HB 2747 seeks to change the fact that right now immigrant detainees and asylum seekers have virtually no access to religious ministry in Illinois county jails. This is morally wrong, given that these immigrants have been separated from their families (often by more than 350 miles), and are facing one of the hardest times in their lives.
Many have fled strife in their native country and are simply awaiting a decision on their petition for asylum; others have no criminal record, and are being jailed only because of immigration status. Right now, religious visitation allowed for immigrant detainees at McHenry County Jail in Woodstock is less than two hours each month-that's about 30 seconds per detainee! There is no such visitation at Tri-County Detention Center in Ullin!
As immigrant detention becomes a rapidly growing business in our state, let's ensure that the detainees are treated fairly and with dignity! Please send a letter today to urge your legislators to allow asylum-seekers and immigrant detainees the same ability to meet with ministers, rabbis, imams, and other clergy as all inmates in Illinois.
Unable to pass real immigration reform, members of Congress are now pushing the so-called 'SAVE' Act, HR4088, which would punish undocumented workers, separate their families, and target whole communities.
Introduced Nov. 6th by Rep. Heath Shuler, a former Pro-football player and freshman Democrat from North Carolina, the bill would:
Mandate 8,000 new detention beds
Require 8,000 new Border Patrol agents (over next 5 years)
Turn local and state police officers into immigration cops
Force employers to participate in badly-flawed E-Verify program
Require the Social Security Administration (SSA) to issue no-match letters to any employer with even one no-match, and share no-match information with DHS
Missing from this bill is any means for hard-working undocumented immigrants to gain legal status, or any mechanism for major parts of our economy to find the new workers it needs. It's time to say "SAVE Us" from this enforcement-only nightmare, and yes to REAL immigration reform!
HB 2747 seeks to change the fact that right now immigrant detainees and asylum seekers have virtually no access to religious ministry in Illinois county jails. This is morally wrong, given that these immigrants have been separated from their families (often by more than 350 miles), and are facing one of the hardest times in their lives.