Rabbi Andrew Straus of Temple Sinai in Oakland has a recipe for destroying America:
Although the Secure Communities program originally was intended to target undocumented immigrants who commit violent and serious crimes, it has become an indiscriminate mass deportation program. Seven out of 10 Californians deported last year either had no prior convictions, or prior convictions only for minor nonviolent offenses.
Furthermore, Secure Communities has created a climate of fear in the immigrant community and has adversely affected community policing efforts. Many undocumented immigrants, including victims of domestic violence, are hesitant to report crimes to law enforcement or contact authorities because they believe that contact with the police could result in separation from their families and deportation. Beyond the emotional and community costs, in 2012 California taxpayers spent $65 million to detain people for federal authorities.
Immigration is a Jewish issue. We have been the immigrant, the stranger, perhaps more than any other people in the history of humankind. We know what it means to be an outsider, dependent on others. The Torah reminds us over and over again: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:33–34). This commandment is repeated more than any other commandment.
Reform CA acted on this mitzvah by traveling to Sacramento to lobby for greater fairness in California’s immigration laws, and in particular to prevent families from being broken apart by unfair deportations. We advocated for the Senate to pass a robust and expansive TRUST Act and for the governor to sign it into law in a manner that will protect as many immigrants as possible.
Participating rabbis from the Bay Area included myself and Steven Chester of Temple Sinai; Larry Raphael and Julie Saxe-Taller of Congregation Sherith Israel; Ryan Bauer, Carla Fenves and Jonathan Jaffe of Congregation Emanu-El; Melanie Aron of Congregation Shir Hadash; and Andi Berlin of the Union for Reform Judaism, along with community members from the above congregations, as well as Beth Am and Shomrei Torah.
We urge you to join us to help make California a more just and compassionate state, as we work with our interfaith partners for passage of the TRUST Act.
Help protect our immigrant brothers and sisters from living their lives in fear of deportation today when tomorrow, they could be on the path to citizenship. To participate, go to http://www.RAC.org/ReformCA to send a letter to your state senator and Gov. Jerry Brown to tell them that you support the TRUST Act.
