This week, immigrants, advocates, faith leaders, and allies are embarking on a 643-mile journey driving across the state of Colorado. Participants are calling on the Congressional delegation to enact needed changes in immigration policy that would allow four women living in sanctuary in Colorado – and millions of others in the U.S. – to access a path to citizenship and a life without fear of deportation. The caravan will conclude on September 27 in Aurora and Denver. The Delegation will visit Congressman Mike Coffman’s office in Aurora and in Denver, the Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA), American Friends Service Committee Sanctuary Caravan and allies will rally at both Senator’s offices to demand they stop funding the deportation machine and commit to solutions by endorsing the People’s Resolution. The rally begins at Senator Cory Gardner’s office and will go to Senator Michael Bennet’s office. And at 4:30pm the groups will hold a press conference followed by a potluck with local legislators and Araceli Velasquez at Park Hill United Methodist and Temple Micah.
“We’ve organized across the state to protect our communities and establish that Congress can take concrete steps now to create a path to citizenship. Our communities and our families insist we belong here and that the Colorado congress people take action now,” said Araceli Velasquez, a sanctuary leader who has been advocating for her family from sanctuary for 13 months.
“ICE has been a destructive force for many communities across the nation and within the state,” stated Eduardo Gomez from COPA. “We need our policy makers to commit to defunding ICE to see the war against immigrant communities come to an end, and the people’s resolution is holding them accountable to do so.”
“We know this administration is willing to rob Peter to pay Paul, as evidenced by recent revelations that ICE has opened ten new, and hidden, detention facilities with money stolen from other agencies. Congress should be outraged by the deliberate efforts of the Trump Administration to undermine oversight and the power of the purse and act immediately to abolish ICE and create real paths to status,” continued Jennifer Piper of the American Friends Service Community.
“We’ve organized across the state to protect our communities and establish that Congress can take concrete steps now to create a path to citizenship.”
Araceli Velasquez
The caravan will demonstrate statewide support for the “People’s Resolution”, which was created by four sanctuary leaders in Colorado. The Resolution calls on the Colorado congressional delegation to create legal permanent residency for Temporary Protected Status and DACA holders; protect asylum seekers; restore access to legal permanent residency for parents of U.S. citizen children and repeal the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) which limited judicial discretion and criminalized migration; and eliminate quotas that mean decades of waiting for millions of people trying to change their immigration status.
Elected officials, churches, businesses, nonprofits, and community groups across the state have endorsed the resolution.
More information on the People’s Resolution can be found at http://peoplesresolution.org.
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