Advocating for Undocumented Immigrants August 21, 2020

Sisters Carolann Masone, Margaret Rose Smyth, Mary Pat Neylon, Laura Helbig, and Emily Masse represented our Congregation in The Car Caravan on August 19th, an effort to advocate for the undocumented and alert our State Senators to pass legislation to ensure excluded workers get the relief they need to survive the Corona crisis.

Undocumented New Yorkers have lost their jobs at disproportionate rates and they have been left out of State and Federal relief efforts during this crisis. Those with jobs work on the front lines in cleaning, warehouse, delivery, and health care without sufficient protection or sufficient pay. Community members are struggling to put food on the table. Paying rent is impossible.

A Car Caravan of 30 to 40 cars rode from Wyandanch to Brentwood to Suffolk County Legislator Sam Gonzalez’s district. At Brentwood, there was a tent set up for speeches with press coverage from Channel 12 and Fox News.

Despite the rain, the leaders delivered enthusiastic talks which were civil, realistic, and promising. One woman commented: “I think God brought everyone in Heaven together to cry with us about the injustices shown to the immigrants.”