Part 2: The Jericho Walk

NEW YORK SANCTUARY COALITION

Members of the New York Sanctuary Coalition and other community advocates gather every Thursday to support those who are checking in with the Immigration & Customs Enforcement at the Jacob K. Javitz Building in Federal Plaza. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

Volunteers circle the building a total of seven times before chanting in prayer facing the entrance of the building. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York – August 17, 2017.

The prayer reads: Dear god, you are a God of love and you call us to love and to take care of each other so that we can build a society of love, peace, and justice. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

The prayer continues: In this country founded on principles of liberty and justice, millions of our brothers and sisters live under unfair laws that discriminate against them. Millions of our families are divided and separated; parents and loved ones are deported. Every day, millions of people suffer the pain and anguish of not being able to live in dignity. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

The walk, despite having originated from the Bible story of the Battle of Jericho, is lead by an interfaith minister and supports immigrants of all faiths and backgrounds. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

Director and organizer of the New York Sanctuary Coalition, Ravidutt Ragbir, has organized the Jericho walks for the past four years. Ravi explains, “If you know anyone, anyone who’s undocumented, anyone who is an immigrant, tell them they don't have to be afraid because even if they get picked up by ICE, it doesn’t mean we will let them be deported.” Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

Minister Juan Carlos Ruiz explains that the New York Sanctuary Coalition feels it is extraordinarily important to show support for those checking-in with ICE because, “Immigration law, it’s extremely complicated and for this reason people get lost in the process of their court hearing and their necessity of papers and words to say to the judge.’ Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017

On this day in August, one member of the New York Sanctuary Coalition was unexpectedly detained while checking-in, leaving his family and the Coalition panicked as they tried to locate their loved one and prevent his deportation. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

Ravi tells the volunteers before beginning the Jericho walk on Thursday August 17, 2017 not to accept the unjust policies that have perpetuated racist stereotypes about all different immigrant communities. These assumptions have led to political, economic, and social discrimination in recent decades. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

The Jacob K. Javitz building was recently placed under construction because it was discovered that the building has begun sinking into the city streets, paralleling the story of the Israeli victory at Jericho. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

The prayer ends: We know that you are a fair God and that you have listened to our prayers, We know that, in the fullness of time, you will bring down these walls of injustice. We know that you will help us soften the hearts of our government, politicians, and all people so that, very soon, we can have a new immigration law that protects the dignity of all. Jacob K. Javitz Building at Federal Plaza, New York. August 17, 2017.

By Kate McGreevy & Yasmine Sanchez

PART 2: THE Jericho Walk

The Jericho Walk is a movement of support led by the New York Sanctuary Coalition that takes place in front of the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan. The walk developed from the Bible story in which a group of Israelites circled the walls of Jericho until the walls collapsed, defeating the Canaan army in the Battle of Jericho. The story of Jericho illustrates how the power of the people uniting helps others as much as humanly possible, and the rest must be left to the higher power. The New York Sanctuary Coalition hosts the Jericho Walk to display open support for those checking-in as well as their families forced to wait outside. Undocumented immigrants who have been registered by the government must attend court appearances where they are questioned on their current status and their reasons for migration. These immigrants enter this building unknowing if they will return to their families or be detained and deported without any form of trial. For this reason, the process of checking-in can be terrifying for immigrants who know little about representing themselves in these court appearances. The walk begins at the entrance of the Federal Plaza building. The group walks silently around the entire building seven times. Each time around, the group stops to recite a prayer in silence then, on the seventh circle, the group ends by chanting the prayer out loud in front of the building entrance. The walk represents the support of all those against the unjust immigration policies in the United States, uniting an immigrant community of millions and calling on a higher power to rescue those at risk. The New York Sanctuary Coalition has been hosting this movement once a week for the past four years.