What's Happening

July 28, 2017, Chicago – Adrian Dominican Sisters Jean Keeley, OP, and Joan Mary, OP, were part of a delegation of 40 people who attended a July 10 press conference at Chicago’s Thompson Center to deliver a special letter to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. The letter, signed by 174 faith leaders, implores the governor to sign the Illinois Trust Act, which would ensure that citizens asking for help from law enforcement officials will not have to fear being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to check on their citizenship status.

The legislation was passed by the state legislature May 5 and now sits in the governor’s office. He has until Aug. 28 to approve, veto or take no action.

“As people of faith, we are called to stand in solidarity with immigrants in our midst who are in danger of having their families separated and taken away from the homes they have created in our state,” the letter reads in part. “Illinois has always chosen to act with love towards immigrants, becoming a source of stability for immigrant families. The Trust Act will reassure all immigrants that they are welcome and that the state will do everything it can to protect them and their families.”

Among the cosigners of the letter are Sister Jean; Adrian Dominican Sister JoAnn Fleischaker, OP; and a number of Dominican Sisters from other Congregations and Dominican Friars from the Central Province.

Sisters Jean and Joan were part of a five-member delegation from Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants (SBI), an organization founded in 2007 by Catholic Sisters of the Chicago area to work on initiatives of the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform. Membership has expanded to include associate members of religious congregations, religious brothers, and all who are committed to justice for immigrants.

The Adrian Dominican Sisters’ involvement is in keeping with the Chapter Initiative on Immigration adopted by the Congregation’s Dominican Midwest Mission Chapter, based in Chicago. Through this initiative, Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates in this Chapter commit to “answer the call to walk with immigrants in their struggle.” Individual  Sisters and Associates choose to keep this commitment in various ways: by praying weekly with other people of faith at a detention center from which immigrants are deported; serving as witnesses for justice in immigration court; assisting on weekends at houses of hospitality for immigrants; working with immigrants at the Aquinas Literacy Center; and praying and advocating for immigrants.

Read more about the press conference and the Illinois Trust Act here.

July 27, 2017, New York, New York – American Airlines adopted the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism (The Code), committing to taking steps to prevent the human trafficking of children.

The management of American Airlines took this important step after five years of engagement and dialogue on the issue. Pat Zerega, of Mercy Investment Services, took on the role of lead negotiator and the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Portfolio Advisory Board (PAB) played a supporting role.

“The agreement reinforces that, with shareholder advocacy work, persistence and patience with respectful dialogue can result in a very positive result,” said Kathleen Woods, Chair of the PAB’s Corporate Responsibility Committee. “We’re rejoicing as part of a collective whole.”

The Code of Conduct was developed by a coalition of advocates for children who worked together to End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT). Today, ECPAT is a network of 98 civil society organizations in 88 countries, working to protect children from sexual exploitation. 

In signing ECPAT’s code, American Airlines – along with other travel-related organizations – agrees to train its employees on how to detect possible cases of human trafficking; report suspected cases to authorities; and provide educational materials to passengers, emphasizing that the exploitation of children is never acceptable. American Airlines joins Delta as the only U.S. air carriers to sign the code. 

On its website, ECPAT notes that an estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys are victims of sexual exploitation; millions are bought and sold for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Signatories to the code commit to enacting responsible policies to protect children who might be exploited through the travel and tourism industries.

“If properly trained to spot this crime, employees in the transportation industry can be on the front lines of the fight to end human trafficking,” Pat Zerega said. “In formally adopting the ECPAT Code, American has acknowledged its corporate responsibility to protect human rights in its business operations and, more specifically the power it has as a change agent on trafficking.”

The Adrian Dominican Sisters, with the 2004 vision to “seek truth, make peace, reverence life,” has long worked for an end of human trafficking and the healing of its victims. The Congregation passed in 2008 a corporate stance to combat human trafficking. Adrian Crossroads Mission Chapter, based in Adrian, was instrumental in founding a task force to work against human trafficking, now part of the Southeast Michigan Regional Taskforce.