In the United States, every person is entitled to certain rights, not just citizens.
An upcoming “Know Your Rights” event in Bowling Green, hosted by the Diocese of Owensboro’s Catholic Charities, hopes to educate citizens and noncitizens alike this weekend.
Susan Montalvo-Gesser, an immigration lawyer and director of Owensboro’s Catholic Charities, said the U.S. recognizes some rights as “God-given,” meaning they extend beyond people with citizenship.
“All citizens in the United States have the same rights that people in the United States have, but they have more rights – they have the right to vote and the right to participate in certain things,” Montalvo-Gesser said. “But all persons have the right to be secure in their person, have the right to not give information about themselves that will hurt them, to avoid searches and seizures.”
The effort by the Owensboro church first began in 2019 and has since grown to offer events in nearly a dozen Kentucky towns.
Montalvo-Gesser said the increasingly stringent and often changing immigration requirements seen under President Donald Trump have had an impact on citizens and noncitizens alike, leaving many confused and scared to attend public gatherings.
Misinformation about immigration enforcement and rights has also meant more and more people need clarification, she said.
“(The event) is really in response to people’s fears and people being afraid to go to church or send their kids to school,” Montalvo-Gesser said. “We always do ‘Know Your Rights’ presentations in-house for our refugee resettlement communities; it’s just something we always do, and I guess they’ve gotten a little bit more attention.”
Attendees will learn how to handle encounters with law and immigration enforcement, how to talk to children about immigration-related issues, what documents are most important to memorize, and where to access additional aid.
Presentations will also be posted online on OwensboroDiocese.org. Another event will be held in Paducah on May 25.
Specific details of each event are not being publicized to protect attendees following backlash online, Montalvo-Gesser says. Locations and times can be found by contacting the Catholic Charities of Owensboro.
