NH Solidarity Walk for Immigrant Justice
Monday, August 20, 2018
Manchester immigration lawyer Ron Abramson has represented scores of people who’ve been held in immigration custody. Many of his clients have made the journey from Manchester to the Strafford County Jail. So, while a steadfast group of interfaith leaders and activists plans to mirror that journey by undertaking a “Solidarity Walk for Immigrant Justice”, covering the 40+ miles from Manchester to Dover starting on August 22nd, Abramson plans to join them as they near their destination by running the full distance on Saturday, August 25th.
“It’s one thing to advocate in court for individual clients. It’s another to shine a light publicly on the plight of so many people who are being ripped away from their families and loved ones in this ‘enforcement-first’ climate,” said Abramson. “Covering the distance from Manchester to Dover on foot will be challenging, uncomfortable, and exhausting. Yet this experience barely scratches the surface of what many of our noncitizen friends, family members, and neighbors experience.”
Father Samuel Fuller, OFM Cap of St. Anne- Augustin in Manchester, a co-organizer of the Solidarity Walk, said, “Pope Francis speaks of the ‘vulgarity of silence’. At a time when families are being separated at the border and in our communities, now is the time to make a public witness to uphold our shared values of human dignity, hope and solidarity.”
Abramson is no stranger to long-distance runs for a cause. Over the past ten years, he has raised money for cancer research, spinal cord injury, the blind and visually-impaired community, legal assistance for the poor, and public broadcasting. His next run, though, is all about raising awareness. “There is plenty of room to disagree about how exactly we should apply and enforce our immigration law. But, when it comes to matters of national policy, it is also important to remember that decisions and actions affect real people, many of whom are U.S. citizens, including children.”
Abramson expects the trek to take anywhere from seven to nine hours. Anyone interested in joining the walk should check out the group’s web site at http://nhchurches.org/solidarity/or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/237126480258321/. Anyone wishing to join Abramson for the run should – in addition to questioning their sanity – contact him at [email protected] at 603-491-3033.