Open Spectrum Dialogues presents WHAT IS OUR MORAL RESPONSE TO MASS DEPORTATION?

In response to a crisis that is upending countless lives and challenging America's sense of identity, New York Live Arts will present a public forum on the political context, human impact and ethical consequences of the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Open Spectrum: What Is Our Moral Response to Mass Deportation? will feature a talk with activists Amy Gottlieb, Associate Regional Director, American Friends Service Committee, and the Rev. Juan Carlos Ruiz, Co-Founder, New Sanctuary Coalition. The two speakers are linked by their relationship to activist Ravi Ragbir (Co-Founder/Executive Director, New Sanctuary Coalition) - a long-time permanent U.S. resident, husband, and father who was held for deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and recently released by a judge who called his detention "unnecessarily cruel." The talk will be moderated by filmmaker/activist Paola Mendoza, artistic director of the Women's March, with remarks from Thahitun Mariam, Community Organizer, NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs.

As Amy Gottlieb noted in an op-ed in The New York Times, "ICE Detained My Husband for Being an Activist," Mr. Ragbir is one of several immigration leaders targeted for deportation. He is also one of numerous longtime U.S. residents whose lives are being damaged by this policy, including 200,000 Salvadorans, 60,000 Haitians, 5,300 Nicaraguans, 3.6 million recipients of the Obama-era DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, and many others who have lived and worked in the U.S. for years, if not decades.

The towering statistics convey nothing however of the immense human costs of these actions, nor what the tearing apart of families, the turning away of refugees, and the walling off of our nation's borders means for America's image and identity. The numbers also don't communicate the impact that divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric has had on immigrant communities across the country.

What is our ethical responsibility in this crisis, as people who are committed to civil rights, human justice, and equal opportunity for all, not just a few? What is our response as New Yorkers who support the values of our Sanctuary City? And as Americans, who believe that clearing moral pathways for immigrants to reach and remain in our country is essential to America itself?

On the political context of her husband's case and others, Ms. Gottlieb writes: "Ravi's arrest is the latest in a series that makes clear that ICE is singling out immigrant activists and leaders for detention and deportation... Each of these leaders has been outspoken about his or her own immigration case and has worked toward a more just system for all.

"Ravi is an immigrant from Trinidad and the executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City, a network of faith groups that works to reform detention and deportation practices. Eighteen years ago, he served time for a wire fraud conviction; after he finished his sentence, ICE detained him. He had been a legal permanent resident, but his green card was taken away, and he has been fighting a deportation order since 2006.

"Ravi and I met through our mutual work on immigrant rights and married in 2010. Even though I am an American citizen, Ravi continues to face deportation because of his conviction years ago. As he fights his own deportation, he works with other immigrants in New York, accompanying them to their ICE check-ins, developing a legal support clinic and organizing churches and synagogues to fight deportation.

"[Like] thousands of other immigrants caught in ICE raids, Ravi threatens no one. On the contrary, he and other immigrant leaders have led their communities with dignity and courage in a brutal time. That's why they were snatched - and why ICE wants to deport them."

Co-curated with culture creator Brian Tate of The Tate Group, the Open Spectrum Community Dialogue series provides space for reflection on the most vital issues facing communities today. Open Spectrum offers an intimate conversational platform founded on the belief that cultural institutions can and should be a catalyst for societal transformation by participating in a world of ideas.

NEW YORK LIVE ARTS
Located in the heart of Chelsea in New York City, New York Live Arts is an internationally recognized destination for innovative artistry.New York Live Arts produces and presents dance, music and theater performances, offers an extensive range of participatory programs for adults and young people, supports the continuing professional development of artists andserves as home for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. newyorklivearts.org

BRIAN TATE | THE TATE GROUP
Brian Tate is a culture creatorand marketing strategist whose public programs examine complex social issues through a lens of arts and culture. He is president of The Tate Group, a New York City-based consulting firm that specializes in cultural initiatives, strategic marketing, partnership development, and community engagement. Narrative change around issues of equality isat the core of its practice.tatestrategy.com