Episcopal Refugee Advocates Join in Lobbying Effort
Episcopal News Service. September 21, 1995 [95-1239]
(ENS) Refugee advocates from Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) joined recently in two days of lobbying on Capitol Hill on behalf of immigrants and refugees.
The legislative action, called Lobby Days to Defend Immigration, was organized by National Immigration Forum, a Washington D.C.-based coalition of immigrant/refugee advocacy groups to target pending legislation that would severely restrict refugee resettlement in the United States.
EMM members as well as their colleagues from Church World Service's Immigration and Refugee Program, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and the U.S. Catholic Conference were among nearly 350 advocates from secular and religious organizations who participated in education programs on immigration policy while conducting hundreds of visits to senators and representatives.
The turnout for the event was heartening, but "it's very difficult to gauge the impact," said Richard Parkins, EMM director. "Never in these meetings does the member of Congress or staff member say, 'Yes, I agree with you and I'm going to change my vote.'"
The effort now will be carried further by professional lobbyists supported by a "phase two" campaign of telephone calls and letters. "What we did was symbolically important for directing attention to the issue," Parkins said. "Now the more technical types are weighing in."
Accompanying the advocates on many of the visits were refugees who related accounts of persecution and stressed the urgency of maintaining a humane and responsive refugee admissions policy.
Niwas and Sajid Hukanovic, two Bosnian brothers resettled through the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, spoke at a press conference about their flight from violence in Bosnia. They pleaded for keeping this country's doors open by rejecting pending House legislation (H.R. 2202) sponsored by Texas Congressman Lamar Smith that would cap refugee admissions at less than half of the current level.
The lobbying effort focused on showing that "this bill is bad across the board: bad for business, bad for labor," Parkins said, adding the participants also stressed that "refugees are good for the country."
Immigration and refugee groups have been trying to clarify the distinctions between "legal immigration and illegal immigration," Parkins said, noting that the bill confuses the issue by including provisions on both in the same legislation. They have also advocated protecting policies designed to reunify families, and have opposed a national identification system proposed as a way to curb illegal immigration.
Coinciding with their lobbying effort, the coalition sponsored an advertisement in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper for Congressional members, calling for continued hospitality to newcomers.
EMM, Church World Service and Lutheran Immigration Service also have joined forces to mobilize their respective networks through an ongoing Refugee Protection Campaign that will urge church bodies to speak out in favor of immigrants and refugees. Information on the campaign is available through Parkins at 800-334-7626, extension 5216.