Immigration / Refugees

Immigrant Welcoming Conference

After a year of study, at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Conference, the delegates voted to become an Immigrant Welcoming Conference.  You can download the resolution here: Immigrant Welcoming Conference Resolution

Immigration Working Group

The Immigration Working Group is a group of clergy and lay leaders who are concerned about issues around immigration. We are connected with the National Collaborative on Immigration through Justice and Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ. We work to stay informed about and provide support for efforts in our local congregations to support refugees and immigrants, including those who are seeking asylum in the United States of America.

Stories from the Border

Children are still being held in cages. Find out what’s going on now, during the pandemic, on both sides of the US/Mexico border. Learn about specific actions that you and your congregation can take. This webinar will feature reports from Rev. Randy Mayer of Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, Arizona, and Linda Zuba, an attorney from Rockford, IIlinois, active in immigration advocacy. Noel Andersen, the UCC & CWS Grassroots Coordinator for Immigrants’ Rights, and Katie Adams, Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues in the UCC’s Washington D.C. office, will offer updates on the work being done by the United Church of Christ on the issue of immigration justice. This webinar is presented by the Wisconsin Conference UCC Immigration Working Group and McFarland UCC’s Not In Our Name campaign. Watch the webinar here.

Workshop on Immigrant Welcoming Congregations

How are congregations living out our resolution to be an Immigrant-Welcoming Conference? How can churches get involved in their community or at our border? These are the questions addressed in “Immigrant-Welcoming Wisconsin: Living Out the Resolution.” Watch the webinar here.

IMMIGRANT WELCOMING STORY

First Congregational UCC in Janesville has voted to become an immigrant welcoming congregation, after several months of study. Taking their commitment seriously, they already have plans in place to take action, and they invite other churches to join in. Read their story: Immigrant Welcoming Congregation.

WANT TO TAKE ACTION?

• Members of this group are available to work with congregations who are considering becoming an Immigrant Welcoming Congregation, or who would like to know more about the process.
• For information about how to resettle an immigrant family, please contact Bobbie Kuhn.
• Our Hispanic Cultural Awareness Resource person is Martha Boyer.

RESOURCES FOR CONGREGATIONS

Becoming an Immigrant Welcoming Congregation,  a study guide from the United Church of Christ

Becoming Welcoming Communities Study Guide and Session Handouts from the Wisconsin Council of Churches

The Sanctuary Movement and Legal Risks, from the United Church of Christ Office of General Counsel

What Scripture Says about Refugees by Rev. Laura Yurs

Becoming an Immigrant Welcoming Community article from First Congregational – La Crosse

Example of an Immigrant Welcoming Congregation Statement from First Congregational UCC, Janesville

Sanctuary Not Deportation: A Faithful Witness to Building Welcoming Communities toolkit

Refugee Welcome Toolkit from Refugees Welcome

United Church of Christ immigration resources

The following two materials are from the Interfaith Immigration Coalition and Refugees Welcome webinar on November 15, 2016.  These resources may be useful as your congregation studies the issue of immigration and our faith:

–webinar recording

–PowerPoint slides from webinar (PDF)

Oregon New Sanctuary Movement Faith and Immigration Study Guide

ESTHER Faith Communities United for Justice offers “Walk in Our Shoes” – a simulation event designed to bring community awareness to the challenges Latinos face. Flyer

Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Borderlinks

Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans

Interfaith Immigration Coalition

Church World Service

Derechos Humanos

Frontera de Cristo

Humane Borders

No More Deaths

Witness for Peace

Migration Policy Institute

National Immigration file

National Day Labor Organizing Network

Immigration in the news:

1,600 Miles, 85 Hours: A Migrant Family Takes a Greyhound Across America

Entering the U.S. at a rate of more than 5,000 a day, new arrivals from Central America are departing border towns by the busload. And that bus is usually a Greyhound.