A series of new television and radio commercials, billboards and bus shelter signs will soon go up around San Francisco advertising the fact that the city promises safe access to city services for the undocumented and a don't-ask-don't-tell policy when it comes residency status."We are standing up to say to all of our residents: We don't care what your status is," Mayor Gavin Newsom said. "We care that you, as a human being, are a resident of our city and we want you to participate in the life of our city."
The campaign precedes the city's plan in August to begin issuing municipal identification cards to city residents - regardless of whether they are in the country legally. Officials said they not only want immigrants to know about San Francisco's sanctuary city policy, they want city workers, business owners and others to know the same.
"We're taking a big bite of the reality sandwich in admitting that there are people who live here who may or may not have citizen status," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who helped spearhead the ad campaign and who represents the city's heavily Latino Mission District.
Police Chief Heather Fong said officers will report undocumented immigrants if they have a felony arrest, but otherwise, "we do not work on enforcing immigration laws."
Read the full story here. Picture shows Mayor Newsom with Fr Brendan McBride from the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center at an ILIR event in San Francisco.
10 comments:
Great job San Fran,Its a pity other cities wouldnt have as much cop on!
maureen
Anyone who intends to use San Francisco's own little amnesty program as a hedge against the failure of comprehensive immigration reform is clearly someone looking for an easy way out of their own self-inflicted problem.
The only way to ensure long-term security for illegal Irish immigrants in America is for these immigrants, and their supporters, to roll up their sleeves and continue to lobby their politicians and neighbors on the merits of CIR. And if a solution cannot be reached in Congress, then they should turn their attention, however reluctantly, to ensuring adequate re-settlement programs are put in place by the Irish government in the event that remaining in America no longer is an option.
The people who would eschew their duty to the CIR campaign, and the legwork that it entails, are exactly the kind of people who DON'T deserve the benefits CIR would provide.
Wow Brendanhood,
just self righteousness.I hope you get the same compassion in your next time of need!!
Food for thought:
http://generationonepointfive.blogspot.com/2008/04/immigration-line-to-us-is-really-black.html
"... Americans of European descent should ponder how many of their immigrant ancestors would have qualified for entry under today's immigration system. Those who say their ancestors followed the rules should ask what those rules were. Did your ancestors do more than arrive at Ellis Island? ..."
Just want to respond to the question about Ellis Island It wasn't just a matter of "showing up" (to quote Woody Allen). For example, there were health inspections performed at Ellis Island. If the passenger did not have a certain level of health, he/she was sent back. I know this from direct experience, as the wife of my great-uncle was sent back to England when she arrived at Ellis Island in 1904.
There was also a "sponsorship" requirement. The passenger has to be sponsored by a friend or relative resident in the United States.
The passenger needed a certain level of financial support.
There is also the "myth" that immigrants names were changed at Ellis Island. The manifests were drawn up before the boat left Europe.
I don't know if you will post these comments because your blog seems one-sided.
I think canon law is missing the point. If it were as easy as passing a health check, a friend sponsoring or financial support to gain status here then there would really be no need for the ILIR now would there?
As to the blog being one sided, not quite true i have seen opinions from both sides of the argument unlike other complete one-sided, anti-immigrant, windbag sites!
And Brendanhood "..self-inflicted problem" most had no choice but to emigrate here and are stuck in this nightmare of being out of status through a non-official precedent established over the past few decades of turning a blind eye to workers doing jobs Americans don't want to do. Until that unofficial policy is well and truly closed the U.S. cannot simply pat them on the back and send them home.
I'm sure you have a great depth of experience being in this situation, peeking out of your dorm window and deciding if you should get out of bed for a class or two, so please exercise some emotion for people who are probably the most deserving in this society.
What about the people who were legal?
My current situation is that I am legal at the moment, but because of an abusive spouse who stood in the way of my adjustment of status for 5 years, twice filing, I am going through a divorce and might loose any legal status I have gained.
I have been here ALL of my adult life. I have a good job. I am a productive member of society.
My abusive wife held that green card application over me every day, going so far as to file false tax returns so she was not eligible to sponsor me. She just wanted me to pay her bills and nothing else. How can the current situation allow american citizens to get away with this cruel and inhuman treatment?
Help me! Help everyone in this situation.
Something needs to be done soon.
I'm not missing the point. I was merely responding to anonymous' "Food For Thought" comment "Did your ancestors do more than arrive at Ellis Island? ..."
My ancestors (at least those who came through Ellis Island) had to do more than just show up. And I merely explained to anonymous what sort of standards they had to meet.
Steber, it sounds like you may have grounds for legal action. I strongly suggest you contact an immigration attorney. But you need to do so quickly, especially if the divorce is near finalization.
As horrible as it sounds, her abusive manner (which hindered your application attempts earlier) may also lead to the loss of your ability to apply for legal status -- because you are getting divorced.
i filed an I-360
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