IMAGE: CNS photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review
By Paul McMullen
BALTIMORE
(CNS) — This generation of immigrants to Baltimore will continue to find a
haven in the Catholic Church.
That
was the message Oct. 10 from the steps of Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazon
de Jesus, where Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, Archbishop William E. Lori and
Catholic pastors who minister to those from foreign countries attended the
announcement of the establishment of a Parish ID program.
The
program’s priority is “focused on helping residents to feel comfortable
interacting with the Baltimore City Police Department,” according to BUILD, or Baltimoreans
United in Leadership Development, which helped organize the initiative.
Even
though the enforcement of immigration laws falls primarily under federal
jurisdiction rather than municipal jurisdiction, many the city’s immigrants who
are living in the U.S. without legal documents remain hesitant to report crimes
committed against them, for fear of their own arrest, and possible deportation
and separation from their families.
“No
one should be a victim because they’re afraid of calling police,” said Pugh,
who backed the initiative at a town hall in June.
With
the support of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Catholic Charities of
Baltimore, through the Esperanza Center, residents will be able to obtain a
non-government-issued ID that shows their photo and home address.
“The
full weight of the Archdiocese of Baltimore is behind this effort,” said Archbishop
Lori, head of the Baltimore Archdiocese.
The
program will be launched at Sacred Heart of Jesus-Sagrado Corazon de Jesus,
followed by St. Matthew in Northwood and then other parishes that serve
immigrant communities.
According
to BUILD, city residents who have been members of its affiliate churches for
three months are eligible for a Parish ID. It requires an existing
identification, such as a passport; proof of address, such as a utility bill; a
notarized statement from another person who can verify one’s identity; and
attendance at a half-day orientation.
Interim
Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle said that the card was being introduced to
command staff Oct. 11, and department-wide in the next two weeks. BUILD said
the IDs will only be recognized in the city.
While
some logistics remain to be worked out, priests such as Redemptorist Father
Bruce Lewandowski and Father Joseph Muth, who are the respective pastors of
those faith communities, will play a substantial role in the roll-out.
“The
best example I can think of, I call 911 to report a break in, my house has been
robbed,” Father Lewandowski said. “I call the police, how do they know I live
there? How do I identify myself? If I’m an immigrant, I can show them my
passport, but that just says I come from another country.
“I
show them my Parish ID, (it shows) there are people there who know me and can
verify my identity. If someone is stopped by the police, it says people know
me.”
Several
speakers alluded to the hope that the program could help drive down crime in a
city coming off the deadliest year in its history.
“We
are sending a clear message, that people have a right to be safe,” the
archbishop said. “People have a right to live in a city where they see each
other as neighbors and friends, rather than strangers and enemies.”
“With
the security offered by this ID, people will stop looking over their shoulders
and stop hiding in their homes and parishes,” he added. “This ID provides one
avenue to freedom from fear. The ID card is a way of developing trust ‘ and
creating safer streets and homes.”
Asked
what qualifies him to vouch for his people, Father Lewandowski said, “I know
probably 1,500 people in this parish alone, probably 800 at St. Patrick and
probably 400 more at Our Lady of Fatima.”
Father
Muth can speak for Rebecca Kitana, a native of Kenya and member of the
Immigration Outreach Service Center, based at St. Matthew Church. The parish is
both her spiritual home and her literal one, as she resides in its convent
through the auspices of Asylee Women’s Enterprise.
“Anyone
who comes to our door is given a safe place,” Kitana said of the outreach
center, which has assisted immigrants from more than 140 countries. “At the
IOSC, we know that many immigrants will benefit from the Parish ID. There are
people who are living in fear.
“I
personally know a woman who is scared to leave her house, because she is afraid
that she will come into contact with police, be detained and force to leave
behind her child. An ID like this will make people less afraid, and more fully
engaged.”
Father
Muth noted the history of Baltimore, and the church.
“We’re
an immigrant church, in an immigrant city,” Father Muth said. “The city was
built, and the church was built, by and for immigrants of many generations. Now
we’re taking this step for the next generation, to keep them protected with ID
cards that acknowledge their place in the community.”
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McMullen
is managing editor of the Catholic Review, the news website and magazine of the
Archdiocese of Baltimore.
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