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, including accessing recordings of numerous online workshops: Immigrant Welcoming Conference page.

Staying up to date on the ever-changing landscape of migration is a challenge.  The Immigration Working Group encourages people interested in the most current information, especially on issues around asylum seekers and our southern border, to check out the websites of these trusted organizations:

• UCC Refugee and Migration Ministries
  • Immigrant Welcoming Congregations information, including the Immigrant Welcoming Congregations toolkit (updated in 2023)
  • Updates on Immigration Pathways
• Church World Service:
  • Migration, Asylum & Refuge
  • Action Alerts
• HIAS
  • For example, “The Biden Adminstration’s ‘Asylum Ban’ Explained“
• Interfaith Immigration Coalition

For information on the Welcome Corps, the new-in-2023 program to welcome refugees through private sponsorship: https://welcomecorps.org/

Responding to the migrant bus emergency

Migrants to our southern border are being bused (and in some cases, flown) to sanctuary cities and other locations.  To learn more about this ongoing humanitarian crisis, including ways that you and your congregation can respond, access these UCC resources:

• Read this September 15, 2022 UCC press release for an excellent description of the crisis and some responses to it.
• Download the UCC Team Global HOPE’s Migrant bus toolkit and take action on its suggestions!
• Noel Andersen of the UCC National Collaborative on Immigration shared this on October 4, 2022: As the UCC, we are walking in solidarity by accompanying asylum seekers and advocating for a robust humane reception system, joining partner non-profit and mutual aid organizations in key regions who are greeting immigrants and asylum seekers. Contact your elected leaders to urge their support for welcoming people seeking protection and safety.

Afghan Adjustment Act advocacy (September 30, 2022)

• Information on the Afghan Adjustment Act from the Evacuate Our Allies
• Urge your legislators to support this bipartisan, bicameral legislation: 
  • Link through Veterans for American Ideals
  • Link through Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Information about the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2023 (shared by Noel Andersen)

Although the official press release describes the refugee admissions target of 125,000 for the fiscal year as “ambitious”, Church World Service and others had called on the Biden Administration to set a resettlement goal of 200,000, accompanied by investments to strengthen the resettlement program.  It should be noted that in Fiscal Year 2023, only about a fifth of the admissions goal, also 125,000, was met through US Refugee Admissions Program, although an additional 105,000 Afghans and Ukrainians were welcomed through humanitarian parole.

• Presidential Determination
• Statement from Church World Service
• Statement from HIAS
• Press release from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
• Refugee Council USA (RCUSA):
  • Statement
  • Social media toolkit
  • Talking points

UCC Refugee and Migration Ministries hosted a video series in July, 2022, “Responding faithfully to multiple refugee crises”

The series was designed to help local congregations discern their most faithful and appropriate response to the new waves of forced migration that cycle the news almost daily.  Access recordings of the sessions (along with other valuable resources) here

June 20, 2022 was World Refugee Day

It is never too late to consider honoring World Refugee Day with these resources, recommended by UCC Global H.O.P.E. Refugee and Migration Ministries:

• World Refugee Day Ecumenical Worship Service, recorded June 1. (40 minutes; faith communnities are welcome to use any part of this recording.)
• World Refugee Day 2022 Faith Toolkit, prepared by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, with a wealth of resources for use all year long.
• “Holy Voices: WRD Welcome for All!” Recording of the webinar first offered June 13 by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition and partners.

Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

• UCC response
• UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) press release on refugee data from Ukraine, including link to Ukraine Refugee Situation data portal

How to help Ukrainian arrivals to the United States

Up to 1000,000 Ukrainians are being admitted to the United States.  Ukrainians require a private sponsor; the sponsor needs to file a I-134, a legally binding document: this allows families to reunite.  Some Ukrainians do not have family and can be matched.

• To get more information on becoming a “welcomer” (for example, by donating money, airline miles, temporary housing through an AirBnb, supplies for setting up a household in your state) through Welcome.US: https://ukraine.welcome.us/
• The U.S. government has made Ukrainians eligible for benefits and services (for 12 months as of May 21), as outlined in this document: “Benefits for Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees“.  These benefits include Refugee Cash Assistance, BadgerCare, FoodShare, and employment programs.
• Dept. of Homeland Security:
  • Uniting for Ukraine page
  • “Fact Sheet: DHS Efforts to Assist Ukrainian Nationals” (March, 2022, updated May, 2022)

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

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

• Afghan Adjustment Act: “…The Afghan Adjustment Act continues to languish in congress and our Afghan neighbors continue to face a difficult situation regarding legal status and a secure future. This article [June 3, 2022] from a Utah publication offers a helpful description of the situation and how this legislation would make a difference.”
• 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:
  • International Institute of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
  • Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (Milwaukee)
  • World Relief Fox Valley (Oshkosh and Appleton)
  • Jewish Social Services (Madison)
  • New Beginnings for Refugees (Wausau)
  • Catholic Charities of Green Bay

  Another option is the Sponsor Circle Program.

• UCC resources:
  • Toolkit for congregations on welcoming and advocating for Afghan refugees
  • The UCC’s Global H.O.P.E. 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” (Note: this project has ended, but the page still has good information.)
• 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

Learn more about Title 42

Per “Key Facts About Title 42” by the Pew Research , Title 42 is “… a pandemic-era policy that has led the Border Patrol to turn away hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to enter the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border over the past two years.”  Other resources include:

• A Lawfare blog article; Lawfare (June, 2022)
• “A Guide to Title 42 Expulsions“; American Immigration Council fact sheet (October, 2021, updated May, 2022)
• “Title 42 and Its Impact on Migrant Families“, analysis by KFF (May, 2022)
• “Title 42 Explainer” from CNN (May, 2022)

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

Immigration justice resources

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