Interfaith Network Commemorates One-Year Anniversary of Postville Immigration Raids with Rally at Federal Plaza and Interfaith Prayer Service at Chicago ICE Headquarters

Faith Community Calls for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Chicago, IL - An Interfaith Prayer Service on the Anniversary of the Postville Immigration Raid sponsored by 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and PASO – West Suburban Action Project. Local faith leaders will remember the raids that tore a community apart while calling for reform of the broken system that produced them. The raids demonstrated that the immigration system in America is broken, but just stopping the raids will not fix the system. 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, PASO – West Suburban Action Project and faith groups in over 20 states across the nation will stand together to commemorate Postville and call for comprehensive immigration reform by donning red ribbons, hosting interfaith prayer vigils and sounding a call for justice.

On May 12th, 2008, Immigrants Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 389 people at Agriprocessors Inc., the local kosher meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa. At the time, this was the largest raid in the history of the United States, changing the lives of many, in the town and around the nation. 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and PASO – West Suburban Action Project will commemorate the anniversary and bring attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform, just labor practices, family unity and an end to raids.

WHO: A diverse group of prominent priests, nuns, ministers, rabbis and religious community leaders have been invited to speak.

WHEN: Tuesday May 12, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: Rally and Interfaith Prayer Vigil at Federal Plaza (Dearborn and Jackson)

Followed by Procession to ICE Office (101 W. Congress)