By Matt Chiappardi, Staff Writer
August 27, 2009
HIGHTSTOWN — Members of the St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church community will hold a prayer vigil next month in support of federal legislation that would give immigration judges more discretion over deportations when families and children are involved.
The church’s Social Justice Group, along with the Trenton Diocese Justice Steering Committee and a number of other local churches and synagogues have planned the vigil at the St. Anthony’s church building on Franklin Street for 7 p.m. Sept. 15. The gathering will be to support a bill now in the U.S. House of Representatives, HR-1176, called the “Child Citizen Protection Bill.”
If signed into law, it would grant immigration judges more leeway when deciding the fate of the undocumented if children and families would be affected by deportation.
“The goal of this vigil is to make people aware that we’ve got close to 4 million U.S. citizen children who lived in families where one or two parents lack documents,” said Lenore Isleib, co-coordinator of the Social Justice Group with her husband, Leigh.
“These people are at risk of being detained or even deported,” she added.
The church’s pastor, The Rev. Patrick McDonnell, agreed.
“Some families live here with no safety or security at all,” he said. “If you just take a parent away and send them back to their native land, you are fracturing a family. Anything we can do keep these families safe and together is worth our prayers.”
The vigil will feature a prayer service that will be based on the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching, Ms. Isleib said. Afterward, anyone in attendance will have the opportunity to sign letters the group will be sending to legislators in support of the bill.
HR-1176 was sponsored by Rep. Jose Serrano, D-NY, and introduced into the U.S. Congress in February. It awaits action and debate in three separate committees before it reaches the House floor.
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2009/08/27/windsor_hights_herald/news/doc4a96e49e16f0c251345015.txt
