First Friends’ 16th Annual Vigil

First Friends’ 16th Annual Vigil

                                                                                   By Edwina Gaiser-Marchev

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp before the golden door.”

These inspired words, penned by Emma Lazarus in 1883 and engraved on the pedestal of the statue of Liberty, have been a beacon of welcome for immigrants since the days following World War II. These are words that express the ideal to which our country aspires. Through the influence of this profound poem, the Statue of Liberty gained a new name. She became known as the “Mother of Exiles.” Her torch became the light that would lead new children to American success and happiness. 

Sunday, October 12, 2014 was a particularly beautiful day. The sunlight was warm on the shoulders of all those gathered for the First Friends 16th annual vigil at the Elizabeth Detention Center. Those who gathered were there to “stand up for dignity, justice, and solidarity” They were there on behalf of the unaccompanied migrant children, our immigrant brothers and sisters.

There was an implicit irony in the day’s purpose: to plead for love and protection for the thousands of immigrant children fleeing organized crime, gang violence, poverty and insecurity in their home countries. We know that every day desperate parents are sending their children alone on a treacherous journey to the borders of our country. These parents are sadly reminiscent of Jewish parents in 1930’s Europe who hoped for mercy and protection for their precious children in the homes of non-Jews even as they, the parents, were sent to their deaths in concentration camps all over Eastern Europe. Emma Lazarus, a young Jewish woman of New York privilege, wrote her poem, “The New Colossus,” in response to the violent injustices suffered by Jews in Eastern Europe. Is that history so far behind us that we fail to see the connections?

The march on October 12th was co-sponsored by Pax Christi NJ, American Friends Service Committee, Action 21, NJAID, Casa Esperanza, St. Joseph Social Service Center, and The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless. One could not fail to be edified and inspired by the group that gathered in the sun outside the Elizabeth Detention Center on 625 Evans street. 

Father Jack Martin, a passionate advocate for our most recent immigrants, offered touching words of reflection to begin the program. “I want the world to change from being a dangerous place to a happy place for all. It’s wonderful to be here again,” he said, “to bring attention to the sad reality of the Elizabeth Detention Center as well as other detention centers around the country. We cannot help but be delighted with the beauty of our country. At the same time we must be repentant that our country, blessed as it is, does not carry out our ultimate imperative to treat everyone as an equal with God-given dignity and worthy of respect.”

The detention center itself is highly inconspicuous. It stands at the end of a street lined with nothing but huge warehouses; a tall red brick building with a row of narrow windows positioned along the top rim of the building so high as to defy anyone’s effort to see the sky from the stinginess of their narrow slits. Barbed wire is laced round the windows as a nasty afterthought. Except for a simple sign designating it The Elizabeth Detention Center, one would be hard pressed to deduce that this building was designed to confine our fellow human beings who are seeking refuge in our midst. 

The building itself is a cruel and uninviting edifice. The conditions inside beg forgiveness of all who administrate them. They beg forgiveness of us all because we, by our ignorance and silence, are complicit in their enforcement. In a litany of prayer for the detained, Rev. William Henkel said “We pray for a peaceful spirit as we work and serve among neighbors whose fearfulness prevents generosity from flowering in human hearts.”…..And, then, “We pray for grace and courage as we seek to live up to our nation’s heritage as a haven for the tired, the poor, and huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

If there is hope, and, of course there always is, it was fueled by the exuberance of the

participants in the demonstration. There were dancers from the Marinera Dancing School. There was a rousing invitation from the Seton Ensemble from Mother Seton Regional High School who sang out, “Go Make a Difference!” Youth from Don Bosco High School & The Speak Out Club made their voices heard for freedom for the oppressed among us.
A particularly touching presentation was made by Eduardo Murillo, a former detainee and unaccompanied minor. His words were so simple….so direct….so profound! “I am grateful for the support of people who were always by my side. I thank God for the opportunity to be here. It was very difficult for me to get here, but my faith kept me going. I had to walk a lot. I had to pass through many dangerous places, but I got here.” A masterpiece of understatement!

A young family, a mom and dad and their lovely twins, stood out in the gathering. The Dad told his story of being a detainee in prison when his wife gave birth to their two children. They had to leave their native land, Colombia, he said “because of the violence there.” Their journey to our country was fraught with anxiety. Their effort to assimilate into our culture was monumental. To think that such effort would be confronted with hatred or deportation makes one’s heart sink with sadness. The rejection of new immigrants is not new, and it is so often based upon fear and the seemingly primal urge to reject “the stranger.” 

The Catholic Worker Band, Filthy Rotten System (Their name was based on the words of Dorothy Day.), gave a stirring rendering of the Woodie Guthrie song, “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos).” The words sear into our consciousness if we let them. 

“Some of us are illegal and some not wanted. ….
We died in your hills; we died in your deserts;
We died in your valleys; we died in your plains.
We died ‘neath your trees and we died in your bushes;
Both sides of the river, we died just the same.” 

Anyone reading this article might be asking, “What can I do?” We can call on our legislators to reach out to the unaccompanied children. We can offer our personal love and respect for all of our recent immigrant friends. We can, as the Seton Ensemble sang to us,….

“Go make a difference. We can make a difference.
Go make a difference in the world.
We are the salt of the earth, called to let the people see
The love of God in you and me.
We are the light of the world, not to be hidden but be seen.
We are the hands of Christ reaching out to those in need,
The face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope; we are the voice of peace.
So…let your light shine on, let it shine for all to see.
Go make a difference in the world!
And the spirit of Christ will be with us as we go.
GO! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Be peace! Be the change you want to see in the world.

Father Martin’s words were a promise of hope to all when he said, “We intend to keep doing these protests until all the detention centers are closed.” 

Do not be discouraged! There may be a great deal of horror in the world. It often feels overwhelming. Our call is to resist it every chance we get….every way we can. There is a continuum of activism. Do something small like giving a dollar to a homeless person, donating clothing and toys, giving your time to visit a detention center. Heroic acts are admirable. We are grateful for a Gandhi, a Martin Luther King, a Mother Theresa, and a Dorothy Day. However, we must not underestimate the collective power of good folks like those who gathered on October 12th to stand in solidarity outside the Elizabeth Detention Center. And we must never underestimate the worthiness of each one of our personal acts of loving kindness. As Mother Theresa so wisely reminds us, “No act of kindness is too small!”

First Friends assists and supports both detained and released detainees. First Friends is a non-profit organization that upholds the inherent humanity and dignity of all immigrants. They provide visitors and non-legal assistance for immigrants held in detention and work for improved conditions. They advocate for the end of arbitrary mass detention, believing detention is morally wrong, legally suspect, and wasteful of taxpayer funds. To become better acquainted with First Friends, visit their website: www.firstfriendsnjny.org. Click on DONATE tab to generously support the work of First Friends !!!