By Peter Racine, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville

They are our neighbors- mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, young adults- many of whom have lived here since childhood. Hardworking, contributing, tax paying, they are not criminals. Even though it was said that the target of our government was to deport violent criminals, reports indicate that group makes up only 6% of those that have been deported.

Millions were here legally until arbitrary administrative acts of our government made them suddenly “illegal.” They are now being denied their constitutional due process, tricked by departmental judges who close their cases only so they can be trapped in the hallway and whisked away to unknown parts. Their family, friends and attorneys have no idea where they are. These are gestapo-like tactics.

The only reason why many are illegal is because our government has refused to offer what every other generation of immigrants has received, including Irish Americans, Italian Americans, German Americans, etc., a real and forthright pathway to asylum, residency and citizenship.

Our own State of Florida opened a detention and deportation complex in the middle of an environmentally sensitive area (which was abandoned decades ago for that very reason), and soon-to-be facilities right here in northeast Florida at Camp Blanding and Baker County.

The issue of Immigration and refugees is complex. States like Florida and Texas have suffered greatly under the economic weight of thousands of families without adequate Federal policies and support. But that does not give us the right to dehumanize them, to arbitrarily change their legal status overnight, to make them criminals when they are not.

What is our call to action as Unitarian Universalists? 1) Speak out on behalf of the oppressed. 2) Support the refugees around us who fortunately still have legal status. 3) Align with others in this fight for freedom, democracy and justice. There is power in numbers. Thank you.