National Freedom from Fear Awards Honor an Inspiring Friendship in Vancouver, WA

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Freedom from Fear Awards OneAmerica Vancouver members!

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OneAmerica is hosting the largest yet National Immigrant Integration Conference later this month in Seattle and is proud to be honoring Elizabeth Ruiz and Rick Covington, leaders from our Vancouver Base Group, for being one of the recipients of the first Freedom from Fear Awards. The award honors “ ordinary people who have committed extraordinary acts of courage on behalf of immigrants and refugees — individuals who have taken a risk, set an example, and inspired others to awareness or action." The one-time prize attracted 380 nominations from 42 states through online outreach and word-of-mouth.

Congratulations to Elizabeth, Rick and to their families and community!

Elizabeth Ruiz was on her way to work when she was profiled and stopped by the police. They arrested her for “lying to a police officer” and “failure to pay the  train fare”. She was held incommunicado without her family knowing what happened to her. After three days, she was turned over to ICE and transported in chains to the Tacoma Detention Center where she was held for two months.

Upon her release after posting a $2,000 bond, she was advised to remain silent, wait for her hearings and court appearances, and not get involved in the immigrant rights movement as it may hurt her efforts to remain in the country. However, Elizabeth could not remain silent and immediately became involved in OneAmerica Vancouver and began publicly telling her story, from the day of her release until the present, she has fearlessly participated in rallies, spoken at forums and public-speaking events, lead Vancouver canvassing and voter registrations, and participated in telephone banks in the Seattle area. All this with the specter of possible imminent deportation hearings hanging over her.

Rick Covington is a 24-year retiree of the U.S. Navy who met Elizabeth in 2005 and became reacquainted with her when Rick moved to Vancouver. Rick was so moved by her unjust arrest and separation from her family that it brought him into the immigrant rights movement. He helped found the Vancouver branch of One America.

Together, Elizabeth's and Rick's energy and passion for basic fairness started a chain reaction of organizing community groups throughout Washington State. The two and their families have not missed a single community meeting. They have met with local political and media representatives, rallied locally and nationally, lead voter registration drives, canvassing efforts and phone banks. They have also coordinated candidate forums at their church, community forums on immigration issues and have confronted vicious anti-immigrant sentiment with positive information. They have become important leaders in Washington’s immigration reform fight.

Elizabeth did all this despite the risk her advocacy might have had on her immigration case and the increased possibility of deportation.

Only recently did she receive legal permanent residency in the United States. Covington carried Elizabeth’s banner and story to Washington, DC, where he spoke at a Family Unity Rally.

On May 20, 2010,  Rick and many other community leaders, activists and allies, in an action of civil disobedience, blocked access to the downtown Seattle building housing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Courts. The first action did not result in any arrests, but Covington, who is 74 and not in great health, returned a month later determined to increase public attention to the immigration issue by getting arrested. Many of his fellow protesters told Covington that, with his diabetes and back problems, he should not feel obliged to stick with the protest. But he stayed and helped keep the entire group strong. He was eventually arrested. After his release, Covington had to undergo surgery and spent time in the hospital.

His doctors told him he needed to take a break from his activities. But from his hospital bed, he continued to contact organizers at One America and was soon helping organizing actions.

Elizabeth and Rick have consistently inspired immigrant’s rights advocates with their dedication, humor and heart. Both along with their families have led their community members in participating in marches and taking action in local communities. They have both taken risks - Ruiz risked deportation and Covington risked his health – to make positive changes for immigrants, locally and nationally. Together they personify unity, solidarity and commitment to justice for all.

Please join us to celebrate Elizabeth and Rick on Tuesday, October 25 at 6:30pm for a special event as part of NIIC 2011, Freedom from Fear:  Connecting Across Movements and Generations 50 Years Later.

OneAmerica Vancouver meets every last Monday of the month. For more information please contact covigtonrick@gmail.com or elsa@weareoneamerica.org