Refugee & Immigration Ministries
More about Immigration Ministries
There are thousands of persons in the world who, like Alexander Campbell and other founders of our denomination, desire the opportunity to live in a free and stable society. Some of those persons wait years to come through official immigration processes, others come on temporary visas and overstay those visas, and others come without official documentation. Those who overstay visas or come without official documentation include persons fleeing persecution and seeking asylum, persons in desperate situations who have no possibility of caring for their families in there homeland, and persons simply looking for a better quality of life. For whatever reasons immigrants come to the United States and Canada, the gospel calls us to welcome the stranger. Often the welcome given by the U.S. government is one of detention and deportation. To understand more about how persons without proper documentation are treated see "Asylum, Detention, Deportation, and the Legal Rights of the Undocumented."
Immigration
Help for Congregations
RIM stands ready to assist Disciples congregations
who are seeking to help persons who have immigration problems.
RIM can provide information about immigration processes, help
congregations locate immigration attorneys in their area,
and provide very limited funds to assist in emergency situations.
For information about the various immigration
categories that would allow an immigrant to come to the United
States or remain in the United States, see "Immigration
Categories" (PDF document) in English or Spanish. Congregations needing
additional help on immigration issues should contact the director
of RIM.
Over the last few years, immigration raids have greatly increased, creating an atmosphere of fear among all immigrant populations. Congregations are urged to respond to that fear by providing accurate and helpful information before a raid takes place in their community.
The following resources are available to help in that process:
Responding to Anti-Immigrant Attitudes
Immigrants are often the first to be blamed
when there are problems within the United States. When the
economy is bad, immigrants are blamed for taking away jobs
and using services they do not deserve. When terrorists strike,
immigrants are the first ones thought of as possibly being
responsible for the attack. As congregations struggle to understand
the blame that immigrants often unjustly experience, RIM stands
ready to provide helpful information in this area.
See "Undocumented persons: Should we blame or welcome them?" (PDF file).
Also see: "Welcoming the World to our Doorstep Packet and Pledge."
Border
Ministry
Disciples have a border ministry to immigrants
along the Texas/Mexico border. Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries
(SWGSM) is a ministry of the Southwest Region under the leadership
of the Rev. Feliberto Pereira. RIM has been supporting SWGSM
since the early 1980s. Learn more about SWGSM
on their Web site.
First Christian Church in Tucson, Ariz., hosts Humane Borders, a ministry that provides water in the desert for persons crossing from Mexico to Arizona. Humane Borders was founded by the Rev. Robin Hoover. Learn more about Humane Borders on their Web site.
Immigration Legislation
Immigration issues continue to be important issues in the political arena. Proposals for new immigration laws and regulations are constantly being put forward by Congress and the U.S. Administration. RIM provides updates on immigration legislation and regulations to the extent possible and provides channels for people to advocate on behalf of immigrants.
"Update" is available at What's New!
Advocacy information is available at Rapid Response.
Many states and cities across the United States are attempting to pass immigration legislation. State and local councils of churches have been active in speaking to those issues. To learn of efforts in your community check out the National Council of Churches in the USA Web site which has links to the immigration advocacy efforts of these councils.
Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Interfaith Immigration Coalition are clearinghouses for faith engagement on immigration reform. They have resources to help churches learn about immigration issues and engage in advocacy on behalf of immigrants.
Immigration Detention Centers
Persons coming to the United States seeking asylum, persons entering the United States without proper documentation, and even Permanent Residents of the United States who have committed a crime are held in detention centers across the United States while they are awaiting deportation or while a decision is being made concerning their asylum application. These detention centers consist of local jails/prisons, contract facilities owned and operated by detention corporations, and centers owned and operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In the detention centers owned and operated by DHS, Disciples work through Church World Service to provide religious services to the detainees. Attempts are underway to get permission from some of the contract facilities to also provide these services in those facilities. If your congregation is located near a DHS Service Processing Center (SPC) you are encouraged to volunteer to help with the provision of these religious services. Contact the director
of RIM for details.
