None of us is opposed to the sheriff locking up people who have committed crimes. None of us want open borders. All of us want our lawmakers to come up with real immigration reform and a just system that solves issues of concern for all parties involved without meanness, cruelty, xenophobia, and actions that violate the Constitution.
With our persistent attendance at public meetings, vigils, and peaceful demonstrations, we continue to be a hopeful group. Together, we stand for justice and due process for all, including the right to a fair hearing, right to counsel, right of appeal, and right to humane treatment. We stand for better immigration laws that treat individuals and families with respect and dignity.
We are concerned about poorly-trained, masked, and armed ICE and Border Patrol agents as they carry out their operations here and elsewhere. A broken immigration policy has led to racial profiling, intimidation of both citizens and non-citizens, the forceful separation of families, crippling fear and trauma, the destruction of livelihoods, and neglect and violence causing deaths.
The vast majority of migrants being detained locally and nationwide are non-criminals whose only offense has been their initial entry, a civil misdemeanor. Many of those jailed are people who followed all the rules, but lost legal status when asylum was denied or their legal protected status pulled by the new federal administration. These individuals are separated from their work and their families, denied sunlight during the day and darkness at night, and deprived of warmth, decent food, and due process while in our county jail’s custody.
People who have committed no crime do not belong in jail. Every person in Butler County’s three jails is treated like a criminal and lives under punitive conditions while being deprived of freedom, family, and a source of income. Over 80% of ICE detainees are non-criminals, yet the sheriff proudly inflicts punishment as if he needs to teach all detainees a lesson.
This is why Butler County for Immigrant Justice keeps showing up for the people who came to this country to work for better lives, but now live in fear—afraid to go to school, to the grocery store, to church, to the doctor or the hospital. They should not be afraid to report a crime or see a sheriff’s vehicle in their neighborhoods.
Many of us who regularly show up at commissioners public comments are retired senior citizens, mostly because we are available to attend the Tuesday morning meetings (although a recent snow day brought out a college student and an active teacher).
Because most of us are past retirement age, we have seen things in our lives that have taught us patience, compassion, empathy, wisdom, and a sense of history. We easily recognize right and wrong. Most of all, long life has taught us the importance of persistence. We will continue to use our First Amendment rights to speak out for justice for all. The commissioners have the power to end the ICE contract. We will continue to try to educate, shed light on the issue, and change hearts and minds.
Anne K. Jantzen is a Butler County resident.
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