Facing deportation, local immigrants find officials' help

About eighty people convened in the chapel of the Reformed Church of Highland Park (RCHP) December 8, to celebrate the introduction of H.R. 3590. This bill, introduced the previous day by U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), would remove hurdles for Indonesian immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S., according to a press release issued by its co-sponsors.

The bill has “seven co-sponsors and some of them have come on board, no doubt, because of the calls you made last week,” Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale of the Reformed Church told the assembly.

Pallone and Maloney introduced their legislation December 6, the day following an all-night vigil at the local church.

In 2009, Rev. Kaper-Dale and his church intervened on behalf of 72 Indonesian immigrants, members of Christian parish that holds services at the RCHP. These immigrants, who had overstayed their visas in the United States over the previous nine years, received permission at that time to stay in the United States for two additional years.

With the expiration of the stay, the 72 Indonesian nationals received orders to appear at the offices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with plane tickets in hand.

However, according to the same Indonesian individuals present Thursday evening, ICE officials have not been making good on the threat of deportation.

ICE belays deportations for now

One Highland Parker, Harry Pangemanan, recounted that he and his wife Rita had reported to the ICE that same day as ordered. After a three hour wait they were received by officials, but “they just told us to come back on January 10th,” Pangemanan said.

Another immigrant who had reported to ICE that day, identifying herself as Jane, said, “I was told to come back in three months.”

Kaper-Dale told the assembled crowd, “They were supposed to bring plane tickets, so nothing happening is good.” Later he said, “I have to imagine that some of this has to do with the amount of press generated by our vigil.” The December 5-6 vigil received coverage that included a full length article in the New York Times.

Calls to Congress continue

Advocates distributed a handbill listing telephone numbers of eight Republican Congressmen, including NJ Representatives Chris Smith (CD-4) and Leonard Lance (CD-7), whom they have targeted to sign on to the legislation.

“This is the kind of bill that is about issues Republicans say they care about,” Rev. Kaper-Dale said, referring to fear of religious persecution and "family values." Many of the people being threatened with deportation have children born in the United States, and the deportation procedures have disrupted and threaten to break up their families.

Despite celebrating positive developments, and rallying continued calls to Congress, event organizers also warned of intimidation of the Indonesian community.

Kaper-Dale warned of pressure being exerted by the Indonesian embassy on the local community. He said that even one local Christian Indonesian leader who helped organize the recent vigil has withdrawn his support under pressure. "He has been totally trumped by somebody. If they want to make threats it only proves that we have a reason . . . These are ongoing threats to all of you simply for raising your voices," the clergyman said.

Rev. Kaper-Dale also read a translation of a statement posted to Twitter by Dino Patti Djalal, Indonesia's ambassador to the United States: “I regret the attitude of 72 Indonesian citizens in New Jersey who tried to stay in the U.S. by way of disparaging their own nation.”

Telephone messages to the embassy, seeking comment on the allegations of religious persecution in Indonesia, remained unanswered.

At the U.S. State Department, Press Officer Kelly McKellogg also would not comment directly, but directed a reporter to the agency's 18-page "International Religious Freedom Report" issued in September of this year. According to the report, while incidents in 2010 decreased from previous years, “certain laws, policies, and official actions restricted religious freedom, and in some instances the government failed to protect persons from discrimination and abuse based on religion."

On February 11th, Amnesty International issued a press release concerning religious violence in Indonesia. Donna Guest, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director of the group, said an attack on a minority Muslim group reflects a “continued failure of the Indonesian government to protect religious minorities from harassment and attacks and to hold the perpetrators accountable."

The rights organization has continued to condemn religious violence in recent months, as have other rights groups including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Highland Park council president Elsie Foster-Dublin, an immigrant herself, attended the event at the Reformed Church. She told the Mirror, “We have parents of children in Irving and Bartle Schools under threat of deportation. This affects our town."

"Our council has not yet taken an official position on this issue," Foster-Dublin said, "but I stand in solidarity with the Indonesian community. They are political refugees and I agree strongly that they should be given asylum.”

Borough councilmember Gayle Brill-Mittler, a member of the local Human Relations Commission, said the issue will be discussed at their monthly meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, December 21.

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