From the Friday Reflection 11 May 2018

The Episcopal Diocese  of San Joaquin Immigration Task Force Update

You may recall that at our last Diocesan Convention in October 2017, the delegates unanimously approved a Resolution to establish a Task Force on Immigration. The mandate of the Task Force is to further the Diocese's ministry in supporting migrants through the following activities:
 

• Identify ministry partners
• Coordinate related activities throughout the Diocese
• Support congregations in the education, discernment and response activities to support immigrants in the Diocese
   

In December, Bishop David named us, Deacon Nancy Key (St. James Cathedral, Fresno) and Tom Hampson (St. Paul's, Modesto), to co-chair the Task Force under the supervision of Canon Anna Carmichael. In January, the Task Force met for the first time. Our membership includes:
 
Northern Deanery
Lyn Morlan
Wil Colon
Edward Dondi
Amy Larsen
Tom Hampson (co-chair)
 
Central Deanery
Jim Mendez
Jim McDonald
Nancy Key (co-chair)
 
Southern Deanery
Jan Dunlap
   
Since January of this year, the Task Force has met monthly, alternating between face-to-face meetings in Fresno and conference calls.  Read more ... 

Ways to help Immigration Task Force: click here. 

Immigrant Resolution passed at Diocesan Convention!

“You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice…. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.” (Deuteronomy 24:17–18)

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34–40)
The Holy Spirit was visibly among us at Diocesan Convention as we were inspired by the Revs. Jaime Edwards-Acton and Francisco Garcia, from Sacred Resistance in the Diocese of Los Angles before the business meeting of our 58th Annual Convention. After months of information gathering, listening, deanery conversations, capped with the words and songs of Jaime and Francisco, our Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin gave its collective Amen! to the Immigrant Resolution with no amendments, no dissenting arguments and no dissenting votes. It was the perfect book-end to the renewal of our Baptismal Covenant question: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? And the people of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin responded, We will!
For you who were not with us at Diocesan Convention, you can access the Resolution that passed here. In summary, this is what it says (paraphrased):

• The Bishop will appoint an Immigrant Task Force, with representation from all deaneries, to further the ministry of this diocese in supporting immigrants, identifying ministry partners, and coordinating diocesan activities;
  
  
• The Task Force support the education, discernment, and activities to support immigrants, and report to the next Diocesan Convention;
  
• The Task Force assist in equipping congregations, clergy and lay leaders to engage in this ministry appropriate to local contexts;
  
• Diocesan Council identify $30,000 in its 2018 and 2019 budgets to support this work.
  

The work of the Task Force will primarily be educational and consultative, supporting both the local and diocesan discernment and work on immigrant issues. Bishop David will be consulting with diocesan leaders to identify Task Force members in the coming weeks, and we hope that the Task Force can convene early in 2018.

With this resolution, the Diocese of San Joaquin begins a new chapter, a chapter defined more by ministry than by lawsuits, by looking beyond our own survival toward a revival of the Jesus Movement among us!

As the 58th Annual Convention drew to a close, and people were gathering their belongings and preparing to leave, I was tapped on the shoulder by one of the delegates. She pressed a paper into my hand with the words, “you’ll know what this is for when you see it.” Then she was gone. Retrieving it from my pocket, I discovered a check for $3,000 with the memo line: “R-01-17,” the number of the Immigrant Resolution. Glory hallelujah and Amen!

I look forward to joining with you in this Holy work.

The Rev. Deacon Nancy Key

St. James Episcopal Cathedral
Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin

Immigrant facts to ponder
Over the past months, this column has offered both theological reflections on immigration and how we are called to be as a people of God, as well as some options to consider in response. In this article, I’d like to offer some facts to consider about immigrants.

The Pew Research Center published an article entitled “5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S.” (April 27, 2017), which listed five facts:

1. There were 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2015,
   
   
2. Mexicans may no longer be the majority of U.S. unauthorized immigrants.
   
3. The U.S. civilian workforce includes 8 million unauthorized immigrants, accounting for 5% of those who were working or were unemployed and looking for work,
   
4. Six states account for 59% of unauthorized immigrants: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois.
   
5. A rising share of unauthorized immigrants have lived in the U.S. for at least a decade. 
   

You can read the entire article here: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/27/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/.

Another article, “Key Findings about U.S. Immigrants,” can be accessed here http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/03/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/. Among other findings, this article states that about one-fourth (24.5%) of the U.S. foreign-born population is here illegally, with about the same percent (26.6%) in the U.S. legally as permanent residents. Nearly half (44.1%) are naturalized.

The plight of citizen children of undocumented parents is especially dire. The American Immigration Council has published an article on this subject entitled “U.S. Citizen Children Impacted by Immigration Enforcement,” which offers several facts:

1. 4.1 million U.S. citizen children under the age of 18 live with at least one undocumented parent, according to estimates of 2009-2013 census data.
   
   
2. Not surprisingly, Immigration enforcement—and the threat of such actions—can negatively impact a child’s long-term health and development.
   
3. The detention or deportation of a parent puts children at risk of economic instability.
   
4. U.S. citizen children may end up in the child welfare system following the detention or deportation of their parent; and
   
5. U.S. citizen children may end up in the child welfare system following the detention or deportation of their parent.
   

You can access this article here: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/us-citizen-children-impacted-immigration-enforcement.

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy

 Give public declaration of physical, spiritual, moral, and financial support.

Many of our congregations proudly display the message “All are welcomed,” or another “There will be no outcasts.” Have you ever wondered what this means, really means? In other words, when Jesus says “Feed my sheep,” does he literally mean, provide food to those who are hungry? To those who must choose between paying the rent, keeping the electricity on, or feeding their families? Or when the Episcopal Church says “There will be no outcasts,” do we really mean to include those who have over-stayed their visas to work the fields, clean hotel rooms, or construct buildings and are thus categorized as “undocumented aliens?” I hope so!

For our public statements to be meaningful, we need to be specific and be prepared to let our actions speak loudly. In earlier articles of this Sanctuary series, we have suggested educating ourselves on issues of citizenship, creating safe places for all, supporting efforts of agencies that can educate our brothers and sisters in fear of deportation about their rights, and collaborating with those agencies who have the expertise to assist with obtaining legal status. But congregations can also offer assistance in other ways:

1. Hold prayer vigils for those seeking citizenship.
   
   
2. Contribute to an established local “Legal Defense Fund” to provide assistance with legal costs of obtaining citizenship and/or legal defense at deportation hearings. Your area Faith in the Valley organizations may have established such a fund.
   
3. Pray for families that are separated due to immigration status of parents with citizen children.
   
4. Pray for those in danger of deportation – both those with legal status, and those without legal status.
   
5. Work with your area Faith in the Valley organization in their advocacy and public policy actions.
   
6. Publically state your support for working towards just immigration reform through policy statements, letters to the editor, and other public forums.
   

The spirituality of Jesus is firmly grounded in his actions. Jesus was not content to merely speak of the commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself: Jesus’ spirituality was firmly grounded in action. Jesus healed the sick of their diseases, raised the dead, and fed the hungry. And he did this in a very noisy and public manner.

We are called to do no less.

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy

Sanctuary: A pause to reflect

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has called the Episcopal Church, a church of sixteen countries worldwide, into the Jesus Movement in which we ourselves reflect the holy love of Jesus in the world. In just a few short months, the Presiding Bishop, the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation and author of “Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other and the Spirit of Transformation,” along with other notables from the wider Episcopal Church will visit us in our diocese over three days, November 17 – 19. This is a “Revival,” one of six the Presiding Bishop has or will give in Episcopal dioceses in 2017 and 2018. He will be sharing his vision of “The Jesus Movement” and how we are called to follow Jesus. Not just THAT we are called to follow Jesus, but WHAT that might look like on a day to day basis. He could, for example, help us discern how we are called to respond to the plight of immigrants. Do we make any exceptions to Jesus’ command to love our neighbors? What if our neighbors do not have legal immigration status, which an estimated 3.2 million people (8% of the total population) in California do not?

The sort of love that Jesus demonstrates throughout the Gospel is that which knows no boundaries – no excuses, no exclusions, no requirements. In fact, as 1 John puts it, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8) And, 1 John implores us in another verse, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

The question for us is how God is calling us to BE for our immigrant brothers and sisters, both those with papers and those without papers? How are our actions consistent with Jesus – consistent with a people who call themselves “the Jesus Movement” – when we have so many questions about whether our brothers and sisters are “legal” or “illegal,” “residents” or “aliens?”

The answer, I believe, is Love. Do our actions – helping our undocumented residents or not – align with Jesus’ command not to turn our backs on the resident aliens: “You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice…. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. (Deuteronomy 24:17–18). How best can we, the holy people of Jesus, best show our love to all people?

Have we obeyed what Jesus called the second great commandment, to “Love your neighbor as yourself?” (Matthew 22:39).

This, I believe, is the test.

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy

Helping families toward citizenship

There are multiple instances in scripture leading us to protect immigrants, one of those being Exodus 22:21: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” Indeed, the Holy Family was led to flee their native land seeking sanctuary when Herod was seeking the life of the infant Jesus.

According to the Pew Research Center, there were 4.5 million US-born children under 18 living with undocumented parents in 2012. Unfortunately, immigration law is a complex matter, and what is in the best interest of each individual differs.

Some communities and some agencies, such as Faith in the Valley, have established Legal Defense Funds. Contribution to these funds ensures that undocumented persons and legal immigrants have access to legal advice, either from an attorney specializing in immigration or from an individual who is accredited through the Office of Legal Access Programs to assist individuals with the citizenship process. Without a trained immigration advisory or qualified immigration attorney, well-intended help can result in adverse consequences for those seeking citizenship.

An accredited immigration advisor will conduct a thorough assessment to determine first, whether the individual is likely to qualify for citizenship, and secondly, what steps are appropriate. Below is a listing of agencies that may offer accredited immigration assistance:

Stockton Area:

• International Refugee Committee
  
• CA Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (Sacramento area, but reach down)
  

Fresno Area:

• Central California Legal Services
  
• Educational Leadership Groups
  
• Centro La Familia Advocacy
  
• Mexican Consulate (see “Centro de Defensoria” brochure)
  
• United Farm Workers (limited)
  

Bakersfield Area

• United Farm Workers, Kern County
  

Articles about the impact of deportation on families:

• SLATE: “If Mom and Dad are Arrested,” http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/undocumented_immigrants_who_fear_deportation_are_drafting_caretaker_plans.html
  
  
• LA Time: “Parents ask ‘What will happen to my child if I’m deported?’ http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-questions-trump-immigration-20170322-htmlstory.html
  
• American Immigration Council:
  
  • “US Citizen Children impacted by Immigration Enforcement,” https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/us-citizen-children-impacted-immigration-enforcement
    
  • “US Children Citizens among those hurt by deportations,” http://immigrationimpact.com/2017/07/05/us-citizen-children-deportations/
    

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy

Be a community of love, hospitality and fellowship for Sanctuary Congregations.

While the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin has not authorized its congregations to provide physical sanctuary, congregations can support those congregations of denominations and faiths who have declared themselves to be sanctuary congregations. If your congregation is linked with Faith in the Valley or another interfaith group, you may already be aware of nearby congregations that have discerned the call to provide sanctuary. In Fresno, for example, “sanctuary congregations” include Wesley United Methodist, First Congregational Church (“Big Red”), the Unitarian Universalist Church and Carter Memorial African Methodist Episcopalian Church. In January, 2017, the governing council of bishops directed that all African Methodist Episcopal churches in the nation would be sanctuary churches.

Local congregations can also provide support to sanctuary congregations through offering love, hospitality and fellowship for Sanctuary Congregations through tangible resources to Sanctuary Congregations. Ways to do this include:

• Monetary aid
  
  
• Food, clothing, toiletries
  
• Health and medical support
  
• Legal support through partnering with other organizations offering trainings workshops such as "Know Your Rights," "Family Preparedness," and "Accompaniment."
  
• Entertainment, toys, reading materials, etc.
  
• Prayer vigils
  
• Public declarations of physical, spiritual, moral, and financial support.
  
• Rapid response and support in situations of public need, i.e. press conferences, raids, protests, etc. (See June 17 Friday Reflection on “Option 6.”)
  

It is also helpful to advocate for justice on your local, state and national level, as the Episcopal Church does on a national basis coordinated by its Office of Governmental Affairs (see June 30, 2017 Friday Reflection on The Episcopal Church and Sanctuary). As Episcopalians involved in our communities and government, we can establish relationships with local city governments and police departments, and visit or call our legislative representatives and government officials to advocate on action items.

Helpful Information:

• Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice: http://imirj.org/faith-community-resources and http://imirj.org/resources-for-sanctuary-supporters
  
• Sacred Resistance, Diocese of Los Angeles: http://www.lasacredresistance.org/
  
• Sanctuary, not Deportation: http://www.sanctuarynotdeportation.org/
  

Organizations that may help with legal processes:

• National Day Laborer Organizing Network - www.ndlon.org/en/
  
• ACLU of Northern California - https://www.aclunc.org/
  
• National Immigration Law Center - www.nilc.org
  
• Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) - www.carecen-la.org
  
• Bet Tzedek Legal Service - www.bettzedek.org
  

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy

The Episcopal Church and Immigration Advocacy
The Episcopal Church has been active in standing with immigrants for many years. This holy work is rooted in our faith and commanded throughout scripture. I’ve cited verses previously in this space, but here again is a reminder of what we people of God are to do:

"Do not take advantage of foreigners in your land; do not wrong them. They must be treated like any other citizen; love them as yourself, for remember that you too were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34)

“You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9 NLT)

 “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2 NIV) 

Our catechism (“outline of faith”) in the Book of Common Prayer (pp. 854-855) notes that the mission of the Church is “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ,” and that the Church lives out this mission “as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.”

To be faithful to these charges, The Episcopal Church takes a clear stand on Immigration, advocating for policies that define a pathway for citizenship for undocumented persons in the U.S., prioritizing family unity, and advocating for humane enforcement. The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Affairs recently published a one-page immigration policy statement.

In addition, the Office of Government Affairs published a consolidated Policy for Action summarizing social justice resolutions passed by General Convention or Executive Council (the interim body of General Convention). The immigration resolutions are described on pages 12 – 15, and include the following:

• Call upon The Episcopal Church to recommit to the spirit of the New Sanctuary Movement so congregations can assist immigrant individuals, unaccompanied minors, families and communities in the absence of comprehensive, human immigration reform. (GC 2015)
  
  
• Urge that when deportations do occur, individuals are repatriated in a safe and humane manner (EC 6/2014)
  
• Urge the U.S. Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform to give undocumented persons who have established roots in the United States a pathway to legalization and full social and economic integration into the United States. (GC 2009)
  

Clearly, our work is not done! It is my prayer that this space in the Friday Reflection can be a catalyst for us to respond as a diocese to the plight of our immigrant brothers and sisters. If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Faithfully yours,

Deacon Nancy

Engage in a rapid response team for immigration raids

For allies of those facing an immigration raid, one way to assist is as part of a rapid response team. Teams have been organized across the nation, often by interfaith coalitions supported by community organizers such as PICO.

Rapid response teams serve many purposes:

• Demonstrate solidarity with those in fear through prayerful ministry of presence
  
• Prayerful witness of deportation actions through video and note documentation;
  
• Shine a light on what happens in an ICE raid
  
  

As with all of activities we have presented, training with the participation of an attorney specializing in immigration matters should precede any participation in a rapid response team. In our diocese, Faith in the Valley organizations are active in larger communities, and have provided excellent leadership in providing training and coordination for Rapid Response Teams.

Some notes of caution:

1. Training with consultation of an immigration attorney is an essential first step.
   
2. Do not interfere, physically, verbally, or with your body language. The primary purpose is to stand in prayerful witness and to document.
   
3. If questioned, state that you are an observer.
   
4. DO NOT assert yourself as a representative of any of the parties involved.
   
5. Try to determine what the family needs, and relay the information back to dispatch.
   
6. NEVER post anything online, which could have serious consequences.
   
7. Do not give the family false hope.
   

Articles and Resources:

Newsweek article on deportation resistance of faith communities, specifically Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles: Overview on Rapid Response Teams from PICO:

• http://www.piconetwork.org/community-tools/Rapid-Response-Teams_overview.pdf
  

From Interfaith Immigration:

• http://www.interfaithimmigration.org/2017/02/11/raids-rapid-response/
  

http://www.newsweek.com/california-resisting-trump-immigration-policies-593379
Fresno Bee article about Rapid Response Team kick-off organized by Faith in Fresno:

• http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article137049963.html
  

San Jose Mercury News article about Migra Watch Hotline

• http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2017/04/11/new-hotline-aims-to-defend-people-from-immigration-raids/
  

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Sacred Resistance video training

• http://www.lasacredresistance.org/video-training.html
  

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy

Host or sponsor “Know Your Rights” workshops – tips for your event

Hosting or sponsoring a “Know Your Rights” workshop is a way to provide education and support that is potentially life-saving for those facing deportation. Many of our undocumented neighbors left their native countries fleeing violence, torture, and/or gangs, and if deported, face a future that is uncertain at best. The education your workshop provides will help provide critical information. Again, it is strongly recommended that you reach out to the local bar association to obtain the participation of an immigration attorney.

As suggested last week, a good first step may be partnering another organization experienced in hosting Know Your Rights Workshops. When you are ready to host your own workshops, the tips below – which were provided by the Sacred Resistance of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, provide a framework for you.

1. Know your audience in order to provide the most accessible date/time/location for the workshop.

2. Connect with local immigrant rights organizations/immigration attorneys that have expertise on the issues related to your workshop generally, and can also speak to what's happening locally related to immigration enforcement.

3. Include information about creating family preparedness plans/child custody plans in the event of a detention/deportation:

https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cluela/pages/54/attachments/original/1489096328/ILRC_family_preparedness_plan.pdf?1489096328

https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/cluela/pages/54/attachments/original/1489096326/ILRC_plan_de_preparacion_familiar_spanish_final.pdf?1489096326

3. Do provide a theological/faith framing for why you are doing this work! Our Baptismal Covenant is great for this, as are many scriptures related to immigration and welcoming the stranger.

4. Provide translation, or plan to conduct the workshop in the most relevant language(s) needed. 

5. Provide Know Your Rights literature/resources in multiple languages.

6. Provide child care.

7. Prepare for a worst-case scenario in case detractors/anti-immigrant voices show up and try to disrupt your workshop. Have extra volunteers, and legal observers if possible, to play this role. Visible clergy may be helpful in helping to de-escalate a situation.  

8. Build community, build the rapid response network. Collect names, emails, phone numbers for those willing to support the ongoing work!

If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org.

Deacon Nancy