Yesterday
new McHenry County Board Members—Republican Tracie Von Bergen and Democrats Jessica Phillips, Theresa
Meshes, and Tanya Jindrich as well as
new Board Chair Mike Buehler were sworn into office at a special meeting in Woodstock. The new Board
will soon take up deferred consideration
of ending the contract to use the
top floor of the County Jail as Federal immigrant detention center. Buehler has not yet tipped his hand on his attitude
on the issue but the addition of the
new Democrats and another to be appointed to fill out the term of Suzanne Ness who was elected to the Illinois General Assembly the Board will have more friendly ears on
the subject.
In
addition the death of Chuck Wheeler,
the Board’s most voracious critic of
ending the contract, will give Buehler the opportunity to appoint a
replacement. Will he appoint a moderate, as he painted himself in his campaign,
or will he bow to local Republican leadership which is firmly in the hands of right-wing ideologues and Trumpists. Pending that appointment there may be a few
Republicans who might be open to ending the contract on fiscal but not moral grounds.
A coalition of social justice, Latino,
and racial justice groups joined
together to issue an appeal to the
new Board. The Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Justice Team was
proud to be a signatory. The following press release discussed the
message to the Board.
Supporters and
organizations have come together to form a coalition to demand that you, the
McHenry County board, cancel the contract with ICE. Immigrant organizations are leading this
fight and together we will all work tirelessly to continue to create awareness
in our community and beyond.
From our
Immigrant organizers: Nosotros rechazamos
la expansión de la migra en nuestro estado. Sabemos que la migra existe para
perfilarnos, acosarnos y dividirnos de nuestras familias con un presupuesto
exagerado y una historia malévola y racista tanto aquí como en la
frontera. A la vez ha sido muy lucrativa
para la migra y sus subcontratistas que forman para de un sistema que se
aprovecha tanto de nuestra labor como de nuestra detención. Immigrants are not
for sale! Es nuestro derecho y nosotros
lo merecemos.
We believe that
immigrants are deserving of the same human rights we are all entitled to. We
should not let borders stand between us and compassion. In a country founded on
immigration and the conquest of foreign land, it is hypocritical of us to
decide who deserves dignity based on the origins of birth. In the land of
freedom and opportunity we should be understanding of those who want to seek a
better life. The crimes committed against individuals by caging, separating and
restricting the mobility of another are ones that come at the expense of our
own humanity.
Our country
claims to pride itself on diversity, inclusion and strives for equity, yet the
actions of ICE are in direct contradiction of those values and our beliefs as
community members of this society.
The actions of
ICE are deplorable and morally reprehensible both locally and nationwide. Some
people are still unaware that McHenry County has housed an ICE facility for 16
years in our community of Woodstock, Illinois. Immigrants from all over the
Chicagoland area and throughout our nation are sent here to be incarcerated.
We are all
descendants of immigrants, and as immigrants it is our obligation to help
improve the quality of life for all. Instead of creating family separation and
upholding systemic oppression and human rights violations, we can help people
navigate the systems of this country in order for them to thrive and continue
to be active members of society. We believe that we should treat asylum seekers
with dignity and respect.
We can no longer
be complicit in detaining immigrants at the cost of community values putting
profit over people. We have witnessed the atrocities that ICE partakes in at
the national level and refuse to have this type of violence.
Immigrants are
not for sale! We will not rest until the
contract is cancelled.
Federación de Migrantes Unidos por Veracruz
Solidaridad de Dupage/Centro de Trabajadores Casa
DuPage
Coalición de Migrantes Mexicanos
Federación Hidalguense en Illinois y Medio Oriente
Immigrant Solidarity Dupage
Standing Up Against Racism- Woodstock
Elgin in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Activists for Racial Equity (Crystal Lake)
Elgin Coalition for Immigrant Rights
Tree of Life UU Congregation Social Justice Team
Occupy Elgin
Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice
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