i nterfaithimmigration.org - PowerPoint Presentation

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interfaithimmigration.org

Call and Webinar will begin on Monday, January 11th at 4 p.m. ETFor audio, please dial (641) 715-3670and enter access code 104402Audio Visual Link is at http://join.me/faith4immigrationSlide2

AgendaWelcome and

IntroductionsJen Smyers, Director of Advocacy for Church World Service- Immigration Refugee ProjectRaul Alcaraz Ochoa, United We DREAM- Deportation DefenseRev. Alison Harrington and Rev. Noel Andersen – The Sanctuary Movement2Slide3

Raids targeting Central Americans families & children

Christmas Eve announcement, New Year’s raids, fear in communitiesSec. Johnson: www.dhs.gov/news/2016/01/04/statement-secretary-jeh-c-johnson-southwest-border-security Raids, border enforcement, detaining childrenMessaging campaign discouraging migrationIncreased support Mexico’s border crackdown - lack of adequate screenings for people with protection concerns, unsafe returnsPossible positive openings for refugee processingRaids in GA, NC, FL, MO, TX, IL, VA, MD, PAMore than 71 children and 50 adults apprehended, taken to Dilley At least 69 individuals already deportedDHS claims targeting those who appeared at their hearing , have had final orders of removal since January 2014, "recent border crossers" – no indication if they had legal representation

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Response to Raids

Sanctuary Movement Christmas Day press release, 300+ congregations offering & supporting SanctuaryKnow Your Rights materials, stories from immigrant communities CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project (caraprobono.org) has gotten 9 stays of removalReports of children & families not showing up for hearings because too afraid of being deportedCongressional letters, meetings, Dem candidatesTrump taking creditImportant to note: These raids are in addition to raids, deportations and other enforcement actionsIt is not illegal to seek asylum in the United States5Slide6

Update: Refugee Resettlement

In response to the arrests of two Iraqi refugees in TX & CA:1.     Don’t get ahead of the story—for now remain in a response-only mode if questioned. 2.     When we are asked questions about this, we must stick to what we know, not where we are unsure. We don’t know the details of what law enforcement is doing, if these men were involved with terrorist activities overseas, what happened with them here in the states., etc. We don’t want to make linkages with cases of other “radicalization” situations in the States. 3.     Key points to focus on:Acknowledge that we, like other Americans, are concerned, but we trust that our intelligence agencies are doing their jobs and that the USRAP vetting system works. The appropriate systems are working, and we applaud the diligence of law enforcement.If the allegations prove to be true, that would be terribly upsetting, but these two men do not represent the USRAP and refugee communities.This is an issue that we as Americans all need to face together. It is bigger than refugees/immigrants. News articles:www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Alleged-terror-threat-busted-in-Houston-6743906.php

www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/us/terror-charges-refugees/index.html

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United We Dream Deportation Defense by Raúl Alcaraz-

OchoaOur HotlineUWD Hotline was established in Feb. 2014 for two main purposes, 1) to track & monitor ICE activity in immigrant communities post DHS Memos and new priorities for deportation 2014; 2) to educate callers on their rights; and connect caller to legal services or a local group near their location. 7Slide8

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Hotline Findings

274 calls between January 2-8.Calls from operative, as well as standard ICE activity.Central American and Mexican callers with ICE knocking on doors.Calls of abuse and violence by ICE.Knocking down doorsAssaultUndercover cars, dressed as civiliansLying to get in home9Slide10

KYR & Protection Network Model

The purpose of a Protection Network is a mutual aid support network whose members unite to support one another to have a family and community plan of action in case of a raid, detention and/or deportation. Power of Attorney Forms/Action PlanTrainingsPro-bono legal supportRapid Response SystemVisitations & Letter-writingDefense FundAdvocacy & Community Organizing10Slide11

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The Sanctuary Movement- Overview by Rev. Noel Andersen

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Sanctuary as part of our faith tradition

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” -Psalm 91:1-2As the faith community, we are called to accompany our community members, congregants and neighbors facing deportation.13Slide14

Sanctuary Movement 1980s

This movement was born in the 1980s to protect Central American refugees fleeing civil war. The situation is very similar today as asylum seekers flee gang violence, extreme poverty, and persecution. As in the 1980s, if asylum seekers are deported, they could very likely be met by the violence they are fleeing, costing them their lives.14Slide15

Sanctuary 2007 In 2007, an initiative known as the New Sanctuary Movement took shape with coalitions of congregations in major cities throughout the country. As workplace and neighborhood raids escalated, these congregations opened their doors to provide refuge to those facing deportation. See NSM toolkit here (

http://imirj.org/new-sanctuary-movement-toolkit-for-congregations/).15Slide16

New Sanctuary Movement

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Sanctuary 2014-2016Over the last 18 months, the Sanctuary Movement has worked on 12 Sanctuary cases winning relief from deportation for 10 people in 8 cities throughout the country, building a growing network of over 300 congregations in 30 states.

Sanctuary played a significant role in putting public pressure on the administration to win Executive Action announced on November 20th, 2014 that could benefit up to 5 million undocumented people17Slide18

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Sanctuary Movement Goals

Immediate Local Goal: As the faith community, we are called to accompany our community members, congregants and neighbors facing deportation. By offering sanctuary, we can fight individual cases, advocate to stop deportations, and win deferred action on a case-by-case level to keep families together.19Slide20

National GoalsThe National Goal:

Amplify the moral imperative to stop deportations by lifting up the stories of sanctuary cases and ensuring the prophetic witness of the immigrant taking sanctuary is heard at the national level.By joining the Sanctuary Movement, congregations and people of faith can:Influence the administration to stop their plan to target and deport Central American families seeking asylum and to stop family detention all together.Contribute to the advocacy strategy with Immigration Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security officials to improve the implementation of prosecutorial discretion guidelines and thereby reduce deportations.Highlight the stories of those in Sanctuary to push back against unjust enforcement policies such as the Priority Enforcement Program or 287g. Continue to pressure elected officials to create a pathway to citizenship20Slide21

Recent Media Response to Sanctuary Movement

National:Reuters: “Churches offer refuge for Central Americans facing U.S. deportation”Washington Post: “Religious groups offer sanctuary to immigrants targeted in ICE raids”Local:Arizona Republic: “Arizona Churches Will Offer

Sanctuary to Central Americans Who Face Deportation

”

Morrow County Sentinel: “

Ohio Groups Mobilize

Against Deportation Raids

”

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Building the Movement Locally- Rev. Alison Harrington

Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona was one of the founders of the Sanctuary Movement where an estimated 12,000-15,000 Central Americans passed through22Slide23

Daniel and Rosa at Southside

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Daniel Neyoy Ruiz

In Sanctuary for 28 days and won a stay of removal24Slide25

Rosa Robles Loreto

25Rosa was in Sanctuary for 461 days before finally winning her caseSlide26

Who Seeks Sanctuary?Those who enter into Sanctuary should have a reasonable potential of receiving a stay of removal, order of supervision or some other form of administrative relief. The legal service team then consults with Sanctuary organizers and involved pastor to begin a conversation about a potential Sanctuary case.

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How to Declare SanctuaryThe public aspect of the Declaration of Sanctuary is critical. It is by bringing attention to the case, mobilizing the community, and advocating for the individual that we are able to successfully get cases closed. We encourage every community of faith to enter into a time of prayer and discernment so that when cases arise, they are ready to act. Once a congregation has made the decision to declare Sanctuary for an individual, it is publicly announced at a press conference and prayer vigil, at which time the individual and their family enters into the premises of the house of worship.

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Logistics of SanctuaryPartner with other faith communities

Create a covenant between the faith community and the person in sanctuaryCreate working groupsHospitalityCommunicationsCampaignStay rooted in your spiritual practices28Slide29

Legal QuestionsEveryone always wants to know - are we breaking the law? Law is a lot like scripture - its up to your interpretation.

If its transparent and ICE knows about it, then no one is being concealed, so is it harboring?Those who are entering sanctuary will most likely have an opportunity to win relief from deportation, this means that they are not a high priority for deportation and that ICE can and should grant them prosecutorial discretion. 29Slide30

Resourceshttp://sanctuary2014.org

/http://interfaithimmigration.org/AFSC- Know Your Rights- Conozca Sus DerechosUnited We DREAM Know Your Rights Guide to sharing your story of rights abuses, raids and deportation 30Slide31

Question/ Answer

Discussion/ Next Steps31Slide32

IIC Contacts by organization

African American Ministers in Action: Leslie Malachi, lmalachi@pfaw.orgAmerican Baptist Home Mission Societies of the American Baptist Churches, USA: Aundreia Alexander,

Aundreia.Alexander@abhms.org

American Friends Service Committee:

Lia Lindsey,

llindsey@afsc.org

American Jewish Committee:

Chelsea Hanson,

hansonc@ajc.org

Bread for the World Institute:

Andrew

Wainer

,

awainer@bread.org

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ):

Sharon Stanley,

sstanley@dhm.disciples.org

Christian Reformed Church

Kris Van

Engen

,

kvanengen@

crcna.org

Church of the Brethren:

Nate

Hosler

,

nhosler@brethren.org

Church World Service:

Jen Smyers,

jsmyers@cwsglobal.org

Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach: Chloe Schwabe,

cschwabe@columban.org

Conference of Major Superiors of Men:

Eli McCarthy

emccarthy@cmsm.org

Daughters of Charity:

Mary

Ellen Lacey,

Maryellen.lacy@doc.org

Episcopal Church:

Katie Conway,

kconway@episcopalchurch.org

Franciscan Action Network:

Marie

Lucey

,

lucey@franciscanaction.org

Friends Committee on National Legislation:

Ruth Flower,

flower@fcnl.org

HIAS:

Liza Lieberman,

liza.lieberman@hias.org

Interfaith Worker Justice:

Michael Livingston,

mlivingston@iwj.org

Irish Apostolate USA:

Geri Garvey,

administrator@usairish.org

Islamic Information Center:

(currently no contact available)

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA,

Mary Small,

msmall@jesuit.org

Jewish Council for Public Affairs:

Jill

Borak

,

jborak@thejcpa.org

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

: Ann Scholz, SSND

ascholz@lcwr.org

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service:

Brittney Nystrom,

Bnystrom@lirs.org

Maryknoll

Office for Global

Concerns:

Judy

Coode,

jcoode@maryknoll.org

Mennonite Central Committee:

Tammy Alexander,

TammyAlexander@mcc.org

Muslim Public Affairs Council:

Hoda

Elshishtawy

,

hoda@mpac.org

Sisters of the Good Shepherd:

Larry Couch,

lclobbyist@gsadvocacy.org

National Council of Churches:

Russell Meyer,

rmeyer@floridachurches.org

National Council of Jewish Women:

Madeline Shepherd,

madeline@ncjwdc.org

NETWORK Lobby:

Laura Peralta-

Schulte

LPeralta

@

networklobby.org

Pax

Christi:

Anne-Louise Nadeau,

anadeau@paxchristiusa.org

PICO:

Gordon Whitman,

gwhitman@piconetwork.org

Presbyterian Church, USA:

Teresa Waggener,

Teresa.Waggener@pcusa.org

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas:

Ryan Murphy,

rmurphy@sistersofmercy.org

Sojourners:

Ivone Guillen,

iguillen@sojo.net

3P Human Security

: Tom

Brenneman

,

cooperativebydesign@gmail.com

T’ruah

: The

Rabbinic Call for Human

Rights,

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-

Troster

rkahntroster@truah.org

Union for Reform Judaism

:

Jonathan

Edelman

jedelman

@

rac.org

Unitarian Universalist Association:

Susan Leslie,

sleslie@uua.org

United Church of Christ:

Rev. Mari

Castellanos

,

castellm@ucc.org

United Methodist Church:

Bill

Mefford

,

bmefford@umc-gbcs.org

UNITED SIKHS

:

Anisha

Singh,

anisha.singh@

unitedsikhs.org

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Kevin Appleby,

kappleby@usccb.org

U.S. Jesuit Conference,

Shaina

Aber

,

saber@jesuit.org

World Relief:

Jenny Hwang

jhwang@worldrelief.org