Students and community members gathered Tuesday night at the 1912 Center to discuss providing sanctuary in the context of immigration and refugees.
Vice Chair of the Moscow Human Rights Commission and University of Idaho Associate Professor of journalism Rebecca Tallent introduced the panelists and organized the event. The panelists — UI Associate Professor of Law Kate Evans, director of the Martin Institute Bill Smith and Washington State University graduate student Carolina Silva — each gave a brief introduction to their knowledge of the topic before the floor was opened for questions.
Evans, who Silva described as her personal immigration lawyer, has a strong understanding of the meaning of “sanctuary” in terms of the law. According to Evans, sanctuary doesn’t have an exact legal definition — instead, she said the act of giving sanctuary or protection to immigrants holds governments accountable for human rights issues. She described several ways that issues of sanctuary arise on international, national and local scales.
“The notion of sanctuary is a term that’s used a lot on both sides of divides around immigrant protective policies and pro-enforcement policies,” Evans said. “The term is both contested and complicated. It stems from fake race traditions and encompasses an idea of an expression of love for one’s neighbor, a way to respond to the needs of the oppressed, an initiative to create a safe haven, an act of compassion.”
Smith discussed the issue of sanctuary specifically in relation to refugees. He gave a brief overview of the different types of refugees and what seeking asylum looks like for them. He added an explanation of how Americans may not understand the concepts of asylum and sanctuary.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “asylum status is a form of protection available to people who meet the definition of refugee (and) are already in the United States (or) seeking admission at a port of entry.”
Smith said the media produced in the Cold War had a heavy influence on how people perceive asylum.
“(Asylum) is actually a version of sanctuary because asylum abroad only applies in the location where asylum was granted,” Smith said. “It doesn’t get someone out of the country from which they’re fleeing.”
Silva, a Peruvian-Ukrainian immigrant who recently became an official U.S. citizen, discussed the social impacts of sanctuary and how deportations and lack of sanctuary affects communities. She reminded the audience that sanctuary, asylum and immigration is a matter of human rights.
“The first thing we have to recognize when we’re talking about these categories, these different statuses, immigration pieces, are that all these things are created by people and thus, they can be changed,” Silva said. “These are social constructions that have really big implications on the lives of everyday people.”
An audience member asks a question in the 1912 Center, Tuesday.
Alex Stutzman | Argonaut
Community members asked a variety of questions of the panelists. One community member, UI College Assistance Migrant Program Recruiter Victor Canales-Gamino, shared a personal story about his immigration to the US.
“My family and myself were immigrants from Mexico,” Canales-Gamino said.
He said he was undocumented for some time and his parents and grandparents were farmers.
“We grew corn, that’s all we did. After NAFTA, we couldn’t compete with U.S. imports, so we had to make a decision — stay and live in poverty or make that move,” Silva said. “It was really dangerous for my family to make that decision. I almost drowned when I came. I went through the Rio Grande. When we talk about these decisions, (we need to) remind ourselves that we’re human.”
After the panel was over, community members were welcomed to continue their conversations with the panelists. Many did — and expressed their interest making strides towards making Moscow and other communities safer places for immigrants to live.
According to Silva, one way for community members and students in Moscow and Pullman to make a difference is to get involved with or make donations to the Crimson Group at WSU, a student organization that advocates for immigrants’ rights. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.