The SCRD hosted an event centered around immigrant rights
The Student Center for Reconciliation and Diversity (SCRD) hosted an event called “Know Your Rights” on April 3. This event was centered around immigrant rights.
The audience heard from Shino Komine, an immigration lawyer from the Central American Resource Center and SCRD interns. They led discussion on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) updates, current immigration issues and how to be an ally to the undocumented community.
Komine works with CARECEN, an organization that offers education and legal assistance for immigration issues. Her tips for immigrants included “knowing that you do not have to open your door, knowing that you have the right to remain silent and the right to speak to an attorney, and knowing that you have the right to a hearing before a judge in immigration court.”
Komine updated the audience about the current state of DACA. She said that current or former beneficiaries can renew their work permit and DACA at any time, regardless of their expiration date. However, new DACA applications are not being accepted at this time. She also said CARECEN can help with filing fee assistance.
“However, the DACA means just that––that your deportation date will be deferred,” Komine said. “I still recommend that you talk to an immigration lawyer.”
Law-abiding undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients were previously low on the priority list for enforcing orders of deportation. That was the case before the Trump administration passed the Internal Enforcement Memo, which eliminates the Obama administration’s removal priorities. As a result, most undocumented immigrants are now a priority.
Komine also listed exceptions and waivers that people can apply for. Provisional waivers are available if your parent or spouse are U.S. citizens and they petition for you. A U-Visa is available to those who have been victims of serious crimes in the U.S., suffered a physical or mental injury or through a member of your immediate family.
Komine also said if you are a victim of an abuser who is a U.S. citizen, you can file for a green card under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) without the cooperation of the abuser.
Komine gave special warning against frauds. She said only an attorney or accredited representative of an approved organization of the Department of Justice can give legal advice. A notary, immigration consultant or tax preparer cannot give legal advice.
“Never go to anyone who is not a lawyer, period,” Komine said. “We call that notario fraud.”
Komine said in addition to knowing the rights that immigrants have, APU students who would like to be allies should know the immigrant communities are not different than the other communities in the U. S.
“We’re not dealing with visibly different people. They’re here, and they’re in the community. The best thing to do from my perspective is to understand the issues. [This community] is a part of us,” Komine said. “When we say ‘The immigration system is broken,’ well, ask yourself, ‘Why is it broken?’ and try to learn about that.”
After the presentation by Komine, Bree Schricker, a SCRD intern and junior social work major, led a group discussion about the issue of immigration from a Biblical lens.
Schricker shared several passages from Scripture, including Zechariah 7:9-10, which says, “This is what the Lord Almighty has said: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the orphan, or the poor…”
Lauren Wranosky, a junior social work major, shared some insights she learned from her classes about immigrants and Scripture.
“I think that part of the reason that God [mentions immigrants in Scripture] is that nationalism is inherently idolatry…God doesn’t call us to be praising our nations before Him. The people who are going to be angry at the foreigner are idolizing their own flag before God,” Wranosky said.
Schricker said that these verses helped her understand these issues through a Biblical perspective.
“As I grew in compassion and empathy for immigrants, I was really happy that I found these verses,” Schricker said. “This is a consistent theme of the God listing the sojourner and the foreigner throughout the Old and New Testaments.”
Schricker said that the church is called to be a community and a family, and part of that means caring about the complicated situations of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
“I’ve heard a couple of different ways to define sin. One definition of it is an act that we do that wrongs another person, and another sin is that which we don’t do,” Schricker said. “There’s a prayer that says, ‘forgive us for that which we have done and that which we have not done,’ and I think that really speaks to the issue.”