Immigration Justice

Immigrant Welcoming Conference / Immigration Working Group

The Wisconsin Conference is an Immigrant Welcoming Conference.  To learn more about what this means and how your congregation and you can get involved in immigration justice work: Immigrant Welcoming Conference page.

Immigration justice news and actions

• What does President Biden’s ambitious and progressive immigration policy agenda mean for immigrants and their allies? How can you and your congregation get involved?  To learn more, watch the recordings from the Immigration Working Group ‘s three-part Zoom workshop series, “Immigration Justice Reset”.    
  • April 20: In recognition of the many ways that justice issues intersect, this workshop, “Justice Reset: Advocating as People of Faith,” was co-sponsored by the Creation Care Team. Katie Adams, Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues in the UCC’s Washington, D.C. office, shared practical tips for effectively advocating for justice issues.
    • Access the video recording of the April 20 workshop here.
  • March 16: A conversation with Carole Anne Donohoe and Katia Cardoza of Al Otro Lado‘s Family Reunification Project about their work.
    • Access the video recording of the March 16 workshop here.
  • February 16: A conversation featuring Noel Andersen, the UCC & CWS Grassroots Coordinator for Immigrants’ Rights, the Rev. Randy Mayer of Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, Arizona, Katie Adams, Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues in the UCC’s Washington, D.C. office, attorney Linda Zuba, and representatives from Al Otro Lado.
    • Access the video recording of the February 16 workshop here.
• In March, Noel Andersen and Church World Service issued an urgent appeal to advocate for asylum seekers, especially unaccompanied children, at the border:
  • Visit the CWS take action page to contact your representatives via email and get ideas on how to amplify the message on social media.
  • Download the CWS fact sheet on welcoming unaccompanied children here
  • CWS has also created a talking points document with messaging about FEMA at the border; download document here.
  • Another resource is Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (lirs.org); specifically their “How to Help Migrant Children at the Border” webpage.
• The Interfaith Immigration Coalition newsletter contains a wealth of relevant advocacy information.  A few highlights from March, 2021:
  • Access the “Welcoming Migrants: Take Action Toolkit“
  • View a recording of “A Faithful Response to the Border: Welcoming Migrant Children and Asylum Seekers” webinar on Facebook or Google Drive
  • To sign up for the newsletter, visit the Interfaith Immigration Coalition webpage.
• The deadline to sign on to these letters shared by Noel Andersen has passed, but the content is still relevant, and could be adapted for use in other advocacy letters.
  • A letter from faith leaders urging the Biden Administration to protect refugees. (March, 2021)
  • A letter to US Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas urging an end to the deportation of Haitians. (February, 2021) (letter)
  • A letter to then President-elect Biden about Sanctuary and deportations. (January, 2021) (letter)
• Advocate to return driver’s licenses for undocumented Wisconsinites to the state 2021-2023 biennial budget
  • For more information, including a sample letter, downloadable postcards, a call to action document, and talking points, see WISDOM’s Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Wisconsinites page (WISDOM is a statewide, grassroots, interfaith organization)
  • The Joint Committee on Finance is no longer accepting public comments on the budget; contact your state senator and representative. (If you aren’t sure who they are, look your address up here.)
  • The National Conference of State Legislatures has compiled a list of the states that currently allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses or cards.
  • Although Voces de la Frontera has not yet updated the materials on its Driver Licenses for All page for the current budget cycle, the information is still useful.
• Educate yourself about U.S. refugee admissions: 
  • On May 3, President Biden issued a statement revising the annual U.S. refugee admissions cap to 62,500 for this fiscal year.
    • This revision is partly in response to outcry by advocated, including Church World Service to the presidential determination on refugee admissions announced on April 16, 2021.  (See the Church World Service Rapid Response Toolkit, shared by Noel Andersen.)
    • Later on April 16, the White House issued a brief walk-back statement.
  • International Rescue Committee Fiscal Year 2021 mid-year report, “More of the same: Biden to admit fewer refugees than any president in U.S. history.” (April, 2021)
  • For current and historical information on U.S. refugee admissions:
    • The Refugee Processing Center’s Admissions and Arrivals page posts monthly reports on refugee admissions.
    • This data tool created by the Migration Policy Institute tracks refugee ceilings and arrival numbers from 1980 to the present.

Links to organizations involved with immigration and immigration justice

For links to numerous state, national, and international organizations involved with immigration and immigration justice: Immigration links page

Immigration justice resources

For resources to learn more about immigration justice: Immigration justice resources page