Tri-Cities churches hosting program with ACLU lawyer on immigration laws

Reports of agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raiding houses, apartment buildings and businesses, and confronting people outside of courthouses or when they drop their kids off at school are very much in the news these days.

Immigrant detentions and deportations without due process of law have become ICE policy in the Chicago area and around the country, causing many to question these practices and creating confusion about immigrants’ rights and the role of law enforcement.

To address these questions and help clear up the confusion, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva is hosting a special presentation by American Civil Liberties Union attorney Rebecca Glenberg at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the church’s historic building, 102 S. Second St. in downtown Geneva.

Glenberg is the ACLU Illinois Chief Supervising Litigation Counsel: First Amendment. She will explain what immigrants are up against concerning federal vs. local laws, the Illinois TRUST Act, what rights immigrants possess under the law, and the First Amendment rights that apply.

Co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva Social Justice Team, the St. Charles Episcopal Church Racial Justice Committee and the Congregational Church of Batavia, the program is presented free of charge and is open to all members of the community.

The presentation will last about 60 minutes with ample time for questions and answers.

“I think many people are confused and concerned about the unprecedented actions that are being taken against immigrants in our communities,” said Sherry Wilson, Social Justice Team co-chair. “This presentation will explore the issues around these actions so that we can all better understand what’s going on in our state and our nation.”

Learn more at uusg.org.