As most of you know, the Bush administration has somehow tied the attacks on 9/11 to illegal immigration coming from Central and South America. Citing "security risks" they are building a wall along the Texas/Mexico border and cracking down on illegal immigrants in cities across this country in the most unnecessarily harsh and inhumane ways. Of particular concern is the administration's propensity to break-up families, arresting and deporting parents while their American-born (ie- citizen) children are in school. These hypocritical measures fail to recognize that these immigrants of questionable legal status are the backbone of our economy, doing jobs that the rest of us do not want to do for wages that we would not deem acceptable. In times of uncertainty, let us scapegoat those who least have the power to defend themselves.
In response to this brutality, several cities across the country have declared themselves "sanctuaries" - openly defying the administration's demands that local law enforcement help to identify illegals. And now, several houses of worship - congregations of faith - have stepped up beyond even that, offering physical sanctuary and legal aid to those threatened with deportation. In reference to the Sanctuary movement of the 1980s, they are calling this the New Sanctuary Movement. Last Wednesday, May 9th, they officially launched with announcements in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, and New York City. Several UU congregations - First Unitarian Church of LA, First UU Church of San Diego, UU Church of Long Beach, and First Unitarian Church of Chicago - are on the front lines of this movement. And more than that, although congregations from 14 different faith traditions are involved (God bless them!), the UUA is the first religious organization as a whole to officially endorse the movement.
At our best, Unitarian Universalists stand up for those who are most marginalized, who least have the ability to protect themselves. At our best, Unitarian Universalists see the connections between us, instead of dividing between "us" and "them," and how working for the benefit of one group benefits us all. I am always proud to be a UU, but even more so now.
