SALT LAKE CITY – Immigrant rights teams released new documents Thursday, describing ice surveillance of immigrants taking refuge in U. S. churches and making plans to impose massive civil fines on nine of them.
Behind the closure of Salt Lake City’s first unitary church is Vicky Chavez.
“This is a difficult time for me,” Chavez said in an interview with Zoom on Thursday.
Chávez and his two daughters, over the age of nine and three, have gone to church since they left Honduras two years and nine months ago.
“[People] think we’re here just because we need to stay here, but I say we’re here out of necessity,” Chavez said.
“I fight for my children, I do all this for my children,” he continued. “I know that if we leave the country and return to my country, our lives will be in great danger. “
Unable to leave the walls around him, Vicky and her daughters faced a number of demanding situations, however, last summer they faced one of the most demanding situations to date: a heer fine from immigration and customs enforcement (ICE).
The amount almost half a million dollars.
“How is it possible that we can get a fine of this amount?” said Chavez in disbelief. How can [ICE] think I have so much money?”
Vicky, one of nine “sanctuary leaders” who have been living in churches across the United States lately, will be fined approximately $500,000.
According to immigrant rights groups, ICE officials were able to impose the fine through an unused segment in the past of the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to which ICE may impose fines of several hundred dollars per day.
After the imposition of the fines, lawyers from sanctuary leaders began to question the constitutionality of the civil fines of the INA STATUTES and mobilized to oppose the fines.
Following the rejection, ICE rescinded the fines in October 2019, in February 2020, and ICE reissued notices of intent to fine sanctuary leaders with a smaller amount.
Sanctuary leaders have provoked a wave of legal responses opposed to fines; the case has been pending ever since.
Hoping to give new life to the factor before the presidential election, recently released immigrant rights teams received documents Thursday describing the plans and habits of ICE officials before fines were factored.
“It’s almost like a confessional email that accurately explains how they intended to use this component of the law to punish and attack sanctuary leaders,” Chavez’s lawyer David Bennion said.
“We have learned very obviously that sanctuary leaders are being monitored and monitored through ICE with such retaliation in mind,” he continued.
Teams published 17 pages of redacted documents, adding court records and emails between ICE executives.
According to the documentation, the “large total of proposed sanctions” opposed to sanctuary leaders amounted to $3,066,560.
“It was shocking, and I think ICE intended this to have an effect to alarm and frighten network leaders who defended themselves, their freedom and their families,” Bennion said.
As Election Day approaches, sanctuary leaders hope to draw the attention of presidential candidates so that adjustments can be made.
“Compassion does not prevent at the border, ” said the Reverend of the First Unitarian Church, Tom Goldsmith. “We will have to do everything we can to fix the immigration system, which is not only damaged, but damaged in a million pieces. “
“One day these other people will understand why we take the decision to take refuge here,” Chavez said, shaking his head.
The National Sanctuary Collective has filed a petition urging Americans to take action and show their interest in those who have recently taken refuge in the United States.