We are here to support immigrants in need
The rain that pelted the hundreds of concerned citizens who gathered on the steps of Sixth Presbyterian Church on Wednesday night seemed fitting. It felt like the sky was crying for the children who have been forcefully separated from their parents.
The downpour eventually forced nearly 800 people to squeeze into the church. The rain was replaced by the heat and sweat of human bodies. It was clear, no matter the discomfort, this crowd was committed to standing shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, to face down this injustice.
As I headed to the podium, and stared out into this sea of faces, I was humbled to be a part of such a caring community. I felt a strong sense of urgency and responsibility to convey the story of the immigrants who come to us for legal help at Jewish Family and Community Services.
Alejandro sits in our waiting room desperate to see a lawyer. He clutches his daughter’s hand.
Alejandro held his daughter close to his side when they left their Central American home. Alejandro held her hand as they journeyed across deserts and countrysides riddled with bandits and coyotes to try and find safety in the United States.
Alejandro clutched his daughter’s hand as he and another migrant pulled her across the river that threatened to drown them all in the final leg of their journey to find safety in the United States.
All through that journey, Alejandro never let go of his daughter’s hand. And now, sitting in our waiting room, he is desperate to know if forces greater than himself have the power to rip her away from him, once again.
The JFCS legal team, has stood, hand in hand in with Alejandro and his daughter, as we worked together to help them gain legal status and rebuild their life in a new country, in our community.
The JFCS waiting room fills and our phone rings again and again and again. Refugees from Congo and immigrants from Afghanistan. Hundreds of other immigrants want answers. Are they safe? Why haven’t they received their green card? Can they be arrested at work? What would happen to their children?
The system for processing immigration requests has quietly, and with little fanfare, changed dramatically over the past year. Processes that previously took a simple phone call, now take six months to complete. Even immigrants who try to do things the right way, the legal way, are coming up against a system that seems designed to wear them down. To convince them to give up and leave.
With the support of the greater Pittsburgh community, though, the JFCS team of social workers, case workers, attorneys and volunteers will not give up. We will not abandon Alejandro or his daughter or any who have come to this country hoping, against all odds, to provide a safe and secure life for their children.
Alejandro is holding tight. We are with him. Holding his hand as he holds his daughter’s. We invite you to hold tight with us.