Immigration Justice

Immigration justice is one of the core justice ministries of the Wisconsin Conference. Congregations and individuals throughout the state are working to put our faith value of loving our immigrant neighbors as ourselves into practice by educating ourselves about immigration justice issues, advocating for immigrants and just immigration policies, and acting to support our immigrant neighbors with our time, our talent, and our donations.

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.

Refugee crisis in Ukraine

UCC response
Information on Uniting for Ukraine, a “new streamlined process to provide Ukrainian citizens who have fled Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression opportunities to come to the United States.” (description from DHS page, below)
- Dept. of Homeland Security Uniting for Ukraine page
- Welcome.US “explainer“
Dept of Homeland Security, March, 2022 “Fact Sheet: DHS Efforts to Assist Ukrainian Nationals”
March, 2022 CNN article with short answers to questions about refugees from Ukraine
Ukarianians at US border with Mexico:
- Two recent news videos:
  - DW News, a German public broadcast service (4/19/22): “US speeds entry for Ukrainian refugees as more reach Mexico border.” (8 minutes)
  - Democracy Now (4/20/22): “U.S. welcome Ukrainians at border, uses Title 42 as “Political Tool’ to block other asylum seekers.” (15 minutes)
- NY Times article (4/6/22) on Ukrainians at US border with Mexico

(Please be aware that the refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine is rapidly-changing and information shared here may be outdated by the time it is posted.)

Learn about what you and your congregation can do to help refugees from Afghanistan

Mary Kuenning Gross is serving as the Welcoming Our Afghan Allies Partner in Service Volunteer for the Wisconsin Conference. Mary is working to establish relationships with government-designated resettlement agencies and with Wisconsin conference congregations enaged in the ministry of Afghan refugee resettlement.
Email Mary or call (262) 271-8990
On March 22, 2022, the Immigration Working Group sponsored a Zoom conversation, “After Fort McCoy: Immigration Justice Here and Now with Our New Afghan Neighbors”, about ways congregations around the state are welcoming our new Afghan neighbors. Presenters included the Rev. Peder Johanson, the Volunteer Coordinator for Afghan Refugee Response with the Wisconsin Council of Churches; Mary Flynn, Program Manager for Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan; and Ginny Close of the newly-formed group, Welcoming New Neighbors-NW WI Refugee Resettlement. Access a video recording of the workshop here.
The Immigration Working Group hosted a Zoom workshop, “Scenes from Our Own Backyard: Supporting Afghan Refugees”, with Rev. Irene Hassan, Minister for Refugee and Migration Services for the UCC, on Thursday, November 4, 2021. Watch a recording of the workshop here.

More general informaton on helping Afghan (and other) refugees:

Information from the Office of Refugee Resettlement: Afghan Assistance Resources
Information on helping refugees from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families: How Can I Help?
Whenever possible, congregations interested in exploring what it would mean to sponsor or otherwise actively support an Afghan refugee are encouraged to work with the refugee resettlement agency in their part of the state:
Another option is the Sponsor Circle Program.
Team Rubicon, a 501(c)3 disaster response organization that utilizes the skills and experience of military veterans and first responders as well as other volunteers, is continuing to work in Wisconsin managing goods collection and distribution. Because their workers are currently spread thin, with people on the ground in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, as well as responding to the recent tornado damage Team Rubicon is seeking volunteers, especially in the Milwaukee area.
UCC resources:
- Toolkit for congregations on welcoming and advocating for Afghan refugees
- The UCC’s GLOBAL Hope Refugee and Migration Ministries page includes lots of good information
- Spring 2022 Learning Series for Churches: Ramadan In a New Country with Rev. Irene Willis Hassan (each video recording is 45 minutes to an hour long):
  - Part 1: Intro to Islam and Ramadan
  - Part 2: Islam and Women, the “Stuff” of Ramadan
  - Part 3: Lent, Advent, and Ramadan
  - Part 4: Racism and Islam in the Refugee Resettlement System
- February 2022 videorecording, “Trauma-informed reflection on inviting vulnerable persons to speak on their experiences” and presentation slides
Wisconsin Council of Churches: “Helping Refugees from Afghanistan” (Includes sign up for the informative weekly e-newsletter by Rev. Peder Johanson, WCC Afghan Refugee Response & Relief Volunteer Coordinator.)
Resources from Church World Service (CWS): Learn More About Welcoming Afghans and How to Help Afghans
Welcome.US, per its website: “Welcome.US is a new national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans from all corners of the country to welcome and support those seeking refuge here. We began with our new Afghan neighbors and have expanded to those fleeing Ukraine, while also building a durable capacity and ability to welcome other newcomers….”
Information from refugee assistance organization, HIAS, including its “How you can help” webpage

Other relevant immigration information

Learn more about “We the People Ride for Common Good Immigration & Border Practices” bike ride described on their website: “We finished our 3,200 mile ride along the entire U.S. / Mexico border and the U.S. coastline—66 days straight to listen, learn, and advocate for Common Good immigration practices and policies.”
Read and apply critical thinking skills to:
- US immigration enforcement priorities, “Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law”, announced on September 30, 2021 by Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- These July 2021 White House releases about the Biden/Harris Collaborative Migration Management Strategy and U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition newsletter contains a wealth of relevant advocacy information. To sign up for the newsletter, visit the Interfaith Immigration Coalition webpage.
Educate yourself about U.S. refugee admissions:
- 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