August 11 Refugee & Immigration Resources

Topics: Advocacy, Immigration, Justice Format: Article, Explainer, Handout, Toolkit Language: English

Seeking to be a source of trusted information/resources for local congregations, Regions, and ministries, Justice & Advocacy Ministries offers the following curated list of toolkits, articles, and action items about refugee and immigration ministries.

Take Action and Lift Your Voice

Congressional Recess Advocacy Guide and Template
Senators and Members of Congress are back home for “August recess,” a period when they hold town halls, attend public events, and listen to their constituents. The congressional recess period is a vital moment to ensure your voice is heard by your elected officials in the US House of Representatives and Senate in support of refugees and immigrants. Church World Service has put together a great advocacy guide and template to help with this work.

Toolkit: Immigration Detention Oversight & Accountability
This toolkit from the National Immigrant Justice Center provides a step-by-step guide for members of Congress to plan visits to ICE detention facilities in their districts and engage in oversight. Share it with your US Congressional Representatives and urge them to take action now.

Action Alert: Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Refugees
Our partners at Church World Service have set up an Action Alert that will allow you to email your representatives and advocate for refugees and immigrants in your community

Guide: Trauma-Informed Engagement with Directly Impacted Individuals
As a faith partner that strives to center the voices and experiences of directly-impacted individuals, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition created this guide to help coalition organizations honor, empower, and respect those individuals that choose to collaborate and share their stories with us.

Follow-Ups from General Assembly

Justice Resolutions at General Assembly 2025
At General Assembly 2025 in Memphis, Disciples passed several important resolutions addressing justice issues. This is the General Assembly speaking to the church and inviting our members and ministries into deeper engagement with this work. This included passing the Emergency Resolution GA2570 “Responding to the US Federal Government’s Attack on Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees.”

Next Steps: Solidarity with Migrants Beyond General Assembly 2025
Disciples Home Missions, Week of Compassion, and Obra Hispana collaborated on a “Stand in the Gap” Vigil at General Assembly 2025 in front of the Immigration Court in Memphis (hidden in plain sight in an office building, mere blocks away from the Convention Center). As a planning guide for future local actions we have made the full script available for you to use.

Stay Informed on the Issues

Testimony: Answering God’s Call, No Matter the Cost
Disciples chaplain Rev. Elizabeth Diop was fired when she spoke out on behalf of a fellow chaplain at the Children’s Hospital who was detained by ICE. Rev. Diop’s powerful editorial frames the time as “What I lost when I spoke for a detained colleague, and why I’d do it again.”

Law, Religion & Rights Project: Report on Religious Liberty and Immigration
The latest report from the Law, Religion, and Rights Project at Union Theological Seminary is intended as a practical tool for houses of worship, civil rights advocates, faith-based organizations, immigration attorneys, and criminal defense lawyers. Check it out.

Human Rights Watch: “You Feel Like Your Life is Over” – Abusive Practices at Three Florida Immigration Detention Centers Since January 2025
With heartbreaking detail, Human Rights Watch chronicles the ways that detainees are subjected to degrading and dehumanizing treatment at 3 different Immigration Centers in Florida.

NILC: Explaining the Anti-Immigrant Policies in the “Big Beautiful Bill”
On July 4, 2025 the budget bill known as “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law. The law brings fundamental changes to federal immigration systems and other federal programs. This resource from the National Immigration Law Center zooms in on the law’s immigration-related provisions providing an overview and analysis of how each measure will work.

IRAP: Explainer on the 2025 Travel Bans
The International Refugee Assistance Project has written an explainer about President Trump’s most recent proclamation banning immigrant and nonimmigrant entry of nationals of twelve countries and limiting entry for nationals of another seven countries.

San Diego Diocese Assembles Volunteers to Accompany Immigrants in Court
This article from the National Catholic Reporter details the “Faithful Accompaniment In Trust & Hope” (FAITH) program launched in San Diego by Catholic Bishop Michael Pham.

UCC: Churches Must Review and Understand Requirements with Federal Grants
Important info for grant seekers: Guidance from the United Church of Christ’s Office of General Counsel regarding changes to the terms and conditions for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program that now require recipients of the funding to fully cooperate with immigration officials, not engage in or promote programs that engage in DEI, and not participate in boycotts relating to Israel.