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| Coralis Salvador MKLM El Paso Texas |
I worked as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner with Coralis Salvador in Mombasa Kenya from 2010-2018. We have both moved on. Now I am retired in Urbana Illinois. She continues to work as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner with migrants in El Paso Texas.
Today is the day that 16 states will vote for their presidential nominees and immigration is one of the most important issues to everyone in this country.
A recent newsletter from Coralis updated us on her current ministry challenges...
Migrants leave their country as an act of defiance, an act of nonviolence. The shelters of El Paso provide them a respite and service to help them reach their final home in our country.
We are concerned for them because come March 5, Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4) will take effect. SB4 creates state-level crimes for illegally entering or reentering the country and inaugurates a state deportation scheme. The federal government is the body that enforces criminal entry and reentry statutes and the sole arbiter of deportation decisions.
As I write this, the controversy is in court and awaiting final judgement before March 5. In the meantime, Texas law enforcement authorities are given the power to stop, arrest and jail migrants with no documentations. A person accompanying a non-documented migrant could be charged with “smuggling.” As for me, I will continue to serve the migrants without asking them their status.
The majority of El Pasoans view this legislation as discriminatory and racially motivated, targeting individuals with legislation that the state does not have an authority to regulate. To show our protest, our Maryknoll community joined a demonstration and march organized in February as part of a campaign to educate the public on human rights infringements and to oppose the bill.
We urged the state of Texas to eliminate the legislation before it goes into effect. We emphasized our concerns about the potential consequences of the law and called for its repeal to uphold the rights of all individuals, regardless of their immigration status.
The 5th of March has arrived and after rulings from various courts the US Supreme Court has placed a temporary pause on the controversial Texas border enforcement bill until 13th March, 2024. For more information on current US government policy at the US border see the offical Maryknoll statement at the following site...
https://maryknollogc.org/resources/statements/maryknoll-ogc-joins-150-faith-groups-letter-president-biden-regarding-anti
Immigration is an important policy issue to all political parties this election year. Because I know Coralis well and respect her integrity and Christian committment it is incredulous to me that she could be charged with smuggling for assisting a non-documented migrant. Please join us by educating yourself about immigration policy and advocating for policies that are consistent with international asylum law. Then, participate in our democratic process by voting for persons who will respect human rights and enact just laws regarding immigration in our country.
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| Heidi, Coralis, S Deirdre |
As always, we continue to pray and work for peace with the creative nonviolence of the teachings of Jesus.
11 March 2024 Update
https://elpasomatters.org/2024/03/11/el-paso-annunciation-house-ken-paxton-court-ruling/
Attorney General Ken Paxton “acted without regard to due process and fair play” in seeking to shut down a leading migrant service provider, an El Paso judge said Monday in a ruling that blocks the state’s efforts for now.
“The Attorney General’s efforts to run roughshod over Annunciation House, without regard to due process or fair play, call into question the true motivation for the Attorney General’s attempt to prevent Annunciation House from providing the humanitarian and social services that it provides. There is a real and credible concern that the attempt to prevent Annunciation House from conducting business in Texas was predetermined,” 205th District Judge Francisco Dominguez said in his ruling.
19 March 2024 - The Texas Supreme Court has extended the ban on #SB4. This extension does NOT include a new date for it to take effect. SB4 was scheduled to take effect on Monday 18 March 2024 at 3pm MT.
