To: Ms. Diantha McKeel, the Albemarle County Jail Board, and Colonel Martin Kumer, Regional Jail Superintendent
From: Members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective
Re: ACRJ Notifications to ICE
As members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, we have followed with concern the ongoing community discussion of the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail (ACRJ) decision to continue voluntary notifications to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding release dates of detained members of our community. While we understand that the ACRJ is required to notify ICE when an undocumented person enters the facility, notifying ICE of their release is a choice, not a requirement.
Having received and reviewed a copy of your July 1, 2018 “Concerned Citizen” letter justifying the continuation of this policy, we strongly encourage the Jail Board to reconsider its decision regarding the matter.
Through ongoing notifications to ICE, the ACRJ Board is effectively facilitating extrajudicial incarcerations based on citizenship status, rather than on a serious criminal offense. The position that the ACRJ Board has taken in notifying ICE aboutpeople who have been cleared to be released has the potential to separate families, hinder undocumented persons from seeking legal means to remain in this country, and create an unjust and even inhumane situation that leads to additional racial profiling of vulnerable community members.
Since we also understand that attempting to develop a methodology for deciding individual cases would create undue difficulty, we implore you, the ACRJ Board, to end these ICE notifications altogether.
Sincerely,
Rev. Phil Woodson, First United Methodist Church
Rev. Isaac Collins, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church
Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, Congregation Beth Israel
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam, Tabor Presbyterian Church
Gail Hyder Wiley, elder, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Bill Bray, Elim Korean International Church, Charlottesville
Rev. Sandra Wisco, ELCA
Rev. Brittany Caine‑Conley, Congregate Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Jill Duffield, Cove Presbyterian Church
Rev. Jillian Andrzejewski, Mooreland Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Eugene T. Locke, Parish Associate Westminster Presbyterian
Rev. Liz Forney, First Presbyterian Church
Elizabeth Shillue, Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Rev. Rabia Povich, Inayati Order
Rev. Deborah Lewis, Wesley Foundation at UVA
Rev. Susan A. Minasian, Sojourners United Church of Christ
Rev. Marilu J. Thomas, Associate Rector Christ Episcopal Church
Rev. Carol Carruthers Sims, Episcopal Priest, Retired
Rev. Robert Lewis, Hinton Avenue United Methodist Church
Rev. Emily Rowell Brown, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church
Rev. Dr. Michael Cheuk, Charlottesville Clergy Collective
Ann Marie Smith Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Maren Hange, Charlottesville Mennonite Church
Rev. Dr. Martha Dixon Kearse, Peakland Baptist Church, Lynchburg
Jim Bundy, Retired Minister, United Church of Christ
Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey, United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey, Co‑Pastor, New Beginnings Christian Community
Jan Rivero, United Methodist Clergy, retired
Cynthia Power, Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Rev. Nicholas Deere, Charlottesville, VA
Rev. Brenda Brown‑Grooms, Co‑Pastor, New Beginnings Christian Community
Rabbi Tom Gutherz, Congregation Beth Israel
Rev. Alvin Edwards, PhD, Senior Pastor, Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church
Sharon Beckman‑Brindley, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Cass Bailey, Trinity Episcopal Church
Sheikha Latifa Till, Sufi Ruhaniat International
Rev. Don Lansky, Unity of Charlottesville
Adam Slate, President, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist
From: Members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective
Re: ACRJ Notifications to ICE
As members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, we have followed with concern the ongoing community discussion of the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail (ACRJ) decision to continue voluntary notifications to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding release dates of detained members of our community. While we understand that the ACRJ is required to notify ICE when an undocumented person enters the facility, notifying ICE of their release is a choice, not a requirement.
Having received and reviewed a copy of your July 1, 2018 “Concerned Citizen” letter justifying the continuation of this policy, we strongly encourage the Jail Board to reconsider its decision regarding the matter.
Through ongoing notifications to ICE, the ACRJ Board is effectively facilitating extrajudicial incarcerations based on citizenship status, rather than on a serious criminal offense. The position that the ACRJ Board has taken in notifying ICE aboutpeople who have been cleared to be released has the potential to separate families, hinder undocumented persons from seeking legal means to remain in this country, and create an unjust and even inhumane situation that leads to additional racial profiling of vulnerable community members.
Since we also understand that attempting to develop a methodology for deciding individual cases would create undue difficulty, we implore you, the ACRJ Board, to end these ICE notifications altogether.
Sincerely,
Rev. Phil Woodson, First United Methodist Church
Rev. Isaac Collins, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church
Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, Congregation Beth Israel
Rev. Liz Hulme Adam, Tabor Presbyterian Church
Gail Hyder Wiley, elder, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Bill Bray, Elim Korean International Church, Charlottesville
Rev. Sandra Wisco, ELCA
Rev. Brittany Caine‑Conley, Congregate Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. Jill Duffield, Cove Presbyterian Church
Rev. Jillian Andrzejewski, Mooreland Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Eugene T. Locke, Parish Associate Westminster Presbyterian
Rev. Liz Forney, First Presbyterian Church
Elizabeth Shillue, Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Rev. Rabia Povich, Inayati Order
Rev. Deborah Lewis, Wesley Foundation at UVA
Rev. Susan A. Minasian, Sojourners United Church of Christ
Rev. Marilu J. Thomas, Associate Rector Christ Episcopal Church
Rev. Carol Carruthers Sims, Episcopal Priest, Retired
Rev. Robert Lewis, Hinton Avenue United Methodist Church
Rev. Emily Rowell Brown, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church
Rev. Dr. Michael Cheuk, Charlottesville Clergy Collective
Ann Marie Smith Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Maren Hange, Charlottesville Mennonite Church
Rev. Dr. Martha Dixon Kearse, Peakland Baptist Church, Lynchburg
Jim Bundy, Retired Minister, United Church of Christ
Rev. Tracy Howe Wispelwey, United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey, Co‑Pastor, New Beginnings Christian Community
Jan Rivero, United Methodist Clergy, retired
Cynthia Power, Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Rev. Nicholas Deere, Charlottesville, VA
Rev. Brenda Brown‑Grooms, Co‑Pastor, New Beginnings Christian Community
Rabbi Tom Gutherz, Congregation Beth Israel
Rev. Alvin Edwards, PhD, Senior Pastor, Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church
Sharon Beckman‑Brindley, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Cass Bailey, Trinity Episcopal Church
Sheikha Latifa Till, Sufi Ruhaniat International
Rev. Don Lansky, Unity of Charlottesville
Adam Slate, President, Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist
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