Open Letter to Honorable Linda T. Sanchez, US Congresswoman, CA-39th District

March 15, 2009

Honorable Linda T. Sanchez
Congresswoman, California 39th Congressional District
United States Congress
17906 Crusader Ave. Suite 100
Cerritos, CA 90703

VIA US Mail and house.gov contact feature

Re: Compassionate Immigration Reform
Familias Unidas Tour, March 13, 2009
at La Placita Church in Los Angeles

To the Honorable Linda T. Sanchez:

I hope this letter finds you in improved health as it was announced that you were unable to attend the Family Unity/Familias Unidas event on March 13 due to illness. I was delighted to be present at La Placita Church (in historic center of Los Angeles’ immigrant past and present) for the Family Unity/Familias Unidas event with representatives from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and others. I was also at the similar event in Ontario, California at St. George’s Catholic Parish with Representatives Luis Gutierrez (IL-4) and Joe Baca (CA-43). I am truly inspired and motivated by the words and actions that I have witnessed at these events.

Because you were unable to attend either of these events, I wanted to report the following information to you and your staff in support of compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform in the first session of the 111th congress before the end of 2009. This letter is lengthy but underscores the importance of this issue at this time. This is especially important for member of Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Subcommittee, under the Judiciary Committee.

At both of these events shocking stories were told in the first person of working immigrant families being torn apart by actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the pretense of homeland security. There were testimonies of arrests being made of workers living peaceful and productive lives in vibrant communities. The reality is that our country is not threatened by the kind of service workers who are being picked up in raids: dishwashers, hotel maids, janitors and others. Therefore, a secondary call at these events has consistently been to ask the new President of the United States Barack Obama to direct Department of Homeland Security and for local law enforcement to go after real threats and real criminals and leave immigrant workers with families alone. I hope you will join in this call.

Representative Diane Watson (CA-33) was at this event gave some remarks and introduced a high school senior from the 39th Congressional District. Ms. Watson’s remarks were especially poignant as she related the story of descendants of slaves, African Americans, and struggle for civil rights in Selma and Birmingham to the situation currently faced by immigrant families who are being separated from their families by rogue law enforcement acting under the cover of law.

She related that the proponents of slavery and the slave owners knew that separating family members, children from parents, and brothers from sisters, was necessary to break the hearts and souls of people and that was part of the system of holding women and men in slavery. (My work address for 15-years was in the 33rd District, previously represented by Julian Dixon and now by Diane Watson.)

Ms. Watson introduced Mr. Fernando Segovia (18) a senior at Southeast High School in South Gate, California. He was born and raised in the United States by immigrant parents and has 2 younger sisters who are also citizens. A judge will decide next week if his mother will be deported or be allowed to remain with her children, work here, and care for her children. Fernando hopes to go to college at Stanford or Columbia University and has earned the grades needed to do so. He works part time to help support the family. He especially needs to work as lawyer fees, required because of this removal action, are mounting up. Fernando will be forced to choose between the hopeful future he described and a promising education and separation from his family or relocating with his family to Mexico.

Fernando addressed to group of congresspersons present and witnessed by 700 others at the church, asking that our government rule on immigration reform so that his family can remain united. With the current situation his life and dreams have come to a halt.

“I only know life in the United States,” Fernando told all of us. “I want to go to college. I dream that someday I will be called ‘Dr. Segovia.’ I don’t want to drop out. If something doesn’t change, everything I have worked for will come to and end. Please pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. My family, millions of other families can’t wait. My little sisters can’t wait. For the love of your own family, please don’t deport mine.”

I agree with Congressman Xavier Becerra in his call on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to start paying attention to and catching real criminals and leave workers and families alone. He called on everyone in the audience, especially those who are not people of color (like myself) to be present and to speak as one for comprehensive immigration reform. He reported that congressional caucuses: Hispanic, African American and Asian are all committed to work together on this issue of reform.

I pray with Father Richard Estrada, who closed the meeting with a prayer for compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform. I hope to hear of Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s clear support of compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families united, provides justice for workers and citizen children. We all must work together in the face of hate language, and xenophobic racist protectionism. We are all God’s family. Let’s all act that way.

I am a volunteer with a national group called Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform organized through the work of Sojourners in Washington, DC. Through my work and church associations, I may be able to help organize other informational meetings in the 39th District around this issue. I called the 39th District office in Cerritos to talk about the event and learn further details about it last week but have not received a call back at the time of this writing. I hope to hear from someone soon. Depending on my schedule, I may be in Washington, DC April 26-29 at the Mobilization to End Poverty organized by Sojourners. I would also like to schedule a visit during that time.


Best Regards,


Glen Peterson