It finally hit me in January 2018 when I saw Cindy Garcia clinging to her husband crying, with their 2 children in shock at Metro Detroit Airport. Jorge Garcia was deported for no good reason. I don't know Mrs. Garcia, but she's from a nearby working class city and a UAW member. They are my neighbors. She is my sister. They are fellow Americans.
JORGE GARCIA'S DEPORTATION AT METRO DETROIT AIRPORT
Not only did it hit too close to home for me to stay silent, it also showed the expansion of deportation into cruel and shameful tactics. By all means, take action against drug dealers and violent criminals, but a hard working family man whose only issue is immigration status? Back off! Lincoln Park, MI now has a family in crisis where once a contributing member of the community lived.
I joined a group who had started a weekly vigil in Southwest Detroit. Their message to the community, "We Stand with our Neighbors", came from teachers who witnessed school children traumatized by family members getting picked up by ICE. Speaking up, even if it's just holding a sign on the corner of Clark and Vernor, has a 4-fold affect. First it tells those in crisis that they aren't alone. 2nd, it informs those who don't pay much attention. 3rd, it encourages the quiet types to join the cause. Finally, it tells the haters that the resistance is rising. Where are the 2nd amendment people who claim to be against tyranny? Where is the TEA party who complained about wasteful spending? Of course they have nothing to say because everything they stand for comes down to RACISM. I don't understand their racism, nor their stupidity. No matter how many generations ago, they came from somewhere too. They need to get over themselves or get out of the way!
The chaotic policy that separated families already in the United States was bad enough when this administration blew up the news cycle with the latest onslaught of cruel immigration policy, so-called zero tolerance. As mothers and fathers traveled with children of all ages, hoping for a better life, border agents forced immigrating children to become orphans. I think you know all the horrible details so I won’t get into it. My point is that the Stop Separating Families idea that prompted my involvement became too big overnight. The Garcia family suffers over the loss of father and husband, but they were still at home, comforting each other. Throwing parents in jail and forcing children into detention centers leaves everyone distraught and entirely alone. Now what?
Every escalation from the haters calls for our side to push back that much harder, and then some. As President Obama said, ‘The U.S. needs to show its humanity not only through saying "this isn't who we are" but also "through our policies, our laws, our actions and our votes.’ Nothing gets done around here unless we raise a big fuss, all of us.
At the same time this news came to my attention, I was attending the 37th UAW Constitutional Convention in Detroit. Turns out the UAW spends a lot of time reviewing their values at the convention, such as, “We can no longer tolerate the inhumane detentions and deportations that are endangering lives, traumatizing children and tearing families apart.” Reverend William Barber spoke to us on June 14th, encouraging the UAW to join with other movements, like The Poor People’s Campaign, in defense of vulnerable people, because it’s all connected. Hating people of color, hating the poor, hating LGBTQ, hating workers is all connected. Newly elected UAW President Gary Jones reminded us, “… when one of us is under attack, an army of red-shirted brothers and sisters will rise and say proudly, ‘what you do to one of us, you do to all of us.’ ” I hope that comes true in the immediate future, because someone is hurting my brothers and sisters and it has got to stop.
The very next day I went back to the vigil and longed for some red-shirted union brothers and sisters to stand with me in defense of immigrant families. Where are the ones who care? I decided to ask my UAW Local to pick a day to attend the vigil, to put our words into action and SHOW UP.
They do a lot of charity work, keeping dozens of volunteers busy every week, but this situation calls for an interruption of our normal community service events. I really don’t like to risk rejection, so I’m relieved to receive positive feedback from UAW leadership. Details about attending the vigil will wait until after the July Shutdown (the auto industry sends us packing around July 4th). BUT WAIT! The very same week, UAW International posted the Families Belong Together event at Hart Plaza on June 30th. I had to add this request, “Can we get a group to attend this rally with only a week’s notice?” The President of my local put out a flyer inviting members to attend, I hope you see more than just my red shirt at the rally.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform is 1 of our top 4 legislative policies. What we have in place is not working and Trump is making it even worse. We aren’t going to take it anymore! Right?