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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:
Faithfully yours, Deacon Nancy
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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:
Some notes of caution:
Newsweek article on deportation resistance of faith communities, specifically Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles: Overview on Rapid Response Teams from PICO: From Interfaith Immigration: http://www.newsweek.com/california-resisting-trump-immigration-policies-593379 Fresno Bee article about Rapid Response Team kick-off organized by Faith in Fresno: San Jose Mercury News article about Migra Watch Hotline Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Sacred Resistance video training 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 Host or sponsor “Know Your Rights” workshops. One response that many churches, non-profit organizations and other groups have made to the deportation crisis is to host Know Your Rights workshops. It is especially helpful to have these workshops in Spanish and any other languages appropriate to your area. It is also helpful, and strongly recommended, to have an attorney specializing in immigration and immigrant rights present. You may want to search on Google for organizations offering these workshops, then contact them with the offer to support those workshops through providing a location, resources, or other assistance. The next installment of this topic will have specific tips on hosting “Know Your Rights Workshops.” If your congregation has hosted a Know Your Rights workshop, please let us know at: DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org Know Your Rights Materials
Shared by The Rev. Heather Mueller, a song and video composed by three of her friends. Here’s what Heather says: This song was “penned by three friends of mine who live in California, Colorado and Pennsylvania respectively and together created this masterpiece at a songwriting symposium earlier this year.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL4Rb4TT0F0&feature=youtu.be If you have any questions or contributions, please email me at DeaconNancy@diosanjoaquin.org. Deacon Nancy 
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