Episode 17: Witness at Supreme Court/SB 1070

Rev. Craig Roshaven, Director of Witness Ministries for the Unitarian Universalist Association, led a two-hour program as part of a 48-hour interfaith vigil in front of the Supreme Court April 24, a day before the court began hearing the case Arizona v. United States. At issue is whether Arizona and other states can become enforcers of immigration through policies such as SB 1070, the most stringent anti-illegal immigration legislation in the country when it was introduced in 2010.

Among the testimonies included in this episode is that of a man of Mexican ancestry named Genaro, whose son married an U.S. citizen but is now barred re-entry to the U.S. because he initially came to the U.S. without documentation. Genaro was part of a group of 12 from Phoenix representing Promise Arizona who traveled 43 hours to be part of this witness.

We also hear from Unitarian Universalist lay people, including Julie Erfle, a member of the UU congregation in Phoenix, whose husband, a police officer, was shot and killed by an undocumented immigrant. Julie will be one of the featured speakers at General Assembly in Phoenix.

Among the supporters who spoke during the rally were Frank Sherry of America's Voice, an immigration reform advocacy organization, and Rev. Phil Reller of the One Arizona Interfaith Leaders Coalition, who gave testimony at a Senate hearing earlier that day where Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said he would push legislation to block SB 1070.