[Action Alert] Jewish Community Immigration Reform Call-In Day

Join us in a Jewish Community Immigration Reform Call-In Day on Tuesday, May 21st. Please call Senators Kirk and Durbin letting them know you support a just, humane bill.

For the past few weeks, senators have been hearing and voting on amendments to the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act S. 744- the Senate proposal for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Senators reconvened today and they are expected to begin considering amendments related to refugees, asylees, and other vulnerable populations. We are also hearing that they might consider amendments related to family and the pathway to citizenship today or tomorrow.

Currently, 11 million people live in fear of separation and arrest because our immigration system is broken and there is no way for them to earn citizenship.  At JCUA, we want to make sure this bill creates a clear path to citizenship without obstacles.  We want our legislators to prioritize keeping families together, and want the bill to include protections for the families of LGBT persons.

American Jews are a community deeply connected to the immigrant story. That history guides us and we will not shut the door on those who came after us. Providing a roadmap to citizenship fundamentally reflects our Jewish values and communal experience in America.

It is critical that our senators hear from us now! Join us in a Jewish Community Immigration Reform Call-In Day tomorrow May 21st. Please call Senators Kirk and Durbin letting them know you support a just, humane bill.

Victory: JCUA Celebrates Passing of Fair Housing Amendment in Cook County!

Today, May 8, 2013 the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted YES to amend the Human Rights Ordinance so that those with Housing Choice Vouchers will no longer be legally discriminated against based on their sources of income.

by Lauren Goldstein
JCUA Intern, Advocacy and Community Organizing

In Photo: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle urging commissioners to vote in favor of the amendment (photo taken by Open Communities).

Over the last year JCUA has been a partner in the effort to pass the Source of Income Amendment in Cook County, which will effectively outlaw (finally!) discrimination based on source of income in Cook County. This is already the case in the City of Chicago, but the rest of Cook County has been lagging behind. This has allowed landlords to deny Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher holders the right to apply for residence in their units.

Today, May 8, 2013 the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted YES to amend the Human Rights Ordinance so that those with Housing Choice Vouchers will no longer be legally discriminated against based on their sources of income. Today, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted YES for a county where discrimination of this type will no longer be tolerated.

The discussion prior to the vote was moving and powerful. Among other speakers, Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director of People for Community Recovery and longtime Altgeld Gardens resident and environmental justice activist, silenced the crowd with her moving words that proved impossible to disregard. A young mother of three and previous volunteer coordinator for the Obama campaign, also a Housing Choice Voucher holder, empowered the crowd to recognize that the stereotypical face of voucher holders is truly only a stereotype, and challenged the commissioners to see voucher holders as the strong, hardworking, veterans, mothers, fathers, and PEOPLE that they really are.

Following a separate roll-call of votes from the Commissioners, as well as astounding speeches in support of this amendment from Commissioner Garcia, Commissioner Sims, and Commissioner Suffredin, equal opportunity came to fruition amidst the celebratory applause, hugs, and words of praise from the audience.

While today is a day to celebrate justice won, we urge you to not forget the reality in which this discussion is rooted. It is concerning that in 2013 we must still debate whether to allow discrimination to thrive and to be codified into law.

Today we thank our partners in this campaign, especially Open Communities (who have led the fight and coordinated our collective efforts), Metropolitan Tenants Organization, Access Living and others.

JCUA will continue to work so that one day we may live in a society where basic human rights and equal protection under the law are no longer a point of contention. Until then, we hope you will celebrate this victory with us, and remember, as Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

[Urgent Action Alert] Stop Housing Discrimination in Cook County

Call your Cook County Commissioners Today! The County Board is taking an important vote tomorrow morning. Details:

In suburban Cook County, a person can be discriminated against by a property owner or landlord if they happen to pay their rent with a Housing Choice Voucher (formerly known as Section 8).  This is codified discrimination happening in our very backyards.

As a partner in the Source of Income Campaign, JCUA supports an amendment to the Human Rights Ordinance of Cook County which would make such discrimination illegal.  The Source of Income protection amendment to include Housing Choice Vouchers as a protected class under the county’s fair housing ordinance is included in the Human Relations Committee Report from July 24, 2012.  This protection already exists in Chicago and we want to mirror that protection for the suburbs.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners are voting on the report TOMORROW, Wednesday, May 8th at 11:00 AM.  We need your help to stop housing discrimination!  Please call your Commissioner (find your commissioner here, contact info below) and tell them:

In the vote tomorrow, please vote YES in support of The Human Relations Committee Report from July 24, 2012

JCUA will be at the vote and we invite you to join us:

Wednesday, May 8th at 11:00am in the County Board Chambers (118 N. Clark Chicago, IL; 5th Floor).

Please get there early to secure a seat or standing space.

Commissioners Contact Information:

1ST Earlean Collins 312-603-4566

2ND Robert Steele 312-603-0319

3RD Jerry Butler 312-603-6391

4TH Stanley Moore (Formerly Williams Beavers district) 312-603-2065

5th Deborah Sims 312-603-6381(if you can make only one call please call Commissioner Sims Office)

6th Joan Murphy 312-603-4216

7th Jesus Garia 312-603-5443

8th Edwin Reyes 312-603-6386

9th Peter Silvestri 312-603-4393

10th Bridget Gainer 312-603-4210

11th John Daley 312-603-4400

12th John Fritchey 312-603-6380

13th Larry Suffredin 312-603-6383

14th Gregg Goslin 312-603-4932

15th Tim Schneider 312-603-6388

16th Jeff Tobolski 312-603-6384

17th Elizabeth Gorman 312-603-4215

[Video] JCUA Marches for Immigration Reform: May Day 2013

by Lauren Goldstein
JCUA Intern, Advocacy and Community Organizing

On Wednesday, May 1, JCUA joined thousands of families, individuals, activists, advocates, and organizations to march for just and compassionate immigration reform.

In photo: Rabbi Alison Abrams, JCUA’s director of organizing, at the march.

It was a beautiful spring day (finally!) – perfect for coming together for social change. We arrived at Union Park at 2:30 to the sound of drums beating, people chanting, and flags waving. We then joined the march, which was just getting underway. We marched alongside allies from the Erie Neighborhood House, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (of which JCUA is a member), Unite Here, Rabbi Joshua Salter from the South West Organizing Project, Community Renewal Society, and many, many more.

The energy was high and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the march converged with another march for immigration reform that started at a different location, so that we could all march together as one large group into the Loop to Federal Plaza.

As we weaved through the afternoon rush amidst businessmen and women, bicycles, taxis, and buses, the group continued to sing and shout chants such as “What do we want? Immigration Reform! When do we want it? NOW!” and we soon closed in on Federal Plaza. The rally continued at the plaza with the goal of sparking excitement and change for the future.

The need for comprehensive immigration reform, the necessity that we stop deportations, that we stop tearing families apart, is growing ever more important with each passing day. The time has long been here to change our current system so that we may be a more humane, compassionate people. On May Day, JCUA marched united with the many people in our city who work tirelessly for change, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of this vital change.

See footage from JCUA’s march on May Day:

For more on JCUA’s work for immigrant rights, visit:

http://www.jcua.org/immigration

[Action Alert – 5/3] Interfaith Vigil for Detained Immigrant Rights / Postville Remembrance Day

On May 3, 2013, the JCUA will participate in an interfaith vigil at the Broadview Detention Center. We will offer our support and prayers to those held at Broadview and subsequently deported. JCUA members will represent a larger Jewish voice demanding comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. The vigil will also serve to remember the tragic events in Postville, IA 5 years ago, as we seek to turn tragedy into a victory for justice.

We ask that you join us in standing with those held at Broadview and their families by participating in the vigil with us.

Click here to RSVP.

When:

7:15 AM – Vigil begins at Broadview Detention Center.

Where:

Broadview Detention Center
1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL

Transportation:

• Once we know who wants to come, we will plan for transportation for those not driving.
• When you RSVP , please indicate if you need transportation.

Contact person:

Rabbi Ali Abrams
JCUA Director of Organizing
Alison@jcua.org

[Action Alert – 5/1] Act for Immigration Reform

On May 1, 2013, JCUA supporters will participate in the 2013 May Day March for immigration reform and immigrant rights. This movement calls for legislation to stop deportations and keep families together. It calls for legalization for all. The JCUA strongly believes that IMMIGRANT RIGHTS are HUMAN RIGHTS and we hope you will join us in marching for immigration reform.

RSVP here.

Date:

• Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Schedule:

• 2:00 PM – Gathering at Union Park
• 3:00 PM – March Begins
• 4:00 PM – Rally at Federal Plaza (Jackson St. and Dearborn St.)

JCUA Meeting Area:

Option 1: Meet us at 2:30 PM (Union Park)

• You can arrive at Union Park via Ashland-Lake CTA train (Green and Pink lines)
• JCUA members will be at the northeast corner of Ashland and Washington (see photo of meeting area). Look for the JCUA sign!

Option 2: Meet us at 4:00 PM (approximately) at the rally (Federal Plaza):

• When the march arrives at Federal Plaza, JCUA members will gather between the Calder sculpture and the federal building. (see photo of the meeting area). Look for the JCUA sign!

RSVP:

• Let us know if you plan on coming. It will make coordinating much easier!
• RSVP here.

With any questions, please contact:

Rabbi Ali Abrams
JCUA Director of Organizing
Alison@jcua.org

[VIDEO] Watch JCUA on ABC7 Marching for Immigrant Rights and Take Action

by Rabbi Alison Abrams
Director of Organizing, JCUA

On Sunday, March 10, 2013, JCUA participated in the National Coming Out of the Shadows March and Rally to call for a stop to deportations and an end to criminalizing immigrants (scroll down to read how you can take action in March and April).

JCUA volunteers at the march

By the end of the day, hundreds of people were gathered to hear stories of undocumented individuals and the impact of our broken immigration system on families.  These men and women stepped out of the shadows to say they lived as both “undocumented and unafraid.”

Through chants, prayers, songs, and stories, we stood in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters to say change must come and it must come now.  To this end, we will continue our fight for a just and compassionate immigration system that honors all peoples’ human rights.

TV Coverage:

Watch ABC7′s coverage of the march (including JCUA volunteers raising the Jewish voice for immigrant justice):

Take Action With JCUA:

• Wednesday, March 20, 2013: Join us at the National Museum of Mexican Art for our Freedom and Justice Seder on March 20th at 6pm where we will again make our voices heard.
• Friday, April 5, 2013: Please join us at the detention center in Broadview, IL, where we will participate in an interfaith vigil, drawing attention to the injustice of current detention and deportation practices.

Please RSVP for these actions so we know to expect you.

Questions? Contact:

Rabbi Alison Abrams
Director of Organizing
alison@jcua.org

Guest Op-Ed: Say “No!” to Bullying

The following op-ed is by Dan Lapidus, a junior at Jones College Prep High School in Chicago. Dan participated in Or Tzedek’s  Activism and Community Organizing program in summer ’11, Advanced Activism in summer ’12, and the Winter Leadership Retreat in ’11 and ’12. Dan is a member of the Mikva Challenge Youth Commission. The following was originally posted on Dan’s Facebook page.

Dan at the Winter Retreat

I was bullied for years, and it sucked. Kids would call me names. They would say things like, “Hey Dan, you’re a fag” or “Hey lapenis, go Jew around somewhere else, we don’t want you here.”

Most people thought they were so creative when they called me lapenis. But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was all the kids who were so scared of what might happen to them, they didn’t do anything.

They watched a classmate suffer; they stood on that damned Jones College Prep courtyard and watched people throw oranges at me and try to steal my house keys. There is nothing more confining than thinking that you are alone and no one has your back.

[AUDIO] WBEZ Recently Reported on “Source of Income” Housing Campaign

by Lauren Goldstein
Organizing and Advocacy Intern, JCUA

WBEZ recently reported on the “Source of Income” campaign, of which JCUA is a partner. The campaign seeks protections for low-income residents in Cook County.

Today, in Chicago, we are fortunate enough that our city prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of a person’s source of income.

Regardless of how an individual earns an income, they can use that income for housing. Our neighbors in Cook County outside of Chicago do not enjoy safeguards against discrimination.

That’s right – outside of Chicago in Cook County, a person can be discriminated against by a property owner or landlord if they happen to pay their rent with a Housing Choice Voucher. This is codified discrimination happening in our very backyards.

As a partner in the Source of Income Campaign, JCUA has and continues to fight for a just amendment to this ordinance so that no Cook County residents may be denied housing due only to them being Housing Choice Voucher holders.

Listen to WBEZ’s recent coverage of the campaign (or read here):

[Guest Post] Turn a Tragedy into a Victory for Justice

In May 2008, federal immigration agents raided the small town of Postville, IA – separating families and devastating a community. JCUA responded immediately (see photos), and worked with the Postville community in the years following the raid (read article). Nearly 5 years after the raid, JCUA’s partners in Iowa are calling for comprehensive immigration reform with renewed hope and urgency. 

by Sr. Mary McCauley, BVM
Dubuque, Iowa

Soon we will commemorate the Fifth Anniversary of the 2008 Immigration Raid in Postville, Iowa.  Having been in Postville at that time, I still carry with me the suffering of the people.

JCUA members, Postville – July, 2008 (more photos)

I recall the small girl with a scrap of paper in her hand crawling up the steps into the sanctuary and handing her paper to our Hispanic Minister with words that were clear and direct.  “Please bring my daddy home!”

I recall the women walking the streets of Postville with mandated GPS devices on their ankles.  During our walks and prayer vigils they held their heads high and carried signs that read:  “We are not criminals.  We came to work.  We came to feed our families.  We are mothers.”

I recall the words of Rigoberto Menchu, the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner from Guatemala, who visited with those affected by the raid:  “I see the problem of Postville as full of injustices.  You should not rest until justice is done….”

The people, the memories, the pain, the injustices and the words of Menchu continue to haunt me.  I cannot rest until justice is done.

Five years ago a tragedy took place in Iowa.  Iowans responded with compassion, sensitivity and justice. Today there is another opportunity for Iowans to respond.  May we unite with one another and support legislation for comprehensive immigration reform.    May we turn the tragedy of Postville into a victory for justice.   May we not rest until justice is done!

Mary McCauley, BVM
Dubuque, Iowa 52003