Unitarian Universalist Immigration Resources
Unitarian Universalist Immigration Resources
UUSJ’s Vision for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, as articulated by the Immigration Task Group, as of May 2019.
UUSJ Immigration Task Group letter to Senators. The coronavirus pandemic has created health threats worldwide, but particularly vulnerable are those people detained in close quarters by enforcement authorities. As part of UUSJ’s advocacy work on behalf of immigrants, we have joined the calls from our frontline immigrant and interfaith allies to urge the rapid release of as many detainees as possible from unsafe facilities administered by or for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
The attached letter was prepared by UUSJ‘s Immigration Task Group, urging US Senators urgently to request ICE to release all detainees not posing a threat of violence. Because of news of a hunger strike at the ICE facility in Farmville, VA, the letter(s) were addressed to Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia and Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of neighboring Maryland. Copies of the letter were sent to Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, Ranking Member of that committee.
UUSJ Defends Asylum Seekers and Migrants, Opposes the Border Wall. During August 2019 we joined an amicus brief (friend of the court) filing challenging attempts to divert funds to build a border wall. We were part of 75 religious organizations from around the country who signed on to the brief in this round—the most on any of these border wall cases, and in the shortest turnaround time. See our “Statement of Identity and Interest” (also on our website). Read the full brief here.
Support for Texas Delegation visiting Capitol Hill on Sanctuary Issues. During July, Peggy Morton of both First UU Church of Austin and Austin Sanctuary Network, returned to D.C. with a group of activists — Santuario Colectivo/New Sanctuary Collective — for meetings on Capitol Hill. They spoke on the imposition by ICE of draconian fines on vulnerable immigrants who are in the process of seeking asylum and the overall pattern of threatening, harassing and bullying undocumented immigrants. The UUSJ immigration team helped house them, organize an exchange with Cedar Lane’s Sanctuary recipient, Rosa Gutierrez Lopez, suggested targets and joined for many of their meetings. See our statement on the issue.
Proposed HUD Rule Change Targets Immigrants – Public Comment. All comments must arrive by July 9. UUSJ has submitted a comment found here and prepared a flyer and guide for use by members. UUSJ’s Immigration Task Group urges you and your congregation to make a public comment against Housing and Urban Development Department’s proposed rule revision (FR-6124-P-01). This proposal seeks to threaten families of mixed legal status by eliminating permissions allowing undocumented persons in a family using HUD financial assistance to pay for housing, among other steps. Online comment submissions are preferred.
UUSJ Defends DACA, Opposes Texas’s Efforts to Enjoin (Amicus Brief filing) During July 2018 UUSJ was honored to be part of an Amicus Brief (Friend of the Court) filing opposing the State of Texas’s efforts to enjoin Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). See our “Statement of Identity and Interest”. We also made the full amicus brief available.
2015 Action of Immediate Witness – End Immigrant Child and Family Detention Now
2013 Statement of Conscience – Immigration as a Moral Issue
Unitarian Universalist Immigration Justice Resources
Side With Love – SWL: Immigrant Justice
River Road UUC – Latin American Taskforce Network
Become a refugee family advocate in your city. Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is looking for people to help recently arrived refugees find support services. Priority cities are: Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Charlotte, Memphis, Orlando, Miami, New Orleans, NYC, Chicago, Arlington, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.