Author: Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

A message from Hilda Cruz, Faith Rooted Organizer, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity

As a faith rooted organizer, I bring people of faith and the larger community together to re-connect to their greatest resource, each other. I invite people to live their faith through concrete actions that will make a difference in someone’s life. I am grateful for the community of people who are truly committed to doing the work of immigrant justice, specifically those seeking asylum. These are the accomplishments of the many volunteers who believe that no one should be detained.

In the Inland Empire, several volunteers drive weekly to visit Adelanto Detention Center and connect with people who are waiting for a final verdict to their immigration cases. Over the past six months, I am happy to share that a total of 25 detained people have been visited. Many of these people are detained asylum seekers who have no connection to the outside and many tell us that we are the first outside people they have seen in months. Many times, the volunteers offer them a connection to outside legal resources, which is invaluable as they strengthen their case for asylum. Of those visited, nine women were released after several months of being detained. Once they were released, people from the visiting groups were able to pick them up, provide them with clothes, lodging, and travel arrangements to their final destination. Two men had bonds fundraised and paid for. Sponsors and hosting families have helped four men for over six months now. Three congregations in this region of the Inland Empire have accompaniment teams walking alongside these newly arrived persons who are thriving with the help of their accompaniment team. No need to explain that the work these congregations are doing is truly faith in action and they are models for community alternatives to detention work.

If you would like to visit asylum seekers in the Adelanto detention center, please contact Hilda Cruz.

Recent Successes

Rony and Derwin, two young Honduran men seeking asylum who were bonded out of detention have been hosted and accompanied for the last six months. They are now receiving English classes and continue to thrive with the support of the congregation and the larger community that has embraced them both.

We helped find a host congregation for a recently reunified 14 year old and his dad.  They traveled to the U.S. from Honduras together and sought asylum. Trump’s  zero tolerance separated them and dad was placed in a detention center for 10 months while the child was placed in a resettlement foster care program.  We are happy to announce they will be making their home in Southern CA and a group of church leaders will be accompanying them to help them adjust as they settle themselves.

The Justice for Immigrants Seeking Asylum  and the Fe y Justicia groups continue to visit the men and women in the Adelanto detention center.  They have been able to help nine women and two men who, after being detained for months, were granted asylum.  When these persons were released they were welcomed by familiar faces that hosted them overnight and helped them with their travel arrangements to their final destination, where they are now living with loved ones.

We are responding to asylum seekers that are being dropped off by ICE.  These occurrences have been happening since last November (2018) in San Diego, the city of Mecca and Coachella and now San Bernardino. Several churches have stepped up to the plate to support and welcomed these immigrants. There are shelters that offer them a safe place to rest, shower, clean clothes in a welcoming atmosphere till they are able to travel to their final destination with either friends or loved ones. Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity has been recruiting volunteers for these shelters and asking for much needed donations from various congregations.