Families confront NC congressman as they seek help for immigrants in sanctuary

Family and friends of six immigrants taking sanctuary in North Carolina churches confronted U.S. Rep. David Price to implore and prod him to file legislation they hope would help their confined family members gain permanent residency.

The unplanned discussion, held after a Price town hall meeting Thursday night, ended with the congressman sounding frustrated and many in the crowd of about 30 disappointed.

Price, a Democrat representing the Fourth Congressional District, said he was doing all he could to help the immigrants taking sanctuary in churches. Six immigrants are living on church properties in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Greensboro, according to Alerta Migratoria NC, a group that helps undocumented immigrants.

Taking sanctuary helps immigrants stay out of reach of ICE agents, who are reluctant to make arrests at churches. But the immigrants fear leaving church grounds, so they have spent months living apart from their families.

Price would not agree to file what are called private immigration bills as the family members wanted because, he said, the bills have no chance of becoming law.

“I’m not going to do something that has absolutely no hope,” he said.

Family members stood around Price holding large pictures of their confined relatives that included written reminders that they were parents, husbands or wives, and that they held jobs before they had to move away.

Price told the families they were getting bad advice if they thought the private immigration bills would help their relatives.

Beneficiaries of private immigration bills can gain permanent residency if the bills become law, but they rarely do.

Still, families and advocates said it would be worth Price filing the bills.

“We’re asking you to use your leadership and use your years of experience to help these families,” said Viridiana Martinez, director of Alerta Migratoria.

Lesvi Molina’s mother, Juana Luz Tobar Ortega, took sanctuary at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greensboro more than a year ago, away from her family in Asheboro. Ortega is from Guatemala. She moved to North Carolina in 1993, Molina said.

Molina said she knows not many private immigration bills pass.

“But they have passed,” she said. “A few in different parts of the country. It would be helpful for them to at least try.”

Price said he is talking to Homeland Security about the cases, but a change in policy is needed.

“I’m trying to shake this loose every way I know how,” he said.