were left in hotels, cars, or in a locker. Sometimes a compact mirror, a charging cable, or an external battery that had not been a problem for several days previously, suddenly became contraband. We passed through a metal detector ourselves and were waved with a wand as well. We all signed in and surrendered drivers licenses, the attorneys also surrendering their bar cards.

     On Monday morning I was still feeling insecure about my qualifications (repeating to myself: I am a legal assistant, I am a legal assistant), so I decided to check out the guarderia, the nursery or child care room. Moms left their children in this room while they themselves spent time with the attorneys and legal assistants. It was not a large room, and it was busy. Keep in mind that every woman who came in for assistance by definition had at least one child with her. I spent the morning from about 8:00 – 11:30 in the guarderia, and saw children ranging in age from 2-12 years. Children any older than that would have been bored. Actually, those older than about 8 were bored. There was no alternative for adolescents, so they merely sat in the waiting room. Most children were in the guarderia for at least an hour at a time, and we had up to 12 children there at once, maximum capacity for the size of the room. There was no room to play any games or teach any songs or dance. Often there were additional children hanging around the waiting room because the guarderia was so crowded.

     My initial impression was favorable: there was a large television screen, some small tables and child-size chairs, lots of coloring books and crayons, and a few toys. But I quickly realized that to spend more than an hour in this room and to return there at all during the week, which all the children did, there was simply not enough to do. There was one actual book to read, not to color. One. There was one set of blocks, which could realistically be shared between two children. But it was the best toy there, so of course most of the children wanted to play with it. Later in the week I learned that the children had been fighting over the blocks so the guards took them away. That might be an appropriate response at home with your 2 or 3 kids, where you can tell them to go play outside or read a book instead, but in this setting a kinder solution would have been to provide more blocks, not take away the one decent toy the children had. This is not a matter of funding. Recall that CCA is a big business. Additionally, volunteers would happily provide more toys, but we were not allowed to bring in anything for the children or the women.

     The method of choice for the guards to “care” for the children was to show Disney movies and turn up the volume. We could usually hear the movies on the far side of the visitation room when we were helping clients. The irony of The Little Mermaid giving up her voice in order to be with a man was not lost on me, in a room where the children’s mothers were fighting to have their voices heard after horrible violence and abuse by the men in their lives.

     You may be wondering where I’m going with this. Here it is: Detaining children as young as 2 years old is not only unnecessary and inhumane, it is also illegal according to the US’s own laws. I refer you to this link

http://blog.lirs.org/6-months-later-vulnerable-families-are-still-detained/

to see that the Flores case and Judge Gee’s recent ruling upholding it both require that the US stop detaining immigrant children. Sadly, horrifyingly, the Baby Jail that I have just described is trying to get around these rulings by applying for a child care license! Yes, and the State of Texas has actually lowered their child care standards so that Baby Jail can qualify. At the above link you will also find an easy way to add your name to petitions to President Obama and your members of Congress to advocate against this.

     Honestly, would you ever consider the standards of Baby Jail for your child’s day care? Would you want your child to be parked in front of loud cartoons while you go to work? Would you want your child to have nothing but coloring books and crayons to play with for days or weeks on end? Would you give your child one book and call it sufficient?

     I know some of you will argue that these people are here illegally so we really aren’t obligated to give them anything. I remind you that the US is also detaining them illegally. I further remind you of the numerous places where God’s Word commands us to welcome strangers and foreigners. I include a small sampling of them here.

“Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born, and love them as you love yourself” (Lev. 19:33-34).

 “He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt” (Deut. 10:18-19).

 “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies” (Heb. 13:1-3).

In conclusion, detention of immigrant children is unnecessary, inhumane, and unlawful. Baby Jail’s attempt to get around the law is unconscionable, and must be stopped. Please use the above link or another method to contact President Obama and your members of Congress to make your voice heard on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.

 

La Hielera or Welcome to America

While volunteering at the South Texas Family Residential Center, we heard time and time again about the hielera, or ice box, and the perrera, or dog house, where women and children are commonly confined by border patrol agents upon entering the US. Not everyone is confined in these places; it seems to be completely random who goes where and for how long, though some women spent as long as three days in each place. Boys older than ten are separated from their mothers and sisters. Yes, the families had broken a law by entering the US at a location other than an official border crossing checkpoint, but keep in mind that they had also verbally expressed fear of returning to their countries of origin. With no due process, this is how they are treated. In the United States of America, we do not treat convicted murderers this way, to my knowledge. What follows is the sworn statement of one woman with whom I worked all week, though her name and the names of her children have been changed.

My name is Carmen. I came from Guatemala with my two daughters: Maria, age 7, and Sandra, age 5.

We crossed the river. I think it wasn’t clean because the water was black. Some people crossed in tires, but we crossed walking. I couldn’t swim because I had my two daughters, so I had to cross walking. After crossing the river we walked for about half an hour through a desert. There were no trees, only cactus. After walking that half hour was when they captured us.

I was soaking wet, but the girls were not because I had carried them. I didn’t want them to get sick from being wet. The ICE officers walked us for a while to a truck. Then we drove to the hielera (the ice box or refrigerator compartment).

The officers took away our shoes, our sweaters, our jackets, and our ponytail holders, leaving our hair loose. They would not let me change clothes, even though I was very wet. I stayed in those same clothes for three days because there was no place to bathe or brush my teeth or change. They took my bag that had everything—my toothbrush, toothpaste, clothes—they took everything. We spent all night in that place. My 5- and 7-year-old daughters were shivering with cold. There was only a concrete floor on which to sleep. The officers would not turn off the lights, so we could not sleep.

I was given water to drink, but my daughters were given a little juice that made them vomit. We were given a cold nasty sandwich, but we were so hungry that we had to eat it. They gave us that sandwich late in the morning, and the next time they fed us was the next day around 10 pm, another sandwich. My older daughter had a stomach ache, and my younger one was freezing. She felt fear and panic and had trouble breathing, like she was choking or drowning. I couldn’t sleep because I was afraid my daughters would freeze to death. I stayed awake all night to keep watch over my children.

There were toilets there, but right out in the open, not private. The water didn’t work to wash our hands, and there was no soap.

The officials were aggressive and seemed angry. When I asked them for blankets they yelled at me and told me to shut up. They kept yelling, “you can’t have anything in there with you!” They had arrogant attitudes and spoke English, so I don’t know if they were insulting me or not. They never explained anything to me.

We spent one whole day and night in that place, and the next day they took us to the perrera (dog house) for half the day. It’s completely enclosed. The floor was dirty and rustic. The walls were all written on by everyone that had been there before. Again, there were toilets right there, out in the open, but not private. There was water but no soap.

After the perrera they took us to a third place. I don’t know what it was called, but it was more comfortable. Finally they gave me my bag so I could brush my teeth, and they turned off the lights so we could sleep. There were private toilets and soap to wash our hands, but still no place to bathe. They never explained anything to me.

The officers never told me anything. There was only one who said to me, “Ma’am, don’t be afraid. We don’t decide your case here. We’ll take you to another place where they will decide whether or not to send you back to your country.” Not all police are bad. Some are good.