March 15, 2017 Meeting at STM
Finbar, MSK and Ed Neely met with Deacon Luis Royo at STM. lroyo@stmchapelhill.org
Topic: How can Newman parishioners provide support to STM Latino community?
STM is deeply engaged with local nonprofits, government and police in addressing the needs of undocumented folks in our community. Deacon Royo described 3 major ongoing projects at STM which provide opportunities for support by the Newman community:
- Faith ID Initiative – provides identification cards to undocumented individuals
- Drivers Certificate Program – provides option in Orange County for undocumented individuals cited for driving without a driver’s license.
- Power of Attorney Program – assists undocumented community members in creating legal documentation re: who will take custody of their children and their property in an emergency, i.e. if they are arrested and immediately deported.
Faith ID Initiative
Almost any transaction in our modern life requires us to provide identification – proof that we are who we say we are. Whether we are getting a library card at the public library, applying for a loan at the bank, or picking up our kids from school, that ID card is something we need but mostly take for granted. For many years, the Mexican Consulate would issue IDs to undocumented individuals and those IDs provided people with crucial verification of their name and address. However, per NC law, government agencies (e.g. the police) can no longer accept IDs issued by the Mexican consulate. The Catholic church, working along with nonprofits such as EL Centro Hispano, and other organizations, has created a Faith ID Initiative which provides undocumented people with a verified “community” ID. Chapel Hill, Durham and Orange County police accept the Faith ID as a valid form of identification.
On Feb. 4th, 2017, STM sponsored a Faith ID session run by the Sheriff’s Office. Individuals must present proof of their address (e.g. a utility bill) and a valid ID from their country of origin in order to receive a Faith ID. Blessed Sacrament in Burlington runs the same program. This Saturday there is a Faith ID drive in Hillsboro. Newman parishioners can volunteer to help at these Faith ID sessions.
The next step in the initiative is to get businesses in the community to accept the Faith ID as a valid identification card. STM has successfully negotiated with the Chapel Hill Public Library to accept the card. They would like help getting schools on board as well as banks, markets, etc., particularly those where the Hispanic community shop. Newman parishioners can help with this effort.
Driving without a license
Almost 70% of people arrested for driving without a license in our community are Hispanics who are not able to get a driver’s license under current law. Yet people have to drive to work (perhaps cleaning your home, taking care of your yard!), drive to the grocery story, take their kids to the doctor, etc. The Interfaith Counsel’s “Justice United” program has negotiated with Orange County DA Jim Woodall to address this issue. District Attorneys have broad discretion in deciding whether to prosecute particular cases. Mr. Woodall has agreed to an innovative certification program that allows individuals who are cited for driving without a license to go through a two-part certificate program that will essentially shield them from prosecution for this infraction for 3 years. Importantly, the individual must not have broken the law in any other manner in order to qualify for the certification program. If they meet that requirement, they will go through a 4-hour safe driving course (remember current law forbids undocumented individuals from taking a driver’s test and receiving the license that demonstrates they know the rules of the road), and an additional 4-hour community education program that essentially explain how the US system works in terms of schools, doctors, etc. Once an individual completes this program and receives a certificate, they can take that certificate to court and their charge will be dismissed. That certificate will shield against further “driving without a license” charges for three years.
Once this program has been up and running for a year, STM would like to pitch it to other District Attorneys in the State. For now, STM could use help raising funds for scholarships to pay for the Driver’s Safety Course. That course will be provided by a private Drivers Ed company and the hope is to keep the cost down to $100 per person. A significant number of people may have difficulty coming up with the $100 and that is where scholarships come in. It sounds like Justice United will design and provide the community education component free of charge.
March 28, 2017 at 7pm: The District Attorney will present this program and take questions from the community. Several hundred people are anticipated to attend this meeting at STM. Our parishioners are welcome to attend.
Deacon Royo anticipates that they will have similar community meetings on this program up to 4 times a year.
Power of Attorney
Can you imagine what would happen to your children – not to mention your car, your home – if you were arrested tomorrow, taken to detention in Georgia and deported in a matter of weeks? Would your children – who are US citizens – go into the foster care system? Undocumented people are terrified and need to prepare for the worst. By executing a Power of Attorney document, an individual can designate someone to have legal guardianship of their children and their property.
On Sunday, March 26, 2017, 9am - 1:30pm, STM is hosting El Centro Hispano and other local groups that will meet with undocumented community members and help draft a legal power of attorney for them. Volunteer attorneys are needed.
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