December 1, 2006 people of faith began gathering every Friday (year round) at 7:15 a.m. in prayer and presence at the Broadview Detention Center, Broadview, Illinois.Friday, November 5, 2010 more than 35 participants of the Justice for Immigrants National Convening joined the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLNLA)as a public witness to our broken United States immigration system. Sisters of St. Joseph, LaGrange are members of CRLNLA.
The unmarked white bus in the picture is transporting people to Chicago O'Hare Airport to be deported from the United States. We waved to them, raised our hands offering signs of peace, held rosaries, and signed "I Love You" in solidarity as the people being deported were driven away in an unmarked white bus whose windows are covered. Just one person on the bus today was charged with a criminal offense, the others with minor, i.e. traffic violations, a civil not criminal offense.
Currently, approxiamtely 11,000 persons are deported monthly from the United States. In 2009, a total of 387,790 people were deported. To learn more about the detention and deportation of migrants by the United States Department of Homeland Security Immigration Customs Enforcement visit DETENTION WATCH.
