Note—The fight for immigration justice and against detention began well before
the Coalition to Cancel the ICE Contract in McHenry County swung into action last year in the midst of the global Coronavirus
pandemic. The Latino Coalition, McHenry
County League of Latin American Citizens (LULLAC), and the old Unitarian
Universalist Congregation in Woodstock organized the first march from the
Square to the County complex back in 2007.
Since then, there were many marches and vigils, large and small. Immigration was a key issue at the hugely successful
Hate Has No Home Here march around Woodstock Square and rally in March 2017. But the largest rally at the Jail, Lights for
Liberty Woodstock, was held two years ago on July 12, 2019. This is an account of that event that I
posted on the Blog the next day.
In
more than 50 years as an activist it
was the first time I remember a crowd gathering to the sounds of a sousaphone ensemble. Sousaphones Against Hate lent a joyous Wisconsin brat and beer vibe to the steady stream of folks
carrying signs and folding chairs who were filling the grassy strip along Route 47 to participate in Lights
for Liberty Woodstock, the
rally and vigil at the McHenry County
Jail/Immigrant Detention facility. It
was one of more than 500 such events across the country in addition to a number
of other anti-ICE marches and protests in cities great and small—an
eruption of Resistance to the terrorizing and oppression of immigrants and
asylum seekers.
Organizers and volunteers had been working overtime
for weeks to make the event a reality.
We coordinated our efforts through conference
calls facilitated by Leni
Manaa-Hoppenworth and Scott Cross of
Indivisible Illinois—an
indispensable asset and major co-sponsor
of the event. Volunteers, many of whom
had never met or worked together before, came from all over the Chicago area joining local lead
organizers Patrick Murfin, hereafter
known as the Old Man of the Tree
of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Justice Team, and Elisabeth Hubbard of Lake County.
Together
we shared tasks and responsibilities, lined up 11 other co-sponsoring organizations, recruited speakers, attended to
innumerable logistic and support details, and finally assembled,
with some last minute juggling a
coherent and effective program that would discuss the many aspects of
the current crisis. Elisabeth Hubble acted as our registration person for speakers, stage manager, and general major domo who kept the program running
smoothly. The Old Man was joined on stage
by immigration attorney Lillian Gonzalez
as co-hosts.
Earlier
in the afternoon after some semi-comic
glitches we managed to drag a rented 4 X 8 foot stage section and
a battery powered p.a. podium half a
block and set them up near the chain
link fence that blocked off half of the jail parking lot which was under re-construction. We met with friendly but firm Sheriff Department officers, who told
us that unlike previous similar rallies in the same location, we could not set
foot on any of the parking lots surrounding the Jail, Court House, and County
government complex.
Our experienced and efficient event marshals under
the leadership of Dee Darling—veterans
of several marches and events on Woodstock
Square—helped folks safely cross Rt. 47 from parking at the school
across the street. As we made last
minute arrangements around the stage—the p.a. system on the podium emitted screeching
feedback and we were rescued by Scott
Cross’s small portable unit with a hand-held microphone—and as the sousaphones played the swelling
crowd spread out along Rt. 47 holding up hand-made
signs to the busy street traffic passing
by. Many cars honked their support.
Promptly
at 7pm we began the rally program. The
crowd turned to face the stage and was continually reinforced through
the evening. At its peak the press and several experienced crowd estimators figured that 400-500 were in attendance.
After
a welcome and some brief house-keeping announcements the program began with Marilee Gordon, the retired Rabbi Emeritus of the McHenry County Jewish Congregation,
a leading member of the interfaith group
Faithbridge, and a jail visitor for the Interfaith Community for Detained
Immigrants (ICDI). She grounded her remarks in the requirements
to welcome and harbor immigrants and strangers
found in the Torah and Talmudic teachings as well as in the Christian New Testament, and Islamic scripture.
She
was followed on the stage by Melanie
Schikore, Executive Director of ICDI who put a personal face on
people detained in the McHenry County Jail and other detention center and ended
with the admonition that we all must work to free those who are held,
often in terrible conditions in the border
camps, demand that the government’s punitive immigration policies be reversed, and demand that ICE, the stormtroopers for enforcing that policy, be abolished. She was the first
of many speakers to reference the nation-wide family raids that have been touted
the administration and which
striking terror in many communities.
Dave Trost representing McHenry County Progressives read a
moving message from a detainee at a one of the Illinois detention centers. Sara Crosental,
a young woman from Rising DREAMERS Unite
recounted her personal story of
being awakened by armed, unidentified men in black crashing into her family
home to drag her father away.
Carol Huntsinger, a Lake County church musician led the crown in the
first song of the evening, the Civil
Rights anthem We Shall Overcome. Later
veteran singer/guitarist Norm Siegel, who the Old Man has known
since the days of the Earl of Old Town and
the great Chicago folk music scare fifty
years ago led a rousing rendition of Woody
Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land
and began the candlelight vigil with
the familiar spiritual This Little Light of Mine.
Dr. Marjoie Fujara, a child abuse pediatrics specialist for
the Cook County Department of Health,
explained the impact of child
maltreatment and toxic stress on
unaccompanied minors seeking refugee status.
Lea Grover of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) discussed the sexual abuse and violence that many women and
children endure not only in
detention custody, but by employers,
husbands, mates, and others who know
that the victims will be unlikely to
report crimes for fear of being exposed to arrest and deportation.
At
this point the Old Man needs to explain his near constant presence on
stage. Contrary to rumor, I was not just
trying to hog the camera. I had real trouble getting on and off of the
16 inch high stage platform, especially as the night wore on.
Co-host
Lillian Gonzalez spoke as a former undocumented
alien who became a lawyer representing clients enmeshed in the system.
Lisa Arvanites of McHenry County NOW spoke on the special
dangers that members of the LGBTQ face
especially trans women of color who endure a triple
whammy of discrimination and marginalization face.
Kristina Zahorik, the Chair of the Democratic Party of McHenry County and of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Committee, told of her personal political re-awakening after the disastrous
2006 election that brought Donald Trump to power along with
enlarged majorities in the House and Senate and control of most state
governments. She
was given hope by the groundswell of
activism that returned the House to
a Democratic majority including new Representatives
Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten,
brought J. B. Pritzker to the Governorship, and elected 5 Democrats
to the county Board.
Scott Cross, Executive Director of Indivisible Illinois spoke to actions
folks can take moving forward including keeping regular contact with state and Federal legislators
and office holders to demand action
on immigration and other critical issues; being ready to take to the streets in
more actions, rally, and marches including civil
disobedience; actively working on upcoming campaigns, and most importantly joining or starting
grassroots organizations working to effect change.
As
the final speaker of the evening finished volunteers distributed vigil candles to those who didn’t bring
their own which were lit as the gloaming settled in over the Jail. After a period of song and silent witness a car caravan from Aurora organized
by Stand and March and Uni2 arrived. They processed
though the hushed crowd carrying
seven white wooden crosses
representing the five children known
to have died this year in custody, and Oscar
Alberto Martinez his 23-month-old daughter
Angie Valeria who drowned trying to
cross the Rio Grande to seek
asylum. They placed the crosses in a
row by the stage and knelt behind the crosses.
No vestige of whispering or
rustle of a distracted crowd lingered.
After several minutes of silence Casotio
“Casey” Cuevas spoke emotionally on behalf of the members of the caravan.
When
the vigil wound down, volunteers quickly took down the stage and carted it,
table, chairs, bottled water and other items to vehicles. One of the last volunteers on the grounds was
the tireless Missy Funk of McHenry
County Progressives and Woodstock Pride looked
up and saw lights flashing in the slit windows of the Jail’s fourth floor where
immigrant detainees are held. They were
aware of the vigil and that folks on the outside had not forgotten them. They were flashing, probably at risk of
punishment, a thank-you.
Finally,
I would like to acknowledge all of the organization who co-sponsored the
rally and vigil—the Democratic Party of McHenry County, Illinois Muslim
Civic Coalition, Indivisible Illinois, Indivisible Brookfield, ICDI,
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), McHenry County Democratic
Women’s Club, McHenry County National Organization for Women (NOW), McHenry
County Progressives, Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN),
Sousaphones Against Hate, Woodstock Pride, Women’s March, None of the
Above, and the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social
Justice Team.
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