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[Back to index of May articles] Rallying for rights By Lucy Chumbley Episcopalians from the Diocese of Washington and around the country have been lending their presence and voices to the fight for immigration reform in recent weeks. Members of the diocese, along with Episcopal delegations from New York and California and staff from the church's Office of Government Relations have taken part in three rallies on the National Mall - March 8, 27 and April 10 - to protest House of Representatives Bill 4437. This legislation calls for "higher walls and increased border security," according to Richard Parkins, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries and a parishioner at St. Alban's, D.C. When introduced in December, the bill sponsored by Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) set off a firestorm in the faith community, as it would have criminalized offering assistance to illegal immigrants. Although it was later amended to protect religious and humanitarian workers, the bill still focuses on enforcement, Parkins said, describing the proposed policies as "restrictive and very, very ungenerous." The other legislation making headlines is a more moderate Senate bill - The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act - introduced last May by Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) "It's the legislation that comes closest to the legislation that the Episcopal Church set forth in its resolution last June as the principles that we would want to see in any immigration bill," Parkins said. Among its provisions, the resolution passed by the Episcopal Church's Executive Council advocates an expanded guest worker program and asks that immigrants without the correct paperwork be offered a chance to remain in the United States legally if certain conditions are met. When the Rev. Simon Bautista, the diocese's Latino Missioner, first learned about HR4437, "I realized immediately the diocese had to get involved," he said. He contacted Molly Keane at the church's Office of Government Relations, who prepared a package of information that Bishop John Bryson Chane brought with him to the March 17-22 House of Bishops meeting at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, N.C. At this gathering, the House of Bishops passed a resolution opposing HR4437. At Chane's request, the Rev. Joe Clark, former rector of Ascension, Gaithersburg, represented the diocese at the March 8 rally on Capitol Hill, where he delivered the opening prayer. "That day, we had the opportunity to show 20,000 people that we're there, that the Episcopal Church does care, that we want to be part of the solution," Bautista said. A few weeks later, representatives from the diocese took part in the March 27 rally at the Lincoln Memorial, an event that "largely emphasized the roles of clergy and religious leaders to show the solidarity of persons of all traditions," Parkins said. And on April 10, they turned out once again for an immigration rights rally in Washington, D.C.-one of several held around the country that day-that drew tens of thousands of people. "It's very much of a grassroots initiative, which I think is absolutely fantastic," Parkins said. "It's immigrants and those who care about them. I think the fact that it is locally inspired, initiated and motivated gives it a lot of strength and credibility." "I believe that [HR4437] will not pass," Bautista said. But even if the bill fails, the work is far from over, he added, explaining that the next step will be to ensure that measures from this bill are not incorporated into the Senate's proposed legislation. "Until we have legislation that makes sense, I would expect that there will be other rallies, other demonstrations," Parkins said. "I've been in this field for many years, and this is the first time that immigration is a front page issue, so it's a great opportunity for understanding the issue." "My hope is that our diocese takes a more active role on supporting the issue, getting a little bit closer to understanding what this bill means to human dignity," Bautista said. He urged church leaders "to be more active, to be more aware, to be more concerned," and to "make sure parishioners understand what is going on and where the Episcopal Church stands on these issues." He also encouraged people to educate their friends and neighbors where possible: "That way, nobody has the excuse to say they didn't know." "It is extremely important that [people] register their support with their legislators," Parkins said. "That is key - absolutely key." He urges Episcopalians to join the Episcopal Public Policy Network, an organization that brings the church's social policies, established by the General Convention and Executive Council, to the nation's lawmakers. And he encourages parishes to have adult forums about the immigration issue. "Increasingly the voice of the faith-based community is counting for something and it's important that it is as audible as possible," Parkins said.
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