Category: Updates

Dear Friends,

Last night Trump posted out a tweet claiming ICE will be conducting mass arrests starting next week. The Washington Post reports that our government is sending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) throughout the nation to round up and deport millions of immigrants whom they believe to be undocumented. You can read the story here.

It is sometimes hard to distinguish this new activity with ICE’s ongoing “removal operations.” Unfortunately, it’s had another chilling effect and the fear that is spreading to immigrant communities is hard to ignore. We ask you that you are a peaceful and calming presence and that you help us dispel the fear that is paralyzing our people. Encourage people to resume their normal activities. Remind people that there is a strong network- of legal and community defense that is organized and will work to stop any deportations. Trump is announcing to incite fear and panic in our communities. Trump is developing his re-election campaign, and he will continue to run on the abuse and violence toward of immigrants. To the immigrant and faith community: we encourage you to stay alert and informed for upcoming ways to act. We specifically call on ICE enforcement agents to resist orders for increased raids and roundups.

We also must remember that we have been developing networks of protection in our cities, congregations, and across our states, so we will be leaning into these mechanisms and it will be important for all of us to be prepared so we are not only in reaction mode. Specifically as immigrant and faith communities, we strongly encourage you to Breathe, Pray, Stay Grounded, and Connected so that we all can respond with utmost clarity and wisdom in these difficult moments.

Below are some resources we wanted to re-share, and ideas on how we can take this opportunity to be more prepared for the worst.

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Guides and Resources

Emergency Planning Guides
Sit with your close friends and family to make a communication plan in case of an emergency. Here are some examples of free and reliable community resources

Spanish:

• Guia para planear en una emergencia from Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• Plan Financiera from MissionAssetFund.org

Chinese:

• 家庭準備計劃

English:

• Family Preparedness Plan from Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• Emergency Planning Guide from Catholic Legal Immigration Network
• Preparing Yourself for Financial Emergencies from MissionAssetFund.org

Rapid Response Hotlines (Northern California)
If you know someone has been detained OR are witnessing an ICE Raid, immediately call:
Alameda County (510) 241-4011
San Francisco County (415) 200-1548
San Mateo County (203) 666-4472
Santa Clara County (408) 290-1144
San Bernardino and Riverside County (909) 361-4588
More Northern California hotlines from Northern California Rapid Response & Immigrant Defense Network

General Resources
The National Immigration Legal Services Directory, a joint project of the Immigration Advocates Network and Pro Bono Net.

Things Congregations Can Do

• Co-host or co-sponsor an educational workshops facilitated at your congregation or in a community to give practical information on deportation defense and sanctuary.
• Discern and establish Sanctuary in your congregations with sanctuary tools and be an active member of the network of protection in the following ways
• Be trained to be a volunteer with local rapid response network to document local ICE Raids in the Inland Empire
• Organize bond fundraisers to free individuals who are detained
• Engage in a deportation defense campaign by accompanying people to court
• Form a team in your congregation that can perform accompaniment or accommodation to a recently arrived or released immigrant.

IM4HI Sanctuary Resources flyer (Northern California)

IM4HI Calendar: opportunities to connect and get involved.

Know Your Rights

More language options for Know Your Rights, from Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

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Immigration Resource Videos (Spanish)

• If ICE Comes to Your Home
• Appointing a Person to Care for your Children
• Preparing Financially for the Deportation of the Family Breadwinner

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Thank you for your continued solidarity and commitment. We will move forward together.

When Hilda Cruz, a faith organizer with the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, helped plan Good Friday Stations of the Cross in front of the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County, California, this year, she was most familiar with the 14 stations typically used by Catholics.

Her interfaith partners, however, encouraged her to make an addition to the stations, which all “reflected upon the various ways that immigrants are suffering the persecution of an empire,” just as Jesus suffered when he was crucified, Cruz said.

That 15th station “is where we know that Jesus resurrected and he’s inviting us to do the work,” Cruz said. “So the invitation to really experience the resurrection of Jesus is join the movement. Join. Do something.”

Currently focusing on the often-overlapping issues of immigrant justice and mass incarceration, the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity provides many options for California congregations of all faith traditions to “do something.”

Read the full article here.